More than being just a rigid system of medication, Ayurveda is something broader than that - it's the science of life. Ayurveda is a combination of two Sanskrit words, "Ayur" meaning life and "Veda" meaning science or knowledge. It offers a sense of wisdom that assists people in cultivating vitality and optimal potential. Ayurveda promotes health and treatment of illness with the help of lifestyle practices and herbal remedies. These practices can be easily adapted to our everyday routines.
Being holistic in nature, Ayurveda views our mind and body as a whole. It serves as a reminder for us that having a healthy lifestyle is a balance and vibrant integration of the human spirit, inner mind, outer body and physical environment. According to it, the five elements of nature are combined into our body as three components, known as the three doshas - Vatta, Pitta and Kapha. This is the reason that it is said that Ayurveda and its practices are not something outside our day-to-day lifestyle. It is rather the science of life that results in raising the quality of every aspect of life.
Here are eight effective ways to integrate Ayurveda into your lifestyle and add a greater balance to your life:
1. How to rest?
Now this is something that isn't limited to Ayurveda. A few minutes of sitting alone in silence and meditating will help you in clearing your mind and rejuvenating your body. Meditation is a key part of the toolkit of Ayurveda. It brings numerous physical, mental and emotional benefits to our lives. It's an incredible medium that can be used to balance your system on a regular basis and get deep nourishment.
2. How to eat?
Once you get to know nature, you can make use of that knowledge to emphasize specific types of food. Given that different people react well to different food, you can design a certain diet that will meet your goals. The clear you know about yourself and your goals, the easier it will be for you to build a healthy lifestyle. Having a nutritionally well-balanced diet is extremely necessary of course. However, one also has to make sure that they incorporate the 6 tastes into their means in order to get more satisfied.
3. How to plan?
Planning is important in every aspect of life. We plan about every second thing related to our work. So, why don't we plan when it comes to making your lifestyle healthier? The world is fast realizing how important it is to take out time to focus on your health. Plan short period of rest throughout the day. Don't sit in one place for long hours. Just like the strings of the bow are pulled back for generating momentum when long distances are to be reached, good rests will enable you to be more active.
4. How to design our surroundings?
Do you tend to like soothing and calming colours more? Or are you more attracted to bold and vibrant colours? The scent also plays a vital part in how one feels physically and mentally. Similarly, all our five senses are stimulated in ways that can either relax you or even trigger you. For this, one has to know about themselves deeply. Take your time and see how you react to the different colours and smells of your surroundings. Make your surroundings around the things that have a positive impact on your emotions, mind, body and spirit.
5. How to work out?
As obvious as it can get, exercising regularly benefits every type of body. It has a great impact on your mental health as well. The type of exercises you have to do depends on the type of person you are and the goals you have. People having Pitta type require steady and moderate exercises. Kapha types need exercises that are more challenging and demand more endurance. While the ones with Vatta type dosha benefit from light exercises in moderation.
6. How to restore?
The human body is an instrument. Just like a vehicle that requires maintenance from time to time, our body also enhances with tuning up from every now and then. This is why including digestive cleansing into your diet on a consistent basis is proven to be highly beneficial. Likewise, taking out some just to be with yourself in nature is also a great medium to rejuvenating yourself, both physically and mentally. Find things that give you pleasure and relax your mind. Adopt these things into your lifestyle to restore your energy and senses.
7. How to practice compassion?
Ayurveda focuses on looking past small events and having compassion. When one knows that someone has a specific type of nature, one should look past small conflicts and issues. One should understand that any kind of imbalance - excess of heaviness/fire can lead to certain reactions or lack of actions as well. Having the knowledge about the play of five elements and three natures enables you to avoid getting stuck in brain-draining and stressful arguments. Ayurveda enables you to see the bigger picture and ignore things that can impact your mind/body negatively.
8. How to perform yoga?
There are numerous yoga exercises and practices. Ayurveda helps you in understanding which yoga practice will be better suited for you. A more vigorous type of yoga is better for people with Kapha nature. The ones with the Vata type will enjoy a more grounding approach towards yoga. Similarly, people having Pitta dosha can benefit from yoga by combining active postures with long periods of rest afterward. Once you get to know about your nature as per Ayurveda, you can use this knowledge to have tailor-made yoga practices that suit you better.
Ayurveda brings one closer to themselves. It teaches them about themselves like no other thing can. Being completely natural, it’s proven to be one of the most incredible and effective forms of medication. People tend to spend huge chunks of their earnings on chemical-based treatments that do more harm and no good. Being an almost 5000 years old form of practice, Ayurveda still stands strong in the modern world and is practiced on a global level to date.
