Tag: Ayurvedic Routines

3 Ways to Integrate Ayurveda into Your Yoga Practice

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Yoga and Ayurveda are inseparable. The two sister sciences complement each other perfectly and are an absolute dream team when it comes to keeping body and soul healthy. However, while yoga has become the talk of the town and everyone you meet has tried it at some point, Ayurveda is not yet as widespread.

Many yogis and yoginis are therefore surprised when they hear that Ayurveda is not only health and nutrition advice, but can also be part of the asana practice.

Want to bring a little more Ayurveda to your mat, too? Here are three ideas on how you can practice Ayurvedic yoga!

Based on your constitution

Each person has a unique Ayurvedic constitution, which is made up of the three doshas, or bio-energies. Just as each color is the result of a unique combination of the three primary colors, we are the result of our own unique combination of doshas. You can find out yours by filling out an online test or booking an Ayurvedic consultation. Once you know your constitution, you can take a closer look at what it means for you: what imbalances and ailments are you prone to? What are your strengths? What is particularly good for you? The next time you practice yoga, you can try to prevent any imbalances.

You are an airy Vata type? Perhaps a meditative, grounding practice with asanas close to the ground will do you good.

You are a fiery Pitta type? Challenge yourself to satisfy your ambition, but build in enough relaxation as well.

You’re a grounded Kapha type? Practice creative movement and like to crank up your circulation.

Based on the season

Just like everything else in our lives (yes, everything else!), the seasons affect our constitution and can cause imbalances. Prevent these by practicing asanas, meditations and pranayamas that balance the current dominant dosha.

Spring is mainly Kapha-dominated, the warm summer is under the influence of Pitta, autumn with its wind is assigned to Vata. As soon as winter has arrived and the temperatures are consistently cold, Kapha tends to dominate again.

But always pay attention to the current weather, because a summer that should be warm and sunny, can also be changeable and rainy – then Pitta is not necessarily in the lead.

Always keep your constitution in mind! For example, just because Pitta is dominant, you personally may not need to balance Pitta. If you are dominated by Vata dosha, the warmth may even be very good for you.

Based on the elements

The five Ayurvedic elements – ether or space, air, fire, water and earth – form the basis of your constitution, because the doshas are composed of them. Each element has its own characteristics and qualities. Which of them do you want to connect with today? With the stability of earth, the lightness of air, the flow of water…? Get creative and think about which exercises represent the quality you are longing for right now and get that energy!

Which variation will you try first? Do you even have your own ideas to spice up your yoga sessions with Ayurveda? Share them with me!  And read on here if you want to bring Ayurveda not only to your yoga mat, but into your everyday life.

Ayurvedic leisure activities – the best hobbies for your Dosha

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Whoever is engaged in Ayurveda and integrates this ancient teaching into everyday life, usually starts with a Dosha test: How is my very personal constitution? We all carry all three Doshas in us, only in different weighting. Just as every color consists of the three basic colors, the ratio of the three doshas in us influences what physical and character traits we have. Knowing your own mixing ratio has numerous advantages – feel free to read more about it here and here.

Depending on one’s own constitution or possible imbalances (one dosha dominates excessively and thus causes discomfort), there are tips for every area of life to stay in balance and to prevent such imbalances from occurring in the first place: Exercise, sleep patterns, diet, and even hobbies. All, really all aspects of our life influence the doshas – so it is not surprising that leisure activities increase one dosha and reduce others.

Here is an overview of which hobbies are especially good for you based on your dosha dominance.

Kapha

The “cozy” Dosha stands for grounding, security, stability – all good qualities, which, however, can lead to lethargy, stagnation and melancholy when Kapha is in excess. To keep the energy flowing, mentally and physically stimulating activities are super. So, hobbies that are rather sluggish and lack exercise, such as fishing, for example, are not so good. Dancing is a great sport for people with dominant kapha dosha. Dancing gets you moving not only physically, but also mentally, as you have to remember choreography and movement patterns. But meditative exercise like hiking is also good for Kapha types, as you get to move in the fresh air and benefit from the endurance typical of Kapha.

Pitta

The “fiery” dosha can often use cooling down. If you have a dominant Pitta dosha, you often live out your ambition and competitive spirit on the job. On the one hand, this is great, because the qualities of Pitta are used optimally; on the other hand, an imbalance can arise here if there is also competition in private life. Everything that relaxes is well suited here: Swimming, yoga, painting, gardening, hiking. To balance the fire element, water activities are great. For outdoor hobbies, be sure not to spend too much time in direct sunlight and generally provide adequate sun protection so as not to further fuel Pitta heat.

Vata

The “airy” dosha is creative, enthusiastic and eager to move, but often needs stability and grounding so as not to fall into restlessness. Painting and drawing appeal to the creative streak of Vata people, hiking and running satisfy the need for movement and at the same time bring the mind to rest due to the regularity of movement and being in nature. Dancing is also great, as it combines movement and creativity – but debauched club nights should better be skipped by Vata people. Flashing lights and crowds make Vata shoot up extremely and can thus lead to an imbalance, which can result in restlessness, nervousness or even anxiety.

For all doshas and all constitution types, the general rule is that the leisure activity of your choice should be a balance to your job. So if you sit in front of the computer all day at work and then play chess in your free time, i.e. you practice a hobby without exercise, then there is no real balance.

Are you one of those people who don’t really have a hobby, but just sit in front of Netflix in the evening? Then think about whether there might be something you really enjoy doing – just looking for it can be a lot of fun!

Seven tips on how you can easily integrate Ayurveda into your everyday life.

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An ancient Indian healing science and our modern hectic everyday life – sounds almost incompatible? It’s not! What I like most about Ayurveda is its simplicity and individuality. Ayurveda starts exactly where you are and with its huge range of methods it really offers something suitable for everyone.

Here are seven simple tips on how you can easily integrate Ayurveda into your daily life.

Incorporate Ayurvedic routines into your daily life

In Ayurveda, there are several body care rituals which you can add to your morning routine without much effort.

Tongue scraping: You may have noticed a whitish coating on your tongue in the morning. Not only in Ayurvedic, but also in Western medicine, this coating is considered a waste product of nocturnal detoxification processes. If you remove this coating with a tongue scraper, you remove bacteria particularly thoroughly. This can prevent bad breath in the long term and improve gum health. Reason enough to give it a try, right? It’s easy, too: stick out your tongue and drag a tongue scraper (available at any drugstore) over it from back to front. Rinse the scraper and repeat the process until the coating is almost or completely gone. Do not squeeze too hard. Perform tongue scraping every morning before brushing your teeth – soon it will become a habit!

Oil pulling: Craving even more oral hygiene? Oil pulling has numerous benefits, including healthier gums, less plaque, whiter teeth. After you’ve already removed bacteria from your tongue with tongue scraping, oil pulling removes more waste products from your mouth. To do this, simply move a tablespoonful of oil around in your mouth for a few minutes, “pulling” it through your teeth, so to speak, and then spit it out – preferably into a paper towel, which you dispose of in the trash. While you are doing this, you can wonderfully do other things – make your bed, pick out your clothes for the day, put on water for your morning drink. There are several oils that are suitable, such as high-quality sesame oil, but also special oils for oil pulling that make it a little easier for beginners to get started due to their milder taste.

Dry brushing: this routine really gets your circulation going, wakes you up, and also aids in detoxification. Grab a massage brush and give yourself a loving self-massage. Start at the legs and gradually work your way up. Always stroke towards the heart, applying gentle pressure at first. If you wish, you can of course intensify this. Just two to three minutes are enough to unfold the positive effect. Afterwards, take a refreshing shower and you are ready for the day!

Lemon water: A lukewarm water with the juice of half a lemon is not only good for the immune system, but it also boosts your metabolism if you drink it directly in the morning. Of course, you still don’t have to give up your coffee!

Incorporating one of these four tips into your morning routine will only take you a few minutes.

Ayurvedic water

Ayurvedic water is water that has been boiled for several minutes. What does it do? By boiling the water, it changes its structure, it becomes chemically thinner. Digestive residues, called ama in Ayurveda, can be better “flushed away” by Ayurvedic water. Simply boil a larger quantity of water directly in the morning, which you can then fill into a thermos and drink throughout the day.

Find out your own constitution and try out appropriate tips

It will be much more specific if you don’t just try “anything Ayurvedic”, but really deal with yourself and your constitution. This is not only fun, but also helps you personally, because you can now apply tailored tips that fit you exactly. Take an online quiz directly or book an Ayurvedic consultation to find out what kind of Ayurvedic type you are and what is good for you.

Ayurveda based on the seasons

Your skin is rough and dry in winter? You suffer from the heat in summer? Then try season-specific Ayurvedic tips! You can find some good ideas here and here.

Experiment with spices

Hot spices like black pepper or chili really heat you up and get the metabolism going. Turmeric has an anti-inflammatory effect and supports the immune system. Cardamom balances all three doshas. Spices play a major role in Ayurveda, as they all have an effect on the doshas and can therefore help with a wide variety of ailments caused by imbalances. Try incorporating different spices into your cooking and observe how it makes you feel.

Try Chyavanprash

Ayurvedic amla mash is a true immune miracle. Pure or with warm milk, it not only tastes delicious, but boosts your immune system, balances all the doshas, and is considered an antioxidant. I personally also feel it gives me a boost when I have an afternoon slump.

Indulge in massages

Massages play a big role in Ayurveda – not so much to loosen muscles, but rather to massage the healing powers of the herbs contained in the oils into the skin. Depending on what your constitution is, whether you’re currently experiencing discomfort, or what time of year it is, certain types of massage or specific oils will help you. Vata types in particular benefit from regular massages with soothing, warming sesame oil. Treat yourself to this kind of self-care once in a while!

Those were my seven tips for a very simple integration of Ayurveda into your everyday life. Sounds really easy and not intimidating at all, right? Which tip will you try first? I hope you have fun experimenting!