In a world where stress is becoming normal and burnout is on the rise, many look back at ancient wisdom for holistic healing. Ayurveda, this millennia-old system originating from India, enjoys a great upsurge in it's healing modalities in the modern world. The yearning and need for people to live a balanced everyday life by growing stress in our population around the world. More and more we are going back to natural ways to enhance our health. But what makes Ayurveda so relevant today? How does yoga connect to Ayurveda's? By understanding that everything is a cycle, within nature, within our bodies there is a cycle and within a day on earth. This all stems from nature having cycles and in Ayurvedic knowledge we are apart of nature. Let's dive into the beautiful heart of Ayurveda's ancient healing wisdom and the pivitall changes it brought about in today's health landscapes.
The Resurgence of Ayurveda in Modern Times
Ayurveda is bringing harmony to the mind, body, and spirit through special treatment provided specifically for each person. With more people desiring natural approaches that resonate with their body's unique constitution or Pakruti. That everyone has a different genetic makeup is not new to Ayurveda's persenalized therapies. Ayurveda has never been timelier! This very ancient practice is steeped in a rich system of herbal remedies, dietary guidelines, lifestyle adjustments, and self-care routines that respond to the root cause of imbalance-something that resonates deeply in an era of quick fixes and over-reliance on medication. Today, from spa treatments to dietary consultations, the principles of Ayurveda are used by wellness practitioners in their offerings. What is so great about this ancient medicinal system? Ayurveda cures symptoms but rejuvenates long-term vitality by aligning the body with it's own unique nature once again. A practitioner myself, I am constantly surprised by how Ayurvedic remedies, from the use of ashwagandha for stress to triphala for digestion using theme myself everyday. Knowing the cycle of the body and having learned how to diagnos the unbalance and seeing how an unbalance can greatly affect a person. Personalized treatments, based upon bringing someone back to there original Pakruit (balanced-self) has made me fall in love with this practice.
How Yoga is Apart of Ayurveda
Yoga & Ayurveda are known as "sister sciences." They evolved together, part of all the Vedic traditions. Both practices have in mind the balance, but while yoga has concentrated on movements, breath, and meditation, Ayurveda delves into lifestyle, diet, and healing but has always included Yoga. Yoga stems from Ayurveda.
Bringing Ayurveda into your yoga practice enhances the effectiveness of your asanas and pranayama, aligning them with your dosha.
For instance, Vata is connected to the elements air and space. They are social butterflies but can also get very anxious when overwhelmed. They need a grounding, soft practice to connect with their inner-self, to have a balanced constitution. Vata may balance with stabilizing and grounding yoga practices, such as slow Hatha or restorative yoga. Warmth can complement Vata in winter, but it can also dry Vata out, which can create more harm than good. They need to learn how to create their own body heat and protect their body heat with warm and cooked, nourishing foods that are grounding. On the other hand, a hot Pitta type may find relief from inner heat with cooling practices, practicing yoga at home to lower the ego and the natural competitive side of Pitta. The best types of yoga for this dosha include Yin yoga and a diet more composed of plant-based foods like greens and salads. Each dosha has a different time of day; let's make sure to do something more invigorating in the morning and something more passive in the evening. It is a wonderful way to compliment your practice on and off the mat. Moving toward health for the body, mind, and spirit together.
Ayurvedic Daily Routine: Your Day-to-Day Ritual of Balance
Probably the most powerful way to harness the transformative potential of Ayurveda is through daily routines, or dinacharya. The simple practices of oil pulling, tongue scraping, and self-massage can easily be brought into your morning to facilitate detoxification and balance. These rituals would prepare the body for practice by helping to clear stagnation and stimulate energy flow. Connecting mindfully with your sacred temple, the body you inhabite every day of your life by nourishing it with your care and presence.
Normally, I recommend starting the day with a warm, lemon, turmeric tea with honey to initiate digestion, along with a yoga sequence specific to your dosha. You can always book a one on one Yoga & Ayurveda session to know more. The integration of Ayurveda with yoga does not stop here but goes further in bringing clarity to the mind, learning to balance your emotions, and spiritual development.
Ayurveda in the Modern World
In modern times, when everything is so fast-paced, people have become so disconnected from what happens to be the natural rhythms of their bodies. Ayurveda provides a gentle approach providing you with a set of tools to reconnect with yourself. From regulating digestion with seasonal diets, which may include eating foods with warming properties during cold winter months, to calming down the nervous system with herbs, an individual is empowered to take part in his or her journey toward health.
Ayurveda is based on a deep-seated belief that our connection with nature is inatly wired within us. It was not to long ago we all needed to live of the land to survive. Therefore, it is a deep seated connection for everyone, all healing follows honoring this relationship, we must simply remember. I have witnessed incredible transformations in my practice when people start to embody their natural cycles: balancing hormones, reducing anxiety, or simply feeling more energetic and alive and the list goes on.
Embracing Ayurveda's Wisdom With Ayurveda finding its modern niche in health and wellness, it seems that the ancient wisdom rings louder now more than ever. If your new to this practice or deepening into one's yoga journey, integrating Ayurvedic principles paves the way for lasting transformation within one's health and well-being. Ayurveda and yoga, were always meant to go hand in hand. It was always present at the Sivananda Ashram where I took my Yoga Teacher Course. It was always present when I took my Ayurvedic Practitionner Course. Breath work and Yoga was there when I took my spirituality course with my beautiful teacher Dr. Anita Sharma a 6 generation Ayurvedic doctor who has a scientific M.D. Yoga comes from the ancient text the Rig Veda. It is all interconnected but we must all start some
where because it is an ever lasting journey of self-healing and the inner knowings of our truest self.
We need all the tools to go through today's stresses and still stay rooted with the ancient arts that have seen us through many life cycles. If you are curious about how to make these practices personalized for your unique constitution, then I invite you to dive deeper with consultations and learn how to bring small Ayurvedic rituals into your daily life. You can book a consultation from wherever you are in the world. Let balance and harmony be with you as you seek wellness! Wellness means becoming Whole.
Namaste and may you always recognize the divine light within you, so you may see it within others! It all starts from within.
Melika Emira Baccouche Ayurvedic Practitioner, Body Therapist & Yoga Teacher
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