Ayurveda is a philosophy and an approach to wellness that holds self-awareness as the essence and foundation of good health. Its long-revered teachings offer insights so simple yet so profound that you may have a hard time believing how powerful they are. And how do we align ourselves with this cosmic sweetness, according to Ayurveda? By learning how to live in accordance with the never-ending ebb and flow of the Big Mama herself: Mother Nature.
Ayurveda not only aligns us with the macrocosm of Big Mama, but it also helps us learn to dive deep inside the mini-universe of ourselves through self-observation and self-love. True self-seeing requires a willingness to look deeply at our own life challenges and areas of confusion. It asks us to ponder difficult questions like, “Where is my life lacking sweetness and nurturing to such an extent that I find myself reaching for bonbons late at night, snuggling up with a wine bottle, or calling up ex-boyfriends I had good reason for leaving?” This type of inner-looking is vital because the more we understand the dark corners of our heart, the more our body and mind will naturally begin to align with the purity that is our true nature.
This path I will lead you down is not always easy. It requires radical self-honesty, compassion, contemplation, and regular meditation. This path also requires a shift in self-care and responsibility. A central tenet of Ayurveda is that the small choices we make every day can dramatically affect our health over time. We must accept ownership and responsibility of our life circumstances. That means we have to own our late- night emotional eating, our insomnia, our undigested father issues, financial woes, and any other stuff that’s keeping us stuck.
When we are truly honest and learn to digest our life circumstances, we take a giant step toward empowerment. How does this work? Ayurveda understands that our old, unhelpful patterns simply cannot be overcome without acceptance and compassion. Of course, we can’t change all of our life circumstances, but we can adjust our reaction to them. It is this internal readjustment that eventually frees us from the suffering.
Using Ayurvedic principles of health and lifestyle will give us the tools for writing the healthiest, happiest, and sexiest story ever. We will go from being victims to being co-creators of what we really want—a fabulously healthy body, a calm mind, and a big ol’ heart. Ayurveda gives us the unlimited potential to get all three, all by becoming more present, more aware, and more attuned to Mother Nature.
Read more in Healthy, Happy,Sexy!
Katie Silcox 