Daily Rituals & Self Care
Finding the time to take care of yourself is a challenge. If you set your intention to live a healthy and balanced life, this can be a powerful medicine. Starting your day with an Ayurvedic self-care routine helps keep you balanced and adds a little bit of love to your life.
“When you recover or discover something that nourishes your soul and brings joy, care enough about yourself to make room for it in your life.” ~Jean Shinoda
Tongue Scraping
Scraping your tongue is recommended in Ayurveda to remove all the bacteria and toxins that have accumulated on the back of the tongue during sleep. If you look at your tongue in the mirror first thing in the morning you will see a whitish or light brown coating. This is the metabolic waste produced during the nights digestive processes that the body is trying to expel. If this coating is left on the tongue it will be reabsorbed by the body and will accumulate as toxins in the organs and tissues, bringing extra stress to the immune system.
The tongue is considered a mirror of our individual organs so by using a tongue scraper you are also massaging the tongue helping to relax your internal organs.
Within 5 minutes of waking brush your teeth well then scrape your tongue with a copper tongue scraper 3 times in the centre then once on each side. Then rinse under hot water and put in a clean place where it will be ready to be used either before bed or first thing the next morning.
Morning Detox Tea
Starting your morning with this gentle detox tea is great for kick starting the digestive fire also known as “agni”. This morning drink will also be of great benefit if you suffer from sluggish or imbalanced digestion, as it helps to flush toxins from the body and support healthy elimination.
INGREDIENTS
½ a teaspoon of fresh finely grated ginger
½ a teaspoon of lemon juice
½ a teaspoon of raw honey
glass of warm water
METHOD
Add ginger and lemon to your mug then add boiling water just over half full and give it a stir, now add room temperature water to the top and then add your honey. Alternatively add boiling water to the mix and let cool before adding your honey
Make sure not to add honey to water that is too hot as this changes the qualities turning it into a sticky toxic substance inside the body
GINGER acts as a scraper inside the body and is considered one of the best overall remedies in Ayurveda due to its diversity in treating many different ailments from joint inflammation to colds, coughs and digestive issues and even applied topically for aches and pains.
LEMON is packed with vitamins and minerals and acts as a flusher in the body by loosening ama (toxins) in the digestive tract
HONEY’S sweet nectar acts as a binder in the body and according to ancient Vedic civilisation is considered to be one of the most remarkable gifts to mankind due to its amazing healing properties.
Self Oil Massage (Abhyanga)
In Ayurveda The ancient practice of Self oil massage plays a major role in healing due to its deeply detoxifying and nourishing effects on the body. Self massage with warm herbal oils greatly increases circulation, lubricates the skin and joints and stimulates the lymphatic system .
A daily practice of Abhyanga restores the balance between body and mind bringing deeper sound sleep, reduced stress and longevity.
METHOD
Warm ¼ to ½ a cup of herbal oil inside a bigger cup of boiled water so it reaches a nice warm temperature
You may use specific Ayurvedic herbal oils for your body type or cold pressed black sesame oil is great for the Autumn and Winter months and coconut oil can be used in the hotter months to cool the body. Jojoba oil may also be used as this oil has a balancing effect on all body types.
Use long fluid strokes along the limbs of the body and circular strokes around the joints, making sure you massage every part of the body including the soles of the feet, face and ears as these areas are the nerve endings of vital organs and marma points.(energy junctions).
Massage the tummy in a gentle clockwise direction to stimulate the large intestine and always massage towards the direction of the heart.
It is best to leave the oil on your body for 5 to 15 minutes if you can so that the oil can absorb and penetrate into the deeper layers of the body, then have a warm bath or shower and gently towel dry being mindful not to rub too vigorously.
Enjoy the feeling of having nourished your body and mind and carry this with you throughout your day!