3 Easy Ways to Self Care this Month:

The idea of self care seems new–it’s become a buzz word in modern times and a sales tool for the social media industry to get their products out there. But, what does Ayurveda say about self care and what are the best ways to go about doing it? 

Ayurveda IS Self Care. 

The entire science of Ayurveda is a knowledge of the self. Ayur means “life” and Veda means “knowledge.” It’s the study of, about, and into the body and living. And it’s not new at all–it’s over 5,000 years old!

Ayurveda seeks to address problems at the cause, notjust mask the symptom. It teaches us to recognize that any “dis-ease” can lead to disease. Recognizing within yourself when a problem is arising takes time and attention, but doing so can help you to nip an issue in the bud and hopefully prevent future disease. 

So, how do you know what to look for?

Here are some signs that things are going off track in your body/mind/spirit:

• You feel off. You’re not quite yourself–you may notice that tasks are harder, you’re more irritable, or you’re not sleeping. 
• Your digestion is different–suddenly you find you’re sluggish or tired after a meal, or you become bloated easily
• You are anxious or easily angered–small things are setting you on a course that’s hard to return from peacefully and rationally
• You’re craving old habits that don’t serve you–missing that toxic relationship you once had? Feeling like smoking, drinking, or raiding the fridge?
• You feel down and unmotivated
• Your body is achy 

Here are some signs that you may need outside help:

• You have insomnia and lie awake worrying for hours
• Your anxiousness has turned into phobias and it’s hard to do things you used to be able to do
• You’ve gained or lost weight in a short amount of time without trying
• You are so irritable it’s affecting your relationships
• You don’t want to do anything
• You are in a considerable amount of physical or emotional pain

Finding Solutions:

If you fall into the first category and things are a little off track, here are three solutions to apply to your daily routine to help turn things around:

1. Spend less time on social media and the news. 

This is so crucial to your mental wellness. Not only is it unhelpful for the brain overall, but it is overstimulating and creates negative thought patterns that have no choice but to bleed into your life. Allowing yourself 30 minutes a day or less on social media or news watching is advised. Remember, it used to be that we received our news once or twice a day, either through the newspaper or evening news on television. How different is that then being bombarded throughout the day by news sources? Very. The same applies to social media. It may feel like relaxing to pull out your phone and scroll, but think of how it affects you emotionally. What are you being shown? How does that make you feel about yourself? About others? Muting notifications is truly one of the best things you can do for your mental health. 

2. Move your body.

Taking a gentle walk, swim, or yoga class can radically alter your mood, help your digestion, and help you sleep.

3. Abhyanga.

Abhyanga is the act of self massage with oil. It reduces anxiety, anger, and physical aches and pains and promotes self love. Here’s what you do: 30 minutes before a shower or bath, rub oil on your body. After 30 minutes, shower or bathe. Avoid using soap, except on your parts that need cleaning. Instead, rub the oil further into your body using the heat from the water. Tip: shampoo the hair *dry* to avoid oily hair.

There are specific oils for specific doshas, but if you follow these basics, you’ll be great: 

• Feeling anxious/bloated/constipated: use a warming oil like sesame (not the kind you cook with). If you don’t have sesame oil, use any carrier oil and add calm/warming oils like lavender or vetiver.
• Feeling angry/irritable/inflamed: use a cooling oil like coconut. You can also use a carrier oil with rose oil to cool you down and calm your irritants.
• Feeling heavy/unmotivated/sluggish: use a hot & stimulating oil like mustard oil. Don’t have that lying around? Use any character oil and add some eucalyptus. Zing!  

 If you fall into the second category, we strongly urge you to sit down with an Ayurveda Health Counselor, Licensed Clinical Therapist, or call your doctor.