How many times have we all made those heartfelt New Year’s resolutions for more health and wellness, only to fall short and spin back into our old ways?
Research shows that a whopping 80% of New Year resolutions fail. Part of the reason, I think, is because with so many of our new year resolutions, we are going against the flow.
Winter is the season to rest and digest
In a world that is infinitely dynamic and ceaselessly cyclical, Ayurveda recognizes that the best way to maintain health is to go with the flow, to align with the circling of the earth that gives us night and day, and to cycle with the seasons.
Instead, so many people try to lose weight in January when winter needs us to rest, insulate, and fire up our immune system to protect us from winter viruses and colds.
In this coldest and darkest time of the year, we need to strengthen our inner fires, what Ayurveda refers to as Agni – our inner fire of digestion and metabolism. Agni is the key to maintaining warmth, digesting and metabolizing optimally, and boosting our immune system.
Here are three of the most important practices from Ayurveda to support your daily and seasonal flow – practices so simple, fuss-free, and cost-effective that it should be easy to make them lasting habits.
“What is the number one thing you can do for your health?”
Even though Ayurveda treats each individual individually, addressing the unique dosha, lifestyle and path or progession of imbalance, my Ayurvedic mentor used to ask this of every one of his patients, suggesting there is at least one remedy that applies to all.
Make your meals at home
When you cook yourself, you control the quality of ingredients, you prepare the meals in the way that best supports your unique physical needs and digestive capactiy, and you have time to unwind, get creative, to even be playful, and add some love. When cooking is joyful, stress is reduced, and the autonomic power of rest and digest can kick in.
There are over 200 recipes here, categorized for the season and the dosha the meal best serves. Have a look at the “tag cloud” to the right, or click on the recipe categories and scroll through for inspiration.
Sip warm water throughout the day, especially with meals
Gulping water floods the tissues. Sipping throughout the day makes the water more bio-absorbable. Warm water rather than cold helps blood flow. Just as frozen water condenses, our tissues contract with cold. So warm the body, ignite the inner Agni, and dilate the channels, for consistent and balance flow with hot or warm water – especially with meals, when your digestion needs the warmth and circulation.
Add your favorite spice
To stoke your digestive fire, sip ginger tea with your meals and add zesty warming spices that help break down foods, assimilate nutrients, and eliminate waste. Spices such as ginger, garlic, cinnamon, clove, basil, oregano, thyme, rosemary, black pepper, turmeric, cumin, and fenugreek offer flavor, aroma, healing, and most of all, fire to your belly.
With a strong and balanced Agni, not only will you be best able to fight colds and flu, uplevel your energy and boost brain power, you will be primed to release excess weight come Spring, the season that supports us in melting winter’s freeze, lightening up, and flowing into our natural vibrance.
Ayurveda seeks to strengthen our innate, natural healing capacity, to dissolve underlying cause of imbalance or disease, and re-establish the fundamental state of wellbeing – to go beyond healing, and really come alive in all aspects of our life, and thrive.
In a world that is infinitely dynamic and ceaselessly cyclical, Ayurveda recognizes that the best way to maintain health is to go with the flow, align with the circling of the earth that gives us day and night, and to flow with the seasons.
What inspires you this new year? What are you looking forward to? What are you doing to nourish and rest?
Let me know, as I have another Ayurveda blend to give away, this Ashwagandha Latte, and I will randomly pick a name from the comments below. Be sure to leave your name/email if you want to be entered so I can find you to get a shipping address.