5 Ayurvedic Rituals for Everyday

With our Ayurveda focused Advanced Teacher Training Workshop and Ayurvedic Teacher Training Retreat with Jasmine Tarkeshi coming up, PLUS the sudden arrival of Winter, we’ve really been getting into these simple Ayurvedic rituals lately. Below are just 5 easy practices you can add to your day that take only a few minutes, yet make a world of difference. Feel free to share your favourites and experiences in the comments below!

GROUNDING YOGA POSES ~ Take a cue from nature, where her pace slows in Autumn. Favour grounding yoga poses like supported reclining twists and forward bends. They benefit the nervous system, support the adrenals and the liver’s function of detoxing as the seasons change.

ABHYANGHA WARM OIL MASSAGE .The Ayurvedic fountain of youth is Abhyangha – warm oil massage. Abhyangha pacifies the dry, subtle, and cool qualities of autumn and winter. It nourishes the body, calms the mind, relieves dry skin, improves circulation, and maintains the skin’s youthful glow. Abhyangha self-massage is easy to do before showering in just five minutes or so. Watch this video to learn how its done.

DRY BODY BRUSHING Your skin is an organ of elimination, just like your kidneys, liver, and colon. Dry skin brushing helps keep the pores clear and the skin active to assist the body in this cleansing process. It also helps to increase blood circulation. Dry brushing exfoliates the skin’s outer layer and stimulates the sweat and oil glands, providing more moisture for the skin. Brush toward the heart in the morning for a few minutes before showering.

WARM LEMON WATER A glass of warm water with the juice of half a lemon (or lime!) upon waking in the morning. This simple practice will cleanse your digestive tract and perhaps initiate a bowel movement (if you don’t normally eliminate first thing in the morning) to the get the toxins out of your digestive tract. The sour taste will enkindle the digestive fire, setting you up for good digestion and metabolism for the day ahead. Simple, yet so powerful!

SCRAPE YOUR TONGUE Use a tongue scraper first thing in the morning, before you brush your teeth. Ayurveda recommends tongue scraping to help boost the health of the mouth, teeth and sinuses, and to aid digestion. Digestion begins in the mouth as saliva mixes with the food and breaks it down. An thick, white coating indicates the presence of toxins in the digestive system. Use a high-quality U- or V-shaped stainless steel or copper tongue scraper.

image via Ashley Neese