Daily Ayurvedic Practices
Recently we had Ayurvedic Specialist, Carla Levy, speak at the Ranch regarding the best daily Ayurvedic practices to help us stay healthy and prevent disease. It was a very interesting discussion and brought up some really useful tips that are very easy to do on a daily basis.
The first thing we talked about was: What we do first thing in the morning? Carla talked about how most of us wake up in a panic or overwhelmed, thinking of all the things that we need to get done for the day. I’m totally guilty of this. That is literally the first thing that crosses my mind. What do I have to do today? Or many mornings the first thing I do is check my email on my phone. No good! Recently, I’ve made an effort to not check my phone first thing in the morning and the thing is, not only do I feel less stressed, but also my eyes feel less strained as well, which is a relief.
Carla explained that the way we start our day greatly effects how the rest of our day goes. She suggests doing a little chanting in the morning to stay calm and relaxed. In Ayurveda, chanting is used as medicine. We did a little bit in class and it was amazing how much more relaxed I felt after chanting for a couple minutes. Another way to start your day calmly is saying a little prayer giving thanks. Or instead of worrying about getting things done, say something like,” I wonder what today will bring,” which someone suggested in class. I like that one! Keep it positive.
The second thing you should do in the morning is scrape your tongue. Some you might be scratching your heads wondering what the heck I’m talking about. Well, even though this practice is thousands of years old, many people don’t know about it. It has been making a comeback at dentist office. Have any of you been told by your dentist that you should also brush your tongue? Well, Carla actually advises not to do that. The reason is that overnight a lot of bacteria gets built up on our tongues overnight and when we brush it, the bacteria gets spread around. Carla says we should be using a metal tongue scraper when we first get up and before we drink anything.
The third tip is drink a cup of hot water and lemon juice after you scrape your tongue and before you eat anything. The reason for this? Okay, not to get too personal or anything, but according to Carla (and many other nutritionists and wellness practitioners that come to the Ranch) you want to try to empty your bowels every morning and guess what helps you do that? Yes, a big glass of hot water (or warm if you’re not a fan of hot drinks, but not cold.) Apparently the hot water is like a mini-cleanse, flushing out any waste.
These are three tips that anyone can apply right away. For more information on Ayurveda and Carla’s new Spring Cleanse, you can contact Carla at ayurveda@carlalevy.org and don’t forget to check out her site at carlalevy.org.
