AYURVEDA IN EVERYDAY LIFE - PRANA UP YOUR LIFE

Author - Josephine Jeß - August 5, 2021

Getting up in the morning with life energy and feeling desire for the day - that's what Ayurveda has done to me.

I have known Ayurveda since 2012, and for the past 5 years the experiential science has been my daily teacher, companion and mentor. Even my co-worker, because for 4 years I have been allowed to pass on these valuable experiences. But why is Ayurveda so fascinating? How can this millennia-old science from India/Sri Lanka have such a great input on everyday life here in Northern Europe?

What fascinates me about Ayurveda are the routines and rituals that give me stability, an inner foundation and the possibility of daily letting go. With my background in psychology, I was initially sceptical about habits, as they seemed to me to be something negative, but over time I learned what they really mean. I learned that routines don't restrict me, but give me freedom and allow me space to breathe. I got to know myself and found myself and my centre in the hustle and bustle of everyday life.

So how can you establish routines for yourself in your everyday life?

I have 5 tips for you on how to find your appropriate routines.

  1. WHY - find the WHY behind your routine

    Do you want more stability in your everyday life? Do you want to ground yourself? Do you want to strengthen yourself for upcoming uncertainties? Or do you want more stimulation, to step out of your comfort zone more often? Do you want to have more energy? Do you want to feel more life energy?

    In the first step, be aware of your WHY, your motivation. This will make establishing a routine easier and more sustainable.

    If you are already familiar with Ayurveda and constitutional types, then you can use routines to balance your imbalance. If you have too much heat in you, your motivation can be to cool down a bit. The elements help you identify your why and find the right routine for you. That brings us straight to the second step:

  2. WHAT routine do you want to establish?

    Not every routine is equally good for every person. Depending on the imbalance, a different routine is the right and important one. Remember, you are individual and something different may do you good than it does me. Do you already have a feeling for which routine would be good for you?

    Look at your imbalance and see which element or which energies are floating around in you that are not so good for you or are too much or too little. When you become aware of this, it will also become clearer what helps you to balance. Then the choice of routines becomes smaller and the thought: "I don't HAVE to do everything anymore, but I can use specific routines for myself" is a huge relief.

    So first look at what energy you want to balance, what you need more or less of in your system, before you jump into "any" routine.

  3. CHALLENGES

    When I work with my coachees on ideas or desires, often a big BUT comes right away. I would love to, BUT I can't ... Yes, we all know it. We all have a stressful everyday life and we have many roles to fulfil. It is not easy to prioritise ourselves. In this step we look at the obstacles and test them for the reality claim.

    I say, if your WHY and the WHAT are big enough, then you will also manage to overcome your obstacle, or make it smaller, because often these challenges and obstacles arise in our head, in our thoughts. Write down your challenges and obstacles. What is holding you back? Why do you find it difficult to put them into practice? Look at them with a kind heart and a smile. Look at your WHY and the WHAT. What is the relationship between them? Can you change something here? Can you reorder the prioritisation?

    Yes, you can! And if it's hard for you, here's the next step:

  4. STEP-BY-STEP

    Take a small step and test it out. Try new routines for yourself, see it as a playground & enjoy this adventure. If necessary, scale down your routine. For example, would you like to start meditating, but you are always on a mental merry-go-round and can't find peace? Then try breathing exercises or a moving meditation. Don't be so strict. Try it out and change. And do it for you. ONLY for you!

    So in the penultimate step ask yourself: How can you make your desired routine possible?

    What one little routine do you want to implement right now? Write it down!

  5. CELEBRATE SMALL SUCCESSES

    I always call this the AHA moments - my coachees collect these like shells on a beautiful beach because they are so precious.

    Celebrate yourself for what you have already achieved. Thank yourself for it and be proud of yourself. That is the most important thing. We should never lose the fun. Routines are not something we HAVE to do to stay healthy, but something you can look forward to, every day! Let serenity and ease flow into your routines and you will see that Ayurvedic routines will give you as much life energy as they gave me.

    If you would like to learn more about Ayurveda in everyday life and about my work with Prana Up Your Life, please feel free to visit us. You can also take our Prana Type quiz and find out what helps you to raise your energy level.