Reduce Your Holiday Stress with Ayurveda
Reduce Your Holiday Stress with Ayurveda
I love the holiday spirit. It is a time to celebrate family, community, faith and love. It’s a time of creativity and wonder. Cooking, decorating, giving unique gifts, surprises, dancing, laughing and hugging. It is magical…if you have a strong, healthy Ojas.
Ojas is the “essence of vitality.”
In Sanskrit it can also be translated as “vigor” or “well-spring of vitality.” In a nutshell, Ojas is the vital energy that rules our immunity, strength, and happiness—three things we want to have in abundance throughout the holiday season.
Here are a few practices to help boost your Ojas and have a stress- free holiday season:
Be Kind
Be kind to yourself. Plans are notorious for not going as planned so be easeful with your schedule. Practice unconditional love with family, friends and strangers. Kindness helps balance the mind and heart. And remember, it is easy to love if you are rested and balanced.
Keep Your Routines
Keep a regular sleep pattern, diet and spiritual practices. It is important to stay close to your good habits because these are the pillars of physical and mental health. Do your best to follow your Ayurvedic routine in order to keep your Ojas strong. And have compassion; try not to be too rigid.
Exercise
Exercise is often equated with weight-loss or strengthening muscles, however it also helps boost our agni (digestive fire=metabolism) and reduces toxins in the body. If this is not in your regular routines, try taking a 15-30min walk after lunch time when the sun is the highest and the agni is strong. This will increase your Ojas.
Eat Your Main Meal at Lunch Time
Instead of having heavy, large dinners, try to have your biggest meal between 12:00 and 2:00 p.m., when the digestive fire is the strongest. Eating a big dinner will not only tax your digestive system, but can disrupt your sleep because your food is still undigested from dinner. To avoid the discomfort eat a light, warm dinner, such as soup, three hours before your bedtime.
Avoid Overeating
Moderation is the key to staying healthy over the holidays. If we overeat, even if it is healthy food, it can create toxins in our body. This advice can be the hardest to follow, because it is difficult to resist or even know your personal full level. Always eat according to your hunger level. Try taking smaller portions at first, and don’t go for seconds if you are not hungry anymore. Yummy leftovers will always be there. (note: Ayurveda recommends eating leftovers within 18hrs! Otherwise it looses its prana- energy)
Use Natural Digestive Aids
If you feel like your digestion has become sluggish, you feel fatigued, and/or you are having digestive issues, try using natural digestive aids. Pickled ginger is my favorite. Take a fine slice of fresh ginger root, squeeze lime over it and sprinkle with sea salt. If you do not have these ingredients even simple warm lemon water is an excellent digestive aid. If you are not hungry, increase your appetite by sipping warm water or cumin tea.
Balance Your Meals
Every meal should contain all six tastes — sweet, sour, salty, bitter, pungent, and astringent. When your meal contains all six tastes, you will feel more satisfied and crave less sweets. In addition to all the tastes, your meals need to include a balanced combination of carbohydrates, protein, and fat. If you eat only carbohydrates, your blood sugar will rise quickly but will leave you fatigued later. Leaving out fats is also a common mistake. Healthy fats such as olive oil and ghee are essential for carrying the nutrients to your cells.
Avoid Metabolic Destroyers
When possible, refrain from heavy, overly-cooked, deep-fried foods. In addition to this obvious list, avoid cold drink and food. No ice! Coldness diminishes your agni (digestive fire) and contribute to the accumulation of ama (toxins).
Make a Gratitude List
Gratitude is essential for a happy heart and mind. Making a list allows us to remember what is important during the holiday season. It gets you out of your to-do list and into your heart. I suggest creating a list for morning and night. Write down 3-10 things you are grateful for. Booking ending the day will keep you happy throughout the day and provide sweetness in your dreams, leaving the stress behind.
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Remember to smile, have fun, and be in-joy!
Happy, healthy holiday season to you all~
