Growing up I was bullied and picked on by my peers for being the “bigger” girl in class, I was shy, quiet and just dorky. I had a hard time loving myself because I believed there was something wrong with me. I wished I had smaller hands and feet, better hair, more outgoing and so on…

It was not until I found Ayurveda that I began to understand my uniqueness and differences were the perfect representation of who I was and who I was meant to be. I finally began to see myself; beautiful, driven, compassionate, warrior goddess I finally gave myself permission to love me!

Ayurveda is the Soulful practice of self awareness, self reflection and self care, which ultimately leads to self love.  Ayurveda is the path to self love, and living an Ayurvedic lifestyle requires us to accept who we are in this moment. Through Ayurveda we become aware of who we are in relation to the three Doshas Vata, Pitta and Kapha.  We are each a unique combination of these three Doshas which govern the way we look, our likes and dislikes, our tendencies, our careers, hobbies and so on. Once we gain this awareness we begin to self reflect and not only see but understand what brings us balance and what creates our imbalances.

Our imbalances generate the “negative” or the qualities we dislike about ourselves. 

Vata– anxiousness, constipation, forgetfulness.

Pitta– irritability, anger, acne.

Kapha– weight gain, laziness, trouble letting go.

Now give yourself permission to forgive these qualities because they are only your imbalances, they are only who you are in this moment, they are not who you are.

Let’s celebrate!

My joyful Vata friends, you are creative, spontaneous, energetic, free-spirited and embrace change like a pro!

My passionate Pitta friends, you are driven, intelligent, you’re a born leader, ambitious and insightful.

My compassionate Kaphas, you are grounded, loving, reliable, graceful, have a great immune system and a good listener.

Do you love yourself a little bit more?  My guess is yes! Now is your opportunity to  evolve this awareness, and embrace the Ayurvedic way to self love through self care.  An Ayurvedic routine offers a perfect opportunity to live in a way that is loving towards ourselves. Daily Rituals allow us to carve out time for ourselves and opportunity to rejuvenate, rest, and restore our mind, body, spirit and senses.

The following are 3 of my favorite self care practices.

Self-Abyanga = love each part of your body and thank it for all it does for you! Warm some sesame (warming) good for Vata and Kapha types or during winter and spring or coconut oil (cooling) good for pitta or during summer or early fall. You can also use dosha specific herbal oil.  If possible do this in front of a mirror with loving intention and even if you don’t like what you see, practice self-compassion and remember all you and your body have been through.  Once you begin to practice self abhyanga regularly you will begin to embrace and accept all of you! Other benefits of self massage include improved lymphatic and blood circulation, soft skin, toned body and decreased pain. Be sure to use high-quality, cold-pressed and organic  and leave it on the skin for at least 10-30 minutes. This would be a good time to meditate! When you shower do not use soap, (only on the “necessary” parts) allow hot water to create a steam shower and enjoy!

Yoga = meditation, asana and breathwork- these practices not only calm the mind, and body they allow them to connect.  Meditation helps us to manage daily stress, reduce anxiety and provides us with mental clarity. Our breath, wow… breathwork is a powerful tool to help us release unresolved traumas or toxins which get stored in our bodily tissues like pain, anger and resentment. Asana or poses build strength and tone the body and mind by bringing the body and consciousness together. Connecting our movement to our breath is a meditation in itself.

Evening Bath = I get some of my best ideas in the bathtub! I know, I’m supposed to be “disconnecting” and that’s exactly what I do!  I light my favorite candles and incense, add my favorite bath salts and oils, gather my favorite crystals and my star projector, play some relaxing meditation music (no words) and indulge. When you allow yourself to disconnect from outside external stimulus, you can hear your soul speak to you, this happens in meditation too. I also use this ritual as a way to cleanse all the energies I pick up throughout the day.

There are so many ways to practice an Ayurvedic lifestyle and self care, for instance, following a daily routine, mindful eating, following a Dosha specific meal plan, earthing or spending time in nature, drinking herbal tea, moonbathing, the list goes on and most of it is FREE!

When you make your health a priority and practice daily self care rituals we begin to feel healthy, happy, beautiful and we radiate love!

Are you ready to begin your path to self love? Let Ayurveda lead the way!

Namaste

Sanja Oropeza