I Love Ayurvedic Self-Care Practices

Ayurvedic practices started as oral tradition and then were recorded in Sanskrit about 5,000 years ago (1).   There are lots of websites that talk about it if you Google it, but at the Gaiam site, there is a compact section describing their top-ten self-care Ayurvedic practices.  

Some of these practices are instinctive like splashing water on your face first thing in the morning; some I have been using for years (yoga, meditation, tongue scraping), and some of them I have been trying to do, such as going to bed early and drinking lukewarm water in the morning first thing.   However, with C-19, there are two Ayurvedic self-care practices I decided to try: (1) using a neti pot, which is cleansing my nose, and (2) abhyanga, which is self-massage using warm oil.  

Both of these practices have helped me so much.   

With the neti pot practice, I find I breathe better, smell things better, and my food tastes better.   I notice I seldom have the sniffles.  And, as much as I hate to admit that I started snoring as I got older, the neti practice seems to have reduced the volume and/or almost eliminated this obnoxious habit too.  Who knew?

In March 2020, I started an abhyanga practice after I realized that I would be isolated and alone for a few months.   With no one around to give me a hug, a kiss, or hold my hand, I knew I was missing touch, so I ordered my bottle of organic sesame oil, and watched the video at Banyan Botanicals.  My daughter, who was quarantined in Austria at the time, roared with laughter when I told her I was "oiling myself."

But, it was amazing how "oiling myself" hydrated my skin, how it warmed and relaxed me, and how great my complexion looked.  And, while I have always had great skin, the addition of castor oil to the warm sesame oil seemed to push back time and wrinkles, which helped me combat the ravages of the alcohol I had been drinking.   Plus, I got to listen to great stories and podcasts as I applied the oil. .  What I noticed most, is that by deliberately taking time to take care of my body, it simultaneously helped my mental wellness: I felt better, slept better, ate better and I didn't drink as much.

What I know is that C-19 has altered the way I think and feel about things, how I think and feel about others, and how I think and feel about myself.  It's why I think I really MUST be deliberate in how I take care of my physical self--now more than ever!!  My body is essentially this entity that carries around my thoughts and feelings, and all of these thoughts and feelings are held in my cells.  More than anything, I want to feel good so I can feel good about the uncertainties ahead.  

Even though I have more one-on-one interaction with my family now, I know I will continue these practices.  I know that every time I take care of myself, I am taking care of who I will be in the future.   Besides, they work! they make me feel good, and I love them!!!