What I value most in this precious life is health. Health to me means absence of disease, stable energy levels and emotions, steady appetite, regular bowel movements and a daily urge to be creative. My definition of health is strongly influenced by my practice and study in Ayurveda over the last few decades and I continue to appreciate the practical wisdom she offers. Each year I’m more aware of its value and try to do my best to protect the health of my body and mind with simple daily routines and mindfulness. If you are like me and value health, consider some of these practices to weave into your daily routines:

Regular bedtime (if possible by 10pm)

Morning Self-Exam:

• Scrape your tongue to remove bacteria in the mouth and look for unusual color or smell that might indicate ama (undigested food matter or low digestive fire)
• Rinse eyes with water or special Ayurvedic products
• Apply Nasya Oil to your nasal passages to the moisten tissue and add a protective coating to avoid inhaling undesirable particles in the air
• Hydrate with room temperature or hot water (with lemon if you tend towards constipation
• Bowel movements tell you a lot about how you are digesting your food. Look for consistency in shape and ease in elimination.

Meditate – A practice of 5 minutes counts and once that is doable for a few weeks or month, consider moving up to 10 minutes. The key here is consistency.

Move Your Body – Yoga stretches, walk, head to the gym.

Eat when you are hungry and increase warm meals as we move closer to the Autumn Season.

Take regular breaks from your desk or from looking at screens. You body NEEDS to move in order to stay healthy.

Hydrate before lunch with warm non-caffeinated teas.

Eat lunch in the sunshine or away from your desk. Take time to enjoy something tasty and rest if possible for 10 minutes after eating.

Hydrate and take a walk to enjoy the late afternoon light. Be creative.

Eat a lighter dinner at least 3 hours before going to bed (preferably with company).

Treat yourself to foot and scalp oil massage before bed.

I hope you see the possibility of incorporating these health-promoting practices into your daily routines and feel the power of healthy habits. If you are already doing all the things I mentioned above, congratulations on taking such great care of yourself! May others always benefit from our practice.

Wishing you all much health in the season transition ahead.