Reflections of Love - Self Care Rituals That Will Radiate Through Your Entire Life
Rituals that increase self-awareness and positive self image
Ayurveda has been practiced for thousands of years. It is the science of life that uses an approach based in the concept of wholeness - mind, body and soul are seen as an interconnected cycle of being and different practices are recommended to keep them all in balance. Building a lifestyle based on self love will allow your inner light to come through in ways that will radiate to everyone around you. We wanted to share a few simple Ayurvedic self love rituals that can improve your life the moment you start.
Dinacharya
In Sanskrit the word “din” means “day” and “charya” can mean discipline or routine. The term dinacharya refers to your daily routine, which in Ayurveda is meant to help you maintain your overall health and wellbeing. Establishing daily rituals can improve mental, physical, emotional and even spiritual health.
Daily Rituals to Improve Mental Health
In recent years, mental health has become a universal topic of discussion. Ayurveda and Ayurvedic practices have always embraced the knowledge that when mental health is not balanced, the rest of our being - the body and soul - will also suffer. For this reason, there are many rituals based around strengthening the mind/body/spirit connection.
Meditation
Meditation is a ritual that can be done daily in as little as 5-minutes per day. This ritual is proven to reduce stress and improve mental clarity and focus.
To meditate, find a quiet space where you can sit or lay down. Once you are comfortable, close your eyes and take a deep breath. Try to relax as much as possible as you inhale and exhale deeply. Focusing your attention on your breathing is a great way to keep your mind from wandering. If your mind does wander, simply refocus on your breathing again. As you become more experienced in meditation, you can begin to meditate on specific ideas or goals, but when you start out just try focusing on clearing and resting your mind.
Daily Rituals to Improve Physical Health
Exercise
Most of us are aware of the benefits of daily exercise and a clean diet. Making sure you move your body for 15-30mins a day a few days a week can make a huge difference in your physical, mental and emotional health because exercise releases feel-good chemicals like serotonin and endorphins.
Eating for Your Dosha
Through western science, we have been able to prove through data what Ayurveda has been teaching for thousands of years - that the food we consume has the power to act as medicine and can impact our overall physical, mental and emotional health. Eating whole foods and fresh fruits and vegetables is important for keeping us healthy and balanced.
Ayurveda divides our body types into three different constitutions called doshas. Vata, Kapha and Pitta doshas each have different characteristics. When they are being used to describe body composition they can help us learn better ways to create balance within our physical bodies by showing us which foods are best for us to consume and the best times to consume them both daily and seasonally.
Make time for a daily skincare routine
Your skin is the largest organ on your body which makes it incredibly important to take care of. Implementing morning and evening skincare rituals can give you time to relax and pamper yourself even if only for a few minutes. Look for products that are made with quality ingredients that protect your skin from UV rays and other environmental stressors for your quick morning routine. At night, look for products that contain nourishing ingredients to restore and repair your skin while you sleep.
Daily Rituals to Improve Emotional Health
Journaling Practices to Increase Self Love
Journaling is a great way to relieve stress, monitor our emotional health and improve our connection with ourselves. One practice that many people have found to be really beneficial is the practice of writing a love letter to yourself. This may sound kind of silly at first, but when you begin to write to yourself as someone who is observing you from the outside, you may start to see yourself in a different light.
Mindfulness
The ancient technique of meditation has been used for thousands of years to help center the mind. Mindfulness meditation is used to train the mind to focus on the present and promotes clearer thoughts, less stress and anxiety, and overall well-being. Studies have shown that mindfulness can also keep your brain healthy.