I think “reflect” has to be one of my favourite words! And I do try to make it part of my practices.
Some people struggle with taking time to reflect. There are those who find they can’t still their active minds for any length of time without getting distracted. And those who would rather be “doing”, always looking forward, organising and busy solving problems. And then others who can spend way too long not just reflecting but drifting without much in the way of physical activity. I think you can guess where I’m going with this…Vata, Pitta, Kapha types of personalities.
It’s quite possible we have been a combination of all of the above these last few months of challenging times and that can lead to health issues of body and mind – disturbed sleep, insomnia, anxiety, digestive disorders, aches and pains especially in the joints, neck and shoulders. Let’s face it, there has been much to reflect on so far this year and now as the season starts to change to autumn is a good time to take some time to look back and check how we are doing mentally, physically and emotionally.
A few simple things to put in place now to help balance all the doshas:
- Eat only when hungry and don’t avoid eating when you are hungry.
- Avoid wrong food combinations – no dairy with fruit or meat or fish.
- The stomach needs a little space so don’t overeat.
- Eat a piece of fruit 30 minutes before having a meal.
- Aim for a vegetarian diet.
- Drink warm water or herbal teas throughout the day.
- Classically, in Ayurveda, food needs to be cooked.
- Avoid too much cold foods especially first thing in the mornings and late in the evenings.
- Fast every so often.
- Get out into nature every day – even for 15 minutes is good.
- Take time to focus on the breath – nice to do when you are outside in fresh air.
I hope you will find this helpful.
