Do you feel tired and unmotivated to get out of the bed during mornings, even after getting a good 6 – 8 hrs. sleep at night?
Do you feel exhausted all throughout the day?
Do you feel stressed out and sick almost all the time?
If yes is your answer then you definitely need some Ayurveda in your life!
Ayurveda is not all about herbs, roots, and age-old concoctions. It is also about acquiring a healthy lifestyle, and developing a positive outlook towards life. And being ancient and traditional doesn’t mean that its methods are useless in modern society; a contradiction to the statement – modern problems require modern solutions.
Ayurveda for a better lifestyle
Poor eating and drinking habits, an imbalance in work-life scale, and a lack of routine has contributed to the development of several lifestyle-related diseases.
Ayurveda stresses on simple activities with major, long-term results that could improve the quality of your life. These simple activities can be easily routinized and can have a significant impact on you. Here are 13 easy to adopt Ayurvedic habits for a better, healthier lifestyle:
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Waking up in Brahma muhurta
This is not new information for most of us – to get up before daybreak. But why? It’s because the amount of oxygen available at this hour is at its peak. Additionally, the influence of early morning sunrays and a pollution free atmosphere can cause the body to secrete essential compounds which keeps it energized throughout the day.
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Ushapan or Drinking water in the morning
Drinking a glass of warm water during the mornings, right after waking up, prevents and cures a lot of diseases. It helps remove toxins from the body, and kick-starts the digestive system. It is also useful in preventing wrinkles, premature greying, and urinary and blood disorders.
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Meditation
Mind and body are one. They are interdependent. For a healthy body, a healthy mind is inevitable. Meditation is necessary for the mind to be stress-free, focused, calm, and confident. Practice meditation everyday, even if it is for 5 minutes, and maintain a healthy mind-body balance.
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Bowel Cleansing
When you drink a glass of warm water in the morning, in an empty stomach, it gets the digestive system up and running. The excretory process becomes smooth, and in turn removes harmful components and wastes created as a result of metabolism in the body. Ignoring the poop or failure to clean the bowels properly during mornings can lead to complications such as constipation, stomach aches etc.
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Scraping your tongue
While toothbrushing is definitely a major part of maintaining oral hygiene, tongue scraping is often ignored by most of us. Tongue scraping practice is as important as brushing as it removes bacteria and plaque that cover your taste buds. Regular tongue scraping also brings down bad breath.
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Face wash
Yes. It is as important a habit as the others. Wash your face every morning after waking up. This removes excess oil from the face. It is also important to wash your face during evenings as it removes dirt and dead cells from the skin making it feel clean and refreshed.
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Oil Pulling
Just like tongue scraping, oil pulling is another major habit to adopt. (If you are not familiar) Oil pulling is simply mouth washing with oil. It helps remove slimy bad bacteria stuck to the teeth, and lessens oral decay and bad breath.
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Abhyanga
Means self massage. Treat your body with a good massage using oil before shower. This refreshes the skin making it radiant and healthy. This practice improves blood circulation, rinses out toxins through sweat, and even keeps the skin young and wrinkle-free.
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Self grooming
Take time to groom yourself. No, I am not talking about spending hours – days, weeks, eternity – in front of the mirror. I am talking – trimming your moustache or beard once in a while, having haircuts, getting your nails trimmed, etc. These habits are necessary to maintain personal hygiene and happiness.
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Oiling the hair
Oil your hair at least once a week. People often overlook this important habit, and the results are dandruff, hair fall, split ends, and all sorts of other hair damages. Oiling strengthens the hair, removes dirt and dandruff from the scalp, and keeps the head cool.
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Bathing
Believe it or not, but a lot of us don’t shower everyday. Well, that’s bad! Because bathing removes all kinds of pollutants, sweat, itch, and body odor. It stimulates the sensory organs, and promotes blood purification. Besides, there are not many things to parallel the freshness of a bubbly hot shower bath.
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Lunch, the largest
Breakfast like a king is a popular quote. Ayurveda recommends to swap breakfast with lunch, have your lunch like a king. This is because our digestive fire is at its peak when the sun is at the highest point in the sky. It’s best to eat your breakfast and dinner like a pauper!
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Sleep
It is common knowledge that sleep, 6 – 8 hours of it, is absolutely necessary. But still, a lot of us don’t get enough of it, even if we try. This loss of sleep poses serious health risks. So get your sleep straight. And if you can’t then adopt these habits into your life. Experience a healthy living.