Ayurvedicis a holistic self-care practice that maintains health and wellness through a practice developed in India thousands of years ago that is still beneficial in the modern age.
India has a rich history including the self-care alternative holistic “whole-body” healing system known as Ayurveda that consists of self-care rituals. These are some Ayurveda rituals to maintain health through preventative self-care to benefit your well-being.
You may have heard of a tongue-scraper that is one common Ayurveda ritual that removes “ama” which is improperly digested food residue and toxins that can build up on the tongue. You can invest in a reusable and easy to clean tongue scraper made of stainless steel or copper that will prevent rusting. Simply place the tongue scraper in the back of the tongue and gently apply pressure pulling the scraper from the back to the front of your mouth.
Another important ritual of Ayurveda is waking up earlier as it is of great importance on synching the body with the rhythms of nature.Waking up earlier is beneficial as you’ll have extra time for other self-carerituals. It’s recommended to try to wake up before sunrise but if this proves to be difficult, try waking up and getting out of bed by 6 a.m.
You might have heard of the skincare trend of dry skin brushing (or Garshana) which is actually an Ayurveda practice dating back thousands of years. You can find a variety of products for dry skin brushing including specialty brushes or fabric mitts for soft skin while removing impurities from the skin (like ama), stimulating the lymphatic system, and improving circulation.
It’s recommended to dry brush before going into the shower,but fabric mitts are to be used on wet skin during the shower. Use long sweeping strokes towards the center of the body on your arms and legs brushing each section of skin 7-10 times.
For the rest of the body, use circular motions for dry skin brushing but never do this on sensitive skin such as the face and neck. Once dry skin brushing is complete, massage sesame or coconut oil into your skin then shower.
Oil pulling might sound strange but can improve your oral health simply by swishing oil around your mouth like mouth wash. This Ayurveda practice is beneficial by reducing gum inflammation preventing gingivitis,strengthening teeth/gums, whitening teeth, alleviating bad breath, preventing cavities, and killing harmful bacteria from your mouth.
This Ayurveda practice can be done using a teaspoon of sesame oil or coconut oil swishing around in your mouth for 15-20 minutes that can be difficult to start with short times and work your way up to the recommended time. Once you’re finished swishing, spit the oil into a trash canas spitting it in the sink can clog your drain, and don’t swallow the oil.
One dietary Ayurveda practice is replacing butter with ghee that is purely fat without milk residue that doesn’t require refrigeration.It’s recommended to have a small amount while consuming in moderation.