Maintaining a daily gratitude practice is perhaps the fastest, easiest, and cheapest means of cultivating happiness. But what happens when you feel a little burned out from the same old gratitude journaling? Or, what if you’ve never practiced gratitude? Where to begin?
Ayurveda is a complete wellness approach that extends much farther than a healthy body. Once you understand your dosha, or mind-body type, and the constitutions of your loved one, Ayurveda can improve your relationship in unique ways.
Being on a spiritual journey can be fraught with many challenges and obstacles. Questions, concerns, and doubts may arise at any time. We sometimes feel stuck or just spinning our wheels, in need of some external insight or inspiration. Or perhaps we just wish to share our spiritual story with others. Satsang provides the opportunity and support for all of these.
We’re faced, every day, with stress, anxiety, and an overwhelming amount of stimuli. Our bodies, our minds, and our spirits absorb each of our experiences and store all of them in some capacity. With so much tension being held in our space, the commitment to engage in daily practices rooted in compassion, love, tenderness, and gratitude can be pivotal parts of our healing.
Naciste completo, puro y perfecto desde el momento en que respiraste por primera vez. Viniste a este mundo completamente inocente, curioso y lleno de emoción, y con el paso de los años, capas y capas de experiencia te llevaron a tu condicionamiento. Desarrollaste valores, personajes y creencias fundamentales que comenzaron a moldearte en la persona que eres hoy, al menos, la persona que crees que eres hoy.
Despite the power of technology to connect us with others, we live in a society of loneliness, polarization, and isolation. The social media platforms originally designed to connect us are instead driving us apart. Not to mention the global pandemic that has kept us physically distanced from our community members.
October is here. Leaves are changing their hues to bright orange, red, and yellow. It’s a time that encourages coziness in the home, introspection as we move through the change of seasons, and a wonderful time to be out in nature. The temperatures are cooler, making walks and hikes incredibly lovely as we move through the vibrant forest.
Our body and mind are constantly adapting to the demands placed upon them. When we have adequate time, energy, and emotional resources to meet those requirements, we experience a state of balance. If our ability to fulfill responsibilities runs low, we encounter stress. When we no longer have the physical or emotional bandwidth to meet life's demands, we encounter burnout.
Every month, Dr. Sheila, Chopra’s Chief Medical Officer will be answering questions from our followers. If you have a general question for her around health and wellness, please send us an email to askdrsheila@chopra.com, and your question may be the one she answers next month. This month, Dr. Sheila answers a question about the seasons of life and how they connect with Ayurveda and the doshas.
It’s common this time of year to feel pulled in too many directions, craving stability amidst the chaos. Autumn is a time when sticking to a routine can help us feel more grounded, present to the joys of life, and fully alive. Routines and schedules are antidotes to the effects of Vata’s airy qualities that dominate this season.
An ancient Ayurvedic sutra from the Suśruta Saṁhitā states: “A person who is established in the Self, has balanced doshas, balanced agni, balanced tissues, proper elimination of wastes, properly functioning bodily processes and who is peaceful and content in the mind, senses and soul is defined as a healthy person.” (Su. Sū. 15)
In the same way that we see leaves fall away from the trees, this season is the time for us to shed some of the clutter we’ve picked up over the course of this past year. We’re well into Vata season by now and this airy energy tends to leave us feeling as if we are a part of the fallen leaves, drifting in the wind. Both fortunately and unfortunately, this feeling is completely normal. If you’re experiencing anything that feels overwhelming or ungrounding, you are not alone.
