Pranayama

Ayurveda looks at a human being from the lens of abundance. In Ayurveda, perfect health is not simply an absence of disease but rather an abundance of vitality.

We all have a well of inner strength and power available to us. At times, it is easy to feel at mercy to life’s circumstances and can feel difficult to access this innate resilience and inner power during challenges. Fortunately, there are practices and rituals that can help us stay centered and stoke this inner fire, so you stay grounded and steady amidst life’s changing tides. This yoga sequence is designed to help you tap into your inner well of strength so you can confidently move forward no matter what life throws your way.

We all want to age gracefully, but sometimes it can feel like life is working against us. So how can we stay on top of our health while also managing a busy life?

The evening is a time to prioritize grounding and inviting our focus and energy inward. It can feel hard to transition from a busy and stimulating day into the evening hours. This energy is often carried with us into the nighttime, affecting our sleep and ability to relax and restore. The yin energy of the evening invites us to spend time in quiet, connecting with ourselves and releasing and grounding the energy and mental noise we have accumulated throughout the day.

Transitioning from our busy days into the evening can feel challenging for many. Even though the day is finished, the chatter of the mind and stress we carry often continues. This can make it hard to relax and especially hard to fall asleep. It is essential that we take measures to intentionally wind down the day and prepare the body for rest.

The conversation around the vagus nerve and its importance has become increasingly popular in recent years. The vagus nerve is the largest nerve in the body and is a key part of your parasympathetic “rest and digest” nervous system. It influences your breathing, digestive function, and heart rate, all of which can significantly impact your mental health.

Springtime is associated with Kapha, the dosha governed by earth and water. Some of Kapha’s gunas, or qualities, include slow, moist, cold, and unctuous. As we transition into spring, the Kapha we have accumulated over winter begins to release, causing allergies, excess mucus, and sluggish digestion if we aren’t eating or adjusting our lifestyles to assist us during the change of seasons. Kapha season can dull our digestive fire, leading to poor digestion and assimilation, bloating, and incomplete elimination.

Yoga is the practice of merging all the disparate aspects of our being into one, unified essence. In fact, the word yoga in Sanskrit means union. When we experience yoga we experience our true nature, which is unbounded and unchanging. We can understand the true nature of our being through the Seven Spiritual Laws, as disseminated by Deepak Chopra.

It is the nature of the human mind to wander. We naturally create narratives, fantasies and accumulate mental chatter as we move throughout our days. Certain factors can exacerbate mental chatter; stress, caffeine, long work days, and anxiety can all make it seem near impossible for the mind to slow down. We can become lost in the landscape of the mind and forget to return to the present moment. The present moment is our seat of power and allows us to access our innate wisdom and intuition.