This post was contributed by our Product Assistant, Morgan Henington, who is pursuing a degree in Clinical Ayurveda.

Ayurvedic Tips for Self-Care

Ayurveda is a journey toward self-love.

Ayurveda tells us that we can heal our mind, body, and spirit with the practice of daily self-love rituals. Each of us is unique in nature. For this reason, there is no one self-love style that meets everyone’s needs. Ayurveda empowers you to  look within yourself to identify what makes you feel whole and balanced.

You can achieve a perfectly harmonious state of health by identifying your “dosha”  type and creating a routine that invites more balance into your life. There are three doshas—Vata, Pitta, and Kapha— and each one has a unique make up of  the five elements.  When the doshas are in their proper balance, the body and mind are at their full potential.

Incorporating self-love  in your daily routine is essential for each of the dosha types.  While spending time taking care of yourself can feel indulgent, it is important to remember that it is putting your physical and mental health first is essential to your well-being.  When we take care of ourselves, we show up as the best versions of ourselves and cultivate more love for those around us.

Don’t know your dosha? Find out for free here:

https://store.chopra.com/dosha-quiz

Self care tips for each Dosha:

Here are some ayurvedic tips for self-care based on your dosha-type.

Self Love For Vata:

Vatas crave new experiences and excitement, but with out routine can quickly become overstimulated and thrown out of balance.

• Get plenty of rest by choosing an earlier bedtime.
• Start your day with self-abhyanga (self massage). Try calming oils such as lavender or clary sage.
• Follow a vata-balancing diet with consistent meal times.
• Warm up! Drink lots of warm fluids throughout the day and a glass of warm milk before bed.

Self Love for Pitta:

The fire element makes pittas full of passion, focus, and powerful energy at their best. While this makes them great leaders and motivators –  all that drive can lead to pushing yourself too hard and forgetting to take time for rest and relaxation.

• Take time for R&R: Resist the urge to over book yourself and take on back to back tasks. Allow space for doing doing nothing at all. Resting is an important part of your self-love.
• Eat a pitta- balancing diet. Stay away from spicy foods and caffeine as these will cause aggravation.
• Surround yourself with nature. Think peaceful and soothing scenery to help wind down.
• Everything in moderation. Finding moderation in all aspects of life can be difficult, but incredibly healing for pitta types.

Self Love for Kapha:

Kapha’s are naturally easy-going and relaxed. While this allows kaphas to be the most stable and grounded of the doshas,  they are often in need of stimulation and new experiences. An important aspect of kapha self-love can be reminding themselves to move their bodies every day because without physical activity, Kaphas can become bored and depressed.

• Get moving! Resist the urge to lounge in bed all day. Breaking a sweat can release toxins and boost your mood.
• Breathe deeply- incorporate breathing activities to increase metabolism and stimulate brain activity.
• Follow a kapha-balancing diet. Avoid refined sugar and alcohol.
• Dry brush to stimulate circulation
• Focus on what brings you happiness. Indulge in activities that you do just for yourself.

love, molly