A Lesson in Ayurveda and Self-Care

Abby Ritter, Ayurvedic Health Counselor and Yoga Instructor

Have you ever wondered about Ayurveda or maybe heard the term but never knew what it meant? Ayurveda originated in the East and it translates to the “Science of Longevity”. It looks to the seasons to incorporate different wellness paths and you become an active participant in healing yourself, rather than just taking medicine to heal.

The daily routine or, dinacharya, is one of the best Ayurvedic tools for improving overall health and well-being. Incorporating a daily routine, promotes health and simplicity into your life and is considered extremely grounding and nurturing. Your daily routine can be adapted to meet your own unique needs, although a general template is followed. With the right routine in place, you can see a big improvement in your daily life.

We took some time to chat with Abby Ritter, Ayurveda Health Counselor and Yoga Instructor, and found out some of what she knows about Ayurveda and how she incorporates these methods into her own life.

1.  What benefits do you feel come with the Ayurvedic lifestyle?

In essence Ayurveda is the practice of “self-love” or as you hear more often, “self-care.”  When we live an Ayurvedic lifestyle we become more connected to ourselves because we learn to live in sync with the rhythms of nature.  This in turn supports stronger digestion, helps to eliminate toxins and reduces stress giving us a greater sense of well-being.  Ayurveda teaches us that when we live out of sync with the rhythms of nature we ourselves feel out of sync, low energy, stressed and depleted.  As we learn how to implement Ayurveda into our daily lives it creates consistency and is a support the gives us more stable energy, calmness and a sense of empowerment.  So no matter what your day brings, your daily practices support you physically, mentally and emotionally.

2.  Tell us about your daily self-care routine.

I adjust my routine when the seasons change so that it best supports me during that time, but my staples are:

1: Waking by 7AM (during the winter)

2: Upon waking taking time expressing gratitude and setting an intention for my day

3: Tongue Scrape

4: Drinking warm lemon water

3.  What can someone expect from attending your Ayurveda 101 workshop in March?

They can expect to come away with a lot of wonderful new knowledge about self-care, nutrition and lifestyle. Students will also receive a self-care package so they can begin to implement Ayurvedic practices into their daily life.

If you are interested in learning more about Ayurveda and a self-care routine, register for Abby’s upcoming Ayurveda 101: Creating a Self Care Routine workshop taking place on Saturday, March 16th from 12pm to 2pm in our Shaler Village location.