The right practice is your practice
13 years ago when I started being interested in having a healthier lifestyle and I stopped dying my hair :O) , I was very much into fresh juices and salads. I think those were the early days of the raw movement becoming more mainstream.
I loved my juicer and I was thrilled about making my own juice every morning. I hated cleaning the machine though, as I am sure everybody did or still does:O).
My goal was to give up my "on empty stomach coffee aka bowel movement aid" and find healthier ways to support elimination. And it worked! Coffee was not good for my digestion and for my already stressed and "working on adrenals system". This doesn't mean coffee is not good for other people and this doesn't mean I never drink coffee.
But my digestion was still not quite right and after eating salads I would feel bloated and still hungry, each and every time. I would still keep eating them, because that was the "healthy norm". Later on when I found Ayurveda I understood why raw food was not good for me, in particular during that time of my life, when my stress level was pretty high.
Being a Vata Pitta constitution (air and fire), with a Vata imbalance at that point, the coffee and the raw food were only aggravating my situation. The body told me that, in its language, but still, I needed an Ayurvedic doctor to confirm that, when I moved to Bali 3 years later.
Then.....
In my early days of Yoga I have been introduced to Ashtanga practice. I have to say that it was a very powerful and cleansing practice for me and I did practice Mysore for a short period of time, not enough to call myself an Ashtangi though . I loved the idea of having a daily practice by showing up on the mat, yet at some point my body started to say no to it.
While Ashtanga style would be a recommended practice for a Vata constitution, in terms of building strength and routine, for me in particular it aggravated my Pitta aspect, which made me push my body too much and eventually hurt myself.
That is when I decided to build my own personal practice at home, based on what I have learned from Ashtanga style, considering what my body needed and addressing both Vata and Pitta aspects. My practice is different now each and every day, while showing up is the constant.
And I could go on with examples…
What I am trying to say is that I believe there is no such thing as one fits all and this is one of the things I love about Ayurveda. I also don't think Ayurveda has all the answers, but it is definitely a good start, given that it is approaching life and our body from a more wholistic perspective.
In the end, you have the answer, as long as you listen.
It took me a long time to learn to listen to my body and mind and give them what they need and still sometimes I go against that. But like anything in life, listening is like training a muscle, it takes practice.
What if you could think of your daily practice as an offering you give to yourself so you can honour what you need and is important for you that day?
Let’s build the right practice for you together !