Day 10 - Ayurvedic Journey
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Every breath we take, every step we make, can be filled with peace, joy, and serenity.”
Why Journal?
Keeping journals help us identify patterns and strong emotions that occur frequently, such as anger, misery, excitement. You might also take note of recurring problems or difficulties. For example, do entries about lack of sleep coincide with stressful periods such as exams or project deadlines at work?
The Tenants of Ayurveda
All things in the universe, both living and nonliving, are joined together. In fact, everything in the universe is actually made of the same five gross natural elements: space, air, fire, water, and earth.
There is a deep connection between the self and the environment.
We are all initially connected within ourselves, to people surrounding us, to our immediate environment, and to the universe. Balancing this connectivity ensures good health.
We remain healthy if we retain balance, interacting with our environment in an effective and wholesome way.
Our initial balance is often disrupted by our lifestyles. Choices about diet, exercise, profession, relationships, etc. - all have the potential to create physical, emotional, or spiritual imbalances.
Imbalances cause a lack of harmony and makes us more susceptible to disease.
Human beings are responsible for their choices and actions.
We can attain and maintain good health if we make balanced choices that promote connectivity and harmony.
Ayurveda for a Sattvic Life
The knowledge and insight of ancient Ayurvedic medicine—how our chakras and doshas can become out of balance, how we can see that in physical, emotional, and mental manifestations, and how that can keep us from living fully in our divine purpose—can be life changing. Ayurveda can heal our imbalances—and it can change everything. When everything changes, our lives change, our perception of the world changes, our Beingness changes, and one naturally aligns with a Sattvic Life.
Do you want to live a harmonious life?
Are you ready for sattvic change? If YES, then we begin with ourselves. There’s a design of perfect balance within each one of us that is unique to our spirit. It’s the essence of who we are and, along with it, comes a purpose that is our birthright.
“What would change for you if you could live in your true purpose, have a peaceful and balanced life? What would it look like to become fully aligned with who you are and the purpose for which you were created?”
Goal Setting
One part of my Ayurvedic Coaching training that I loved the most was when we worked on our goal setting. You might ask, how is this relevant to our Ayurvedic Journey?
Well, first the process of setting goals helps you choose where you want to go in life. By knowing precisely what you want to achieve, you know where you have to concentrate your efforts.
Second, as we check in on where we are at with our goals, we will start to identify unnecessary distractions that may easily lead us astray.
Finally, setting goals gives you long-term vision and short-term motivation so you can make the most of your life.
We come to Ayurveda because we seek to be well. We want to optimize our health and live fully. We want to move towards truly living our purpose-to be fully present in our eternal and inherent nature of reality.
Your Purpose
Close your eyes and imagine yourself living in your purpose. Allow yourself to move past any voices that interrupt your purpose, your vision, your Dharma. Where are you in the world? What are you doing? How is your health? Write about it and keep that with you. Check in and do this exercise a few times a year. Write about it and notice how it ebbs and flows. Notice themes that are consistent. Notice any limited beliefs that come up for you.
Checking In
As my teacher Vira did with us, I will ask you to take a blank sheet of paper and put “YOU” in the middle. Write each of the categories found in the graphic below (i.e. Public Service, Pleasure, etc) and draw a line from you to that category title.
For each category,
Indicate how satisfied you are with where you are at with this particular area of your life. For example, for Public Service you may write 7 (10 being the highest).
Then write where you wish you could be in this category. For example, for Public Service - “I desire to be involved in my local community in a more meaningful way.”
Be precise on how you can reach that goal. For example, for Public Service - “I would like to start working at our Library for kids reading corner once a month.”
What are your limiting beliefs or blockers that keep you from achieving this goal? For example, for Public Service - “I don’t have enough time on my schedule.”
How does this make you feel?
How would you feel if you can improve this area?
Then look at all you have written and without thinking too much about it, circle words that jump out at you.
Once you have finished all categories, turn over your piece of paper and put you in the middle again. This time list each category, and only the words that you circled that spoke to you. Then summarize a short term goal for each category.
When setting goals, consider the ‘SMART Goals’ approach
A useful way of making goals more powerful is to use the SMART mnemonic. While there are plenty of variants (some of which we've included in parenthesis), SMART usually stands for:
S – Specific (or Significant).
M – Measurable (or Meaningful).
A – Attainable (or Action-Oriented).
R – Relevant (or Rewarding).
T – Time-bound (or Trackable).
Then write your new statement. Do this exercise again in four months.
Smaller Goals
Once you create your SMART goals, you might write a weekly or daily list of things that you will do to work towards your lifetime goals.
At an early stage, your smaller goals might be to read books and gather information on the achievement of your higher level goals. This will help you to improve the quality and realism of your goal setting.
Finally, review your plans, and make sure that they fit the way in which you want to live your life.
Ujjayi Breath | The gateway into Pranayama practices
We offer this VICTORY breath for you to practice for the next four days (or whenever you want). Know that you do have the victory, and can - with the strength of the Divine - achieve your purpose in this life.
A Beginners’ Guide to Ujjayi Breath by Ekhart Yoga
Sit in a comfortable seat, where your sit bones are grounded and bearing even weight on both sides. Knees no higher than hips. Stacking head over neck, neck over shoulders, 4 corners of ribs stacking 4 corners of hips. Perceive equal length in both sides of your body, spine feels lifted and tall. Chin is parallel to earth.
Rest one hand on your lap/ thigh, Palm facing up or down and the other hand at the same height and in front of your mouth, Palm facing towards you.
With your mouth open exhale into your palm, imagining you are steaming up a mirror/ glass and feeling the warm breath on your palm. On your next inhale keep the hand where it is, breathe in making that same sound. Practise this for up to 10 cycles (4 count in, 4 count out, x10). Notice if you find the inhale or exhale more difficult.
When you feel comfortable here move on to closing your mouth on the inhale but opening mouth on the exhale. See if you can maintain the sound even with the lips are sealed. Next inhale with mouth open and exhale with mouth closed, keeping sensation in your throat and the sound of breath the same. Do each for 5-10 cycles.
When you feel you want to move on from here, relax your hand and begin Ujjayi Pranayama. You might time yourself with a stopwatch for 2 minutes or chose how many cycles of breath you want to aim for (feel free to use the metronome here).
Again notice where resistance lies in the breath. Maybe you find the audibility awkward, equalising the volume of breath on both inhale and exhale difficult, or you notice the discrepancy of ease between in-breath and out-breath. Notice where you need to focus and what you need to practise on. I recommend that my students shorten the longer breath to meet the shorter breath if they are unable to stretch the breath evenly on both sides. You don’t want to feel out of breath or gasping at any point. There is absolutely NO RETENTION, it’s like a continuous sea of waves, no holding, totally fluid and seamless. Equanimous.