Be Healthy. Be Happy. Naturally.
Fasting is the greatest remedy - the physician within" - Philippus Paracelsus
There is a so much contradictory information available about fasting that it can be difficult to decide which, if any, method to try. What may be good for one person can actually be detrimental to another. Fortunately, because Ayurveda recognizes the uniqueness of each individual, there are tools we can use to help us choose what will be most beneficial for us at any given time. Ayurveda has a long tradition of utilizing fasting from food as a vital practice for maintaining and regaining health. In our society, fasting is often viewed as a type of denial or deprivation, but you can instead choose to see fasting as a gift to yourself: a much needed rest from the constant barrage of foods and experiences you take into your body. Welcome to the Ayurvedic approach to fasting.
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![]() This time of year we are barraged with constant images, messages, expectations and advertising to get us to do more, buy more and be more. After all, it is ‘the most wonderful time of the year.” Often though, we end up feeling overwhelmed, anxious or insecure. Not very jolly feelings, are they? Here are my favorite ways for staying balanced, calm and content. They are actually variations on the same theme: be mindful and present. Pretty simple, right?
If you put a group of people in a room and expose all of them to a cold or flu virus, not everyone will be infected. Wonder why? Getting a cold or flu is not just from exposure, but result when the body’s natural balance is off kilter. Chances are if you have a cold or flu, you just finished working long hours, ate on the go, and had little sleep. You were probably burning the candle at both ends.
In truth, resting deeply, eating healthful foods, following a regular schedule, moving at a gentle pace, exercising, and limiting stimulation are the basics of good health. There’s nothing exotic about these practices. What is unusual is that we live in a society where we have to make an extra effort to practice them and resist the pressures that lead us to neglect self-care. It all began when my daughter was four years old. She woke up one morning crying because her fingers and toes were swollen, purple and sore. I had no idea what was wrong. I took her to visit our general practitioner, who referred us to the rheumatologist, who referred us to a different rheumatologist, who referred us to a neurologist…you get the picture. No one could figure out what was wrong with her. Then a friend of mine suggested I see this guy who practiced Ayurveda. What the heck was Ayurveda? I had never heard of it but trusting my friend, we took the first appointment. The Ayurvedic Practitioner suggested I change what my daughter ate, give her an herbal tincture, and rub her fingers and toes with special oil. Within a couple of weeks, my daughter’s fingers and toes looked normal, and the swelling and pain were gone.
It was the beginning of my journey. I read everything I could find about Ayurveda and dove into this vast and wonderful ocean of knowledge. We moved to Albuquerque so I could study at the Ayurvedic Institute and I have been studying ever since. It is now in my bones and at home in my soul. Ayurveda works. I have witnessed it make an amazing difference in so many lives. But I understand that habits and routines can feel difficult to change. Like Plato’s allegory of the cave, we get used to one reality and it can be difficult to see another. But Dear Ones, you have a choice. When you are ready, you can use Ayurveda to shine light on your habits, your routines, your relationships and your life. If you are healthy, you can learn how to stay that way. If you are out of sorts or sick, you can learn how to regain your joy, vitality and health. You can turn away from the wall of the cave. You can start with a candle and end up in the light of the sun. It is possible. It is wonderful. It is a gift. When you are ready, I would love to take your hand and guide you on your own path to wholeness, out of the darkness and into the light. One little step at a time. Love, Shivani |
AuthorI'm Shivani Chase. I love to help people learn how to live the best life they can using Ayurveda, yoga, compassion and common sense. Archives
April 2020
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