Vatta Balancing for the Festive Season

“It is better to travel well than to arrive”.

 -Buddha

W-o-w-e-e-e ! :)

This is my official way of saying, ‘wholly molly, we are almost at the end of this calendar year- 2014’!

The spring air is warm and strong northerly winds are blowing out all the cobwebs from Winter. There is movement.

Jacarandas blossoming, animals coming out of hibernation to bask in the sun, frangipani shoots sprouting! Spring is certainly in full swing here in Australia.

Similarly,  the air is crisp and fresh, evenings are cool and the flowers are tucking themselves into bed for the winter in the northern hemisphere. (I have family in Canada who give me this inside info!) :-)

There is seasonal change happening everywhere! :) And it’s a glorious thing! Without these changes and cycles, we would not experience the richness and beauty that Mother Nature has to offer in all of her forms and expressions.

Vatta, the element of Air + Ether is present during seasonal change as well as times of the year where there is more activity happening – such as the holiday season.

In my personal experience and observation, seasonal change combined with the busyness leading up to Christmas/New Years can have us feeling:

‘Crazy, frantic, hurried, rushed, and scattered!’

We move fast to get things done, resulting in being short tempered and feisty when things get out of control.

Self-care, proper nourishment, meditation practice, time for rest and proper sleep are all things that can very easily slip by the wayside when there is so much to do and so much happening.

It’s tough to keep the balance!

Ironically, these are the very things we need to be doing – more than ever!

This time of year it is important to ~ ‘slow down’…

These might seem like ghastly words to hear – when your social calendar is filled every weekend until Christmas and your diary is bursting with ‘to do’ lists that scream at you every day.

Trust me on this one though…

Taking a moment to apply some ‘slow down’ to your day, will have you feeling more like this:

Energised, calm, centered, empowered and on-top of it all! You’ll stand out at the Christmas parties, as people will notice that you did something different this year. You don’t look frazzled. You are poised and calm, centered and glowing. You are radiantly grinning and proud of yourself for being peacefully productive this ‘silly’ season. :)

In Ayurvedic medicine, health is all about balance. Any type of change we experience – such as the change of season or a busy period in life can aggravate the ‘Air’ element of the body, known as Vatta Dosha. Vata loves regularity, stillness and warmth. When the weather is windy, irregular, too hot or too cold and dry – Vatta can get upset and start to run a muck! The busyness of this time of year can throw this element out of whack. The good news is that it’s easily balanced and corrected;

~5 Simple Vatta Balancing Lifestyle Tips~

1. Drink Warm Water & Nourish Yourself:

Wake up and drink 2-4 cups of freshly boiled warm water with a slice of fresh ginger. This will warm your digestion and activate your parasympathetic nervous system, allowing you to start your day in a relaxed way. It’s the best!

Make sure you take some time to nourish your body. Start the day with a yummy grounding porridge, buckwheat pancakes or veggie soup! Look after your precious body on the inside and out.

2. Stretch/Move Your Body Daily:

In your room or lounge-room, move your body. Raise your arms up above your head and reach to the heavens.  Stretch your body, breathing with your movement, becoming one with your body :).  Move, unwind, and tune in. Do this for a minimum of 10 minutes. Stretching opens the body and allows us to be in tune and feel good in our skin. Movement releases endorphins (happy chemicals) in the brain, making you feel good. After moving the body it is much easier to sit in stillness and focus within to de-stress through meditation.

3. Meditate/Sit and Be with Your-self:

Find a comfy cushion, bolster, blanket or towel to sit on. Sit on the edge so that your knees are lower than your hips. If you are new to the concept of meditation, don’t worry. Everyone starts somewhere and now is the perfect time to begin. Sit with your spine straight to allow for proper flow of energy, then close down your eyes and simply focus on your breath. Allow thoughts to come and go. They are not important here. All that is important is your breath, and your focus inward. If you can do this for at least 10 min at the start of your day, it will set the scene for a peacefully productive day ahead. Meditation is transformational.

4. Massage Your Feet/Body 3 times per week:

Cold pressed Black sesame oil is traditionally the Ayurvedic oil of choice. If you don’t have it though, you can use organic cold pressed olive oil, almond oil or coconut oil. To prepare the oil for your self-massage, simply warm your oil by placing the bottle in a bowl of hot water for a few minutes. Before you have your shower, massage the oil into your body. Oil is beautifully grounding and balancing. Your skin will eat it up and your nerves will too. Do this for 5 minutes then rinse off in a warm shower.

5. Take Some Deep Breathes:

Before you go out for the day and get into your work or your tasks… take 6 deep breathes. Write a note to yourself in your diary to remind you to move slowly. Remember that you don’t need to be superman or superwoman. You simply need to do your best and do everything with love. If there are things on your to do list that are not high priorities, then cross them off. Free up your time so you can focus on a realistic list of things to achieve. This is a hard one for the high achievers. You can do it though. :) There are 12 months next year to complete those tasks. Remember, there is no rush, everything in life happens in divine timing.

This season is all about looking after YOU – so that you can show up being present, clear and loving with your friends and family.

After all this is what is most important. Not how much we did, but how present we were.

“You give but little when you give of your possessions.

It is when you give of yourself that you truly give.”

– Kahil Gibran

 Be generous this holiday season, fill your own cup so that you can share abundantly with those around you!

…Remember, nothing great is every built overnight. It is regula and consistent acts of love, that contribute to creating long-term health, wellness and joy inside! 

 Shine on!

x Love, Lorien

Gratitude notes…

 

Gratitude for…

  • Clean, fresh air
  • My breathe
  • The earth I walk on
  • My body that moves me & allows me to dance!
  • The sunshine
  • The moonshine & stars
  • The beauty of sunrise & sunset
  • The Ocean
  • Beautiful Family & Friends
  • Nourishing Relationships (Self & special one in your life)
  • Work I love
  • Health, Energy and Vitality
  • My Parents & Grandparents
  • Clean water & Organic fresh wholesome food
  • The practice & wisdom of Yoga & Ayurveda
  • My teachers & my teachers, teachers!
  • All of the experiences in life that have led me to be where I am today.
  • Grateful for the gift of gratitude!

The practice of Gratitude daily, morning and evening before bed will inspire and uplift what is possible in life 100 fold!

Grateful for community.

Love,

x Lorien

Growth, this is why we are here…

 In times of beauty, times of greatness and in times of inner reflection, diving deep, searching for truth, purpose direction, exploring the inner realms of your being… It can be confronting, challenging and easy to begin to feel a little ‘lost’ and unsure of where the path is leading you…

No matter what you are going through, it is perfect! More perfect than you can possibly imagine right now!

…The universe works in mysterious ways!

Wherever you are at, celebrate it! :) Love it, embrace it… make peace with it. And then flow with grace and continue on your path.

Today the message of inspiration…

“You are whole, complete & perfect just as you are.”

Yes you, in your skin. You are divine. 

The mind may try to grasp thoughts, find meaning and identity in outward things. This can be fine, and fun and beautiful.

Realising that true satisfaction, peace, inner joy and calm arises out of allowing the minds thoughts to float through – rather then stick to the edges of your beautiful brain, and instead come back to your true beauty, your inner knowledge that you are enough, you are worthy, you are a being of light and you are loved and wanted in this world.

You have a purpose and mission so great that other’s who don’t even know you yet can’t wait to support you in your heart’s truest path and calling. This is your true authentic place to reside. Allowing the inner light that shines within you to be bright and to be your guide.

Have faith, trust, surrender, breathe… 

Life is a blessing and we are all here to grow, develop, dance and discover new virtues in connection with our body, other’s and the planet at large.

Some deep thought’s… Stay real, remember to hug as many humans as possible, drink warm water in the morning and smile. Smiling works miracles! :)

With Love,

x Lorien