What Exactly is Ayurveda?

Growing up, I often heard the word "Ayurvedic" or "Ayurveda" almost on a daily basis.  "Ayurveda" is a wellness term that has become pretty trendy in recent years with bloggers, celebrities and alternative medicine experts. What exactly is this buzzword? Ayurveda is grounded in thousands of years of Indian tradition and is one of the oldest and most continuously practiced systems of medicine in the world focusing on the connection of mind and body. Ayurveda (Ayur = life, Veda = science or knowledge) is a science of life.

The two main guiding principles of Ayurveda are: 

1. The mind and the body are inextricably connected
2. nothing has more power to heal and transform the body than the mind

Here are a few simple ways you can incorporate the principles of ancient Ayurveda into your busy and modern lifestyle to calm your mind, soul, body, spirit AND improve your overall physical health.

• Meditate 10 minutes every morning
• Get abundant, restful sleep
• Eat fresh food everyday
• Sit on the table and eat each meal mindfully
• Exercise an hour a day
• Give yourself (or get) oil massages especially in the dry seasons
• Know your Dosha type and try to follow the diet and lifestyle routine that fits your mind/body constitution.