I've been doing a lot of reflecting and soul searching these first few weeks of the new year. Living a life that is full and whole and happy and healthy has been on my mind a lot. My husband and I even spent a whole day planning out the year and how to grow together as friends and spiritual companions above all else--how can we push each other to be better human beings all around. As I get older, I've realized I've taken my life for granted--a lot! At some point that has to end.
When Nandan and I got married, we made a promise to live a life of spirituality above all else. Everything else will fall into place, if only we keep this one thing in the center of it all. I personally have made a firm resolution that I truly want to be an instrument for something greater than myself. It's a desire of mine to be of value to this universe in some way, shape, or form. And although it is quite easy to sit here in this coffee shop and type out all of these words that make us seem really cool, I have to admit that many times it's really, really hard to stay true to these convictions. I want to be happy. And I don't just mean happy like for a short while, I mean for the rest of my life. Unfortunately, that is quite a large undertaking. There's a lot to that concept of happiness that I haven't even discovered quite yet. The more I dive deeper, the more I realize it's not SO EASY, but yet incredibly easy at the same time. It just takes a lot of sacrifice that I'm not quite ready for. What a conundrum! Luckily, Nandan and I have both been blessed with Ayurveda in our lives. Right after we got married, we went and studied Ayurveda with our amazing teacher, Dr. Lad. We promised each other that we would let this science become the foundation of our life moving forward. I wanted to take the time to tell you all why I love Ayurveda so much. If you would please indulge me, that would be awesome! I'm not here to be preachy or to convince everyone to start implementing tools of Ayurveda right now (although, I really do encourage it, because it's truly changed my life). But, more of just a testament of what Ayurveda can truly do for you in your life. The story of Ayurveda goes as follows (I'm giving you the cliff notes version here, because it's a long story to be honest!): In India tens of thousands of years ago, there was a group of seers/saints that conducted an immense amount of penance to receive a form of healing from the universe to help the people in their communities. They're prayers were finally answered, and from that resulted Ayurveda. Why is that important? Well, it's said that Ayurveda is born of the universe. A simple and practical guide on how to live in accordance with nature and our environment. Ayurveda is so great because it takes each and every individual and creates a diet and lifestyle protocol that is unique to that person. Why do I love it? Because it's all common sense. After studying this for 2 years, it became clear as day. Not every human is born the same, so why are we treating all humans in a general sweeping motion? What works for me, may not work for you. I love seeing the difference in even myself and my husband--because there are so many different things that each of us do to remain healthy. But again, Ayurveda is so much more than a healing mechanism. It's truly a way of life. That is my absolute favorite thing. Taking the basic principles of Ayurveda--implementing simple tools of proper diet, routine, and a few preventative measures depending on you and your history, you can live a healthy life with little to no effort other than daily practices that are equivalent to having to eat food. Remember, the goal of Ayurveda is to allow us to live in accordance with nature. That which is within, is without, and vice versa. We are just a microcosm of the greater macrocosm. Ayurveda has provided me a vehicle of how to live my life so that the goal of health and happiness can be achievable. You don't have to be this yogi sitting in the Himalayas for an entire life span to attain what you want in life. Ayurveda has given me that spiritual foundation in life. Incorporating everything that I love about life, it's taught me more ways to see things for the way they are than I could ever imagine. And ultimately that is life, right? Seeing the beauty always. Not holding past conceptions on how things were/are/could be. Seeing with fresh eyes not only for the first time, but moment to moment--living a judgment-free life (of both good and bad!). Our life is worth so much more than the value we place on it. We are meant for and destined for great things. There is a force greater than ourselves we have the ability to serve each and every minute of our life. What an incredible gift we've been given. Without Ayurveda, I would have never realized any of this. Maybe I would have, but for right now, I'll give Ayurveda the credit.
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The idea of slowing down isn't so normal today. To keep up with the pace and not fall behind is a full time job in itself. Between work, family, and a social life, it seems as though it is impossible to truly stop and take a breather.
The problem with all of this is that we stop listening to what our bodies and minds are inherently telling us to do. When this happens, our ability to listen to what the environment and the universe is telling us gets weaker and weaker. The key to life isn't in living out a single mission of eat, drink, and be merry. There has to be a symbiotic relationship with everything that surrounds us. The more we are sync with the outside, the more we are in sync with the inside and vice versa. This is one of the most important things in life. This is why this season is one of my favorite times of year. Winter is equivalent to kapha. Remember, kapha is made up of the elements of water and earth--so think dense, wet, cool, heavy, and grounding. It naturally is a time of slowing down and going internal. There's a reason why so many animals hibernate in the winter time...it's because it is part of the natural cycle of the season. There's a reason that our bodies tend to want to slow down, stay cozy, sit by the fire, and go internal. Kapha brings about those qualities naturally within us and without us. Instead of fighting it this year, why not take the time to embrace it? It really is a beautiful time to spend with yourself and those you love. Slowing down brings about a more mindful life, and it makes it easier to actually do so. Our ability to stay in the present moment increases minute by minute. Because we're constantly on the go-go-go, rushing through life becomes the norm. And unfortunately, this doesn't really allow for being right here, right now. Go ahead and try it out. Slow down. Take a deep inhale in. Take a deep exhale out. Now, notice your breath. Does it feel heavy? Is it cool? Maybe warm? Do you feel it tickling the top of your lip? Allow yourself to be right here, right now. Allow yourself to embrace the slowing down. Isn't there a sense of relief that naturally has come? The more we connect with the right here right now, everything begins to just fall into place a little bit more. Things start to make sense. Life somehow becomes a touch easier. There is a little more clarity in the decisions we make. The greatest part of all of this, is that with the clarity and mindfulness comes a deeper sense of love and compassion for those in our life. There's a desire to be kind and warm to people. This is what kapha is all about. Yes, it's heavy and dense--and quite frankly those words are a little off-putting. But, it's so much deeper than that. There is a magic in the depths of the kapha, just as there is magic in the depths of winter. As the days continue to grow shorter and the nights longer, as the temperatures drop a little bit more each day...don't run away from it. Find comfort in the warmth that is created. Find sanctuary in yourself. Find true peace and love in the right here, right now. The winter is beautiful, just like the kapha. Don't miss that opportunity to witness that beauty in the traps of rushing through life. May you take the time this season to truly nourish the fire. These next few weeks as we slowly end the year 2017, I like to reflect on all of the amazingness that life has offered me. Yes, it may seem cliche to do so during this time of the holidays, but why not take the opportunity when it's presented? Seems like a good choice to me. Cultivating a spirit of gratitude truly brings us more happiness (Just check out the research on it)! Having a spirit of gratitude allows us to remain in the present and truly live a mindful life. And, to me, that really is the goal of life. How can I find true happiness in my lifetime? This seems like one easy way to at least start the journey. Finding the gratitude in the smallest of things, and acting from an attitude of grace. Over the next few months, I'll be sharing the moments that I'm grateful for. Join me on this journey as we all walk the path towards happiness and true peace. follow on instagram: @nishitaaaa
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