Yoga and Ayurveda complement each other perfectly, but have you asked why? There are a couple of points to make but one of the main commonalities is that they both aim at helping us acting in the present. In the now we make better decisions and are able to judge the situation for what it is. The power is in the now like the famous Mr Tolle says.

MINDFUL DECISIONS

For successful judgements, or we could call them “yogic” decisions, we need a state of mindfulness so that we act from a place of relative objectivity and understanding that everything is contextual. Nothing can be judged as absolute. Anything can be good and anything can be equally bad, depending on the context.

Understanding relativity is essential if and when you live ayurvedically, especially regarding decisions on what you eat and do. Sometimes it’s good to eat spinach, sometimes not. Coffee brightens your day today and tomorrow it gives you jitters. Being in the now is very important when it comes to choosing what to eat because there’s nothing like the present moment to define the nutritional value. 

FEELING YOUR FOOD

To understand the value of our food we need to connect with the present moment and see how food feels like in the when we consume it and moreover, how our bodymind feels like. Sounds a bit fuzzy as a concept but I’ll give you an easy example. If you feel cold you probably feel like having a hot drink rather than a cold one. Cooling drinks are nice when you quickly need to lower down the heat, for example after a run.  This concept can be taken very far in everything we eat or do. If you feel lethargic, a nice walk or even a visit at a gym will spark up your day whilst moving on the spectrum between slow and fast

If there is a match between opposite feelings, then food has a potential of being healthy. No need for nutritional labels or counting calories. We just need to focus on what the body is telling and what sensory messages the food in question provides.

BACK TO THE NOW

But, let me take you back to what I started writing about, about being in the NOW. There is a connection, mind you, and it is because when you are in the now, you are able to connect with feelings that come through sensory experiences. When you are in the now, you feel. When you are not in the now you plan the future or contemplate the past. Or worse, worry about future or ruminate on the past. That’s when the mind takes the primary role. When you let yourself feel, you immediately take charge of the present moment.

In a yogic model the aim in our everyday life is to slow down the mind, expressed in the Sanskrit frase chitta vritti nirodah. Once you step into the now and start feeling life in the present, you’ve achieved your yogic goal. You might think this is difficult. Fortunately, it is super easy. The difficult thing is to remember doing it, staying in the present.

Not to worry! Here’s how to do it and you can easily learn how to be present, even if you don’t consider being “into yoga”:

INSTRUCTIONS ON HOW TO BE IN THE NOW

Deliberately slow down your movements for just a notch. Talk, walk, type or whatever, do it a bit slower and you are in the present. It’s that simple.

Start by choosing one activity of your choice that you carry out every day, no matter what, like dressing up, or making a cup of tea or that typing. Keep slowness going and you’ll notice that, as if by magic, you gain time because all the faffing around is gone. Secondly, you remember things because you are present in what you do. Then you start increasing in productivity and creativity as a result of a controlled thought processes.

Try, it’s fun and such a revelation!

LEARN HOW TO FEEL YOUR FOOD! – 1 DAY WORKSHOP COMING SOON! 

You can learn this easy method to engage with food which, in reality, you already do all the time unconsciously, every day. We all do! When your skin is dry, or the mouth is dry, you know exactly what to do, without consulting anyone: moisturise and hydrate, or both!

Jivita Academy is organising a 1-day workshop on ayurvedic diet and lifestyle. In this potentially life changing event you’ll learn how taste sensation and the qualities of your food are all you need know to understand what is good for you and what is not. You’ll discover how to nourish yourself with superfoods, the ones that you need in any specific phase of the year. 

Book your place now, we’ll have a fabulous day!

CONTACT anu@jivitaayurveda.com

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