The morning is the start to our day, and when we get a good start, it’s likely that we’re going to have a great day!  Yet waking up can be a challenge for some.  Here are tips for how to wake up the Ayurvedic way:

-Wake up before sunrise.  This is Vata time, and because Vata deals with movement, it helps to get your body going.  Once the sun comes up, it’s Kapha time, time to exercise!  If you’re already up, this is much easier to do.  Start with some breathing exercises, and easy yoga, or begin your morning meditation.

-Drink a glass of warm water with some fresh lemon or lime.  The warm water stimulates the GI tract, and the citrus helps to loosen up the ama, or toxins, in the digestive tract.

-Splash your face with cool water.  This helps to disperse leftover Pitta and prepare the skin for the day ahead.  Morning hydration is very important.  Rinse your mouth with cool water to get rid of the trapped heat that has dried out the mouth during the night.

-Brush your teeth.  Massage your gums.  And use a tongue scraper to get rid of built up ama on the tongue.  Ayurveda also recommends rinsing your mouth with warm olive or sesame oil – spit it out, don’t swallow it.  The oil strengthens the teeth, gums and jaw and also helps to protect the voice.

-Massage the circumference of the ears, starting at the top of the ear, with the thumb and index finger.  Rub a few drops of olive or sesame oil just inside the nostril to help moisturize and clean the sinuses.

-Exercise the eyes.  Roll the eyes up and down, side to side, and also diagonally.  Rotate them clockwise and counterclockwise.  Squeeze shut, then release.  Repeat several times.  Splashing open eyes with cool water helps to balance the doshas.  If your eyes are puffy, cover them with slices of cucumber.

-Aromatherapy.  For Vatas, ginger, cardamom, or orange are most balancing.  For Pittas, choose sandalwood or lavender.  Kaphas are most balanced by the scent of eucalyptus, rosemary or sage.  Massage a little bit of aromatic oil onto the third eye point in a circular motion.  Breath slowly and deeply.  Lightly massage the temples with the four fingers.

-Eat breakfast.  The morning meal is important for getting your metabolism started, so never skip.  But don’t overindulge, either!

Ayurveda says that it is good for us to give our feet as much air as possible.  Shoes trap energy around the feet and can make you feel more tired.  It is also believed that shoes collect negativity, which is why they are never worn in Indian temples.  Feel free to walk around your house barefoot.  A foot massage is truly lovely and quite beneficial, yet bathing the feet can also help to refresh the body.  There are a variety of foot soaks to help relieve and invigorate the feet.  Use a small tub or a bowl large enough to that you can fill it with water to cover up to the ankles.

-For Sweaty Feet: fill the bowl with warm water, and add 6 drops each of lavender, sage, juniper and cypress essential oils.  To help deodorize, add some rock salt and bay leaf to the mix.

-For Tired Feet: use the essential oils of juniper, rosemary, and lavender in your foot bath.

-To Calm and Cool the system: use the essential oil of sandalwood in your cool water foot bath.

-For a Head Cold: add ginger (either fresh grated or ginger essential oil) or mustard powder to a hot foot bath.  Leave your feet in until they turn red, then put on warm socks.  This warms the whole body and helps to drain mucus and congestion from the head.

-For a Restful Sleep: Massage the feet with warm sesame oil or ghee.  Then soak the feet in a hot herbal foot bath with warming spices such as ginger.

“Om Mani Padme Hum” (Ohm Ma-Nee Pod-May Hum) is one of the most prevalent mantras in Tibet.  It is recited by Buddhists, and painted or carved on rocks, prayer wheels, and wall hangings.  This mantra is known as the mantra of Chenrezi, the Bodhisattva of Compassion and the protective deity of Tibet.  The practice of the mantra is said to relieve negative karma, and help rescue us from suffering.  The mantra is more powerful when we think of the meaning behind these six syllables.  Om symbolizes transformation.  Mani means the jewel.  The Dalai Lama says: “Just as a jewel is capable of removing poverty, so the altruistic mind of enlightenment is capable of removing the poverty, or difficulties, and of solitary peace.  Similarly, just as a jewel fulfills the wishes of sentient beings, so the altruistic intention to become enlightened fulfills the wishes of sentient beings.”  Padme means lotus and symbolizes wisdom.  The lotus frows out of the mud, but is not affected by the mud, indicating the quality of wisdom, which keeps you out of contradiction.  Hum represents inseparability, and purity, which can be achieved with the unity of method and wisdom.

The classic paintings of Indian gods and goddesses are filled with symbolism.  Every item depicted has meaning and serves a purpose in telling a story.  For example, a snake is wrapped around Shiva’s neck.  It symbolizes the cycle of time, the kundalini shakti and release from the bondage of nature.  Shiva also holds a trident, which represents the threefold aspect of creation, preservation, and destruction.  Durga holds a sword, which cuts the knot of illusion.  It shows that we can free ourselves from error and ignorance.  In one hand, Ganesh holds a goad that offers encouragement to follow the path of righteousness.  In another hand, Ganesh holds a Modhak, a sweet that represents knowledge and wisdom.  The rat shown with Ganesh symbolizes the crafty intellect, which is dominated by Ganesh’s wisdom.

Karma is action, the cause and effect of what we do.  According to the classical scriptures from India, there are four types of karma:

-Sanchita Karma: This is basically all-inclusive karma.  It is what we have accumulated from previous lifetimes, and past actions in this lifetime, good and bad.  It is everything we need to work out eventually – now or later.

-Prarabdha Karma: This is the karma that we are working off in this lifetime.  Since we choose our birthtime, we also choose the planets that are there at the time of our birth, which affects our karma. 

-Agami Karma: This is the more immediate kind of karma.  When we do something and see the effects right then and there.

-Kriyamana Karma: This is how our purposeful actions affect our future karmic return.  If we are more aware of the actions we take, and act out of kindness we will be able to improve our future karma.

The Panchatantra (the five books) is a collection of ancient Indian folk tales, originally written in Sanskrit sometime around 200 B.C. by the Hindu scholar, Pandit Vishnu Sharma.  But the origins of some of these stories go back as far as 1500 to 500 B.C., during the time of the Rig-Veda and the Upanishads.  As time went on, people traveling through India took the stories around the world where they was translated into many languages.  The Panchatantra is said to be a part of the science known as “Nitishastra,” which translated from Sanskrit means “book of wise conduct in life.”  The stories are actually lessons that teach how to understand people, to to choose reliable friends, how to solve problems with tact and wisdom, and how to live in peace and harmony despite life’s challenges.

Even though most of the population in India is either Hindu or Muslim, Christmas is still celebrated with much fanfare throughout the country.  It is a national holiday in India, enjoyed by everyone irrespective of religion.  The banana and mango trees are decorated, and often homes are decorated with mango leaves.  You will often see small clay oil-burning lamps on the edges of flat roofs and on the tops of walls.  Christian families exchange gifts, and give baksheesh, or charity, to those in need.  Poinsettias are abundant, especially in churches.  There are lots of candles at the Christmas Eve services.  In the more urban areas of India, you’ll often find the more western decor, the familiar Christmas trees adorned with stars and tinsel and small toys.  Santa makes an appearance in some shops and you’ll even see Christmas carolers parading through the streets. 

There’s a big trend now toward eating raw foods.  I can understand the principle behind it, raw foods and juices are very cleansing and energizing, they contain a lot of natural intelligence.  Sprouts have enzymes which help with digestion, and some of the spicier sprouts help to eliminate toxins, which Ayurveda calls.  However, for the nutrients in food to be properly assimilated into the body, it must be cooked.  Cooking happens either outside the body, the conventional way with heat in the kitchen, or it can be cooked in the stomach.  The digestive system has to be really strong to provide enough energy to cook the food inside the body.  Pittas can handle eating raw foods, and Kaphas can eat some raw foods, particularly during Pitta season.  But in general, raw foods are not good for Vatas.  Because of their sensitive digestion, Vatas need to favor warm, cooked foods.

Yoga and Ayurveda are sister sciences.  Many westerners are introduced to Ayurveda through Yoga.  We find so many benefits from the practice of Yoga that we are eager to learn more, and we find that with the science of life.  When we incorporate both of these practices into our lives, the effects are more profound.  Ayurveda helps to support our system, so that we strengthen our bodies and cultivate peace. Especially important during this hectic holiday season!  Organic India has put together a Yoga Essentials Kit especially for this purpose.  It includes their Gotu Kola Formula, which helps to balance the nervous system, bring clarity to the mind, and strengthen concentration.  Gotu Kola is also a natural energizer!  The Turmeric Formula works to purify the blood, liver and kidneys and also aids in digestion.  Turmeric also promotes a glowing complexion, and contains powerful antioxidants.  The Flexibility Formula fights muscle fatigue and helps the body to become more naturally flexible.  This combination of herbs was specifically created to improve overall muscle and joint health.  Taken together these herbs work synergistically as the perfect formula for a physically active lifestyle.  A good way to jump start those New Year’s Resolutions!

Pomegranates are hailed as a kind of wonder fruit and this is something Ayurveda has been aware of for centuries.  The Sanskrit name for the pomegranate is Dadima. The main taste is considered to be astringent, but it also may contain the taste of sweet, sour, and bitter.  While the pomegranate is excellent for improving digestion, the beauty is that it doesn’t increase Pitta.  Best of all, the pomegranate is an aphrodisiac!  Ayurveda says that it is a remedy for impotence, eat one pomegranate every night for fourteen nights and you’re good to go!  They’re also great for helping to overcome nausea.  I found this wonderful recipe for pomegranate salad you can serve your sweetie when you want a romantic evening:

Pomegranate Salad

½ cup garbanzo beans
all the seeds from 1 fresh pomegranate
2 cups watercress leaves (heat in a skillet to wilt)
1 Tablespoon pine nuts, toasted

Toss all of the above with a dressing of lemon juice and olive oil and a little sea salt.  Yummy!