501: Easing emotional pain and uncertainty with Ayurveda
This week we’re talking about how Ayurvedic lifestyle support can help us when we’re living with emotional pain or uncertainty.
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Points covered in this episode:
The importance of developing self-understanding
Ayurveda teaches that everything is personal and individual. There isn’t one solution that suits everyone, because we are all made up differently and we respond differently.
So we begin by listening to the dialogue in our mind and watching how our body is responding. There are clues and messages in both our minds and body that we can note and respond.
Right now, most of us are all over the place. And it’s OK. We need to start with self-acceptance, and move into self-care and leave space for others and what they’re going through too.
Self-care should be our first priority
We can’t function well, or be help others if we aren’t taking care of ourselves. This isn’t selfish, it’s a necessity, we burn out quickly when we neglect our own care.
Many who are empathetic by nature struggle with this, we might feel guilty or conflicted about eating and sleeping well when others are suffering.
Finding meaning in our self-care helps.
We might see our self-care as having a greater purpose, because when we’re grounded and clear, we’re in better shape to support others.
Our self-care goes way beyond us. In our family, we will be more calm and present if we’re rested and nourished. And during unsettled times we can help and support others more when we’re taking care of ourselves.
Practising conscious self-care gives us resilience and room to consider how we can respond and help others during troublesome times, if we’re not taking care of ourselves we will get easily overwhelmed and that can lead to feelings of helplessness.
“We can’t function well, or be supportive to others if we aren’t taking care of ourselves.”
Daily practices for building calm
Early morning walks. Let your mind register daylight and the transition from night to day. And move your body to awaken and clear the mind.
Evening walks are also helpful in the warmer months, especially if you have a fiery constitution. Leave screens aside and walk under the moonlight if possible to wind down before rest.
Building routine. If you go for a walk around the same time each day, you can build a routine that will help you stay grounded and release stress and anxiety.
Time for sleep. Going to bed around the same time each day also helps build a routine that helps hold us steady during uncertain times.
Look after your sleep. Sleep is so important for our mental and physical health. Take time in the evening to wind down. Set yourself a cut-off time and keep away from screens and the news.
We have Tapping Sessions and Guided relaxation downloads for sleep to support you on our Patreon page.
FINALLY, FOCUS ON certainty
When everything feels up in the air, we often suffer from a sense of groundlessness.
One way to work with that is to accept it. We are living with constant change, working on acceptance helps us flex in the face of change and adversity.
Another is to work with building a sense of certainty, by spending quiet time with the things you know are always the same. Go where there’s dependability and build from there. You know the sun will rise every morning. Go where you can watch it and sit and breath.
Sometimes, in counselling, the example of the sunrise is used to help rebuild a sense of certainty and trust. When everything feels shaken up we can benefit from remembering that the sun rises every morning and that never changes. If we get in step with that and actively watch the sun and morning light, we feel more peace and ground and we can begin building from there.
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