You can heal your body

by | Dec 15, 2022 | Experiences

You can heal your body

Heal your body with a Morning Routine

It was March this year when I worked myself into a mental and physical exaction. In the coaching industry and on social media I learned you have to hustle all day and this for years to have success. I followed this hustler-strategy for nearly 8 years. I lost creativity, time for relaxing, friends and family. I noticed I was more sick this year than ever before. My body, mind and soul got kicked out of balance and my inner voice was screaming for help, silence and most of it for sleep. I was also suffering from a hormonal imbalance; I had a surgery done on my uterus and I knew now I really have to change something. Western medicine declared after the surgery for them was all done, mental exhaustion they said came from the hormone imbalance. I will get some pills and if this does not help I get some other hormones and this is it.

I Connected with the Ayurvedic Healing Community – ASHAexperience

So this was the moment I knew I could only help myself. I called Bijoya, and with her and ASHAexperience. I started my journey to India for Panchakarma. I knew I needed at least 21 days of healing. I learned I can’t do it alone and I knew this time I am only taking time for myself. Only me and 21 days.

Everyone around me, friends, family, and even my closest ones said: Anja, are you crazy why are you going to India for a classical Panchakarma? And what is this even? And Ayurveda? How should this help you heal?

I left everyone behind with their fears and horror scenarios. I know now it is time to heal holistically and Ayurveda is 5000 years old. They know what healing really means and is about.

Ayurvedic Doctors Consultation at ASHAexperience
I had a three-month preparation time with my Ayurvedic doctor. All consultation was done online. During Covid, it was easy to handle. I have already started to change my eating habits. Also, I needed to take a look at Ayurvedic medicines to prepare my body, mind, and soul for the trip. The whole organization was done by ASHAexperience. This was the most stressful part for me to let go of control. I had put all my hope, fears, and trust into this journey and Bijoya’s hands because I knew this will change everything. Was it easy? Not for me who started working less, letting go of the unhealthy hustler mentally. Start taking care of myself.

Not only was I changing my eating habits, but I did also start journaling again and meditating in the morning. This helps also a lot to have the go from the Ayurvedic doctor: I am ready now for India. Ready for the 21-day journey.

Travel Experience in India for Ayurvedic Treatment

I only organized flights and visas by myself. Other than that I was arriving in India, got picked up and a driver was bringing me into this beautiful resort. Everyone there knew I would be coming. Since the first day they have taken care of me. I gave all the documents from the doctor to my Ayurvedic doctor and when I had my first consultation they knew half of my story already.

It started in my consultation that the doctors treated me holistically. We were talking one hour about my condition mentally, physically and also my soul. After this I had a chat with a nutritionist and then I got my first treatment and got to know my therapists. They went on the journey with me for 21 days every single day.

I decided to let go of all control and told my doctors if they and my nutritionist can take care of my diet during the 21 days. So my focus was only on myself and how I feel about what they did. I got my therapy plan, and a plan from the nutritionist as advice on what to follow and what not. This is up to everyone itself. If you keep following what they suggest without judging you will have the best results. I was talking every day to the doctors and if something needed to be adjusted they did. And I can tell you they did more than what I expected. Never in my whole life I was asking for so much. I was asking for changes in my diet, I was telling my therapists everyday if I needed soft or more intense treatment especially when they massaged. Was this easy for me? Not in the beginning, because I was raised not to put yourself in the middle. Telling my needs and what feels good for me was my biggest healing process in this 21 day journey. Was it always easy? No Did I have good and bad times? Yes, especially mentally.

It took 10 days for me to really feel relaxed and to let go of fears, thoughts and how this process needs to go. Before my journey I was reading a lot about what people achieve in this Panchakarma every state they go through. This comparison stopped on the third day when my doctor said: Anja you have to let go of this. It dresses you out to achieve something. Just open yourself up to us and trust the process. Anything is allowed and anything is ok. Are you good with this? Ok. I needed the proof of my doctors to heal my deep beliefs, doubts and mental issues. She started to suggest implementing a routine while I was there and that was the time I started to understand these routines are helping to come back in balance and later if I keep doing them back home to work as prevention.

Little did I know that all these steps and the way Panchakarma treatments are built up helped me to cure. That was just the start of my healing journey. Does it finish when I come home? No, because there you keep continuing. Do I have to do it alone? No, I got help from ASHAexperience, my doctors and myself, since it needs a commitment from your side to really change something and have the intention to heal. Otherwise it will not work and then it really starts to become preventive.

Developing a morning routine without getting stressed out

The routine started already, and my treatment was every day at the same time.

I was getting up every day at 7am. Staring to brush my teeth and then having my hot water sip by sip sitting on my Terrasse watching and listening to the ocean. Most of the time I was taking a walk on the beach and after this I was having breakfast.

During those 21 days I got to know yoga for the first time and also pranayama (a yogic breathing technique). I started to implement breathing into my daily routine and also meditation to calm my mind. I also started to journal again. I was just writing down what I have been thankful for during the day. This process I kept up for 21 days.

I was not doing everything in the morning because most of the routines I got to know while I was there. I knew yoga, meditation, breathing and journaling from back home already, but the deeper sense and how to combine breathing and meditation works and how important those little steps can be for you to improve your wellbeing. I experienced this myself when I was leaving India back to Munich.

I was having a Jet lag the first few days and felt like sleeping long in the morning. I tried the first week because I still had time. But my body and mind woke up every day at 7 in the morning. And my body asked for the hot water automatically. My brain would not function if I didn’t do my morning walk or my breathing exercises. So after 3 days back home I experienced myself how my whole system is missing those little routines. So I started to implement daily self-care for myself.
And I can tell you it starts with this one hour in the morning or in the evening. The time you take only for yourself. This is where healing starts and begins. Starting and allowing yourself to put your needs first. And this is where all the prevention starts. It’s even like this when you fly. First you put the mask and safety jacket on and then you help your kids. And here it is the same with the routines. This gives me so much energy, time for myself and this was so easy to implement without getting stressed out because I learnt from my Panchakarma, that my health is my priority and my own responsibility at the end of the day.

We believe in collaborative relationship-based care where our Ayurvedic Doctors, Ayurvedic Practitioner, Ayurvedic Supplement Brands, Ayurvedic Nutritionists & Chefs, Yoga, and Meditation Trainers are in sync. Contact the team who passionately works together to hold your hand in this healing journey.

How ayurveda can help reduce screen fatigue

by | Mar 21, 2022 | Ayurveda

How ayurveda can help reduce screen fatigue
For most people over the last two years, days are spent shuffling between the table and bed, typing away on laptops or phone screens. The pandemic has brought with it many major lifestyle shifts, but one of the most jarring ones has to be the shift to a digital lifestyle. Computers and phones have a purpose in times of isolation, they have been proven to help work through a pandemic – but finding a balance is a necessity. Schools have shifted to online classes and in-person brainstorming sessions have become Zoom meetings. Connecting with loved ones has turned into virtual interactions and most social interactions take place behind a screen.

Since COVID has begun, exposure to screen time has only increased around the world. A study published by WHO links a decline in sleep quality, neck pain, headaches, high blood pressure to increased screen time. Another study has found links between poor mental health and a rise in anxiety and depression with an increase in screen time. Ayurveda teaches living in harmony and with the seasons and the natural flow of every day. This innate rhythm is disrupted by technology.

People around the world have spent the pandemic locked in their homes, doom-scrolling through Instagram, juggling work-from-home emails and binging on streaming sites – and most have felt its consequences. The nagging pain at the back of our eyes, a dull headache, sensitivity to light and difficulty concentrating. Fatigue and exhaustion from screens is real and it manifests itself both mentally and physically. Technology naturally stimulates the Vata Dosha (Vata manages all the movement in our Mind and Body). When Vata is out of balance, we can feel ungrounded and too much screen time tends to make this feeling worse. As we shift into this digital reality – screen time is here to stay.

So, here are some things one can do to combat that tiredness and practice some much needed digital self care.

Follow the 20-20-20 Rule – Akshi Tarpana (that translates to eye rejuvenation) or soothing the eyes is a part of dinacharya. When working on a computer, remembering to take a break every twenty minutes is a great first step. It almost sounds redundant to say this but everyone forgets to take a break. When one looks at computer screens, they tend to blink 66% less than average. Rest your eyes by looking at an object twenty feet away for twenty seconds and give your eyes a chance to relax. Whatever you’re working on, will always be there when you get back from your break.

Meditate – One of the best ways to cope with digital fatigue is Sattva Vijaya (increasing the quality of clarity). To increase Sattva we can exercise, eat nourishing food, practice breathwork and meditation. A moment of quiet self-awareness can set the tone for the rest of the day. Meditation provides the much needed downtime our brains need to recuperate and be mindful.
Set digital boundaries – Healthy boundaries between our personal and professional spaces have always been important, but with work-from-home it is important for us to separate our workspaces and screen spaces from the spaces in our homes we use to unwind and rest. This helps us balance our Vata in our everyday life.

Connect with nature – Nature helps us soothe our senses, cures Vata imbalances and is grounding. Going on regular walks and connecting with nature supports calm and stable energies, proper digestion and gives the balance we need to manage challenging tasks. Schedule 15-30 minute walks without any screens to practice a physical and mental detox.

Just including these small changes as part of one’s daily lifestyle can provide a lot of relief from the constant screen time that has worked into our lives. Some other basic things to keep in mind are staying hydrated, eating healthy and remembering that prevention is better than the cure. Even if fatigue isn’t felt in the body, practicing and cultivating these values have a great impact in the long run.

Self regulating and actively engaging with computers instead of passively absorbing what is on the screen, practicing mindfulness and healthy digital habits as well as actively connecting with friends, family and peers beyond laptop screens are all healthy boundaries one needs to set for themselves – so we can lead our best lives and be our best selves in these uncertain times.

We believe in collaborative relationship-based care where our Ayurvedic Doctors, Ayurvedic Practitioner, Ayurvedic Supplement Brands, Ayurvedic Nutritionists & Chefs, Yoga, and Meditation Trainers are in sync. Contact the team who passionately works together to hold your hand in this healing journey.