Ayurveda Journal, Week 2: Listening To Your Body

One of the main concepts of Ayurveda that I’ve begun to absorb thus far is learning to listen to what my body is telling me; to recognize how I’m feeling and discover how to fix imbalances using all information that my senses are taking in.

One evening last week I attended one of Lilavati’s restorative flow yoga classes, where she imposed this same concept. So often we feel the need to strive for something more; to keep pushing ourselves closer and closer to a state of what we feel is perfection — and this often happens in physical endeavors. But this isn’t always beneficial. Sometimes that pushing can lead us to harm our bodies without even realizing. What we can allow ourselves to realize, I gathered, is the possibility that perfection already exists. Perhaps it’s all around us — perhaps it’s already within us. If we feel, and truly believe, that something is perfect, then who’s to say it isn’t? We just need to listen closely to what our senses are telling us… and breathe.

Jewel lights

During restorative flow, Lilavati expressed the importance of listening to our bodies. She would suggest a certain yoga pose, and then immediately follow with variation options. “…Maybe it feels better for you to fully extend your leg,” she would say, “…or maybe what feels right is lifting it just one inch of the floor…” It was made clear, from her words, that there was no wrong position. Whatever felt right was right – as long we made sure we were breathing.

Temple alter

In the few days that have passed since that class, I’ve been paying more attention to what my body is telling me, and making educated decisions on how to respond to those things. Yesterday afternoon, I almost made myself a hot cup of tea, but then I took a step back for a moment. I felt the heat (Pitta) energy inside my body and decided that a cold glass of water may serve me much better. It’s the incorporation of little baby things like these into our daily lives that are stepping stones in the journey to feel more balanced overall. It just takes a little extra attention. I know that I have a long way to go, but I’m certainly learning; slowly moving towards more overall balance in my life. I have a strong feeling that my understanding of this topic will deepen as time passes, and I’m excited to see how it can flow into multiple aspects of my life.

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Please feel free to share your ayurvedic experiences with us below!

More on Ayurveda:
Ayurveda Journal, Week 1: Exploring The Senses
Down Dog Healing Café
Temple Of The Lotus: Yoga & Ayurvedic Healing Center

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10 years ago

I had never heard of Ayurveda until coming to the blog, and still don’t know ‘thaat’ much about it, but I do know it is important to listen to your body. Your tea vs water example is prime, and has opened my eyes up to paying attention to what my body needs.

xo, Juliette Laura
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