In this week's article of our Rediscovering Ayurveda series, we interviewed Carolyn. She is a yoga instructor and wellness blogger.We are excited to share Carolyns's journey with Yoga here.
How did you start your journey as a Yoga practitioner?
When I started yoga back in school, being an athlete and inclined towards different sports, I found the practice to be extremely slow and boring. A few years ago, when I wasn’t in the best place - physically, mentally and emotionally, I started going for yoga classes with my mom- as a mere physical practice, only to discover in a few months that there is so much more to the practice. Once I got a glimpse of how incorporating yoga could change my life, there was no looking back.
What inspired you to take the path of Yoga?
The feeling after every practice got me addicted, and I also got a chance to meet the most wonderful practitioners and teachers who led me forward on the path.
What keeps you motivated to do what you do?
The smile of the students face after class and when they come to you after a few sessions to tell you how the practice has changed aspects of their life.
Tell us what a typical day in the life of a Yoga practitioner looks like?
My day starts very early, first I do a short meditation session, and after that, I start my practices for the day. One part of my practice is fixed and the other depends on what I feel like doing on that particular day. The rest of the day is spent teaching and reading as there is always something new to learn.
What are your three favorite healthy habits you practice regularly, taken from the philosophy of Ayurveda?
- Waking up early, during Vata time to start my practices.
- Starting my day with warm herbal tea or ginger tea to fire up the Agni.
- Doing abhyanga (self-massage) on a daily basis with specific oils depending on the season and how my body feels.
Agni is the digestive fire of our body.
How do you think Ayurveda and Yoga relate to one another? How can the awareness of both be increased?
There is no one without the other, practicing Ayurveda is the best way to complement yoga. I really believe that Ayurveda helps a lot with increasing Sattva Guna in the body, that prepares the body for yoga. Awareness about yoga and Ayurveda can be increased by sharing information about simple practices that can be followed, once practiced, one will automatically get hooked.
"Sattva Guna is an energy force which is required for attaining Moksha. An increase in Sattva guna means that your mind is becoming calmer and the impact of other two Gunas- Rajas and Tamas decreases."
What is your message to all Ayurveda, Spiritual, Yoga, and Healthy-living enthusiasts?
Stay Blessed!
Which Amrutam product would you love to try?
I would love to try the face cleanup, I’ve tried some of the hair products and my hair says thank you :)
You can follow Carolyn on her IG handle @yogacaro and learn more about her yoga journey.
REDISCOVERING AYURVEDA
Rediscovering Ayurveda is Amrutam’s series of blogs wherein we interview various men and women for their views on Ayurveda. Even though, India is the birthplace of Ayurveda, with passing time it has lost its original importance as a school of life. Indians now refer to it as a school of medicine. Certainly, Ayurveda is much more than that.
So, we at Amrutam have decided to find out what Ayurveda means to people in the present day.
This is the nineteenth article in Amrutam’s series of articles called Rediscovering Ayurveda, which aims to understand the idea or perception that modern-day men and women have about Ayurveda.
[Carolyn has some really interesting ideas about food and she believes that food can change a life, make conversations and transform you.
Watch her Tedx video here to know more]
