Justine is an Ayurvedic Life Coach and a yoga teacher as well. She is a humble believer of "we ourselves are responsible for whatever we are feeling." Referring to the same wonderful concept, she writes on her blog-
"I specialize in a "get out of your own way" mentality"
You can read Justine's blog here and also get to know about her classes: https://www.rhythmofsimplicity.com/
We believe the same, its important to be aware of how we our ownselves are affecting our lives in a negative way.
Let's now read Justine's thoughts about Ayurveda.
#Rediscoveringayurveda
How did you start your journey as Ayurveda Practitioner? (Tell us your story)
I learned about Ayurveda through my yoga teacher training. I was living at the center
and our meals were buffet style. I was eating very healthy foods, like salads, soups,
steamed veggies, sandwiches, but had some digestive problems. My Ayurvedic teacher
told me to avoid eating hot and cold foods together, and it made a huge difference in my digestion. I realized then that there was some magic to this science, and continued
forward with my Ayurvedic yoga teaching certification and Health counseling certification.
Simple things like not eating cold and hot foods together can affect our lives in a positive manner we cannot even imagine.
What inspired you to take the path of Ayurveda and Healthy Lifestyle?
The more I learned about Ayurveda and my body the most I wanted to take care of it. It’s the only science and modality that makes complete sense to me. I’m interested in
longevity and feeling my best as I age and move through life, and Ayurveda supports
that.
What keeps you motivated to do what you do?
Taking care of this vessel that my soul is in. When I am feeling great physically,
mentally, emotionally, my spirit is at ease and I can fulfill my dharma and life purpose
with more clarity. I think we as humans have become so disconnected from our
relationship with mother nature and it’s causing us disease. I feel a responsibility to
share Ayurveda with as many people as possible to help not just others but our earth.
Tell us what a typical day in the life of an Ayurvedic Practitioner looks like?
I wake with the sun, tongue scrape, brush my teeth with an ayurvedic toothpaste, wash
my face with cool water, drink hot water with lemon, sit for 10 minutes of meditation, and
add in some gentle yoga movement to wake up my body. If we do 3 small things
consistently, there are exponential shifts that can happen. I’ll always put on oil in the
shower at least, but I’ll try for a full abhyanga a few days a week. My days involve
teaching yoga, Ayurvedic health counseling sessions or coaching, walking my dog, and
spending time in nature. I shut off electronics a couple hours before bed to align with the
rhythm of nature.
What are your three favorite healthy habits you practice regularly, taken from the philosophy of Ayurveda?
Justine's three favourite healthy habits are:
- Abhyanga for anxiety, depression and dry skin
- Tongue scraping to physically remove built up toxins from the body
- Making lunch my biggest meal of the day! It supports me through the afternoon and I find
freedom in enjoying a substantial amount of food during this time to pause in the middle
of the day.
How do you think Ayurveda and Yoga relate to one another? How do you think awareness regarding both Ayurveda and Yoga can be increased?
There are certain yoga poses and breathing practices that help to balance the dosas and
energies we experience. I think offering yogic practices or balance more intentionally
can be helpful in increasing that awareness.
Here are a few things from Justine's day which can change your life if adapted religiously:
- Drink hot water with lemon after waking up
- Sit for 10 minutes of meditation
- Shut off electronics a couple hours before bed to align with the
rhythm of nature.
What is your message for all Ayurveda, Spiritual, Yoga and Healthy living enthusiast?
You’re already practicing Ayurveda. When you are cold, you crave warmth. When you
are ungrounded, you crave stability. Ayurveda has a language to this and the more that
we can become aware of our habits and conditions based on society the more that we
can revert back to our original intention of being, which is connected to nature and the
elements. You are nature. How can you treat yourself so? Start with 1-3 simple practices
each day that you know you can commit to. One degree can bring you somewhere
completely different.
Which Amrutam product would you love to try?
I’m interested in the Brainkey Gold Malt.
REDISCOVERING AYURVEDA
Rediscovering Ayurveda is Amrutam’s series of blogs which includes various men and women and their ideas about Ayurveda. Even though, India is the birthplace of Ayurveda, with passing time it has lost its original importance as a school of life among Indians and many a time have been limited to be referred as a school of medicine. Ayurveda is surely much more than that.
So, we at Amrutam decided to go out and find what Ayurveda means to people in the present day.
This is the fifteenth article in Amrutam’s series of articles called Rediscovering Ayurveda, which aims to understand the idea or perception that modern-day men and women carry about Ayurveda.
