AYURVEDA & ME - FIRST EDITION

Ayurveda presented itself to me in various ways before I fully committed to living Ayurvedically. The word committed makes is sound very black and white but it was a gentle and nourishing experience.

My short backstory is this. Corporate career to holistic health advisor.

That is it, neither groundbreaking nor original but that is my story. The small print is not important, what is important is that I did SOMETHING DIFFERENT. And equally important is for me is to share this ancient wisdom and to share it in a way that can be implemented and understood in our modern world. That is the aim of Ayurveda & Me.

Ayurveda & Me has been born of a very personal longing. My need to share this wisdom to as many people as possible, a collective call if you will. My enthusiasm for sharing means I have been in a slight hurry to get this off the ground so this blog will be neither polished nor fancy. It is about sharing, learning and growing together. My experience tells me we can all benefit from living in a more natural way, to press pause often, to learn to say no (to ourselves and others) and to be more gentle with ourselves.

Since completing my training as an Ayurvedic Health Advisor I have contemplated the many ways in which to support and guide others along their own journey. I currently see clients on a one-to-one basis and I provide group talks when I see an opportunity that aligns. It has been very rewarding however, there was something nagging me, maybe that my reach was not enough, that I needed to do something different (taking my own advice here!). If my aim is to share far and wide, how would I achieve that? Writing a blog was not a natural progression for me, I have spent 30 years working with numbers and spreadsheets, so how is this idea going to work? Well, we shall find out….

So why Ayurveda?

With so many modalities for holistic living I could have easily picked other ways to live a more natural life. Ayurveda is certainly tried and tested, dating back at least 5,000 years but there is also something unwavering about Ayurveda….and it always makes sense. It aligns with nature, it reconnects you to your inner knowing and it isn’t a complicated & restrictive diet plan. It is simply a way of living.

We often hear about new trendy diets or lifestyle fads, people merrily jumping on the bandwagon only to jump off again (the results either don’t come or the effects don’t last or better still, there’s a new trend to try). This is where Ayurveda is different, reconnecting with nature (& you know you can’t fight mother nature) and it has lasting impact. That lasting impact comes both from a decision to change and a commitment to live your best life once you understand the basic principles. Ayurveda doesn’t require fancy ingredients or expensive equipment and it in some ways requires you to do less rather than more!

Motherhood kick started my obsession with the food chain and the toxic chemicals in our everyday environment. One rabbit hole led to another and another. A healthy suspicion of big pharma opened up a massive hole, questioning modern medicine and science. Big pharma, after all, is a business model, a patient cured is a customer lost. I am not here to preach to you on this one, you can figure this out yourself, some simple research will allow you to really see it for what it is. What I can do is point you in the right direction for your own research (just ask).

Modernity provided the final shift. As technology provides more and more conveniences, we somehow find ourselves with less time than ever before. How so? Perceived busyness brings validity to one’s life, no one dares to tell a friend they sat on the sofa for two hours reading a book or spent the day resting. Technology not only distracts us from what matters, it is damaging our wellbeing. There is certainly no long term research about the damage EMF causes. The use of mobile data and wifi, the stimulating nature of devices (blue light), the addiction, the constant comparison with unrealistic worlds, believing happiness is just one more handbag away. A click button approach has led to a reliance on the internet and a need to have everything (delivered yesterday). We are constantly bombarded with highly stimulating messages and advertising, we are constantly connected to everyone and everything via our phones and we are conditioned to think that this is progress. For me, none of this is positive progress for humanity. We have lost touch with ourselves and those around us and we are disconnected from nature and all it has to offer.

That may sound dramatic but just think about that for a minute or two. Really think. The answers are all there if only we look a little deeper and tune in to our inner knowing.

This blog series is my offering to you, a chance to see how Ayurveda is weaved into my life & how you can apply these principles to your own life.

Our community says that you don’t find Ayurveda, Ayurveda finds you. And from my experience that is certainly true.

What is Ayurveda. How can it help you and why join me on this journey?

A quick google search will provide you with a standard answer to the first question. Yes, is it a 5,000 years old holistic system of nourishing and healing your mind, body and spirit but what does that mean and how do we apply Ayurvedic principles in a modern, chaotic world? This can feel a little overwhelming and almost out of reach for some of us. The idea of adding more ‘stuff’ to our already busy schedule can feel like too much and many of us are suffering with information overload in the wellness space. The irony is that we need to be doing less, not more. So how do we press pause to find time to reassess our lifestyle choices?

Ayurveda is based in nature and its primary principle is cause and effect. It allows you to reconnect with yourself, aligns you to natures rhythms and cycles providing your unique constitution with opportunities to rebalance and reset (when needed).

How do we press pause to find time to reassess our lifestyle choices?

This can feel hard at the outset but it is important to understand that without change nothing changes. Ask yourself how much you need that change and what are the benefits you are looking for? My aim is to spark your curiosity and to guide you closer to living your best life.

Ayurveda provides you with tools and an understanding that allows you to make informed choices about food and lifestyle. It allows you to be imperfect but at the same time move towards your health and wellness goals with ease. Ayurveda has a gentle approach which nourishes you from within. It is not a quick fix and does require a commitment from you and for you to show up consistently.

With its primary principle of cause and effect, every choice you make has consequences, understanding the impact of these guides you to make better choices.

So, how do you get started?

Living Ayurvedically is a journey in itself, I am forever learning as I deepen my own practice. The best way to start is with small changes, these become the foundation of your practice from which you build upon. You simply need to be committed to change.

This series will guide you to implement some very basic concepts and tips to get you started on your journey. A journey where symptom free living is a very real possibility.

My starter tips are chewing your food properly and learning to sit in silence.....

Chew your food properly (around 20 times) until it is liquid mush. Digestions starts in the mouth where food is broken down and mixed with saliva. Chewing properly allows your body to recognise the 6 six tastes, it sends messages to your brain to then send messages to your digestive system to produce the correct enzymes to break down your meal. Not chewing enough results in solid food entering your stomach which are then treated as toxins and your digestive system will not properly absorb and assimilate nutrients effectively.

Sit in Silence, by this I mean really sit in silence. Just two minutes a day will have benefits and from here you can build on this practice. My two words for 2025 have been silence and stillness, both of which link together beautifully. You can do this at anytime of day, consistency is key in Ayurveda and any beneficial practice. Be comfortable and still, allowing your breathing to rise and fall naturally, don't force anything. Just be still and witness your breathing and thoughts. No judgement, no intention. Learn to be comfortable with yourself and your inner calm.

Its easy to get started.

You can email me at claire@innernourishment.co.uk or follow & DM me on Instagram or Facebook

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