How to use Ayurveda to restore emotional balance and immunity ?
Ayurveda (Ayur - life, longevity + Veda - science, knowledge) is a 7,000 year old traditional system of medicine from India. It considers the human being as part of a bigger system - the nature that surrounds us, and as such, sees us as beings who respond to the same cycles (day and night, seasons) and the same energetic forces that are constantly changing and evolving.
Meet Marie Viellard
Marie is an Ayurvedic practitioner and the founder of Uma Center in New York City, a space dedicated to Ayurveda and other forms of alternative healing practices. We’ve asked her to share some easy-to-incorporate Ayurvedic tips to help us rebuild our emotional and physical resilience. In addition to giving us a routine for maximizing our immunity and well-being, Marie also guides us through a short home cleanse to help us detoxify our liver and release stuck emotions such as fear and anger.
Marie completed her Ayurvedic training with the European Institute of Vedic Studies in Switzerland and the Vinayak Ayurveda and Panchakarma Foundation in India. She is also certified by Yoga Alliance in Hatha Yoga, Kundalini Yoga and Hormone Yoga Therapy.
Photo credit : @umacenternyc
HOW AND WHY DID YOU COME TO AYURVEDA ?
I came across Ayurveda in 2012 while completing my first yoga teacher training in Mexico. As I was looking for answers about an autoimmune disease that I had been diagnosed with, I started looking at alternative and holistic options and was instantly drawn to Ayurveda. I learned how my body and mind function together in their own unique way and as a single entity. It also gave me a deep feeling of empowerment as I learned the causes of the disease and how I could take care of my own health without having to rely on someone else. As a result, it answered my deeper spiritual quest, as I knew right away that this was what I wanted to share with everyone around me, helping people understand how big an impact they could have on their own health and happiness just by making simple changes in their lifestyle.
HOW AYURVEDA WORKS ?
Ayurveda employs psychology, diet, herbal medicine, lifestyle therapies and therapeutic bodywork to address the root causes of disease. As such, it is an amazing preventative and curative medicine, considering the individuality of each person. As I decided to train as an Ayurvedic Practitioner dedicated to women’s health, I slowly came to realize through my practice that indeed, no two clients are the same and that similar expressions of imbalances in the body are rarely caused by the same factors. This is when Ayurveda can complement or even be an alternative to Western medicine.
Today, as I run the Uma Center in New York, I see women coming with different conditions and looking for a more natural approach to their health. They feel more in charge knowing that what they repeatedly breathe, eat, drink and think can have a fantastic positive impact on their present quality of life but also on how they’ll feel 10 or 20 years from now. As they see the results, it inspires them to share this knowledge with family members and friends, creating a ripple effect on their community.
HOW CAN WE USE AYURVEDA AT HOME TO RESTORE EMOTIONAL BALANCE AND IMMUNITY ?
Since the beginning of Covid-19, we can definitely observe that people have to face 2 challenges, namely (1) how to stay emotionally healthy and (2) how to preserve or boost their immunity. Not surprisingly the answers offered by Ayurveda are simple yet effective. They mostly rely on lifestyle therapies, diet and herbal support in this case, all of which have an impact both on the digestive system (hence on the immune system), and on the nervous system. Here is a simple “emergency kit” that people can easily use :
Focus on lifestyle therapies to nourish the nervous system:
Practice 5 mins of alternate nostril breathing (Nadi Shodhana) morning and evening to activate the parasympathetic nervous system and lower stress (you can find plenty video tutorials online)
Meditate for 10 to 15 mins once or twice a day (one of my favorite apps is Insight Timer)
Practice some gentle exercise for 30 mins everyday to oxygenate the blood and stimulate the lymphatic system
Practice the Ayurvedic traditional self massage called Abhyanga with sesame oil, followed by a warm shower (learn more about Abhyanga here)
Take 10 mins everyday to sit and write whatever comes to your mind in a journal. This will allow you to release unwanted deep seated emotions.
You can also take these herbs and supplements to boost your immunity:
Vitamins: Vitamin C (1,000mg) + Vitamin D (I like Orthomolecular products)
Trace elements: Selenium (eat 2 Brazil nuts per day) + Zinc
Probiotics and prebiotics: I recommend QuantaFlore
Thyme (fresh or dry) as a tea or for inhalations to fight the virus
Pau d’Arco as a tea: also an antiviral
Grapefruit seed extract: you can use the promo code 5QUANT71634 for a discount at check out. Immune booster and antiviral.
Moringa capsules by Nutu for their anti-inflammatory and immune-boosting properties: I suggest taking 2 capsules everyday.
Perform a short Ayurvedic cleanse:
Start by reducing foods that are heavy to digest or which trigger inflammation such as coffee, alcohol, processed foods, foods that are too fatty or spicy.
Increase the amounts of fresh fruits and vegetables, eat high quality protein such as bone broth, fish or beans, and sprouts. You can add Moringa powder to your recipes so you get the intake of vegetable protein you need everyday to stabilize your blood sugar.
Follow by 4 days of the traditional Kitchari recipe accompanied by ghee and vegetables. This phase ends with a gentle liver cleanse on Day 4.
Then reintroduce foods that are easy to digest and adapted to the season and your Ayurvedic profile.
Now is the perfect time to try this short home cleanse as it will help you cleanse your liver and release stuck emotions such as fear and anger. It will also increase your immunity and help you stay healthy for the coming months. If you need support on this journey you can find more information on my website. After a short consultation I’ll get you started with the program, you’ll receive a detailed explanation of what to do and what to expect at every stage of the cleanse, and get full time support.
Green Tonic recipe
One of the recipes that come as part of the cleanse is this Green Tonic, which rejuvenates the bile and liver. It is inspired by Dr John Douillard’s Ayurvedic cleanse, only that I added Moringa powder to it so people can still get some protein intake while benefiting from the immune-boosting and anti-inflammatory properties of Moringa.
- steam 2 medium celery stalks (chopped) + 1 whole zucchini (chopped) + 1 cup string beans for about 8 min or until bright green
- combine the vegetables + 1/2 cup fresh parsley in a blender. Add filtered water to reach the desire consistency
- add 1/2 tsp to 1tsp Nutu Moringa powder, stir and drink.
FOR A PERSONALIZED THERAPY AND DETOXIFICATION PROGRAM, REACH OUT TO MARIE
While Uma Center is currently closed, Marie is still conducting online consultations and teaching online yoga classes. You can find all the information you need on the center’s website.
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Website : www.umacenternyc.com
email : marie@umacenternyc.com
Credit : @umacenternyc