The Ayurvedic way to beat cold & flu season

The Ayurvedic way to beat cold & flu season

by | Oct 2, 2023 | Anxiety, Illness, Mindset, Self-care

 Is it just me or does everyone seem to be suffering hard this cold and flu season?

As the colder months come towards us at speed I have decided to share with you my top ayurvedic tips to staying on top of your health this winter.

What is Ayurveda?

Ayurveda is the ancient sister science to Yoga. Its a healthy lifestyle system that has been used for more than 5000 years. It promotes good health and prevention of illnesses through lifestyle practices such as meditation, yoga, massage, dietary changes an herbal remedies.

Ayurveda’s main pillar of health is to reduce toxins in the body. Toxins can be formed internally from incomplete processing of foods, caused by stress, overeating low digestion etc. And also absorbed externally through breathing, drinking and eating.

The Ayurveda collective name for all different types of toxins is Ama. Preventing a build up of Ama is crucial for good health and immunity.

When your digestive fire, called Agni, is low, digestion is poor. If this build up of Ama in the gut is not dealt with it can enter our circulatory system and transport around your entire body disrupting your biochemistry.

Ayurveda considers this build up of Ama to be a contributing factor to almost all diseases.

Healthy gut, healthy body and mind.

So what can we do to help?

Here is how I stay on top of my health in an easy and manageable way.

 1. Eat warm foods

During the colder winter months our digestive systems are weaker. Try to avoid eating too much cold food during this season as it makes your digestive system work harder, potentially leading to stomach related issues and indigestion. Warm and easy to digest food is kinder on your body and helps you stay healthier.

2. Drink hot water

Now you will have head me talk about the positive effects of hot water if you have attended any of my courses or experiences.
It literally gives me life!
Drinking hot water throughout the day is the most effective Ama-removing approaches there is. As the hot water travels through your digestive tract it cleanses the digestive and elimination system dissolving Ama impurities.
Bonus, if you are unwell already, add ginger to your hot water and make ginger tea. It expels congestion, helps get rig of phlegm, reduces gas and bloating and supports good circulation. Throwing in a slice of lemon gives you that extra vitamin hit too.

3. Stretch and move the body

Gentle Yoga can really help you when you are feeling under the weather. And it doesn’t have to mean roll out your mat and throw yourself into a pretzel.
Some ground based stretches or sitting in a chair for upper body stretches can be enough to release the stagnant energy manifesting in the body. This can open up your chest to help your lungs fill with new fresh oxygen, relieve stiffness and stimulate the parasympathetic system.

4. Breathe

Gentle mindful breaths are exactly what your body needs to clear congestion, enhance circulation and restore a balanced energy flow through the body.
Even if your nose is super stuffy, slowing down and taking a mindful breath can still work.
Takin in a deep, slow (so you don’t cough) breath for as long as you can (aim for 6-8 seconds) and then just as slowly and mindfully blow that breath away until all of the stale air in your lungs is released. Repeat this for 2 – 3 minutes, twice a day.

5. Salt water gargle

This is an Ayurvedic favourite and super effective.
Gargling with warm salt water loosens any mucus in the throat and cleans out bacteria and germs too.
Half a teaspoon of sea salt or Himalayan pink salt into a cup of cooled boiled water and gargle for a minimum of 30 seconds. Repeating twice a day while you are unwell and then once a day for a week after you are better.
This works best on an empty stomach and is not recommended for anyone on a sodium restricted diet.

 Did you find this helpful?

Have I peaked your Ayurvedic interest?

I have a brand new signature health programme launching soon that will show you how to take your personal health to the next level with a complete and bespoke, overhaul, without the hard work!

You will learn your bodies unique blueprint – personalities, tendencies and physical nature. Learning how to keep yourself in balance, mind, body and spirit will help you stay happy, healthy and free from dis-ease.

Give yourself the best possible start to the New Year!

You can join the waitlist here.

 

Love Laura x

Everyone thought I could meditate

Everyone thought I could meditate

by | Oct 2, 2023 | Anxiety, Meditation, Mindset, Self-care, Stress

I’ve practised Yoga for over 20 years. People always assumed this meant I could Meditate. But I couldn’t.

No matter how hard I tried, I just couldn’t sit still for long enough. I couldn’t bear the silence!

I couldn’t even keep my eyes closed – always peeking around the room to check people hadn’t played a trick on me, got up and left the room. No matter what, I couldn’t stop thinking of random crap. So I’d quit. I’d get up off the floor, defeated. Resigned to the fact that meditation just wasn’t my thing. Maybe next time? And in a couple of months I’d put myself through it all over again. Same actions, same results.

How were other people doing it? Why was it so bloody hard? What was I doing wrong? And how the hell do I stop myself from thinking? All those benefits, unreachable to me.

YouTube video after YouTube video, class after class – they made it look effortless! I couldn’t fit in, I couldn’t relate. Frustration was an understatement!

Then one day I discovered you don’t have to sit in silence. Huh? You don’t even have to sit still. Whaaa? Best of all, it was actually easy! Wow! Just wow! I was hooked!

All those years frustrated & it was so simple all along?

Why couldn’t someone have shown me this YEARS ago?

 

How to meditate ‘properly’

The first thing I learnt is that thinking is a normal part of meditation (mind blown) We can’t stop our brains from thinking anymore than we can stop our hearts from beating. This actually makes so much sense when you think about it, right?

This was the beginning of my eyes opening wide and my mind switching over to a new way of looking at meditation. The first thong I discovered was how it’s more about being kind to yourself. Not getting pissed off with the way you think things ‘should be’. How you are enough just the way you are. No force, no effort – compassion. Massive life lessons right there!

I discovered how every meditation experience is different. That it doesn’t make it right or wrong. It doesn’t mean one time worked better than the other. It gives you exactly what you need at that moment in time.

The power is in you, it’s always been there. It’s just about settling that busy mind enough to hear it.

If you’re uncomfortable the way you’re sitting you can move, if you get an itch you can scratch it. Otherwise let’s be honest, you’re just going to sit there distracted, waiting for it to be over.

For years I was convinced there were strict rules on how to ‘meditate properly’ and that’s just not true. Maybe I was just watching the wrong videos & going to the wrong classes for me?

Now I’m all about spreading the word about just how EASY this practice really is. Meditation is magic!

The health benefits are endless!

Check some of these out:

  • Reduces stress
  • Controls anxiety
  • Improves relationships
  • Encourages mindfulness
  • Promotes emotional health
  • Enhances self awareness
  • Lengthens attention span
  • Can generate kindness
  • Helps fight addictions
  • Improves sleep
  • Pain management
  • Decrease blood pressure
  • Lower heart rate

You can literally practice meditation anywhere, anytime. My meditation classes are for everyone and offer a unique fusion of breath-work, mindful movement, meditation and relaxation. Take a look here for more details.

Love Laura x

What’s so important about mornings?

What’s so important about mornings?

by | Oct 2, 2023 | Affirmations, Anxiety, Meditation, Mindset, mornings, Self-care, Stress, Yoga

I want to talk about cultivating a positive mindset through a morning routine.

For years I hated mornings! I did not want to get up EVER! Bed is the best! I would always lay in until the last possible moment and even then I was rushing around, still with my eyes closed, Stubborn!

I’m almost certain I’m harbouring a childhood trauma from when my poor mother would be hanging by a thread trying to get me up for school. As a last resort she would pull the covers off me and drag them out the room. Noooo! Equally as traumatising every morning! To this day I have irrational reactions to anyone trying to take my bed covers off me. Actually hilarious when I read this back!

I digress…

Now, I love a lay in as much as the next person – so don’t get me wrong. These days I’m looking for more of a balance. Overtime I have come to realise that the more I’ve implemented these small changes into my morning the more positive and uplifted I have become.

Morning routines really are so important!

They set the tone for the whole day and really do improve your mood and mindset!

Remember, energy goes where intention flows!

Starting out positive creates a ripple effect. We are turning slow and sluggish into energised and focused – no drastic life changes required!

Below are my 6 top tips for manifesting the highest of vibrations!

1. An attitude of gratitude

Mindset is everything!

It’s about appreciating the fresh start of a new day. Excited for the adventures this new day is going to bring.

Let’s face it, hitting the snooze button over and over is creating a negative mindset. It’s reinforcing cant’s before we even start the day. What we are looking for here is to be swapping “I cant” for “I can”. And that gentle flip in mindset really makes all the difference. Let’s start the way we mean to go on!

2. Smile

Super simple this one, and it takes no time out of your day!

Smiling is infectious!

It releases ALL of those feel good happy hormones – Serotonin, Endorphins, Dopamine – the lot! Smiling even sends in the big guns – Neuropeptides, those are the big stress busters. Win win!

And the best bit? You can literally share a smile with everyone you meet and ripple those feel good vibes all through the day. Yes!

3. Yoga

Stretch your body.

Moving helps to prevent negative energy becoming stagnant in the body and manifesting into disease or illness and increased immunity.

Practicing Yoga for as little as 10 – 15 minutes per day, regularly, can result in higher levels of serotonin being released into the body (our happy hormone). The brain’s gamma-aminobutyric (GABA) levels can also increase. High GABA levels are associated with lower levels of anxiety and depression.

Yoga really is suitable for everyone. If you are a beginner I recommend little and often, slow and steady. If you have a body you can do Yoga!

4. Meditation

Meditation lets you clear the mind and focus your intentions. How do you want to spend your day?

Meditation can literally alter our brain chemistry! It can release us of negative thought patterns and beliefs. The increase in production of Alpha and Delta brain waves created during meditation is not only responsible for rest and relaxation but for those lightbulb moments of clarity and confidence.

A short practice of 5 10 minutes a day can be enough to create a steady self care routine.

5. Affirmations

One of my favourites!

Affirmations are positive words, phrases or statements you repeat to yourself as a goal in its already completed state eg. 

I am worthy of love.

I am brave enough to achieve my dreams.

I am perfect as I am.

I am grateful for what I have.

Repeating positive affirmations can be incredibly powerful in helping you challenge and overcome self-sabotage and negative thinking. You can say them to yourself in your mind’s eye or out loud if you wish. Either way, the high frequency of your intention is out there!

Law of Attraction – If you believe it then you will receive it.

6. Boiled water

First thing of a morning, on an empty stomach, drink a cup of cooled boiled water.

In Ayurvedic tradition this is how we kickstart our Agni (digestive fire). It’s seen to be the best way to clean out the digestive system of all the impurities and stagnant waste from the day before.

Digestive health plays a huge role in our mental health. They call the gut our second brain, and with good reason! 

Poor gut health has been scientifically linked to anxiety, depression and other psychological conditions.

 

Take time for you. Breathe. Align your thoughts. Reset. 

Love Laura x