5 Ayurvedic Practices To Boost Immunity
One of the (many, many, many) things that I love about Ayurveda is that it is filled with simple and accessible wisdom. It’s not about the esoteric or obscure. Ayurveda is really about empowering you to make the changes that will shape your healthiest and happiest life. Here are 5 simple ways that you can support yourself this winter (and really, always) to boost your immunity and help you feel more energized and vital!
Drink lemon water first thing.
You might already be doing this one as it has caught on in some circles, and for good reason. In addition to helping rehydrate after a night of sleep, lemon water is a great source of Vitamin C, which supports our immune system, elevates mood, and can help you feel more energized. It also gently flushes toxins from your digestive system and stimulates digestion, metabolism, and elimination. Add this one to your morning routine. It only takes a few minutes and it will support you all day!
How to: Add juice from ~ 1/2 an organic lemon to warm water and sip slowly. If you really want to add an extra boost of immunity, add a little turmeric and a few slices of fresh ginger.
Start your day with movement.
This can be yoga, a short walk, a mini-workout, even foam-rolling. You can change it up each day to help keep yourself engaged. Starting your day with movement stimulates circulation and lymphatic flow which will help you feel more awake, enlivened, and has the dual benefit of supporting immunity. Try one of the 15-minutes of movement practices on my Patreon page.
Get outside and in the sun!
Thankfully, in California, we get days of sunshine even in the middle of January, which makes getting our Vitamin-D a little easier. Vitamin-D supports immunity, is essential to the absorption of other minerals like Calcium, and has even been shown in some studies to boost mood and reduce symptoms of the winter blues. If it’s sunny in the morning, I usually drink my lemon water outside and maybe even do my movement practice in the beautiful sunshine :) If not, I schedule a time to get outside, ideally early in the day as the earlier exposure to sunlight also helps keep our circadian rhythm on track and makes for better sleep. The powers of nature never cease to amaze!
Abhyanga.
Abhyanga is an Ayurvedic self-massage done with oils and it is amazing! While some might have a bit of an aversion to the idea of slathering yourself in oil, let me just share that this is one of the practices I simply won’t go without. From an immunity perspective, the benefits come from the increased circulation and lymphatic flow created through massage. And then there are the additional and delightful benefits of moisturizing and nourishing your skin, soothing your nervous system, and connecting deeply with yourself in an act of self-care. I love this: In Sanskrit, the word Sneha means both oil and love, meaning that in Ayurveda when you are massaging yourself with oil you are also enveloping yourself in love. How beautiful is that?!
How to do Abyanga: This practice is done after bathing either in the morning or evening, whichever you prefer. Warm a small amount of oil (up to a 1/4 cup) either in your hands or in a pot of water on the stove. Start from your extremities and move towards your heart, massaging the oil into your skin and tissues as you go. Long, gentle strokes along muscles, circular motion across joints. You can sit for a few minutes to let your skin soak in all the oil before getting dressed. If you are worried about being oily, start with a small amount and see how it goes. I think you’ll actually find that your skin will love it!
There are lots of things you can consider when choosing an oil, but here is a link to a good all-around one for all Dosha types and all seasons. Send me a message if you’d like to delve a little deeper and find one that addresses your specific needs.
Sleep. Sleep. Sleep.
If for some reason you had to pick only one thing to do, do this! Considered the queen of all self-care practices in Ayurveda, getting enough good quality sleep is absolutely essential to immunity. This is a topic I feel passionately about and will at some point devote an entire post to sleep alone. For now, suffice to say that sleep is necessary for most of the systems in our body to function, from cardiovascular and respiratory to our immune system, they all depend on us getting enough good quality sleep. Sleep is the time for our body to rest, repair, and rebuild. It’s a time for our brain to process, rest, and even clean out toxins. The list really does go on and on.
The short of it: Make 8 hours of sleep non-negotiable and try to get that sleep between 10 pm and ~6 am (this is also backed by modern science on sleep).
The value of these good habits really shows up when you are able to make them part of your daily routine and while trying to do all the things might be tempting, trying picking just one- the easiest one or the one that resonates with you the most. Do that one thing every day until it becomes a habit that you wouldn’t go without. Then pick another and continue until you have added all these practices into your daily life.
It’s not always about the huge changes that shift your life, but rather the small everyday opportunities that create the building blocks for your healthiest and most vibrant life!
Leave me a comment below and let me know which one you are going to adopt first!
