Feeling a little sleepy or sluggish today? Revving up your energy levels can be as simple as drinking more water, relaxing with a cup of tea, or soaking in a hot tub (count us in!). Here are 6 simple ways to feel more energetic, according to Ayurvedic wisdom...
Instead of jolting out of bed at the last possible second before you have to get ready for the day, trying waking up at least 20 minutes before sunrise. Vata energy fills the atmosphere during the hours before the sun comes up, and since vata is known for movement, this is the best time to awaken your body, Vaidya Rama Kant Mishra, an Ayurvedic expert in Colorado Springs, Colorado, says in Yoga Journal’s 9 Ayurvedic Morning Rituals story. “By waking up before sunrise, you are exposed to the special energy in the air,” explains Mishra. “It’s a good idea to wake up, go out, and get that breeze in your body.” Just try it—set your alarm clock tonight.
2. Create your own morning ritual.
To bolster your ojas, or inner-energy reserves, create a morning ritual that allows you to connect to “the part of you that feels happy to be alive in this human body,” Ayurvedic expert Niika Quistgard tells Yoga Journal in 6 Ayurvedic Techniques to Cultivate Your Body’s Internal Energy. This ritual can be anything you want it to be—drinking a cup of your favorite tea, meditating, journaling, practicing your favorite yoga pose or sequence—whatever makes you feel content.
3. Treat yourself to a self-massage.
Massaging one or more energy channels with aromatic oil infuses the mind and body with healing energy, Catherine Guthrie reports in 9 Ayurvedic Morning Rituals. First, figure out what your dosha is with our dosha quiz. Then, choose an aroma that matches your dosha. To balance vata, use ginger, cardamom, or orange; sandalwood or lavender work best for pitta; kaphas should try eucalyptus, rosemary, or sage. Place a drop of oil on the ring finger of the right hand and rub it gently onto the third eye point between your brows, using small, clockwise circles. Deepen and slow your breathing as you count 11 full breaths.
4. Schedule some tub time.
Soaking in the tub can help everyone fight fatigue, but the ideal temperature differs according to your dosha, Guthrie reports. Pittas will benefit from cooler temps, while lukewarm water is better for vatas, and even warmer temperatures are best for kaphas.
5. Take a deep breath.
The following 1-minute breathing exercise ramps up the amount of energizing oxygen in the body while calming the mind, Ayurvedic expert John Douillard tells Yoga Journal. Start with 30 seconds of Bellows Breath (or Bhastrika): Relax your shoulders and take a few deep, full breaths from your abdomen, then start a cycle of quick, forceful exhalations and inhalations through your nose, one second per breath. Power your breath from your diaphragm, keeping your head, neck, shoulders, and chest still while your belly moves in and out. (If you feel lightheaded, take a break.) After 30 seconds, sit still, eyes closed, and breathe normally for another 30 seconds.
6. Drink more water.
Ayurveda suggests that we drink 7–8 glasses of pure water—filtered or spring—every day, Alison Rose Levy reports in Yoga Journal’s Balance Your Dosha with Spice Water. Staying sufficiently hydrated will clear out ama (toxins) and ensure that the body’s vital energies flow smoothly, experts say. For an extra boost of flavor and energy, try Nature’s Way Alive!® energy MAX water enhancers. Simply add to water to enjoy a tasty beverage with an extra kick. Try three delicious flavors: Orchard Peach, Tropical Fusion, and Berry Blast.
