Feel Your Best—Ayurvedic recommendations for daily routine

Does this sound like your day? You wake up rested, enjoy clear meditation or personal time, relish your productive workday, appreciate your friends and family during recreation, and peacefully slip off to sleep at night...

It may seem obvious, but our quality of life is directly related to how well we take care of ourselves. We function best when we honor our body’s cycles and its need for rest, food, and exercise. In our culture, it’s common to override nature’s intelligence by staying up late, waking up with alarm clocks, skipping meals or eating on the run.

“Early to bed and early to rise makes a man healthy, wealthy, and wise.” —Benjamin Franklin

Michael Roizen, MD and Mehmet Oz, MD, authors of You—The Owner’s Manual, say, “Getting a good night’s sleep is one of the most crucial things you can do for your body.” They advise against sleeping pills, and encourage natural ways to promote sleep. A consistent schedule, including daily exercise, is key.

Nancy Lonsdorf, MD* says, “Keeping a regular routine of early bedtime, waking time, and mealtime aligns all of your biorhythms into a harmonious and coordinated flow.”

Dr. Lonsdorf is a primary-care physician and also an expert in Maharishi Ayurveda—the complete system of natural medicine from the ancient Vedic civilization of India. Ayurveda attends to the root of health through natural means such as diet, herbal supplements, daily routine, and exercise. Transcendental Meditation (TM) is the foundation of Maharishi Ayurveda because it develops consciousness, the basis of our physical and mental well-being. TM provides deep rest, and research has verified many health benefits.**

When I work with nature's cycles, I feel like a different person; I feel a smoothness that permeates my activity. When I rest before I get tired I'm more satisfied with the accomplishments of the day.

Here’s the ideal daily routine, according to ayurvedic knowledge of daily cycles:
•Wake up by 6 AM.
•Gentle yoga or light stretching, followed by TM, prepares you for a good day.
•Exercise between 6-10 AM for greater stamina and energy. If you're looking for an exercise program that's fun, try Nia!
•Light breakfast. Depending on your needs, favor protein, whole grains, and stewed fruit.
•Lunch at noon. Digestion is strongest midday. Make lunch your main meal. If you eat meat, have it at midday.
•Gentle yoga or light stretching, followed by TM to release the stress of the day.
•Dinner by 7 PM. Favor a light, vegetarian meal such as soup.
•Walk after dinner. If this is the only time you have for exercise, do something that won’t be too stimulating before you up before bed. Walking for 30 minutes is great for everyone.
•Pleasant evening activities. Avoid computer work, especially in your bedroom.
•Be in bed by 9:45 PM. Even if you’re awake with your eyes closed, you’re establishing a restful routine which will promote sleep.

If changing your routine all at once sounds overwhelming, Dr. Lonsdorf advises a gradual start. “First establish one ‘anchor time’ each day—a regular bedtime, waking time, or mealtime—whichever is easiest for you. Focus on anchoring that one event at a particular time of day for one, two, or three weeks, until it becomes easy and automatic. Then add a second anchor time in your schedule, and later a third and fourth."

If going to bed is a challenge, Dr Lonsdorf suggests, “Begin with a do-able time. For example, if you’re in the habit of going to bed at 1 AM, but you know you could get to bed by midnight, start with that. Gradually move your bedtime earlier by half-hour or fifteen-minute intervals. Allow a few weeks to pass after each change for the new time to become automatic. Make 9:45 PM your eventual goal."

“Eventually, every meal, bedtime, and waking time will have its own stable place in the soothing, balancing rhythm of your day.”

* Dr. Nancy Lonsdorf: www.drnancylonsdorf.com
** For research on TM and comments from doctors who recommend it, see www.doctorsonTM.org and www.tm.org

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Natural health consultations in Asheville, May 4-5

Ayurveda is the world's most ancient system of natural medicine. An ayurvedic doctor, called a vaidya, diagnoses by reading a person's pulse—detecting imbalances in the doshas, the biological principles that regulate the functions of both body and mind. The vaidya makes recommendations that are simple and effective, usually involving diet, herbs, specific exercises or lifestyle practices (such as going to be earlier). A personal consultation is a valuable opportunity to deepen your understanding about your own mind and body, and how to maintain better health.

I had my first experience with ayurveda years ago. A vaidya touched my pulse for about 30 seconds and told me I eat too many sweets... (I was thin, so there wasn't an obvious clue about my dietary tendencies.) Impressive as that was, I wasn't ready to make such a drastic change. But I did follow her suggestions to relieve (ahem) chronic constipation, including a gentle ayurvedic herbal formula that I took for several weeks, twenty years ago. I've never had a problem since.

The vaidya coming to Asheville comes from a family of doctors that traces their lineage back thousands of years to ancient India and the origins of ayurveda. Their family name is actually Vaidya. His first name is also Vaidya... Seems he was born to be a vaidya!

Vaidya Jagdish Vaidya, is a world-renowned expert in Maharishi Ayur-Veda, and has held senior posts at prestigious ayurvedic hospitals, clinics and private clinical practices. I encourage anyone who is interested in natural healthcare to make an appointment. You will receive an individualized, easy to follow ayurvedic self-care program, based on the Vaidya's expert evaluation of your health condition and needs, including:

* Dietary recommendations
* Lifestyle recommendations
* Daily routine, including Vedic exercise
* Seasonal routine
* Individualized recommendations for Maharishi Ayurveda herbal products

The cost is $150 for a 30 minutes personal evaluation and $50 for each additional 15-minute interval. If you would like a longer appointment, please schedule this in advance. A limited number of appointments are available so reserve right away.

To schedule an appointment, call (828-649-9781) or email tball@tm.org

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How to Breathe - Stop and smell the roses

Do you find yourself holding your breath while working or talking? Do you feel anxious when speaking before a group? After exercising, do you feel exhausted, rather than exhilarated? You need Breathing 101.

The Better Life Institute, a health education organization, says, "We take between 14,000 and 25,000 breaths each day. Many of us engage in shallow breathing (also known as thoracic or chest breathing) and draw small amounts of air into the lungs using our upper chest to breathe. These breaths are usually short and shallow and do not utilize our abdominal muscles and diaphragm... Most people who breathe shallowly do it throughout the day and are almost always unaware of the condition. Shallow breathing may make us feel anxious and can lead to holding our breath in response to stressful events. Some of us have become upper chest breathers because we have trouble relaxing our abdomens and making full use of the diaphragm. Additionally, women have a tendency to be shallow breathers because we don’t want to let our stomachs out." (my italics)

I often see people jogging with their mouths open, gasping for air—a recipe for free-radical damage and cardiovascular strain. My husband tells me of a weight lifter at his gym who holds his breath. He emits a tiny stream of air... "pffft".... while he strains. At the moment his heart is demanding more oxygen, it isn't getting it. There's a vice-like contraction around his heart while it valiantly pumps harder and harder.

In my Nia fitness classes, I often remind my students (and myself) to breathe in through the nose. This technique triggers deeper, diaphragmatic breathing, resulting in greater oxygen absorption, and optimal coordination of the heart and lungs. It also invigorates the body—students are amazed at how much more more energy they have after class when we've focused on inhaling through the nose, even while moving very dynamically.

"Deep breathing allows more oxygen to enter the bloodstream and rids the body of carbon dioxide and toxic irritants," says Better Life Institute. "It also relaxes the adrenal glands and can help you feel a great boost of energy."

According to Ayurveda, the natural health care system of ancient India, we should breathe comfortably through our nose while exercising. If you have to gasp for air, you're overtaxing your cardiovascular system.

Dr Nancy Lonsdorf, a medical doctor and expert in Maharishi Ayurveda, recommends a gentle breathing exercise called pranayama to calm and integrate the nervous system. I look forward to the ten minutes of pranayama in my daily routine, twice a day ideally. It's tranquil, energizing, and blissful—a great preparation for meditation. (See www.drnancylonsdorf.com or www.mapi.com for resources, or seek out a qualified yoga instructor with experience teaching gentle pranayama.)

The Better Life Institute offers these tips for optimal breathing throughout the day: While sitting up, breathe in through your nose with your lips closed and allow your diaphragm to contract downward. It is your lungs that actually expand as they fill with air, but it is your abdomen (and not your chest) that you should see moving. When exhaling (breathing out through your lips), allow your abdomen to fall in, which pushes used air in the form of carbon dioxide out of the lungs. It is important to inhale fully and promptly exhale the breath." (www.betterlifeinstitute.com)

Instead of a mid-afternoon latte or caffeinated soda, try some deep nourishing breaths for a boost in energy. Take a few one-minute breath breaks throughout the day. If it's a beautiful day outside and you can savor the fresh air, even better.

Inhale... smell the roses—even if they're imaginary—and you'll suddenly feel yourself become calmer and more focused.

More about the respiratory system, from Nia Fitness Co-Founder, Debbie Rosas - click here.

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Nia is bliss in motion

This morning I woke up wondering if I was over the lingering spring cold that had me wilting these past few days. I had a class to teach. I wished I didn't. But it's a beautiful new studio, one for which we've been waiting for two years. The members are excited about coming, so I didn't want to disappoint them. Such responsibility!

I teach Nia, a fusion of dance arts, martial arts and healing arts. Nia came into my life just in time. I'd turned 40, and was feeling a change in my energy and muscle tone. I hadn't been very active for a long time, and I knew the statistics... move it or loose it. But life was dull enough without adding another chore to my list of to-do's... work all day then trudge along on a tread mill when I'd rather be eating ice cream with my hubby and cat.

Thankfully, Nia found me. It awoke the my creative spirit and sleeping dancer. My body was thrilled to move because it was blissful. It felt like a stream of water nourishing the roots of a tree. Over the next few years I became a Nia teacher and quit my sedentary desk job. Now I dance and write - searching, researching, and expressing things that add value to my life, and sharing it with others.

This morning I'd forgotten about that. As I was setting up and testing my mic, the music began, slow and steady. A deep drum softly beat, like a heart. A flow of energy stirred in my body. The spring began to flow. Oh yes, this is why I dance! Nia is like food for my bones and muscles, joy for my heart and soul.

My students began to arrive. I set the class focus on exploring range of motion - playing with variety to stimulate all parts of the body. We stepped in to the stream of music, the bliss began to flow, and smiles spread on all our faces. An hour later we stepped out, warm, glowing, and renewed.

Thank you Nia!

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