Finding a Path to Self-Healing Through Ayurveda: An ABG Team Member's Story
This week's guest contributor and ABG team member, Alicia Laury, shares her journey into Ayurveda and practical tips on incorporating self-healing into your daily life. In a follow up post, she will also offer tenets from Ayurveda's ancient health system.
While Ayurveda is a profound, complex and ancient system of health, the good news is that it can be practiced successfully by anyone at any time for the achievement of good health.
Trust me on this.
I first encountered Ayurveda in my twenties, but it wasn’t until I found myself nearing 40, exhausted, foggy, irritable, anxious and overweight that I explored it as a possible way of life. I felt disconnected from myself. I had experimented with detoxes and diets, but Ayurveda felt different.
I had always considered myself healthy. I ate well and worked out, but I wondered if my 18 years working in food and beverage alcohol and the constant stress of balancing my needs with raising a young family was finally taking its toll.
So prompted by the rediscovery of an old Ayurvedic dosha test, I completed a nine-month intensive Ayurveda program with Cate Stillman and Yoga Healer. Along the way, I discovered these gems:
Digestion is of paramount importance in Ayurveda. What we consume and when we consume it has a significant impact on how we feel. Each dosha requires different foods, but we all need to allow time for digestion. Earlier dinners and replacing snacking with water between meals can help.
There is a rhythm to each day, and if we follow nature’s clock of sunrise and sunset, we will be connecting our bodies and mind with a natural state of flow. As a former night owl, this was a massive shift for me!
Meditation clears our minds and allows space to digest experiences, thoughts and ideas. If you don’t clean up your mental and emotional houses, they can get cluttered too!
Daily movement is important, but it doesn’t mean you have to join a gym and workout hardcore seven days a week. Just 20 minutes each day, ideally in the morning, to get the energy flowing is enough to make a positive impact.
Your hands are your body’s ultimate healing tool. The practice of self-massage has many health and wellness benefits from toning your tissues, improving your sleep, stimulating your lymph, strengthening your immune system and promoting longevity! It can be as simple as using your hands or a dry brush over your skin before getting dressed to help stimulate circulation and eventually work up to oil massage.
When I first started the program, I outlined my goals. I wanted my actions and words to align with my emotions. I wanted more clarity, rhythm and calm. I wanted more harmony in my relationships with my husband and children. I wanted better digestion and more energy. I wanted to look in the mirror and see myself again.
I can absolutely say that the lessons I learned helped me kickstart my health, but these approaches have also positively impacted our family as a whole. Here are some habits that we have incorporated into our daily rhythms:
Waking up before sunrise. Most mornings, I wake up before the sun rises. I stand outside when possible and face the East. As the sun rises, I take a few deep breaths to release all the tensions and worries I am carrying. I listen to the birds singing and feel the sun rising inside me (even if it is cloudy). I set an intention for the day. The yogis named this precious grace-filled period brahmamuhurta.
I sit in silence, even for two minutes, each morning and evening to clear my mind and digest my experiences. For some ways to get started or get back in, check out the updated ABG meditation & yoga resource section for a list of our favorite mediation apps or revisit Cathy’s guided mediations.
I sip warm water first thing in the morning and throughout the day to help curb the urge to snack. Water is the first thing I give the kids when they wake up while my husband keeps his thermos by his desk. I like to add a 1-inch piece of fresh ginger to help boost my digestive fire.
Lunch has become our largest meal. We aim to eat dinner by 6 p.m. or 7 p.m. most days of the week and we don't snack between meals. Giving more time between your last meal of the day and your first meal the following day allows the body time to digest. In Ayurveda, the time between 10 p.m. and 2 a.m. is when the body, under the influence of Pitta energy, digests experiences, emotions, and any remaining food from earlier in the day, and repairs and renews itself. If you eat too much and too late, you will eventually overwhelm your inner housekeeping and ultimately your immunity.
Before a meal, I take three deep breaths to calm and connect my mind and physical body. If you are stressed out when you sit down to eat, that healthy meal will become infused with your negative emotions and affect digestion. It has been fun to watch my youngest try this! Even one person taking a moment to breathe before eating helps the whole group settle first.
Oil, oil, oil. It has replaced our body lotions after showers and baths. The kids love this! We also put oil on our feet before bedtime. Oil is calming, soothing, moistening and lubricating. In Sanskrit the word for oil is sneha, which is also a word for love, and holds a special place in Ayurveda as the ultimate nourisher and carrier of love. For more on the benefits of oil and which kinds to use check out Banyan Botanicals.
Since COVID struck, I have certainly struggled with the changes to my life and those around me. Having these tools has helped me to navigate more calmly and wisely than I would have without them. I hope you find these tips helpful and would love to hear your feedback and questions!
Alicia Laury is the former Communications Director of Wine & Spirits for Constellation Brands and currently consults for A Balanced Glass. She holds the WSET Level 3 credential and a culinary arts diploma from the Institute of Culinary Education. Alicia is a 20 year student of yoga, a recent graduate of Yoga Healer’s Ayurveda program and a current student in the Sri Yoga™ Yoga and Meditation teacher training program. You can connect with her on the ABG Facebook page.
What We're Reading:
Here's what has piqued our interest this week in the world of wine and mindfulness.
Regenerative Viticulture: Trendy Buzz Word or Revolutionary Farming Philosophy? – Stacy Briscoe for SevenFiftyDaily.com
A new certification program aims to define this carbon-capturing farming practice, which some believe could transform vineyards and combat climate change.
How to Become a Friend to Yourself – Bianca Bartels for Greater Good Science Center
Kristin Neff and Chris Germer explain how self-compassion can transform the way you handle suffering.
Wine's Diversity Activists – Christina Rasmussen for Little Wine.com
Founder Christina Rasmussen has created an extensive list of resources and initiatives to drive and inspire the wine industry to move toward a more diverse and inclusive industry.
Virtual reality tourism ready for takeoff as travellers remain grounded – The Guardian.com
Experts say pandemic could provide watershed moment for technology, potentially leading to more sustainable tourism
This Week's Reminder:
Keep these short meditations and inspirations bookmarked for when you need them.
Yoga Nidra for Sleep, by Jennifer Piercy for InsightTimer
When we can't sleep, it can be due to physical factors, mental and emotional factors, or a combination of both. This soothing yoga nidra practice offers us tools to induce sleep naturally, connecting within and to the body. Use as you transition into sleep, or as a way to bring meditation into napping.
Meet the Community!
Here we meet some of the talented folks who make our community and profession so dynamic.
Harshal Shah, General Manager, Pembroke Wines (Dublin, Ireland)
Years in the Industry:
Twenty years. (Wow!!) I started as a waiter in a very good suburban restaurant in Sydney, whilst studying Law and Information Systems at university. I had developed a fondness and an interest in wine and found myself on the Board of Sydney University Wine Society. I also decided to study wine and wine service, so enrolled in the Wine Studies Certificate IV at what is now the Sydney Wine Academy under Clive Hartley and Karen Macalister. At the time, this was the benchmark wine qualification in Australia for service personnel outside of going to catering college/hotel school. I was elected to the Committee of the Sommeliers’ Association in Sydney, and continued to work in and consult to restaurants there.
I moved to India in 2007 to work for the largest wine importer there. After my 12-month contract ended, I stayed on in India for another four years, consulting to 5-star hotels, training their staff in the WSET qualifications and wine service. In 2011, I got a consulting gig in Thailand for a Six Senses (sustainable luxury resort) property, and was their ‘flying sommelier’ for two years. Australia was home again for three years before I moved to Dublin in 2016 and joined Pembroke Wines, a small fine wine importer.
My Top 3 Challenges to Wellness:
Keeping fit is always a challenge. I actually don’t like exercise so my biggest challenge has been to find activities that maintain my fitness but also keep me engaged. I started yoga a few years ago and found that doing it 3 to 4 times a week kept me interested. I enjoyed the calming nature of it, along with the contemplative time juxtaposed with a tiny bit of physical exertion. Unfortunately, I enjoy yoga in a studio with a teacher in front of me, so I haven’t really taken to virtual yoga sessions over the last 12 months.
Food and drink are a big part of my life, and in our industry, typically there is a lot of both involved. The biggest challenge in this area has been learning moderation. Not every glass at a dinner has to be emptied. Sometimes, order the fish course or even go for a vegetarian option. Cut down sugar. Eat more greens.
Drinking less has been a challenge too. A second glass very easily follows a first. Likewise a second bottle. I actively try and have at least three alcohol-free days a week. Almost two years ago, I started importing a fantastic alcohol-free organic sparkling wine called Noughty. Drinking this has a wonderful placebo effect. It has less than 3g per 100ml of sugar, so that makes me feel even better about enjoying it.
How I Keep it Together to Stay Well:
Drink less alcohol. Along with my (attempted) alcohol-free days, I’ve cut down beer consumption to practically zero (although sometimes, it’s hard to beat a good fresh pint of Guinness). Playing tennis once or twice a week gets the heart pumping. Listening to music in the shower every day gets my day started with me in a good mood. And cooking. I try cook as much as possible. I have more control over what goes into my body, and I find it quite relaxing.
What Inspires Me:
Perseverance and quality inspire me. When something is good, I wonder how it became so good – who created it, and how they persevered to make it so good. This applies to people too. I come across people who are so good at what they do, it inspires me to be the best at what I do too. And authenticity, above all, is inspiring. Authenticity of flavour, of place, of character.
My Favorite Quote:
“Only people with no imagination can’t find a good reason to drink Champagne” – Oscar Wilde
You can connect with Harshal on Instagram, Facebook and the Pembroke Wines website.
Let's Get Connected!
Sharing Events from our Global ABG Community.
Shall We Wine Wellness Series with Regine T. Rousseau and Dorian Nash
Sunday, February 14, 2pm CT | 4pm PT
“Intentional deep breath practices can help strengthen lungs, regulate blood pressure as well as reduce heart rate. Participants will learn about moving the breath with the body, understanding the healing benefits of the breath and be introduced to more breath practices to help destress and refocus.”
Art of the Toast Sponsored by Spiribam + Focus on Health
Thursday February 18, 5pm PT | 8pm ET
In this complimentary workshop, made possible by Spiribam and FOH Pen2PaperProject will lead a "pencil push" and raise a glass to what may be our most challenging times and why there is room to celebrate.
Engaging the Senses: An Exploration of Flavor and Sound
March 25, 2020 5pm PT | 8pm ET
Join wine pro Devin Parr and Toronto Symphony Orchestra musicians Clare Semes and Kelly Zimba -- AKA Sonority Sisters – online, as they pair beautiful wines with beautiful music. This 90-minute tasting and music session will invite you to indulge in a total sensory experience that is a feast for the eyes, nose, mouth and ears. Tickets in link.
Have an event that our ABG community would love? Email to events@abalancedglass.com for consideration.
Shop our ABG Merchandise
Hydration, safety and style are important so pop via the ABG shop for our handy merchandise . The offerings are a small list of high quality items that we have road-tested and reviewed, and hope they help support your self-care, while staying hydrated, safe, and stylish! << Check it out here >>
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