Being gentle and kind with ourselves is so important when shifting into new and sometimes challenging life patterns. Last week I completed a 10 day Ayurvedic retreat, which marked the start of getting myself strong, healthy, energised and ready for life! This past two years has taken a toll on me physically, as well as mentally, and it is time for me to get in shape before its too late!
So on my last day at the retreat, watching the beautiful sunset on my favourite beach in India, I wrote myself a new daily schedule. It contained more than less, and i was aware that i may only choose to certain parts as i got used to it and tried a few new things. I have to be honest, this crushing market crash in crypto hasn’t made it any easier, but thinking about it now, i have done very well and kept my cool. Most importantly, now i come to think of it, i haven’t panic sold but instead just let everything fly with the wind! Such is the cryptosphere, and as i have come to realise since playing this outrageous game for four years is that these things will pass, sooner or later. I should also admit to myself that it is a HECK of lot nicer to get on with a more balanced day instead of intensely looking at the charts and numbers all day, listening to this youtuber and that one... I’m sure some of you know what i am talking about! So instead I have been able to get on with what i was focussed on.. which right now seems to mainly including cooking and eating well!
Heres some cute pics of a few meals i had last week.. Somehow i didn't photograph the hummus and falafel session i had! One great thing is that i have FINALLY learned to make perfect light floppy chapatis from Ragi flour. This flour is so different to wheat and i loved them so much i forgot to photograph it!
One thing i decided when i returned last week was that I was going to start cooking very differently, more in the style of Ayurvedic cooking. I am also taking into consideration my body type, or Dosha. There are three general body types in Ayurvedic medicine, and I am known as a Pitta dominant person. I have also got traits of the other two, but when i answer certain questions it is clear that Pitta is dominant! Its interesting because most of the questions relate to simple physical attributes such as skin type, weight, but also it is related to our personality and tendencies. I tend to run hot, overheat, and burn out. To help me to balance this I am to eat food that is cooling. I should avoid chilli, too much oil, or over spicy fiery food. I should eat food mainly with sweet, bitter and astringent tastes. I should avoid sour flavours! This is the opposite of what i have been doing, which is common with people who are out of balance.
My New Daily Plan
I have been eating like this now for around two weeks in total, and the difference is palpable. I cant say that i feel like a million dollars yet, but I am not only eating so well and enjoying it, but am also not feeling the need to snack or eat crisps or chocolate in the evening. Right now ive got my hot ginger water (changed from my previous normal of fresh lime juice), and i have eaten a relatively small meal and yet i feel content. Normally i would eat huge portions and then also suffer from great lethargy or a 'food coma' as many of us know it. This is also gone, and also at lunch when i am then able to remain active and not nap in the afternoon.
That afternoon nap is the hard one. I have napped around 50% of the days in the last week, but much less than normally, around one hour. That is too much and it doesn’t feel good, but sometimes it can be hard to stay active or find something i can do when im feeling drowsy. Its good i write this, because i realise that maybe I need to build in some more exercise to help wake me up a bit. I have got a bicycle and i peddle around the village every day a bit, but its not much and quite easy going. It might be time to start some fitness!
So the mornings have started a little later than planned each day, but i seem to be waking up at around 7am or earlier. I have also been going to sleep earlier, and not taking my laptop to bed or using my phone in bed has really helped. I am actually able to get to sleep much quicker without them... no surprise there i suppose! The ideal time to get to sleep is 10:30PM, but it always comes so fast and before i know it its 11PM.
I have been holding firm on the meditation, and making sure that at the very least i push through half an hour. The past two days have been quite nice, and ive felt some more balance and calmness whilst meditating. Its easy to tell as the time really does fly when i am into it, and yet every minute is like 10 minutes when im all stressed out. Oh yeah, the day bitcoin dumped i had to skip it almost altogether! NEver check the bitcoin price before meditating!
The Pranayama is also really nice, i like it! Even though i don’t normally want to to anything too much when i just wake up, this app really seems to do the trick. I really like the little pulsing graphic that shows me when and how to breath.. and the sessions are quite short at around 5 or 10 minutes each. There are several to choose from too. If you are interested to try it the app is called "Prana27" and is free.
I haven’t yet done any chanting, interestingly! i have no idea why but i have not picked up the lovely shruti box and done my 108 Gayatri. ITs a bit like singing, but i say the same few lines 108 times along with this drone tone made by pumping the shruti box. Its quite entrancing, and i used to do it every morning since a very long time. I got out of the habit since i went away for New Year. Maybe im just waiting for the feeling to take me. Sometimes when i take a break from something and then come back to it, all the magic is back! The same maybe can be said for bhajan singing with a guitar. I haven’t done that for nearly two months now as i left my guitar behind in Portugal and I haven’t bought a new one.. YET! Lets not talk about how long its been since i drummed properly! I love to play the African Djembe.
So tomorrow is a new week, Monday and were nearly ending January. Gosh one things for sure, the older we get.. the quicker time goes and it just keeps on going. I hope to make the most of each day in this upcoming week, and continue to improve and tweak my life so that i can enjoy those little moments and find real true peace. I want to taste bliss again, its been too long!
Oh yes, how could i forget.. I seem to be giving a LOT of thought to starting a kind of food delivery service to the local people who live around here. I would cook very healthy and delicious Ayurvedic food and share it around. I think it would be such a great way to get to know people around here. I am new here and its hard to know who is around. Mostly people are doing their own thing, privately, and only sometimes i see them out in the town. I’m also often at home as there is basically nothing going on in town. So cooking being one of my primary passions in life, and also my desire to eat well seems to fit with the idea of selling amazing dishes. To keep it simple I would take pre orders for a set meal, and then meet everyone at a nice spot next to the river where they can come and pick it up. I was thinking about opening a restaurant, but i have quickly realised that i can save a WHOLE lot time and money by doing it like this.. not to mention the fact that restaurants are now closing again as omicron spreads around.
So thanks for stopping by.. glad you made it to the end :) Wishing you a beautiful week ahead.. x