By Paige Leigh Reist | Posted: March 21, 2019
Spring is officially here! Longer days and warmer weather always have us feeling like a change in routine and lifestyle are in order. According to Ayurveda, this is a totally natural instinct--as the weather changes through the seasons, so do our bodies, minds, and emotions!
This week’s Wellness Roundup features some great Ayurvedic wisdom to take into springtime (including the lowdown on chocolate!), and articles on how gratitude and getting in touch with your emotions can help you have your best spring ever.
What You Should Know About Using the Power of Gratitude for a Better Life
Tony Fahkry for Thought Catalog
What if, in order to achieve greater happiness, you didn’t have to change a thing about your life--other than appreciating it?
As Tony Fahkry writes, “From the map of consciousness it’s clear that gratitude is aligned with LOVE. This makes gratitude the doorway to a higher consciousness that includes joy, happiness and inner freedom. Gratitude awakens the soul essence of the individual to overcome limitations and obstacles.Not only is it the window to the soul, but the gateway to liberation and bliss. Gratitude bears the signature of the soul, while greed, hate and negativity are the underpinnings of the ego. Feed the ego and you will give life to lower emotional states.”
Read on for statistics on happiness and gratitude, as well as encouragement for a live better appreciated!
Ayurveda Dinacharya: Use the Circadian Rhythm of Your Body for Optimal Wellness
Ganesh Puttur for Art of Living
Ayureveda isn’t only about what you eat and when you eat it! It’s a full system of health designed to help you feel your best. Part of feeling your best, of course, is adhering to a natural, nourishing daily cycle. In Ayurveda, nothing is one-size-fits-all: this article by Ganesh Puttur can help you figure out a healthy, restful schedule for your specific constitution.
The Benefits (& Dangers) of Chocolate, According to Ayurveda
Dr. John Douillard for Elephant Journal
Who doesn’t love chocolate? In this in-depth exploration, Dr. John Douillard explores the Ayurvedic (and scientific!) benefits and drawbacks of our favorite sweet treat. He touches on:
- Chocolate’s antioxidant properties
- The chemical makeup of chocolate and how it affects our bodies
- Sugar content in chocolate
- Chocolate and flavonoids
And much more! This article is essential reading for anyone who loves a bit of chocolatey indulgence.
Mind Your Emotions: Why Emotional Agility is the Key to Personal Growth
Aytekin Tank for Medium
In this article, Aytekin Tank breaks down the science of our emotions, the plasticity of our brains, and how our feelings affect our body and vice-versa. The key to personal growth, then, is to harness this relationship between our mind and body and practice something he calls emotional agility, which involves the following steps:
- Not hiding from your emotions
- Looking at situations from a new angle
- Building your emotional vocabulary
This article will be of particular interest to those in business, but these tips are universally applicable!
This week, we encourage you to explore a bit of Ayurvedic wisdom, give thanks, and of course, eat some chocolate. Happy spring!
Have a suggestion for our Weekly Wellness Roundup? Send your article to blog@us.artofliving.org.
Paige Leigh Reist is a writer, editor, blogger, and creative writing instructor.
