According to author and energy medicine pro, Lauren Walker there are three simple ayurvedic healing tools that everyone should know. No matter who you are or what your state of health is, Lauren tell us that every body will benefit from these quick – if unfamiliar -easy health-boosting practices…

There are two things the body spends most of it’s energy on; the first is digestion, the second is healing. The body exerts a lot of energy correcting imbalances, removing toxins and coming into homeostasis and efficiency.

If you truly want to achieve and maintain optimum health, the best thing to do is support the natural systems already in place in the body.

Ayurveda, the medical arm of yoga, gives us beautiful and elegant tools – based on 5,000 years of wisdom –  for how to help the body balance and thus heal.

Ayurveda is a huge system, and there are many dynamics at play for bringing an individual into balance, especially if you are dealing with a particular health challenge. But there are also some tools in ayurveda that, across the board, help every body to simplify its work load, therefore freeing energy up for healing and thriving.

Below are my top three tools for healing. Try these three tools all at once, or bring one at a time into your life. You’ll notice, very quickly, how you start to feel better, stronger, more resilient, and more powerful.

Nasya oiling for the nose

Ayurveda is big on oils! It’s considered healing and nurturing to put specific oils on and in the body to do their work of coating and feeding delicate tissues and encouraging natural detoxification processes.

Nasya is a technique for oiling the nose and the nasal passages. These passages go far up into the head, behind the eyes, nose and close to the brain. Keeping them oiled helps build resilience to your immune and nervous systems, helping you stay healthy and be able to interact more easily with different environments.

Choose an oil specifically designed for this practice (I love the Nasya oils at ShaktiVeda.com).

How to:
+ Lie back and tilt your head up.
+ Drop 1-3 drops into each nostril.
+ Sniff the oil deep up into the nasal cavities, massaging the cheek bones, the nose and above the eyes.
+ Stay on your back for a minute or so until the oil settles.
+ Slowly get up.

Self-Abyhanga massage

Did I mention that ayurveda is big on oils? The next practice is about oiling the entire body. Use only organic oils. Traditionally, sesame oil was used but you can use coconut oil, avocado oil, jojoba oil or almond oil. Try to steer clear of safflower or canola oils.

Oiling the body helps support the natural detoxification process of the skin, the largest detoxing organ in the body. It also helps nurture and soften the skin and increases the body’s production of oxytocin, the feel-good hormone.

How to:

Warm up the oil, and then stand on a mat and spread oil liberally on the body…
+ Spread oil from the inside of the ankles and legs and then down the sides and backs of the legs.
+ Circle around and around the joints.
+ Smooth oil around and around on your belly.
+ Smooth oil around and around your breasts.
+ Smooth oil around and around your buttocks.
+ Smooth oil from the backs of the hands, up to the shoulders, and then from the armpit down to the palms of the hands.
+ Circle around and around the joints.
+ Smooth oil on your neck and outward in all directions from the center point of the Adam’s apple.
+ Smooth oil on your back and shoulders as far up as you can reach. Make figure eights on your back with the oil.
+ Put oil on your fingertips and massage into your head, at the roots of your hair.

Let the oil stand on your skin, then carefully get in the shower or tub. Do not wash the oil off, but let the warm water drive it in deeper. When you get out from the bath, pat dry and then get dressed.

Eating the ayurvedic way

Ayurveda traces all disease patterns back to digestion. Eating, digesting and eliminating are key to health.

Here’s how to simplify and optimize this complex system: Eat three meals a day, and no snacks.

This allows the body to re-learn how to burn stored fat for sustained and balanced energy. This style of eating helps the body find its natural weight. There are studies showing eating like this helps with depression, mood swings, blood-sugar imbalances and cravings.

Want to learn more about Lauren and her work? Check out this inspiring interview
with her mentor, Donna Eden, one of our favorite OG wellness pros. 

The Chalkboard Mag and its materials are not intended to treat, diagnose, cure or prevent any disease. 
All material on The Chalkboard Mag is provided for educational purposes only. Always seek the advice of your physician or another qualified healthcare provider for any questions you have regarding a medical condition, and before undertaking any diet, exercise or other health related program.