Optimum Health Ayurveda is a practical application of keeping our body and our mind healthy through lifestyle, diet and if necessary herbs and body treatments.

Health is the absence of disease and cultivating happiness in body and mind! Disease and imbalances are usually formed by what we eat, the way we eat, our thoughts and the things we do. We might believe we eat healthily and exercise hard but our choices may not suit our unique constitution. In our stressful society where we are bombarded with contradictory messages of what is good or bad it is easy to get confused and out of balance.

Ayurveda believes that every one is unique and therefore our way of maintaining health or dealing with illness will be individual.

An Ayurvedic practitioner can help determine what foods, herbs, lifestyle and activities (including yoga) would be beneficial for you - to maintain and enhance your health, promote immunity, or when dealing with any form of imbalance or illness. You may benefit from a specific diet if you plan a pregnancy, after childbirth or are recovering from illness.

What is Ayurveda?
Ayurveda is the traditional Indian medicinal system still practised in hospitals across India. Ayur can be translated as Life and Veda is knowledge or science. Hence Ayurveda is the Science of Life!

The aim of ayurveda is to focus on health and it is said that the ‘the best cure is prevention’. Living according to Ayurvedic principles is living according to your own individual constitution promoting health in body and mind.

You may seek advice because you have a certain ailment, maybe because you are feeling tired and sluggish, because you want to prepare your body for pregnancy or just want to start taking care of yourself. Ayurveda has and is being used for many reasons and is a way to live one’s life in balance - in body, mind, spirit, senses and emotions.

Consultations, Ayurvedic body treatments such as massage and personalised yoga programs can now be booked with Anja www.yogaembodied.com at Tulip Yoga Studio and Lavender Heal in Clapham where is also offers Yoga classes.

Anja also teaches yoga classes, pregnancy yoga and yoga at work in SW London. You can find further details on ayurveda and yoga on www.yogaembodied.com

Living yoga - Embody Yoga

I have recently thought very hard about how to live, practice and embody yoga. I have had an amazing, transformative and very busy year. Getting married, then going to India to study at ayurvedic hospitals as part of my Post Grad in Ayurvedic medicine, spent time there relaxing and experiencing Southern India with my husband after 3 months apart. I came back to a very hectic time at university finally concluding my post graduate studies in ayurvedic medicine. Having handed in my assignments and done my exams I have some new found freedom.

I have a social life again, seeing my friends, creating and baking tasty cakes and meals. I enjoy reading - for pleasure. And yes that includes yogic and ayurvedic texts but reading for pleasure is very different from reading for university and exams. I am also spending time figuring out how to work: offering more yoga classes and ayurvedic consultations. Where, how and when...

But all these changes leaves the questions of how to live ayurveda and embrace yogic living. Finding time to practise asana, pranayama, meditate - when times are changing, when stressed, when busy, when tired... But I guess that is what yoga is. It is the journey of finding a way to embrace life and live it to the fullest. Of finding pleasure in life and seeking happiness. I know that after having practised asana I breathe better, I am more alert and more focused. So why is it sometimes so challenging to get on the mat on a daily basis?

A while back I went to a workshop with yoga teacher Mark Whitwell.  A very inspiring teacher who asked if we could commit ourselves to practising just 7 minutes every day. It sounds like such a small time to spend so of course that wouldn’t be a challenge! And it wasn’t - for a while. Getting into a habit takes about four weeks and I got into the habit  usually staying on the mat for an hour or longer - feeling great! However to break a habit takes... one day... Now I am once again committed to devote 7 minutes to my practise every day! Maybe 7 minutes of Sun salutations, maybe pranayama, a few asana and highly possibly a much longer practise!

I endeavor to inspire myself and possibly you as well by posting some sequences online. Keep in touch on my face book page (Anja Yoga fan page) where youtube clips will be posted for your inspiration and join me on this journey! Let’s commit to 28 days to get into the habit...