Ayurvedic tips for boosting your Immunity, Digestion and Nervous system

Dear friends,

We are Nature!

More than ever I am humbly bowing and also devotionally applying the ancient teachings of Ayurveda.

Ayurveda shares so much knowledge and wisdom about preventive care and boosting immunity on many levels through awareness and alignment with Nature and our Nature.

Especially in this intense, global time, this is more important and vital than ever! Through alignment we create harmony, and that leads to less friction and inflammation.

These are restorative protocols for body, mind and emotions….they are all dancing with each other… It is not only about how many immune boosting herbs or supplements you take, but especially important how you digest and absorb them. Also how you digest your thoughts, emotions and life. Especially when it feels so uncertain as everything’s changing daily right now.

In all this turbulence there is also so much Grace unfolding and the ancient teachings and wisdoms providing a window to look deep within.

The government of India released this article yesterday and I want to share it with you. “Ayurveda’s immunity boosting measures for self care during COVID 19 crisis”

Please read it.

Below you will find my personal digestion of this article and how I am integrating this here in Southern California.

These are very powerful basic guidelines for all of us.

For all of you who have been studying with me or under my guidance for a while, you must be familiar with some of them and these are already a part of your routine. I hope so! 🙂

If you would like to have them specifically fine tuned and tailored towards your life, imbalances and conditions, especially during this highly stressful time please email me for a phone, skype, FaceTime or zoom appointment. juttamariaH@gmail.com

If you’ve lost your income, I am offering my services for now on a donation basis.

I am also in the midst of creating a Zoom event for us all to connect and do some simple pranayama and meditations together, as well as a platform where we can share and connect.You will hear from me shortly.

This is what we have been doing. My partial Dinacharya (Daily routine). Dinacharya is very important, it cultivates Self Love and nourishes what is important to us! It is not an end in and of itself. But there is a purpose, and this shifts us into re-patterning. Do it with awareness and less of a dogmatic or habitual approach.

Sip on hot water throughout the day. It improves your digestion, helps to decongest and makes you feel more calm.
Drink 1 cup Tulsi tea in the morning. It has many benefits…it strengthens the respiratory system, reduces stress and anxiety, and works with your digestion. It is considered to be a ‘sattvic’ herb, meaning it brings lightness and spiritual clarity in mind and body. Excellent for reducing fevers, colds and coughs.
Eat warm meals.Ideally moist and soupy. I like sautéing my food now in Ghee, with onions, garlic, turmeric, cumin and black pepper. All of these ingredients help boosting your metabolism, are anti-inflammatory, help with stagnation and Ama (undigested material, which we like to call ‘toxins’ in the West). For breakfast I either cook oatmeal, buckwheat, quinoa or amaranth with water, a bit of Ghee or Coconut oil, cinnamon, cardamom and a bit of salt. If you want it sweetened, try either applesauce or a bit of Maple syrup or cook it with raisins or dried cranberries.
Reduce or quit white sugar, everything white flour, alcohol, eggs and dairy. I am personally vegan, except my homemade Ghee for medicinal reasons. Ghee in small quantities will improve your digestive fire. If you are new to making your own Ghee you can watch my video. How to make Ghee And one of my blogs: Ghee, the Ayurvedic liquid gold!
Vitamin D: I personally take 2,000 – 4,000 IU daily to boost my immune system. If you have sun wherever you live, please go out in the sun with as much skin exposure as possible for at leasts 30 minutes per day. This will boost your Vitamin D and your immunity! And it just feels so good.
If you can, walk barefoot in your garden or if possible, in nature , if you have access to it now..Walk slowly and breathe deeply. It feels so grounding and connects you with the rhythm , the heartbeat of our Mother Earth. This is one of my favorite practices to keep me grounded peaceful and feel connected.
If you have a body brush, dry brush your body a few minutes before you shower. The movements are towards your heart. Dry brushing increases your circulation, stimulate the lymphatic system, removes ‘toxins’, and as a beautiful side effect makes your skin soft.
Self Abhyanga (Self Massage with warm oils): Abhyanga should be resorted to daily. It wards off old age, exertion, and aggravation of Vata. ~Ashtanga Hrdayam: Sutrasthana: II: 8-9 Banyan Botanical has a great blog on how to do a Self Massage. A great Oil for all types is warm Sesame Oil. (Benefits of Self Abhyanga) https://www.banyanbotanicals.com/info/ayurvedic-living/living-ayurveda/lifestyle/self-oil-massage/
Nasya: My dear teacher Dr.Vasant Lad taught me that the nose is the doorway to consciousness and our inner pharmacy. Nasya, daily administering of oil into the nose is another powerful tool. If you don’t want to buy a special Nasya Oil right now, you can use just plain sesame oil. Banyan Botanicals has a great blog on how to do it: https://www.banyanbotanicals.com/info/ayurvedic-living/living-ayurveda/lifestyle/how-to-do-nasya/
Pranayama: Brings Prana (vital life force) into your internal environment, instead of letting it flow outside the body all the time. This will take practice, because what we have done for years is to focus our attention outside, and “lose” Prana through the senses. With Pranayama we bring Prana back inside. Pranayama is a direct technique of affecting the mind, and Ayurveda believes that mind affects the body. When the mind is relaxed and focused – representing a mental balance of both sides of our brain – these effects ‘trickle down’ to the body, calming the nervous system, and nourishing our tissues and organs with Prana. Not all breathing exercises are good for everyone. Some are too stimulating for an already overstimulated life, but some are almost universally beneficial. My favorite one is called Alternate Nostril Breathing (Nadi Shodana):

Sit in a simple cross legged position or on a chair with your spine straight, but comfortable and relaxed.
Close your right nostril with the thumb of your right hand and slowly inhale through the left nostril.
Close now your left nostril with your ring finger or little finger and then open the right nostril, exhaling slowly through it. Don’t force anything. Just breathe in your own pace and rhythm.
Than inhale through your right nostril, closing the right nostril when the inhalation is completed.
Opening the left nostril to exhale and continue with the first step.
Continue for the next 5 minutes in a relaxed and slow way and build up to 15-20 minutes daily. You can play soothing music in the background if that helps you to stay relaxed and in awareness.

10. Sleep. On days where I feel anxious and have a hard time falling asleep I guide myself through a Yoga Nidra. If you are not used to this, it is best to listen to a guided version. Yoga Nidra relaxes your nervous system and helps balancing your endocrine system which affects your hormones. Falling asleep after a Yoga Nidra helps you with deeper sleep and a deeper regeneration. Check out this sweet version on youtube. There are many more options. I like this one as a start: Guided Yoga Nidra for Sleep

Love to all sentient Beings!
Please stay in touch and stay connected.
Jutta

Disclaimer: The above advisory does not claim to be treatment for COVID 19 or any disease