How to Develop Positive Habits

November 22, 2017
“As oil in sesame seeds, as butter in cream, as water in the riverbeds, as fire in the parched kindling, so is the Indwelling Spirit grasped in one’s own self when one is dedicated to seek out Consciousness.” - Svetasvatara Upanishad (1.1)

I’ve been cultivating new daily sadhana practices since my return home from Panchakarma. Each morning I awoke before sunrise and meditated. This is something that I’ve been wanting to cultivate into my daily life since even before I began my Ayurvedic journey. It’s taken me some time to make this a daily practice, but a shift has taken place at Panchakarma, as it always does, and I’m starting to feel the roots of change take hold in the soul. Each morning I’ve also been doing spiritual reading. I recently started Maya Tiwari’s “The Path of Practice: A Woman’s Book of Ayurvedic Healing,” and this morning I read this:

“It may be hard at first to honor your promise, but soon enough you’ll experience some results, and that will reinforce your commitment.”

This statement is so true and I’ve experienced this many times in my life, yet when it comes to developing something new, I forget and it takes me more time than it needs to in order to integrate it into my life. This quote is such an important reminder that it takes time for a glimmer of change to express itself but once it does, it feels like a patch of sunlight peeking out from rain-filled clouds. All at once you feel validated which in turn strengthens your resolve, and now you’re truly committed. What an incredible thing that is! All that is needed is time and practice. Two things that intimidate most of us. But at least we know what’s needed.

Another big thing I’ve been making sure to do since coming home from Panchakarma is drinking enough water. I know prior to going to PK, I didn’t drink enough water. Now I make sure to drink plenty of filtered water and herbal tea. I’ve been blending my own CCF (cumin, coriander, fennel) tea blends and I’ve been really enjoying adding ginger, rose petals and ashwagandha root to the digestive seeds.