Episode 27: Healing Through Opposites
When we are uncomfortably cold it’s easy to recognise that we need to give ourselves the opposite, some warmth. When we feel tight in the body, perhaps from sitting too much or going for a run, most of us can recognise that we need to stretch and release.
Have you considered that when the mind is racing quickly, in order to calm it down, that what often help is slowing things down and taking some slow deep breaths for example.Through slowing down the fastness will subside.
We can recognise that if we feel completely run down and have fallen sick, really we need rest and nourishment. Rest is the opposite of being super busy and burning ourselves out. There are many other opposites available to us all of the time, to help keep us in balance. I find this mind-set very helpful, although I will admit I don’t always listen to myself as effectively as I could!
Ayurveda has been using the principle of opposites for thousands of years. Ayurveda time-tested methods connect deeply with nature and utilise the concepts that ‘like increases like’ and ‘opposite qualities bring balance’. Ayurveda recognises that in order to live with optimal health, it’s important to bring our mind and body back to balance, and when out of balance it’s believed this is where illnesses and disease begin to form.
Join for for episode 27 of The Beautifully Balanced Podcast, as we dive into a range of examples of utilising opposites from an Ayurvedic perspective…
Take a sneak peak at a few quotes from episode 27:
1. ...By recognising when any of these ‘fire’ factors start to show, before they build up pace and turn into long-term health problems, you can utilise the opposite effect, which is cooling things down.
2. It’s easy to recognise that if we have dry skin we need to give it some of the opposite of dry, being moisture - nourishing the skin with natural lotions and oils can do wonders to nourish dry skin. In the past I have really under valued my skin, but it is a huge part of our bodies, it is the largest organ and deserves to be treated well to help maintain optimum health.
3. Taking some time for the opposite of mobility and focusing on stability and stillness can work absolute magic and finding 5 minutes of stillness in silence certainly feels very relieving for me!
4. It’s commonly recognised that oily fish will help support bone and join health, it’s no wonder that this is so as often the joints are dry from too much ‘air’ linked to conditions such as osteoarthritis where the cartilage often breaks down, and this happened to me in my bog toes...
5. In order to reduce too much air in the gut, I have found that we can focus on reducing the air intake as we eat; this could be not using straws in drinks as this increasing air intake, chewing our foods slowly rather than wolfing them back with a big gulp of air and reducing airy foods such as rice cakes, popcorn and fizzy air filled drinks.
6. ...Tri-Dosha energise oil, loaded with organic herbs and zesty grapefruit along with palmarosa essential oils, is great to get the metabolism flowing and improve detoxification of any toxins that are weighing the body and mind down!
Many of these examples require small lifestyle changes, not costly investments or one off ‘fixes’. I love that Ayurveda is about listening to your own mind and body, working with the seasons and nature and empowers each and every one of us to find more balance at any time, in any moment, by considering what we need through the use of opposites. It’s really helped to give me a framework to focus on to support my own health and wellbeing, one that is time tested rather than the latest fad or craze. For me ayurveda intuitively makes sense and when you also feel the benefits for yourself you can learn to trust Ayurveda and yourself more and more.
Is there something that comes to mind where you could work with the opposite quality? Why not try it for a number of weeks and see if you can feel the difference.
If you are feeling inspired, I would like to say that these examples are looking at certain symptoms in isolation and that we are all made up of a different mix of these elements and in turn, mind-body types (called doshas in Ayurveda), and it’s always worth reading more, I can recommend the book Perfect Health by Deepak Chopra, or seeking specialist support before embarking on any major changes.
Thanks for reading, you can listen to the full episode here.
Sam
