5 Ways To Boost Immunity With Ayurveda

With everything going on, it feels like we all are looking for ways to boost immunity. As a yoga teacher and dentist, I have always made an effort to try to incorporate Ayurveda into my family’s daily life and so much of Ayurveda’s basic principles keep the immune system strong. 

Ayurveda is the ancient medicine from India that focuses on mind, body, and spirit health through diet, lifestyle, physical activity, and cleansing. Your metabolic type, or dosha, is determined and used to evaluate your current imbalances. As a yoga teacher and lover of all things au naturale, I find it nourishing and really in line with connecting the mind/body/spirit to nature.

Sometimes starting something new can be daunting, especially if you are a busy momma like myself. But I thought of how the beauty of Ayurveda is the simplicity of doing what makes a difference. 

Here are 5 super simple things anyone that is busy can incorporate into their morning routine. These tips not only boost immunity but are effective for maintaining that internal and external balance, regardless of body type or dosha. If you want to dive into your knowledge about your dosha, Ayurvedic practitioners are great and an easy to follow book I love is: Ayurveda, Idiot’s Guide. 

Here are my favorite Ayurvedic morning practices that can boost immunity:

1. Drink water in the morning.

When I get out of bed, I drink a glass of warm water. I keep mine in a copper vessel from the night before but you can use anything except plastic to drink it. You can even add lemon if you like. The water wakes up your digestive system and if you add the citrus it’s a great detox. Warm water is said to balance all 3 doshas, (pitta or fire and water elements, vata or space and air elements and kapha or earth and water elements).  This promotes a good appetite, helps with weight loss, and helps flush toxins from your body to keep your immunity strong. Water is as simple as it gets.

2. Use sesame oil to massage and even moisturize yourself.

After you shower in the morning, take a few tablespoons of organic sesame oil and massage your body well with it, especially in your driest areas for a healthy glow. Sesame oil is rich in linoleic acid, and has anti-bacterial, anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties. Your skin takes everything in so this is a great defense.

3. Use a tongue scraper.

I’ve been using a tongue scraper since I was a little girl. I prefer a copper (best) or stainless steel one over a plastic one. Tongue scrapers are beneficial and help:

• Clears toxins & bacteria from the tongue
• Helps remove coating on the tongue that leads to halitosis or bad breath
• Helps eliminate undigested food particles from the tongue
• Enhances the sense of taste
• Promotes overall oral & digestive health
• Gently stimulates the internal organs
• Increases your awareness of your state of health

4. Take some Turmeric.

We shared these amazing turmeric home remedies from my grandmother a while back, that we all still reference, and love! 

This Ayurvedic treasure has anti-inflammatory, antifungal and antiseptic properties, as well as being a diuretic, a laxative and an expectorant herb. Turmeric is a good source of Vitamin C and Potassium. It also contains a compound called Curcumin which has antibacterial properties. 

If you are not into taking pills like I do regularly (be sure they include black pepper if you do since this enhances absorption), a great way for all ages including little ones to get in turmeric is golden milk. Golden “milk” can be taken as a tea or with a fatty non-dairy milk like coconut milk instead. Of course, with anything you ingest, consult your doctor if you have medical conditions or allergies. 

5. 10 breaths in child’s pose, (balasana).

This pose is super easy to do and it’s ok if you have never done yoga let alone heard of the word before-you don’t even need a yoga mat. 

Child’s pose or balasana has amazing health benefits that include: promotes blood circulation, calms the mind and body, eases tension and stretches areas such as the hamstrings, neck, lower back, shoulders and even massages the organs of the stomach area. You wouldn’t think such a simple pose could do so much. Child’s pose supports the nervous system and adrenals, which encourages relaxation throughout the whole body. This pose also powers up your immune system by stimulating the lymphatic system.

This will only take a few minutes and you will feel great! 

Here is how to get into that pose!

These 5 Ayurvedic habits are so simple to incorporate into your daily routine to enjoy the added immunity and the long-lasting results you’ll receive. Let us know if you try any of them!