Baby Steps to Good Health by Rhona Sewell

I used to beat myself up for not progressing on my yoga path as quickly as I thought I should. I felt guilty that after I took three steps forward I inevitably took two steps back. Two steps forward was followed by one step back. I would arrive regularly at the yoga studio for many weeks only to be followed by a slump of not practicing at all. I would rise happily with the sun for days only to end up sleeping too late for too long. Then one day I did the math. It turned out I was making progress. At each roadblock I was in fact further ahead on my path. After each detour I was better prepared to meet the next challenge.

When we begin our yoga and Ayurveda practices we are introduced to so much new
and exciting information. It is important to remember that each step on the path moves us closer to our goal of good health. Svastha is the word for 'healthy' in Sanskrit. Svastha is also translated as 'being oneself' or 'in one's natural state'. We feel balanced and stable. We feel secure and happy. We feel confident and comfortable.

For me, more and more often these days, good health goes hand in hand with happiness. We all want to be happy. Much of the time we are not altogether sure what that means. But we usually recognize when we are unhappy. We live with so many messages about how to be happy. Buy this, eat that, date him/her, visit the beach, the mountains, the lake. And as soon as we see happy on the horizon the new messages begin to arrive advising us how to be happier. This kind of happiness is not attainable because it is based on the idea that "more is better". If more is better than this - whatever this is - will not be enough.

Which brings me back to our search for feeling that we are making progress in our quest for good health and true happiness. Ayurveda, sister science of Yoga, is a 5,000 year old medical system, still practiced today, that provides us with tools to make happy our default feeling. There is no question that Life happens. (Has anyone else noticed that Life is a four letter word!?). We will always find ourselves challenged and struggling and taking a step or two back from time to time. But we do not need to feel discouraged when we revert to old habits. This is the time to practice Ahimsa (non-harming in thoughts, words, and deeds) toward yourself.

Ayurveda offers us a GPS system to navigate the ups and downs of life in order to arrive at the
destination we are seeking. We are seeking good health. We are seeking happiness. According to Ayurveda we are all microcosms of the natural macrocosm. We reflect Nature's elements in our  balance and imbalance. The Doshas, or biological energies, are responsible for physical and emotional tendencies in the mind and body. Vata is a combination of ether and air, Pitta is fire and water, and Kapha is earth and water. When we can see our feelings of fear and anxiety as aggravated Vata, our anger and impatience as elevated Pitta, or our sadness and lethargy as excess Kapha, we have the means to change direction. We can reduce iced drinks and increase oils to help balance Vata, cut back on spicy and fried foods to calm Pitta and enjoy an energetic activity to uplift Kapha.

Value the small steps. Each time you take a leisurely walk in nature, attend a yoga class, hug a friend, really enjoy your food, find two minutes of silence, you are taking important steps towards good health and happiness. Even if two steps forward is followed by one step back, you are making progress.

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Rhona Sewell is a certified ISHTA (Integrated Sciences of Hatha Tantra Ayurveda) yoga teacher, a LV Chair yoga teacher, and a 300 Hr Kripalu Ayurvedic Yoga Teacher.