Ayurveda & Wellbeing | Q&A with Anita Kaushal

What has been your journey to Ayurveda?

I was raised in a household where oils and herbs were a natural part of healing and beauty, so I suppose it began at birth. A major shift happened when I met Bittu’s father; an Ayurvedic doctor. The journey to Ayurveda and living a holistic, balanced life deepens daily and once you are on the path, the thirst for greater knowledge and wisdom keeps growing. The more I learn, the more I want to share.

How has Ayurveda changed your life?

Ayurveda has changed my life immeasurably and Ayurveda is my life. It has made me more aware of the mind, body emotion connection to myself and to others. I have learnt to check in with my feelings, to self-diagnose physical ailments and be more present and aware when something feels out of balance.

What is Ayurveda?

Just as chemistry is a science, so too Ayurveda is the science of living in harmony with all that is. A 5,000-year-old healing system from India, Ayurveda is the awareness of the connectedness of all things on a macro and micro level and gives an individual the tools to lead a rich, healthy, happy life by following nature’s cycles. The practice includes massaging with healing oils and herbs, breathing techniques, yoga, nutrition, meditation…it is a 360 approach to wellness.

How can Ayurveda benefit health?

Living an Ayurvedic life can greatly benefit one’s health because it connects us to our true nature. We are no longer slaves to the Western view of ever faster living. This gentle way of living harnesses the power of nature to give us the tools to prevent disease and sorrow rather than try to cure it once it has happened.

Why or when should we consider seeing an Ayurveda practitioner?

When we wake up feeling sluggish or sad. It’s like a pot on the boil – when you see it simmering, that is the time to go and investigate. If you leave it too long, the pot boils over and now you have a chronic issue, rather than an easily reversed one. People wait until they reach a boiling point and that’s partly because we are so used to feeling sluggish, but that is simply not our natural state and wellness and vitality are our birthright.

What is your definition of wellbeing?

To feel at one with mind, body, soul and everyone around us. I have not reached it yet. I have to check in on a daily basis and I do slip up, but I have the awareness and tools to get back on track. It is a daily practice.

How do you honour your sacredness or what is the ritual you have just with yourself?

My daily morning and evening meditation practice, my nightly bathing ritual that includes lighting my Mauli candle, massaging with our oils and then taking a little time to sip herbal tea and read an uplifting book. These are all rituals I hold dear and that keep me in check.