sleep
This is an extract from
PRAJÑĀ – Auyrvedic
rituals for happiness
by Mira Manek
(Headline Home,
£1 2 .99), out now.9
Breathing
Taking deep breaths, or practising ujjayi
breathing (also known as ‘ocean breath’ – follow the
exercise on page 40), can be very calming and allow
you to enter a state of relaxation. I often listen to
podcasts by philosophers and thinkers or switch
on my Indian classical playlist while I do my
breathing exercises.
10
Evening walk
Getting some fresh air, clearing the head and
walking in the outdoors can be a wonderful way to
de-stress. It might also be something you can do with
your partner or a friend, a time to laugh and chat and
re-energise the soul as you walk.
11
Hot bath
Having a bath, perhaps with some candles, can
be incredibly meditative and relaxing. For me, it’s
often just 10 -1 5 minutes, but I put on some soothing
music or an inspiring podcast, I light a candle, sip on
a herbal tea or a cup of lemon, ginger and honey,
and close my eyes.
Adding Epsom salts into your hot bath will
additionally draw out toxins from the body, and
Epsom salts also contain magnesium, which enters
the skin and muscles and helps us relax even more.
This is great for when you’ve been lifting weights or
just working out a lot. If you have a cold, then adding
a little eucalyptus and camphor oil to your bath could
be just the thing you need.
Baths are a wonderful way to send you into sleep
mode before bed, but they’re equally brilliant to warm
the entire body in the winter, when you’ve just got
home in the evening and it feels like the cold has
penetrated into your bones. Try not to expose
yourself to bright light after the bath so you stay
in this relaxed state and get into bed as soon as
possible after bathing.
12
Steam and sauna
I love using a steam room and sauna,
especially in winter, first and foremost to warm up,
and then to soothe any aches and pains and feel
entirely relaxed. My skin also feels great after a short
time in a steam room, because the sweating opens up
the pores and helps to remove dead skin cells and
toxins. In Ayurveda, the steam bath, called Swedana,
increases circulation, helps remove toxins from fat
cells, reduces stress (the heat and relaxation
stimulate the release of endorphins), gives the heart
a workout and helps clear sinuses.13
Evening playlist
This eclectic collection of songs, for me, is
infused with relaxed energy to immediately bring the
mind into evening mode and lift the mood. Create a
relaxing playlist with these tunes and add to the
collection all of the songs which soothe you.‘Hanuman Chalisa’ – Keerti Mathur
‘Mul Mantra’ – Snatam Kaur
‘Reunion’ – Anoushka Shankar
‘Morey Pya Bassey’ –Cheb i Sabbah
‘Bangles’ – Niraj Chag
‘Ong Namo’ – Mirabai Ceiba
‘Pashupati’ – Sharon Gannon
‘Nataraja’ – Jai Uttal and Ben Leinbach
‘Gayatri Mantra’ – Deva Premal
‘Hari Om (Tiruvannamalai)’ – Janet Stone and DJ Drez
‘Long Time Sun’ – Snatam Kaur
‘Purnamadah’ – Shantala
‘Jai Radha Madhav’ – Deva Premal
‘Water Sign’ – East Forest
‘Om Gam Ganapataye Namaha’ – Edo & Jo
‘I am (Krishan Liquid Mix)’ – Nirinjan Kaur
‘Rudrashtakam (Shiva Stuti)’ – Krishna Das