What Ayurvedic Remedies Can Help You During Emotionally Difficult Times?
Life’s not always easy… We all go through difficult times that cause us grief, heartbreak, and distress.
I’ve been through it ALL and I’m familiar with the various, non-linear stages of grief that include denial, anger, bargaining, acceptance, and depression. I know what it’s like to feel desperate and to wonder if things will ever get better.
Luckily there are natural Ayurvedic remedies that help us get through difficult emotional times, whether you’re facing grief, healing a broken heart or suffering from painful emotions.
Here are a few of my favorite remedies for healing your body, softening your heart and quelling the pain, Ayurvedic style.
Nourish yourself with healthy, raw desserts
When you’re really feeling down, you may not even want to eat. However, your cravings may also run out of control. Know this – sweets provide comfort, grounding, and stability. It’s OK to crave them and to eat them – you just want to be smart about how you do it so that you feel better afterward, instead of worse.
When you eat the right kind of sweets, they nourish your body and reduce depletion – a symptom we unwittingly suffer from in trying times. Ease your pain with raw desserts made from whole, living foods that energize you. They won’t leave you feeling guilty for indulging! Here’s one I recommend you try.
Raw Date Rolls
You’ll need:
12 organic Medjool dates
1/2 cup raw nut or seed butter (like pumpkin, almond or walnut)
1/4 cup shredded organic coconut
1 drop Rose essential oil
1 teaspoon Cardamom, the “mama” of spices
Directions: Open each date by slicing through one side and remove the pit. Open the date like you would a tiny little book and set aside. Combine the nut or seed butter with rose essential oil and cardamom. Stir well. Spoon a generous teaspoon of the nut/seed butter mixture into each open date. Roll the seed butter side into the shredded coconut and serve. Optional – sprinkle the finished dates with the ground, dried rose petals. Rose essential oil is the oil of the heart and is especially useful when you need extra TLC. Store these beauties in the fridge – they’ll last for a few weeks.
Here is my other blog post with Healthy Ayurvedic Chocolate Dessert Recipes.
More delitious Ayurvedic recipes in my book the Ayurvedic Vegan Kitchen.
Hydrate!
Drinking water and staying hydrated is always important. But when dealing with grief or deep sadness, it’s crucial to make hydration your #1 priority. Grief is almost always accompanied by dehydration. So while it may seem counter-intuitive at first, adding good quality, mineral-rich salt helps combat dehydration by keeping water in the body (water follow salt). Solé, an easily-made fermented concentrate of salt and water is one of the best Ayurvedic remedies for keeping your body fluid.
To make Solé: Add 3 Tablespoons or high-quality, mineral-rich salt (such as Celtic sea salt, Fleur de sel or Atlantic gray salt) to a 16-ounce jar of water and wait 24 hours. The water will be over-saturated with salt, such that it becomes a concentrate and you can see salt crystals suspended in the water.
Add 2 teaspoons to 1 Tablespoon of Solé concentrate to 16 ounces warm water each morning. It will set your hydration for the day, nourish your kidneys and counteract the dehydrating effects of grief.
Embrace The Use of Rose Essential Oil
Rose essential oil is an incredible remedy for cultivating deep self-care and self-love. Rub one drop of rose essential oil on your heart, or do a total body, Ayurvedic rub down with one ounce of sunflower oil, 2 drops rose essential oil and 4 drops black pepper essential oil combined. It will ground you, help you circulate blood towards your heart, and invoke an overall healing sense of self-love.
You can also put organic rose petals in your tea or bath. Rose petals are beautiful and they really are the flower that represents love for oneself. When you’re in a bathtub with all of these rose petals, you can’t help but feel some tenderness and compassion towards your sweet and human heart.
Ayurvedic remedies are wonderful ways to heal your body and soul. Ayurveda can help you get through difficult times so you can enjoy your life again.
I share lots more Ayurvedic wisdom in my online summit, The Life-Changing Power of Ayurveda. You can join right here.