Have you ever had a turmeric latte? That’s the western world word for it, it’s more commonly known in the east as golden milk or turmeric milk. Essentially, it’s hot milk with a teaspoon, or more, of ground turmeric stirred in thoroughly.
Maybe not the tastiest as is, if you purchase one at a fancy café you’re likely to have some additional flavours mixed in to make it more palatable.
Although turmeric has been touted with myriad health benefits, My grandmother liked it to help with inflammation – granted, she did it by generously applying butter and turmeric to a round of hot roti (flat bread, super delicious flat bread), and applied this as a compress over the inflammation, like a swollen knee. I remember it turning the skin yellow or even orange, but the discomfort faded, and the heat felt good. Drinking it in a latte is much more appealing! Drinking golden milk has roots in Ayurveda, the holistic medicine practiced in India for the last 5000 years. There are no medical guarantees, but following some of the practices will get you to think more about the relationship between what you eat, how you move, and how you feel.
A holistic lifestyle treats the body and mind as one. Which makes a great deal of sense since every part of you is what makes you who you are! You may have noticed your own mental and physical health connections, like back, shoulder or neck pain when you’re stressed out; it’s possible that the stress is causing you to tense up physically, and your muscles are complaining about holding that for such a long period of time. In addition to herbal remedies and healthy eating habits, Ayurveda also focuses on physical exercise and lifestyle habits. Ultimately, Ayurveda seeks to help you find balance across all aspects of your life. For example, examining how your frustration at missing a promotion at work could be contributing to how awful you feel all over by mapping out the ways you react to your disappointment with sleeping in and unhealthy eating, leading to a decline in your physical health. The whole-self logic is a beautiful thing.
We have a lifelong love and respect for specific Ayurveda lifestyle recommendations, like drinking more herbal tea and less caffeine and sugar, as well as physical and mental health exercises that encourage us to slow down and think: hello yoga, meditation, and mindfulness! It’s not so much about how this food or that exercise benefits most people, it’s about trying something and finding out how it benefits or fails you.
If practicing an Ayurvedic lifestyle interests you, please start by talking it over with your doctor, just like you would before taking a new medication or starting a new course of exercise.
Are you ready to try a little mindfulness right now? Try a Mandalas4You online course, and experience the serenity and fun that this simple artistry can bring!
