Holistic Wellness with Luvena Rangel

The latest edition of the Shenomic Mentoring Circle was about Consciousness based Wellness. Our guest expert Luvena Rangel, founder of The Curvy Yogi, took us through certain simple yet powerful fundamentals of Ayurveda based wellness.

Wellness - When we think of wellness, we often think of it as the absence of illness. Luvena explained, that the concept of wellness goes beyond physical wellbeing. Whether we look at it from the perspective of happiness or quality to life, true wellness includes wellbeing at all four aspects of our being - physical, mental, emotional and spiritual. Even if one out of the four aspects is out of balance, we are unable to experience the wholeness of life. The imbalance takes away from our ability to make conscious and mindful choices.

Consciousness - Consciousness based wellness is based aims at building the "awareness" from which we make choices for ourselves and those around us. As per consciousness-based wellness, our behavioral traits are dependent on our mind-body constitution. This modality draws from eastern philosophies. Luvena gave us a glimpse of how Ayurveda takes into account the mind-body constitution based on the five elements or the Panchamahabhutas in our constitution 

The Five Elements and The Three Doshas - Vata, Pitta, and Kapha are three doshas or the three pillars of energy systems that define our constitution. Each dosha is made up of two of the five elements ( air, earth, ether, fire, and water). 

Vata - Vata is made up of air and ether. Air gives it characteristics of mobility and dryness while ether imparts subtlety and lightness. Vata dominant body types are lean, cool, and dry. Vata supports vivaciousness, energy, and quick learning. On the flip side, when Vata is out of balance, it can cause anxiety and insomnia.

Pitta - Pitta has qualities of fire and water bringing in warmth and moisture into the body. Pitta dominant body types tend to be muscular. Pitta brings in wit and precision into the personality. When pitta goes out of balance, it creates a tendency to get over critical, short-tempered, and argumentative.

Kapha - Kapha is made of earth and water. These two elements lend a certain heaviness, density, and a sense of "cool" to Kapha bodies. Kapha personalities tend to be calm, loyal, thoughtful, loving, and patient. When kapha is out of balance, it manifests as resistance to change and stubbornness - an "I don't want to deal with it" kind of an attitude.

Knowledge of these three doshas and our individual constitution not only helps us manage our own well-being, but it also equips us with leading more effectively - because knowing oneself lies at the heart of leading the self and others mindfully. The awareness of what could be driving our behavior unfavorably can help us slow down and make choices that are more appropriate to the situation at hand. This knowledge can also help us understand why those we work closely with, may have certain behavioral dispositions which are very different from ours. We are able to appreciate and acknowledge differences and leverage these differences to create more balanced teams. Consequently, we make better choices, moment to moment.

The Balancing Act - Eating for your body type: What we choose to eat can have a significant impact on keeping our energies balanced. Different foods can cause specific doshas to increase or decrease, therefore, knowing our constitution and consciously choosing our food can help us create wellness.

• Grounding and hydrating foods work well for those with Vata body types
• Cooling foods calm Pitta
• Energizing and stimulating foods work best for Kapha 

Using the senses to support mental and emotional wellbeing: Just like food balances the doshas in our body, what we take in through our sense has the potential to create balance at a mental and emotional level. 

Fragrances like sandalwood rose and Indian jasmine have a cooling effect and hence work well to calm down Pitta. Cinnamon and citrus work well for stimulating Kapha. Earthy fragrances like frankincense help ground Vata. 

The sight of greenery and nature help all three doshas - Vata, Pitta, and Kapha

Sounds of flowing water and the guitar help the pitta constitution. Wind instruments help Kapha bodies. Instruments like the piano are grounding and help Vata.

The sense of touch works its magic through massages. Coconut oil cools the body and works well for Pitta. Mustard or Olive oil works well for Vata and Grapeseed oil works well for Kapha.

Exploring Connection for Spiritual wellbeing - Connection to the divine and connecting with oneself through journaling or meditation helps build the bridge to spiritual connections. Connecting with each other and nourishing relationships also enhance spiritual wellbeing.

Wellness helps us to step into the wholeness of our human experience. This knowledge about the balance between various aspects of wellness can help us immensely as we create our own wellness rituals. The various resources available to us in order to strike this balance are bound to make the process of self-care interesting and fulfilling. Thank you Luvena, for opening the doors for us to explore the wonderful wisdom of consciousness based wellness.

***This article was originally published on the Shenomics website - https://shenomics.com/luvena-rangel-holistic-wellness/***