Hi Reader,
How has your week been?
Mine has been one of those weeks where everything seems to take twice as long as I think it should.
I decided to get back into recording reels for Instagram. Two hours later, I had managed to get a two-minute video done. Yes, two hours!
Then there was this week's blog post, which turned into a rather substantial piece of writing, and the preparations for my updated Ayurveda Foundations lessons.
And somewhere along the way, I found myself wondering whether all this effort was actually worth it.
Because that's the frustrating part, isn't it? You put time and energy into something, you keep showing up, you do the work, and sometimes there's very little to show for it. At least, nothing you can immediately see.
Which reminded me of something from the Bhagavad Gita.
What happens when the outcome looks different?
In Chapter 2, Verse 47, Krishna teaches Arjuna that we have the right to action, but cannot claim the fruits of our actions.
I've been thinking about what that means in everyday life.
Whenever we do something, we usually have an idea of what we want to happen as a result. We put in the effort because we hope it will lead somewhere.
I record a reel because I want to reach more people. I write a blog post because I want someone to read it and find it useful. And of course, our actions have consequences. But the outcome might look very different from what we had imagined.
Maybe someone reads an article and remembers it six months later. Or someone watches a video and begins to think differently about their health. It could also be that I simply become more confident recording myself. I might never know.
And I think that's where the teaching becomes particularly interesting.
We can have goals, make plans and work towards something. We can also review what we're doing and change our approach when necessary. But maybe we can ease off from the expectation that our efforts must produce a particular result, within a particular time. And recognise what has happened along the way.
Because when we're so focused on the outcome we're hoping for, we can easily overlook everything else.
So here's something to ponder this Sunday:
How often do you overlook what has happened because you're looking for something else?
I certainly needed reminding of that this week.
This Week's Blog Post/Podcast
Ever wondered why you feel hungry at certain times, struggle with an afternoon energy dip, or suddenly feel wide awake when it's time for bed?
Ayurveda has a fascinating explanation for this.
Our bodies follow a natural daily rhythm, with different qualities becoming more dominant throughout the day. These influence our digestion, energy, concentration and sleep.
In this week's blog post, I'm exploring Dinacharya, the Ayurvedic approach to daily living, and how understanding these rhythms can help you make small, practical changes to your day.
โRead & Listenโ
From my Practice this Week...
Something I've really enjoyed recently is simply moving my body.
Getting back onto my mat, moving through familiar postures, feeling the muscles working and noticing how different my body feels afterwards.
It's such a satisfying experience. And this connects to what I was reflecting on earlier.
With movement, we can experience the benefit straight away. We feel more mobile, our breathing changes, and we notice how we feel, and that's enough reason to practise.
So if you've been meaning to get back onto your mat, this weekend is a good opportunity. You might be surprised how different you feel after just ten or fifteen minutes.
From my Kitchen this Week...
I have to confess, since my four weeks in Germany this summer, I've developed a liking for coffee again.
And yes, I know, we're in Vata season, when the weather becomes colder, windier and drier. Coffee has stimulating and drying qualities, which increase Vata.
But Ayurveda also teaches us to look at the qualities of what we eat and drink and how we can balance them. So I've been enjoying mine with whole milk, a little ghee and spices, a little cinnamon (helps digestion and stabilises blood sugar), coriander (cooling), cardamom (to counteracts excess the acidity, support nervous system) and nutmeg (to support the nervous system).
The milk and ghee bring richness and unctuousness, helping to balance some of coffee's drying qualities.
Of course, the caffeine still has its stimulating effect, so it's worth noticing how coffee affects your digestion, energy and sleep.
And that's what I find so useful about Ayurveda. Understanding the qualities of food gives us another way to make choices that suit our bodies, the season and how we're feeling.
A Little Look Ahead
Back to Yourself โ Working Together 1:1
Sometimes you reach a point where you've tried lots of things to feel better, but you're still struggling with your energy, digestion, sleep or how you feel in yourself.
You might have a good idea of what you should be doing. Finding out what actually works for you, and how to fit it into your everyday life, can be a different matter.
That's where working together individually can be particularly useful.
Back to Yourself is an opportunity for us to look at what's happening in your body and daily life, understand what might be contributing to how you're feeling, and work out practical changes that suit you.
We'll draw on Yoga and Ayurveda to help you build the knowledge, confidence and everyday tools to take charge of your health and well-being.
โExplore Back to Yourselfโ
When Rest Isn't Enough โ Coming in November
If you find yourself exhausted in the evening but still unable to switch off, or wake up feeling as though you haven't properly rested, I'd also love you to have a look at my upcoming workshop.
When Rest Isn't Enough is a two-session live workshop where we'll look at the mornings and evenings you actually have and create rhythms that help you settle at night and start the day feeling more like yourself.
We'll work together over two sessions, with support in between, so you can begin putting those changes into practice straight away.
Planned dates: 5 and 12 November, 7:30โ8:30 pm UK.
โFind out more about When Rest Isn't Enoughโ
And that's it from me this week.
Perhaps this Sunday is an opportunity to look back at something you've been putting effort into and notice what has happened along the way.
There might be more there than you first thought.
If this Sunday Read might be helpful for someone, youโre very welcome to share it with someone who might enjoy it.
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๐ญ If you have a question, or thereโs something youโd love me to explore in a future Sunday Read, youโre always welcome to let me know.
Here's to recognising the progress we sometimes overlook,