My 6 Ayurvedic tips to manage the festive hangover

December can be chaos with all the parties, food, last minute gift for friends and family and travel and in the stress of it all we can often lose sight of our self care rituals. We should enjoy the festivities in its fullest glory but we can also do a few small things to ensure we stay on top of our wellness game. Find a little calm within the storm perhaps?

The experience of the holidays don’t have to feel so stressful if we manage to maintain an inner state of balance then the external feels less chaotic even though nothing changes in the outer world.

Here are my 6 quick and easy top tips to keep you balanced and healthful during the holidays (as much as might be possible).

1.    Self-abhyanga
Before the day gets frantic indulge in a warm oil massage is just the ticket to pacify the prana vata imbalance to promote better sleep, release toxins, moisturise the dryness of the skin and really give yourself some nurturing self love

2.    Grounding surya namaskar
When you feeling like a fire crackers shooting off in all directions, there is nothing more stabilising than a couple of slow and steady rounds of warming surya namsaskar also know as sun salutations. Pop on you tube, find a good instructor to take you through the sequence. Practice with awareness and the focus on breath before you know it you’ll be feeling nicely grounded

3.    Stay hydrated - fill the flask
So you running around like a headless chicken trying to get everything in order and there are still presents to get. While on the go fill your flask with a teaspoon of digestive seeds (coriander, fennel, carom, celery etc.) top up with boiling water and off you go – keep sipping you home-made herbal tea. No excuses!

4.    Eat with awareness
You’re feeling frazzled and either skipping meals or having erratic eating patterns not to mention the food choices are not that healthful. But what you can do is eat more consciously. Sit down for 10 minutes, focus on food, eat slowly, chew well, engage your all your senses. How we eat is just as impactful on digestion as what we eat.

5.    Bedtime milk for all
After the day is out – nourish your senses, tissue and cells by getting a restful night sleep. The best sleep aid aside from dim lighting, a light foot massage and some brahmari pranayama is a small cup of hot spiced milk to help you sleep like a baby. Add some nutmeg and cardamom to boiled cow’s milk or almond milk and drink 20-30 mins before bed. Delish!

6.   Triphala your way out

If you’ve gone overboard with the cheese, Yorkshire puds and mince pies and are in need of some quick fixes for your gut. Triphala is the perfect go to, to settle the digestive system and give you a gentle cleanse. Buy Triphala (discount code: GEETAVARA5OFF)