Celebrating our first heroes—our mothers

Nourishment Through Ayurvedic Principles

Nurturing and caring are synonymous with motherhood. From the very beginning, it is our mothers who nourish and sustain us, starting in the womb and continuing all the way into adulthood. Feeding, providing, teaching, loving, supporting, and the myriad other things moms do for their families—it’s no surprise that motherhood is one of the most rewarding experiences, but it can also be the most exhausting and under appreciated. Moms often forget to care for themselves in the generous way they care for others, potentially adding more stress to their lives.

So this Mother’s Day, we want to turn again to the philosophy of Ayurveda, which focuses on building inner harmony and balance. Reaching this inner harmony is achieved through deep self care and nourishment of both the body and soul.

At HANAH we constantly celebrate our heroes and their rituals, so we thought it was the perfect time to acknowledge our biggest heroes—our mothers—and share a ritual of self care to help them thrive and flourish. 

Start and Keep a Ritual 

We know that with our busy day-to-day tasks, rituals can be hard to follow without a specific plan or unwavering intention. That’s why we compiled the below list based on Ayurvedic principles and with our moms in mind. We encourage moms to pick the rituals that resonate the most so that they can be practiced consistently over time. Start with at least two this Mother’s Day, and add more as you feel ready.

1. Commit to Nurturing Yourself (even while on the go): It has been said that the best way to take care of others is by taking care of ourselves. Moms are so often on the go that they will skip meals, exercise and many other practices that nurture and fuel their bodies and minds. Bring more balance into your life by shifting focus from others to yourself and by practicing purposeful and mindful self love—regardless of what else is going on. Making rest and nourishment a priority will relieve stress and keep you centered, helping you with the numerous tasks that you do. And if healthy eating while on the go has become a challenge for you, simply toss a couple Go-Packs into your bag and voila! you're set with optimal nutrition to support your fast-paced lifestyle.
2. Slow Down: What goes up, must come down. Modern-day living with our fast-paced lifestyles can make the idea of slowing down seem nearly impossible, but with small, gentle baby steps (five extra minutes in the shower, enjoying a cup of chai, rubbing oil on your feet), you can make it happen. Slowing down brings harmony into our crazy lives and allows our bodies and minds to relax, restore, process, and rejuvenate. Apply this practice and you might even find that you begin to look forward to taking your time.
3. Wake Up Right: Start the day with a glass of warm water and honey, HANAH Chai, HANAH Super Brew or HANAH Bone Broth. These nourishing drinks provide an energy boost and are full of nutrients to fuel whatever the day ahead holds.
4. Practice Pranayama: Regulation of your breath through exercise gives an extension to your “prana,” or life force. Just five minutes during your day will flood your body with oxygen, which is cleansing, relaxing, and improves focus and regeneration.
5. Exercise: According to Ayurveda, the type, intensity and duration of exercise should vary based on each individual's state of balance. But 20 minutes per day will begin to help you feel the basic benefits of improved circulation, sleep and digestion.
6. Meditate: It's a fact that meditation reduces stress and increases focus, clarity and happiness. It also helps memory recall and reduces anxiety and depression. Just 10 minutes a day is good to start feeling the benefits. Studies have shown that a consistent meditation practice can help rewire the brain to change your response to stress.
7. Get Massages: Oil massages are an integral part of Ayurveda. They help you regenerate by strengthening the nervous system as well as sleep better and overcome fatigue. Massage is recommended as often as possible, but even an occasional massage will make you feel a lot more relaxed and energized. This is a great gift to ask for on Mother’s Day.
8. Enjoy Meals: Eat warm, nutrient-dense meals cooked with love. Take some time to cook and eat with a loved one. Slowing down and relishing the food will increase the nourishment you receive and improve the taste.
9. Do Yoga: Not only does it help with flexibility, metabolism, vitality and improved respiratory function, yoga also helps get your mind centered. Plus, you don't even need to leave the house!
10. Practice Being Happy: Smile more—the average adult smiles only 20 times per day, while infants smile over 400. Smiling is proven to lift your mood.
11. Be Thankful: Recent studies show that simply looking inside and asking, “what am I thankful for?” increases serotonin and neuron density in both the ventromedial and lateral prefrontal cortex.
12. Sleep: Adequate rest and the occasional digital detox helps recharge your batteries and balance your body’s rhythm.
13. Find Space: Alone time helps you replenish and gives your senses a rest.
    
    

Most Importantly: Love Yourself

There are countless ways to give ourselves more nourishment and love, and it can look different for each individual. Trust your gut and go with what feels good and makes you happy. Most importantly, take extra special care of yourself or that motherly figure in your life this Mother’s Day. And remember, sometimes the best gifts are the ones we remember to give to ourselves.