Start the year slow

Yep. Instead of pressuring my body after the holidays, I choose an Ayurveda massage

We’ve all seen them on the streets in our neighbourhoods in the days, maybe even weeks following the Christmas holidays, ticking the first box in their New Resolutions lists to exercise more, eat less and stay healthy. They are the new runners you pass by on the street, the new gym subscribers, the new bikers: red-faced, sweaty, determined.

They all believe that, following the indulgent Christmas holidays, the quick solution to their guilt of overeating and fear of gaining weight is excessive exercise. It works for some, for sure. But, if you’re one of those people, who are frankly sick of everyone around them talking about their rigorous exercising routines which they’ve committed to since the 1^st January (and you’re betting already how long they’d last), and instead believe that a balanced way of living is the key to good health and wellbeing, stay with me.

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As I climb the stairs towards the massage studio, the air in the corridor is filled with the warming scents of herbs and oils. Clare greets me with a smile.
“Welcome back,” she says, inviting me in. “How are you feeling?”

Inside, there’s a massage table ready for me, but first, we sit in low, leather armchairs facing each other. Clare is an Ayurvedic massage practitioner and nutritionist, and she begins every treatment with a conversation to understand my body and emotional state of mind.

I know this is important in Ayurvedic practice, so I share about my recent anxiety, and where I feel tension and the stress I’ve been carrying. It’s always the upper right part of my back, towards the neck, that feels the worst, a legacy of years hunched over a desk. Clare knows me well by now; I’ve been coming for her Traditional Ayurvedic Marma Points massage for a few years, ever since she opened her Lotus studio in East London.

This isn’t me, obviously, but the image represents the atmosphere.

I first discovered Ayurveda about fifteen years ago when I was a new mother. My baby had a compromised immune system and severe eczema. Her skin was so raw that she cried in pain day and night. Doctors prescribed steroid creams and antibiotics, but nothing worked long-term. After a few months, I began researching holistic options with the intensity of a sleep-deprived mother desperate to find relief. That’s when I stumbled upon an article about Ayurveda, which was described as an ancient and holistic approach to health that focuses on balance and prevention rather than treating symptoms alone.

Ayurveda, I learned later, originated in India over 5,000 years ago, and derives its name from the Sanskrit words ayur (life) and veda (knowledge). It teaches that imbalances in the body, mind, and consciousness lead to disease. Through a combination of diet, herbs, massage, meditation, and lifestyle adjustments, Ayurveda aims to restore balance. I got in touch with Ayurveda practitioners, purchased books and, seeing the benefits for myself, I’ve tried to adhere to the advice as much as I can.

“How’s your diet been?” Clare asks. In Ayurveda, what and how you eat is super important for your health. She isn’t asking whether I’ve been indulging in chocolate or crisps (although, for certain doshas, dry foods and fried snacks are a no-go). She’s referring to the six Ayurvedic tastes: sweet, sour, salty, bitter, pungent, and astringent, and how incorporating the right balance of these can nurture your dosha.

You’re probably wondering what a dosha is. According to Ayurveda, every person has a unique constitution defined by three doshas: Vata, Pitta, and Kapha. These energies, composed of different elements, govern physical and mental characteristics:

• Vata (air and space): movement, creativity, flexibility.

• Pitta (fire and water): digestion, metabolism, determination.

• Kapha (earth and water): stability, strength, calmness.

While everyone has a mix of these, most people are dominated by one or two. I’m predominantly Pitta – fire and water. When balanced, I feel productive, eloquent, energetic and sociable. But, an imbalance can lead to inflammation, frustration, anxiety and exhaustion. Sounds familiar? For me, the remedy is cooling foods, moderate exercise, and grounding rituals.