How to Create the Ultimate Ayurvedic Wellness Routine

As a Libra, I’m on an eternal quest for balance, though admittedly, it’s a state I haven’t quite mastered. Whether it’s work, sleep, diet, or my personal life, there’s always a touch of chaotic energy bubbling just beneath the surface. In the past year, especially, there has been a disconnect between me and my body. From emergency gallbladder surgery to newly diagnosed menopause (early for my age), I’ve often felt like I was having an out-of-body experience, and not in the cool, mystical way that I prefer. This might be why I found myself gravitating towards the study of Ayurveda, the ancient Indian system of holistic medicine that dates back over 5,000 years, and is essentially rooted in the wisdom of balance.

At its core, Ayurveda believes that health and beauty are maintained by balancing the three doshas—vata, pitta, and kapha—which are energetic forces that govern physiological and psychological functions. Each person has a unique combination of these doshas, known as their prakriti or constitution, with usually one dominant dosha (mine is kapha). When your doshas are in balance, you feel radiant, energized, and all-around healthy. When they’re out of balance, from a poor diet, stress, lack of sleep, etc., it can manifest as everything from breakouts and bloating to serious burnout. (I figured my doshas were out of whack, but I also questioned whether they’d ever been in harmony!)

Even if you aren’t familiar with this ancient system, chances are you’ve probably seen impressions of it, as modern beauty and wellness routines often include Ayurvedic practices like tongue scraping, dry brushing, oil massage (Abhyanga), oil pulling, herbal face masks (Ubtans), and the use of potent plant ingredients like turmeric, rose, ashwaghanda, ginger, and neem. But Ayurveda goes beyond the surface. “Beauty comes from within,” Martha Soffer, the renowned Ayurvedic panchakarma expert, Ayurvedic chef, herbal Rasayanist, master Ayurvedic pulse diagnostician, and founder of Surya Spa in Santa Monica, California, told me. Yes, it’s something we’ve all heard before, but in Ayurveda, it’s not just a feel-good platitude. It’s a foundational truth.

For years, celebrities such as Gwyneth Paltrow, Kourtney Kardashian, and Kate Hudson have visited Surya Spa to find balance through restorative treatments, yoga, cooking, and meditation classes, as well as its panchakarma series, which can last from three to 28 days, and is centered on cleansing, detoxing, and restoring balance to the body, mind, and emotions. While I haven’t done a panchakarma yet, I was able to experience some of Surya’s magic, including the spa’s popular Nourish and Restore treatment, aka Abhyanga + Shirodara. This features a four-handed massage (Abhyanga) using herbal-infused oils customized to your dosha. It ends with the Shirodara, which is where warm herbal oil is continuously poured onto the forehead, or third eye. This was my favorite part—I saw something in my mind’s eye that looked like old, wooden drawers being opened, one after another. Analyze that, if you will.

(Image credit: Marie Lodi)

I also had a consultation with Soffer, who took one look at my tongue and didn’t hesitate. Eeek! “Your tongue is really white, which means that things are not moving right,” she said, referring to my weak digestion. According to Ayurvedic tradition, the tongue is a reflection of what’s going on internally, specifically the strength of your agni, or digestive fire. That one comment made me realize that even with my beloved tongue scraper, there was more work to be done on the inside (literally).

When it comes to feeling your best, Soffer says it starts with what’s on your plate and how you prepare it. To retain its prana, or life-giving energy, food should be fresh, which means that leftovers or Sunday meal prep are not ideal. “If you think about it, putting foods that aren’t fresh and already oxidized, all that starts to accumulate. It’s like putting a quarter in the piggy bank every day…the accumulation of that is not going to be good for your body,” she warned. She encouraged me to eat lighter and simpler, exchanging heavy foods like red meat and dairy for warm, fresh, seasonal dishes made with nourishing ghee and digestive spices like ginger and cumin. This short cleanse would help move all that stagnant energy in my body, aligning it with a new season.

(Image credit: Marie Lodi)

(Image credit: Marie Lodi)

But even the most balanced diet won’t do much without good sleep. Staying up late (which I tend to do) goes against the body’s natural circadian rhythm and can leave you feeling wired and depleted. Soffer recommended I follow the Ayurvedic clock, which divides the day into shifts that correspond to each dosha, and also means I’d be going to sleep by 10 p.m. and waking up before 6 a.m. “If you wake up before the kapha time, which is between 6 and 10, even if it’s just a few minutes, you get the energy through the day, and you won’t feel sluggish, and your mind feels amazing.” I absolutely believe this is true, and I felt incredible during the days I’ve been able to stick to this schedule, but it has definitely been a struggle to maintain.