Carina - Cici’s Ayurveda
Carina is an Ayurvedic Health & Healing Coach and Healer, who guides women to restore the balance of their mind, body and spirit through Ayurveda, spiritual psychology and holistic healing. Her approach is empowerment focused, gentle, and heart lead, as she guides you through a journey of transformation to reclaim your power. Carina has helped women with anxiety, stress, depression, PTSD, low self-esteem and confidence, self harm, eating disorders and more. Here we learn about Carina’s experience of Ayurveda and how we can integrate this ancient practice.
How did you discover Ayurveda?
My discovery of Ayurveda wasn’t a very glamorous start I’m afraid! No one in my life at the time had an awareness of holistic living, self-care or was even practicing Yoga, which is Ayurveda’s more commonly known sister science. I was at the depths of my health journey, and exhaustingly navigating the wellness industry searching for ways to heal. I was back and forth between Western medical experts, hospitals and waiting rooms, desperate to find answers about my health and the root cause of my chronic issues, but no one had any. I remember the moment i first came across Ayurveda; it was 4am, I was awake crying in such severe pain which crippled my body everyday and remember pleading out, “Please show me how to heal, I can’t do this anymore”, by this point I had tried everything possible, including homeopaths, yet my health kept declining. I reached for my laptop, and put into Youtube “How to heal naturally”, there it was, for the first time I saw the rather intriguing word “Ayurveda,” my spirit instantly lit up in a way that I had never experienced before, and I had a deep sense of knowing that everything was about to change. I felt in the dark and lost about my health until I discovered Ayurveda. For the first time ever it felt like someone had come and switched the lights on. Such a millennial way of discovery I know, and I would love to say I grew up with the science and was enlightened from a young age about this way of living, but I experienced the opposite. Everyone in my life didn’t understand at first, it was a completely alien idea to look after your body, let alone your mind! I continued to trust and listen to the path my soul was guiding me on, even now I know I could never explain in words the profound journey I have been on since that moment. Life is divine magic if you allow it to be, beautiful things happen when you listen to the guidance of your heart and soul. It won’t always be easy, but it is worth every second.
What is Ayurveda?
Ayurveda is the worlds oldest holistic health system, it is the sister science of Yoga based on the mind-body connection. It is a medical and metaphysical science which is disease prevention-focused, offering ancient wisdom on how to restore the delicate balance between the mind, body and soul through nutrition, herbs, self-care, lifestyle, yoga and more. Beyond the logic and complexity of the medical system is a science of interconnection and unconditional love for your Self, humanity and planet Earth. How to think, eat, act, speak, move, rise and sleep with conscious awareness in alignment with the rhythm of nature, so the wellness you reap may overflow from your cup and into the lives of others. It is a path of empowerment that teaches you how to be your own healer, there is no greater gift than to be able to live in the home of a body that is balanced, nourished and well. Ayurveda gives you this gift.
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Your true essence lives within your heart. The light that radiates from within seeks to rise to the surface to BE shared with the world’ ~ Carina
@SAIKI.WELLNESS
How has Ayurveda changed your life?
In more ways than anyone on this Earth will ever begin to understand! It’s why I’m so wholeheartedly passionate about the science and being able to guide others through Ayurveda to transform their lives the way it did mine is the ultimate gift, I will never work a day in my life doing what I do! Ayurveda taught me how to nourish, love, care, heal and protect my being in ways I didn’t know existed. Its wisdom is so ancient, I’ve always felt like the spirit of Ayurveda as a wise elder teaching me all the tools I needed to begin my healing and journey through each day with grace. I started my journey broken down and burnout, a lifetime of suffering from such deep-rooted pain in my heart and soul manifested through my mind and my body. However, with absolutely no education on understanding this, I thought I was going to have to just ‘cope’ with living inside hell in my mind and body - is what it felt like. For a decade I battled with PTSD, anxiety, depression, night terrors every night and just not being able to cope with ‘normal’ life. My mental health then manifested as a chronic illness in my physical body and each day was confusing and upsetting not knowing how to heal until Ayurveda came into my life. Ayurveda began to show me how to gently soothe my wounds and embark on the most empowering journey home to who I really am. I now live free of any of these ‘labels’, I wake up with joy, passion and the deepest gratitude in my heart every day. Thanks to Ayurveda’s sweet and simple wisdom, I feel free in my soul to live in joy!
How can we begin to learn how to integrate Ayurveda into our lives?
Firstly, by being willing to journey with self-compassion and that you don’t deserve to treat your mind, body and soul anything less other than divine. Ayurveda is the art of self-love and healing, and with this you must journey to embody these attributes within your heart; love, compassion and forgiveness. Before you begin integrating Ayurveda, reflect on why you want to in the first place, what part of your being is seeking your unconditional love and care? From this, you may journey forward from a place of inspired action to nurture yourself through a way of life that is built from the foundations in your heart. Ayurveda is a lifestyle, a practice which flourishes in simple ways each day, as you evolve as a multi-dimensional being here to live the life your soul is destined for. From this place of self-love, you will choose to nourish your body with wholesome foods, exercise, care for your mind, live in joy, flow with the rhythms of nature, connect to your soul and the souls of others, and most importantly, listen to your heart. Knowing they are all interconnected, as you water one, the flowers open and bloom within the other.
If you could address everyone in the world for five minutes what would you say?
YOU ARE ENOUGH! As a baby you were born into this world whole, pure and of unconditional love. No matter what you’ve been through or where you are going, the truth at the very deepest essence of who you are is love. You were not born knowing judgment, division or shame, these are conditions you have learned but they are not who you are. You were not born knowing fear, anxiety or suffering, these are experiences here to teach you but they do not define your existence. Your true essence lives within your heart. The light that radiates from within seeks to rise to the surface to share with the world - let your light shine. In a world that tells us we are not enough exactly as we are, that we need to achieve more, do more, buy more - be the rebel. Be the rebel by giving yourself permission to be exactly who you are; no matter what that looks like, do everything it takes to liberate your heart and soul and don’t stop until you reach the light on the other side. You are enough and always have been, free yourself from the shackles of your mind and live life in the joy that seeks to find you. I would get the whole word to close their eyes, place their left hand on their heart and repeat the words “ I am enough, I am whole, I am worthy exactly as I am.”
What is your favourite ritual?
My favourite ritual is my evening Ayurvedic abhyanga infused with crystal heart energy-healing, it is simply divine and leaves me feeling so deeply soothed, grounded and in bliss. Abhyanga is the practice of full-body self-massage with warm oil infused with healing herbs and essential oils. Oil in Sanskrit is ‘Sneha’ which literally translates to apply love to the body. I light candles, incense, smudge white sage, pour a hot chamomile tea and play soothing music. After heating the oil, you begin to massage your body and send healing intentions of love to your body. Sending gratitude for how hard it works for you every day and for keeping you here alive and well. Everything that the mind thinks and says, every single cell in the body hears and responds too, so be mindful of your thoughts and the way you treat yourself. You are a sacred gift and deserve to be honoured that way. After I have massaged in the oil, I place rose quartz and selenite crystals on my chakras and self-energy heal, focusing on my heart chakra. To say you feel like a silky smooth glowing angel after is an understatement!
What other wellness routines do you include in your day to day life?
In Ayurveda your Dinacharya, which is your daily routine, is seen as sacred and lays the foundation to keep your holistic wellbeing nourished and in balance. It is a time for introspection, self-nurturing and checking in with your soul. My wellness routine essentials which are daily non-negotiables for me include; tongue scraping, oil pulling, starting the day with hot herbal tea on an empty stomach, abhyanga hasta (hands), pada (feet) and hrdya (heart), journaling, gratitude, meditation, stretching, walk in nature, listening to the birds sing, and laughing! Laughter, play and silliness is definitely the most important out of them all. If we can’t find the joy in our lives and in the small things, which are actually the bigs things, then what are we even doing this all for?! No matter how dark your days may feel at times, how overwhelming and confusing the world may feel, when we connect to our Highest Self and give ourselves permission to ascend beyond the fear limitations of the Ego, just for a moment, we ease into remembering the light that it is guiding us through the darkness out to the other side, is that of joy. Your soul wants to experience love, gratitude and compassion as much as it is meant to experience the human conditions of fear, suffering and pain. All of them are here to guide you to your growth and guide you home, back to the place where you started, to love.
How can people follow you and get involved?
You can join the CiCis Collective at @cicisayurveda on instagram and at www.cicisayurveda.com where i provide lots of free information, tools and resources on Ayurveda. On the website you can also book in for a private Ayurvedic Health Consultation or Wellness & Healing Coach- ing to support you on your journey to discover the health, healing and happiness that you deserve.