Finding Emotional Balance: Five Simple Practices for Wellness

We're all on a journey toward finding balance in life. Keep reading to learn different methods of finding or getting closer to emotional balance, including holistic practices and using tinctures that blend CBD and essential oils.

by Stacy Mosel, LMSW

We all know that finding balance in life is crucial for maintaining physical, mental and emotional wellness.

But the truth is that managing a busy schedule combined with the chaos and stress going on in the world nowadays may make a balanced life seem like an impossible dream.

Here at the Root of It All, we believe that achieving mind and body balance is the key to health and well-being, so we wanted to share five easy ways to help you find emotional balance in your daily life. Read on to learn more about holistic practices and tinctures that combine CBD and essential oils to help you find a greater sense of ease and peace.

1. Meditate for Your Dosha

Many people realize that meditation can help calm a busy mind and promote a sense of stability and ease. What you might not know is that Ayurvedic meditation styles may help reverse imbalances in your dosha (your Ayurvedic body type) and restoring emotional balance. If you’re not sure what your dosha is, you can learn more here. 

The Kripalu Center recommends the following meditation styles for different doshas:

• Walking meditation for Kapha. This meditation helps to burn off excess Kapha and helps decrease feelings of sluggishness and lethargy. Reserve 15-20 minutes to spend in a quiet location (indoors or outdoors is fine). Take your shoes off and stand still for a moment as you connect with your breath. Then start to take slow, mindful steps forward or in a circle (depending on how much space you have), feeling the sensations in your feet and tuning into your body as you move. 
• Breath meditation for pitta. This meditation aims to help reduce the heat and stress associated with excess pitta. Sit in an erect yet relaxed posture, keeping your spine straight and your hands resting in your lap. You can close your eyes if you wish. Focus on the rise and fall of your abdomen as you breathe in and out and try to lengthen your exhales softly. If you get distracted, you might try counting each breath as follows: 1, breathing in; 1, breathing out; 2, breathing in; 2, breathing out, and so on. Start with five minutes of practice, gradually building up to 20 minutes (or more if you wish).
• Mantra meditation for Vata. This meditation can help focus your mind and body when you’re struggling with excess Vata that can manifest as tension, stress and worry. You can use mala beads if you have them to help focus your mind on the mantra, or you can simply touch your thumb to your fingers as you repeat the mantra. Clinical Ayurvedic practitioner Jasmine Astra-elle Grace  advises the following mantras for Vata: “Vam (Vum), Lam (Lum), Gam (Gum), Klim (Kleem), Shrim (Shreem), Hrim (Hreem),” “Aum Kleem Shreem Hreem Namaha,” or “Vum, Lum Aum.” You can read more about the meaning and benefit of these mantras on her website. The idea is to chant each mantra aloud 108 times. 

Since I have a combined Pitta-Kapha dosha, I try to alternate different forms of meditation during the week, depending on what I feel my body needs at the moment. You don’t have to stick to just one type of meditation — feel free to experiment with what works best for you. While I mostly practice breath awareness meditation, I incorporate the walking meditation at least twice a week in an outdoor setting, where I can tune in to what’s going on in my inner world. Walking outdoors and focusing on my breath helps me feel a sense of balance and connection to nature, especially during times of stress. But if you can’t walk outside, walking in circles in your living room can provide the same benefits — it might sound a bit silly, but give it a try and see how you feel calmer and more focused afterward. 

2. Cultivate an Ayurvedic Yoga Practice

Yoga and Ayurveda are intimately intertwined. In fact, yoga is said to be the sister practice of Ayurveda. When it comes to physical activity, different doshas have different physical and emotional needs. For example, Vatas tend to have trouble sitting still and often benefit from an active practice, such as Vinyasa or Ashtanga-style yoga. Pittas generally like to sweat and love a good challenge, so they may benefit from a practice like hot or power yoga. Kaphas usually prefer slower, steadier practices, such as yin or restorative yoga. 

Choosing the right yoga practice for your dosha can help you achieve a greater sense of harmony, especially during seasonal changes or chaotic times when your doshas can more easily become imbalanced. Check out some of Yoga Journal’s Ayurvedic home practices, poses, and flows specifically geared toward creating balance during times of seasonal change.

3. Create Balance with Essential Oils

The aroma of specific essential oils doesn’t only smell pleasing. Ayurvedic practitioners believe that certain oils also have balancing and harmonizing properties that can help alleviate excess tension and promote feelings of calmness and serenity. You might wish to use essential oils during your meditation or yoga practice to experience these added benefits. If you don’t have an essential oil diffuser (you can find inexpensive models online), you can also use 5–10 drops of your chosen oil in a warm bath or add them to a carrier oil, like almond oil, and massage into your body when you need some extra self-care. 

Ayurvedic practitioners believe that balancing essential oils for each dosha include:

• Vata: sweet, soothing, and warming oils, such as cinnamon, bergamot, vanilla, lavender, lemongrass, ginger and ylang-ylang.
• Kapha: warming and stimulating oils, such as basil, cedar, ginger, cardamom and coriander.
• Pitta: cooling oils, such as jasmine, mint, rose, chamomile and lavender.

*Note that some essential oils have multiple properties. 

4. Try a CBD Tincture

Using a CBD tincture is an easy and natural way to promote balance and restore emotional well-being.  The Root of It All carefully selects specific essential oils known for their Ayurvedic balancing properties and combines them with natural CBD extracts to create plant-based remedies that can promote a sense of relaxation and emotional balance. For example, our STOP for restful sleep blend combines chamomile, valerian root and lavender with CBD to help you ease into a naturally restorative night’s sleep, while our SLOW for relaxation tincture blends CBD with sweet fennel, basil and orange to promote calm, soothing comfort and balance. 

5. Find an Emotional Outlet

Poor emotional health can lead to excess tension and cause you to feel worse, even leading to a weakened immune system and an increased risk of colds and other infections, according to the American Academy of Family Physicians. Talking things through with a trusted friend or family member can often bring about some degree of relief. 

You might also consider journaling or just writing down a list of emotions as they arise — often, simply identifying the feeling can help to release some of its power and bring about a greater sense of ease. Consider seeking counseling if things get to be too much for you to handle on your own — everyone can benefit from a bit of extra support from time to time. 

Final Thoughts

Combining these practices can help you achieve a greater sense of balance and peace. Remember that the key to emotional balance includes taking time out every day to check in with yourself and practice self-care in whatever form you feel is best for your needs. 

Stacy Mosel, LMSW, is a health and wellness writer, as well as a licensed social worker, yoga enthusiast, certified Reiki practitioner and musician. She received a bachelor’s degree in music from the State University of New York at Stony Brook in 1999, and a master’s of social work from New York University in 2002.

Sources:

 https://kripalu.org/resources/how-choose-meditation-practice-your-dosha

https://www.yogajournal.com/lifestyle/intro-ayurveda

 https://jasminegrace.com/blog/mantras-balancing-doshas

https://yogainternational.com/article/view/bringing-ayurveda-to-your-yoga-practice-part-1

https://www.yogajournal.com/lifestyle/health/ayurveda/yoga-poses-for

https://www.ayurvedabansko.com/balance-of-doshas/

https://familydoctor.org/mindbody-connection-how-your-emotions-affect-your-health/