10| Ayurveda and Clay: Ritual
originally written 21st april 2026
An exploration of how ordinary moments, when approached with care, can become sacred acts of healing and remembrance
I sit writing as the rain tumbles down outside. Our lush forestry garden in North Western Nairobi is clearly appreciating the cleansing rain. Leaves brightening, flowers drinking, sunbirds sheltering wherever they can. In front of me, a card reminds me of the words of the Dalai Lama “Love and compassion are necessities not luxuries, without them humanity cannot survive” and to my right another reads: “The greatest thing you’ll ever learn is just to love and be loved”. It strikes me how essential that word learn seems to be when it comes to the heart; such a powerful organ of transformation and yet so often wounded, so often left in a dark corner ignored… A Palo Santo (Bursera graveolens) stick gently burns her mysterious nature, helping me to clear the heaviness that this wet Spring season is bringing with her into my body and mind. A large beeswax candle gently burns a single golden flame, their two sisters being less obedient this morning for a reason I know not. And, the sounds of Chantress Seba float through the air, dancing with the sweet, earthy smelling Palo smoke and further bringing me a sense of focus.
From Routine to Ritual
I often associated the word ‘focus’ with a sharp, sometimes overbearing quality. It has a commanding nature to it - I must focus. And the same could be said for the word ‘routine’. There is a rigidity to it; a march rather than a waltz; my body contracts a little when I hold the word in my consciousness, almost making me want to sigh. Yet I appreciate and understand the benefits of routine, particularly for someone like me who has a lot of air//ether (Vata) in me naturally. Someone once said to me that it is beautiful to be in a state of flow and synchronicity, to move like that river - yet even the flowing river needs the structure of her banks so that she flows towards something rather than spilling out, flooding and eventually becoming stagnant. I suppose it is more the word itself that sits a little sticky inside of my free-spirited self.
Instead the word ‘ritual’ seems to carry a softness that I am increasingly finding I both long for and ultimately need. When I hold this word within me I feel an aliveness, a longing of sorts. I find it helpful to apply a ritualistic mindset to said routines. Preparing my body for the day is, afterall, a ritual. It carries energy rather than dullness. I find it intriguing how powerful our choices in language are - words can carry very different meanings to different people, especially across cultures and translations. Ritual, to me, has a sense of sacredness to it that routine does not. And Ayurveda has taught me that the single most important thing we can do to support our health is to remember our true nature as spirit. Rituals alone may not support this journey of remembrance but they certainly help. They act as an intentional moment to deepen our aspiration towards a more aligned life, particularly if performed in a connected, spirited way and with a state of mesmerised presence; performed from the heart and not the head. If a ritual is performed from the heart it can support us to live a life, more broadly, that is rooted in the heart. Not only does this undoubtedly unlock greater wellbeing but it can transform our relationships with each other, with the world and ourselves.
Vata & Palo Santo Smoke
The warming nature of Palo Santo particularly helps people of Vata nature to rebalance, calm and go inwards. The aromatic oils in the tree that are released into the atmosphere when burnt help to soothe a nervous system that is working in overdrive, that feels agitated or fearful; helping vitality to be restored and with it, a sense of trust.
As it also slightly enhances prana in the subtle body, I find it particularly supportive when I am writing creatively as it helps me to enter a flow state, bringing me into awareness with my breath but also bringing a more centred mind.
Ayurveda and the Rhythm of Daily Life
In Ayurveda we speak a lot about the importance of routines, in particular those around the morning hours - how we choose to start our day - and in regards to how we eat. Yet the encouragement is to always enter with a softness. To be forgiving when we step outside of what we dreamt up to support ourselves. We are, and will always be, imperfect human beings and so self-compassion becomes one of the most important things we can practice. Self-compassion, in this way, can even become its own ritual. If we critique ourselves when we are simply too tired to meditate in the morning or to sit down whilst eating, then the ripple effect on our psyche and nervous system becomes more damaging than the act itself (the Buddha called this the ‘second arrow’). Further taking us away from the state of harmony that was our original intention for moving in the way we wanted to. And, similarly, the how in which we carry out our routines is often more important than the what. Do we brush our teeth or do we become the brushing of our teeth?
“Routines can be harnessed to focus on the present moment. Single pointed awareness reduces stress, the mind becomes peaceful and the body can remain healthy.” ~ Dr Mark Halpern
More broadly, Ayurveda encourages living life in sync with nature’s rhythms and with this the internal body clock (dinacharya). It is taught that different elements rise and fall in their strength depending on the time of day, influencing our mental state and bodily functions accordingly. Therefore, if we can align our routines to the flow of these energies then we better help our body and mind to heal and rebalance. For example, the morning hours (6-10am) are Kapha times of day so the earth and water elements are strongest. This grounding, inward energy is supportive of meditation and also movement to help get the digestive and lymphatic system moving.
Image Courtesy of Anima Mundi Herbals
It is beautiful to have the ritual of seeing these morning hours as ones where we pay attention to ourselves and the needs of our body, mind and spirit. Rather than seeing morning hygiene practices as a chore, we can meet them as acts of self-care and self-connection. Ayurveda encourages many simple rituals in the morning:
Clean that Tongue - start at the back of your tongue and scrape the toxic layer towards the front; repeat about 5 times. Don’t press too hard or you can damage your taste buds. Check to see the colour of the coating as this helps you to know what dosa (Vata, Pitta or Kapha) is vitiated in your body currently.
Brush those Nashers - ideally with an Ayurvedic toothpaste (if you’re in Nairobi the Spice Market on 5th Parklands does a great one) as the herbs have antiseptic and anti-inflammatory properties.
Clear them Bowels - if we don’t do this first thing, just imagine that everything is festering in your body and creating more toxins that will need to be expelled. It also helps the body to feel lighter so you can step into your day with more zest. If you struggle with this, try perching in the squat position near the loo for 5 minutes first and do without distractions - yes that means no bringing the phone into the loo!
Refresh your Eyes - this helps to keep your eyes supple. It’s only really necessary once a week but is truly refreshing. I use rose water from Uhuru Flowers in Laikipia.
Clear that Shnozzle - a neti pot is a great way to remove excess mucus or pollen from sinuses that might be making your brain foggy. Mix ¼ tsp salt with 250ml warm filtered water or licorice ‘tea’ infusion and perform on both sides, blowing your nose afterwards to get any stuck water out. I like to massage the base of my nose with a little sesame oil afterwards to counter any dryness from the salt.
Oil Pull - swizzle sesame or coconut oil your mouth to dislodge debris, reduce bacteria in mouth and strengthen gums. Do for anywhere between 5-20 minutes; I tend to do about 3. Traditionally gargling is recommended too.
Massage that Bodice - a deeply nourishing practice to support all the tissues and organs as well as remove fatigue, kickstart the lymph system and circulate blood around the body. Different oils are recommended depending on your constitution; heavier oils for Vata due to the inherent dry nature and lighter for Kapha because of the heaviness and oiliness of the body naturally. Traditionally for Vata and Pitta the massage would be performed from head to toe to help ground and Kapha from toe to head to stimulate, but personally I like to do it so that I stroke in the direction of where the key lymphatic drainage points are.
Cleanse Yourself - showering (not necessarily with soap) washes away any toxins that have been released from the body during the night and generally sets you up for the day with a sense of freshness.
Ritual as Discovery
FEAR NOT!
Yes, having a clean body makes you feel better and is beneficial to our vitality BUT, you do not have to do these all at once!! See it more as a journey of discovery. When you look at the list above I would recommend that you pick two that feel most appealing and start with them and if you want to throw in one that you have the most resistance to doing, you could do that too. There is a lot to be learnt from attuning to our discomforts.
Personally, as I journey towards becoming an Ayurvedic practitioner there are countless times where I don’t wake in the way that I’d like to, or eat in the way that I know supports me. Going to bed a little too late means waking a little too late to give space to the little practices that support my body to stay in balance. In these instances, I try not to blame but notice the gap and simply choose which of the practices my body is asking for most in the moment. Is it movement? Would practicing a short asana series set me up right, particularly if I perform it meditatively. Or do I need to bring myself some self-love, some touch and so rhythmically performing self- massage (abhyanga) with sesame oil may be the nourishment I need most.
The lesson I am learning the most consistently is indeed, the importance of going to sleep by ~10pm to enable me to rise with the sun and have enough time to engage in these rituals. I need my sleep (people with Vata constitution or imbalance need the most sleep) and I also know how important detoxification is given the world we live in (sleeping is one of the most supportive acts for detoxing), so adapting my life so that I can be in bed as many nights as possible by this time becomes evermore essential.
The practices that have moved into the space of ritual for me are:
Cleaning my tongue…I do just LOVE seeing that gunk come off, it is oddly satisfying being able to physically watch toxins leave my body for a new destiny down the drain! A little tip here is make sure you clean your tongue BEFORE drinking anything. If you drink first then some of those toxins (ama) will find their way back into your body.
Oil pulling…there is something playful about swilling sesame oil around the mouth until it goes white. I like to imagine it caressing my gums and nourishing them deeply…sometimes I stick my finger in my mouth too and really massage the oil into my gums, but the oil does drip down my wrist more often than I’d like to admit!
Facial lymphatic drainage…I don’t feel moved to perform full self-massage every morning but I do find it soothing to drain my face daily knowing that I often get clogged up in my sinuses. In Kenya Fey Botanicals do a lovely gua stick and Provisions Kenya a stunning Cape Chestnut face oil. Again there is something moving about gazing at oneself softly in the mirror whilst performing rhythmic strokes of face and neck, particularly if coupled with uttering self-affirmations internally.
Yoga & meditation…the latter is non-negotiable and the former slowly becoming so. The difference I feel when I have started the day with an embodiment practice followed by stillness is second to none. My reactivity lessens, my sense of worth and trust amplifies and my whole nervous system feels supported. By connecting with my spiritual heart each morning I can taste the mystery and magnitude of life which shapes how I move, how I interact, how I exist. For me, meditation has a different degree of depth to it if I sit after having first opened up all the channels of my body and begun to weave together my body and mind through yoga. I’ll often have an incense or some sort of aroma wafting around me during this time too which again simply helps to move my mind to calmer realms and calms the heaviness that Kapha mornings bring with them.
Again, my encouragement is to see these practices as ones of ritual rather than routine. To fall a little bit in love with them and know they are loving you in return.
What Clay Teaches About Completion
Clay teaches us the same. When we are in the studio we make a mess. I make A LOT of mess. Yet there is something ritualistic about cleaning the space and wheel after we have finished our creative act. I tend to burn incense even though I may not enjoy its smell to its end or put on some mantras and slowly wipe away the surfaces, tidy the utensils and wash the wheel. It’s a sort of completion, a time where I can give gratitude to the space I am creating in, the clay for transforming into something new, myself for choosing to spend these hours in flow, in embodiment, beyond mind, in surrender.
There is something potent about something messy becoming cleaned. Same goes for making the bed in the morning or tidying our space before beginning something or inhabiting it. I always notice this inner smile appearing once the final wipe has been made or item moved. When I was younger this was never the case; room chaos, bed a nest, hair a jungle. I didn’t feel it at the time, but I imagine that the subtle effect this was having on me was not insignificant. We have to learn these things in our own time, in our own way though. Perhaps that is one of the hardest things about being a parent; sensing there could be a better way and yet knowing that direct experience is the most powerful way in which to learn and to truly feel the why of those lessons.
So as you find your own rituals that support your body, mind and spirit my word of encouragement would be to engage your senses. We are sensory beings and in an overstimulated world, figuring out the practices that help you to calm your system at the same time is important, and joyful. Attuning to the sounds of the birds as you eliminate or noticing the beauty of your own radiance as you coat yourself with oil will contribute to you finding a more balanced state of being, particularly if done so when attuned to your breath. Just as clay transforms through touch and care, so too do we - shaped quietly by the rituals we return to each day. And perhaps, in these small rituals, we slowly remember how to live with greater presence, softness and reverence for life itself.
With peace, Tash x
What’s been sparking my curiosity?
Hearing: the sound of rain pitter pattering on grateful leaves throughout the night; my bedroom turned into the rainforest, a sense of being in and of nature not separate.
Seeing: the joy in people’s step as they engage creatively with the facets of longevity that are most important - community, presence, good food, creativity, nature, movement (article to come!) - as co-curated an experience Exploring Longevity.
Tasting: senna and wild african basil in hope to continue supporting the clearing of parasites (thanks Umai Naturals).
Smelling: the inside of a stingless bee honey box, so intricate, so poetic; aromas of honey and wax embedded into the hive walls.
Touching: a body coated in sweat droplets as detoxify in the sauna; moving ravines of sweat onto my kikoi in big sweeps only for them to return within moments.
Feeling: the vibrational spandha in the middle of my chest, slightly to the right; a subtle reminder of what exists inside all of us.
“Soul is present wherever our lives intersect the dimension of the holy: in moments of intimacy, in flights of fancy, and in rituals that hallow the evanescent events of our lives with enduring significance. Soul is what makes each of our lives a microcosm — not merely a meaningless fragment of the universe, but at some level a reflection of the whole.” ~ Gary Kowalski
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