Children need routine and rhythm for healthy development. Ayurveda and Western medicine absolutely agree on this because without a regular routine, children have difficulties handling the flood of stimuli in their lives. Common consequences are restlessness, hyperactivity and anxiety. The children can’t find balance. From the point of view of Ayurveda, this is an expression of too much Vata. An ayurvedic approach to establishing a daily routine, one that creates balance, can help restore order among the doshas or maintain dosha balance in the first place.

Anyone who drinks a glass of water on an empty stomach first thing in the morning has already done a lot for themselves. From an ayurvedic point of view, drinking water helps with inner cleansing and stimulates morning bowel movements. In the case of children, you can apply this recommendation starting at age one.

Similarly to adults, we suggest that children start their day with an ayurvedic morning routine. The detailed steps are as follows: Inner cleansing: Make sure your child takes the time to empty its bladder and bowel. Abhyanga: For babies, the morning whole-body massage is carried out by parents or another adult. Gently rub the little ones with ripened sesame oil for approx. 10 to 15 minutes. Older children (as of approx. 8 years of age) and teenagers can do the massage themselves and use a massage oil suited to their dosha type: (Vata Massage Oil for dry to normal skin, Pitta Massage Oil for sensitive skin types and Kapha Massage Oil for oily skin to skin that tends to develop blemishes) – each diluted with sesame oil, if necessary.

he goal of all nutrition is to give our body, and thus every single cell, sufficient nourishment and energy. The requirement for that is to thoroughly digest the food. Here, according to Ayurveda, the digestive fire Agni comes into play. Only when it burns properly, are our cells well looked after and minimal waste material (Ama) is produced. Correspondingly, ayurvedic cuisine not only values a healthy and wholesome diet, but also various spices and other ingredients that stimulate the digestive fire. According to Ayurveda, they build the basis for good physical and mental performance and for preventing illnesses and everyday aches and pains. Otherwise, you may suffer from bloating, fatigue, skin blemishes, problems concentrating and other issues. By the way: The basic principles of ayurvedic cuisine resulting from this ayurvedic understanding apply to both children and adults.