Habits Hurt or Heal
Sep 20, 2026
After my final Autumn Equinox Retreat I led yesterday (bittersweet to let that go, but it's time), I found myself reflecting on the power of habits to determine how we experience our lives.
There are habits that we cultivate and normalize in our caffeinated, tech addicted, over medicated, and instant gratification culture that do not serve us in the long run. There are also habits that align with the rhythms of nature and ultimate create more ease. But these habits often require more effort to implement because they go against the grain of modern culture which has forgotten that we are part of nature (like going to bed earlier in the Autumn and Winter, eating a nourishing lunch and lighter dinner, and waking before the sunrise).
Ayurveda invites us to become curious about why we reach for certain habits in the first place.
Are you looking for energy? Comfort? A way to relax? A little time for yourself? A way to release stress?
Once we understand the need underneath the habit, we can start finding other ways to meet it that have a better outcome in the long game of life.
Try this now: What is one habit that you would like to change?
Clearly name it.
Now, think about what need that habit fulfills for you.
And, what are the downsides to it?
Then ask yourself if there is another way you could meet the need that, over time, would give you a more beneficial outcome.
For example: Maybe the habit that you would like to change is drinking coffee in the afternoon to give you a "pick-me-up." What it gives you is instant energy which may help your productivity for the rest of the day. The downside is that it may interfere with your sleep and make you groggy the next day (a vicious cycle).
A couple alternatives that you might focus on to get the outcome of having stable energy in the afternoon are going to bed earlier, waking up before the sunrise, staying hydrated, and eating a more nourishing lunch. Each of these beneficial habits helps us align with the rhythms of nature and feel better and better each day. Even implementing one of these habits can move the needle on the afternoon energy dips!
Ayurveda doesn't ask us to completely overhaul our lives overnight. It teaches us to pay attention, make small adjustments, and notice what actually supports us.
This is why I love Ayurveda! We steadily build ojas, our essential vitality sap, so that we are not constantly in a state of depletion looking for something to fix us.
Over time, those small, intentional choices can become habits that feel natural and not restrictive.
Cheers to your radiant vitality this Autumn!
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