Swap the Expensive Hangover for a Nourishing Ritual
- Nandini Austin
- 1 day ago
- 3 min read
Updated: 1 day ago
A gentler way to celebrate, connect, and nourish yourself.
by Ayurveda Embodiment Guide and Ayurvedancer Nandini Natasha Austin
As we wind down the weekend and prepare for the week ahead, I’ve been thinking about how we can shift our energy from simply pushing through to actually nourishing ourselves.
Hello Darlings,
If February feels a bit brutal, don’t worry, you’re not alone. You're just exhausted from living through winter. It’s long and even if the calendar still demands we show up polished, present, and productive, the energy just isn't there. The days are short, and many of us find ourselves running on routine and momentum rather than real nourishment.
If you’ve spent years in busy, high-pressure environments, in corporate roles, hospitality, leadership and client work—you’re familiar with the culture of "celebration" that often depletes more than it restores. Expensive nights out, late dinners, drinks “to unwind,” and socializing that leaves you foggy the next day. These patterns feel normal because they’re woven into how we connect.
But here’s the thing: when celebration repeatedly costs you your energy, your digestion, and your clarity—it stops being joyful and starts being draining.
In Ayurveda, we call this Prajnaparadha—or the "Failure of the Intellect."
It’s when the mind repeatedly chooses what feels addictive and euphoric in the moment, even when the body pays a price later. It’s not a judgment—it’s human. And it’s totally understandable, especially when social and professional culture has trained us to equate connection with drinking or rich food.
Love as Nourishment, Not Exhaustion
Let’s be honest: traditional “night out” energy, late dinners and alcohol-heavy nights
often doesn’t align with our modern bodies, especially once we’re past our 30s. Our circadian rhythms shift, our nervous system signals differently, and we start to notice the cost of things we once shrugged off.
In modern work culture, energy—not time—is the real currency. When your energy is scattered, decisions feel harder, creativity dries up, and sleep becomes shallow. You can read more about the 5 ways your energy gets zapped during the workday in my earlier blog, When energy is supported, clarity returns, digestion improves, and pleasure feels accessible again.
So what if we re imagined celebration? Not as something that leaves us tired or depleted, but something that supports our nervous system, our digestion, and our sense of connection.
This month, I’m offering something gentler but no less joyful!
Instead of an expensive night out that costs you energy the next day, 'Nourish' is a 90-minute experience designed as a reset. It’s the kind of celebration that lifts, not drains letting you show up more fully in life and work.
In Ayurveda, the subtle stuff matters. If you’ve been craving a way to feel lighter, clearer, and actually connected without the hangover or the crash my 'Nourish' experience might be the antidote you have been looking for.
Self-maintenance isn't about restriction; it's about listening earlier to what your body needs so you don't pay for choices that deplete you later.
February doesn’t need to be performative. It just needs to be steady:
Small Rituals and Routines - (try my Mauritian spicy soup for grounding my energy)
Warmth
Low Expectations
Gentle Discipline
Finding Joy in the smallest of acts.
A February Soundtrack
Nourishment isn’t just about food. Sound is one of the fastest ways to regulate the nervous system and soften the edges of the day—especially in winter. I’m sharing a deep House track by Lithuanian producers Mario & Vidis featuring Ernesto. called Changed that has a line, that been motivating me during the cold month, It sums up how I feel about getting through this month... ‘I’ll be alright.... right..., right...’
So remember February isn't a month for pushing harder. It’s a month for nourishing smarter.
P.S. If you feel the need to move your body and shake off the stagnant energy of winter, come join my community dance class
Where: People's Place, Kingston When: Friday, Feb 20th @ 10:30 AM
Cheers
Nandini Natasha Austin
Ayurvedic Embodiment Guide
Book a 30-minute Discovery Call here] to discuss a workshop or executive coaching.
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