For those looking to adopt a more natural, mindful approach to health, the practice of Ayurveda may be the way to go. But what exactly is it?

Ayurveda is a traditional Hindu system of medicine that focuses on balancing the mind and body by catering to an individual's dosha, or mind-body type. (You can take a handy online quiz like this one to discover your dosha).

The Chopra Center — headed by alternative medicine advocate Deepak Chopra, M.D. — shares that the two main guiding principles of Ayurveda are that "the mind and body are inextricably connected," and that "nothing has more power to heal and transform the body than the mind." In other words, caring for your mental health will in turn enhance your physical health, and vice versa.

When it comes to incorporating Ayurvedic practices into everyday life, Shel Pink wrote the book — literally. As the founder of SpaRitual and author of "Slow Beauty," Pink has been a practitioner of Ayurveda for over 20 years. "Slow Beauty" is a great introduction to daily rituals, diet changes, meditations and exercises of Ayurveda, all of which make it feel accessible to both new and experienced practitioners alike.

We spoke to Pink about a few simple, low-commitment Ayurvedic techniques that are super easy to incorporate into your daily routine. Here are five simple steps that you can start taking right away.

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Wake up your body and start generating more oxytocin with a daily massage. According to "Slow Beauty," performing a simple self-massage — or "abhyanga" — is incredibly beneficial, and increases circulation, calms nerves, nourishes skin and tissues, and reduces anxiety — just to name a few of the benefits.

Want to try it yourself? Begin at your feet, and use your hands to apply oil and to rub up the body in a circular motion. Pink says the more you do the massages, the more in tune you become with your own body. You can begin to feel where your body holds stress, and work towards alleviating it.

For facial massages, try incorporating a face massager such as the Ranavat Botanics' Kansa Wand, $65. This Ayurvedic facial massage tool is made from pure kansa (aka tin and copper), and is perfect for applying oils to the face, as well as increasing blood flow, balancing skin acidity and calming inflammation.

Think you don't have time? Pink says this ritual can be accomplished in as quickly as three minutes.

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While you're sleeping, bacteria accumulates on the tongue. Start your morning by using a metal tongue scraper to rid yourself of all that buildup. Do this even before you brush your teeth... you'll be surprised by what a big difference it makes in your oral hygiene!

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Take a moment to connect with nature each day. It can be as simple as "literally just opening the door in the morning and getting light into [your] eyes and sitting outside."

One benefit of this, according to "Slow Beauty," is that by taking in "First Light," this exposure to natural light in the morning "helps reset our body clock, which assists in the processes of our internal rhythm working optimally."

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Before getting into the shower, take a moment to exfoliate the skin by dry brushing. Pink says that this simple practice really wakes up the body, and tones and clarifies the skin. (Fun fact: Gwyneth Paltrow says she's a fan!)

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