This is a section on Yoga. I would recommend all Yoga lovers to view my site and find out some great tips and tricks to doing yoga, and finding out what is best to eat drink and take while doing so so that your body can take the stress and make you feel better.
Are you looking for natural lower back pain relief? Do you live in Fort Collins, Colorado and wish that you could get out and do all the things this beautiful city has to offer? As you know, living in Fort Collins gives one access to a multitude of outdoor activities that can be done year round, and for those who love to stay active, there really is no better place to be. But if you’re stuck at home with a bum back, it can be hard to really get out there and do all those fun things in the Colorado sun. Even daily tasks can be daunting when dealing with lower back pain.
Thankfully Fort Collins also has a wonderful holistic community that can help you get back on your feet quickly, without the use of drugs or invasive procedures. Here are some holistic techniques to try that will get you back in the saddle again…or the snowshoes…or the skis…or the snowboard, or….well, you get the idea!
Massage
Massage is probably the best known modality for releasing tension within the body, and is an excellent way to relieve back pain. There are different styles of massage ranging from relaxation to therapeutic. The severity of your back pain will more than likely determine the style you choose. Relaxation massage is wonderful for increasing blood flow, lessening pain and tension and can possibly increase the range of motion in your back. Sports massage, neuromuscular rehabilitation techniques and other therapeutic styles focus more on increasing range motion, re-organizing muscle fibers to an appropriate resting length, and correcting established muscular patterns so they are more healthy and functional. Either way, massage is great way to relieve back pain.
Acupuncture
Acupuncture has been around for thousands of years. By focusing on the channels of energy that run through the body, also known as meridians, an Acupuncturist can recognize any blocks that are causing pain and dysfunction in the body. An Acupuncturist stimulates our meridians by placing thin needles accurately and gently underneath the skin along the lines of the energy channel. This stimulation helps to remove the blocks that are preventing our life-force from flowing freely. The result is a body that is pain-free, balanced, and healthy.
Yoga
Also an ancient practice of health and wellness, yoga has been embraced by our culture enthusiastically, and its popularity continues to grow. Yoga is a wonderful exercise to help alleviate lower back pain. Its gentle, slow and methodical stretches, coupled with deep breathing can have a profound effect on the body and mind. Yoga looks to establish in its practitioners core strength, flexibility, quiet mindfulness, and overall health.
ByTasha Enright
Let food be thy medicine, and let thy medicine be food.” -Hippocrates
Ayurveda is neither an academic subject nor a weird exotic theory. Ayurveda means “the science of life” and is a holistic approach to healing. It is based on ancient Eastern methods that help you attain health by re-establishing the body’s natural balance and energy.
Benefit from Ayurveda in your everyday life
Ayurveda is best understood as a way of life. But that does not prevent you from applying its basic principles to your everyday life, in order to benefit from them.100% Copper Neti Pot for Nasal Cleansing
For instance, did you know that when you have a cold, avoiding dairy products and sweets helps you to recover faster? Or that when you are nervous -or anxious- eating salads is NOT the best idea? You might know however that when you are irritable -or angry- spicy foods are not recommendable.
It all depends on the state of your doshas. Doshas, or humors, are the three basic constitutional types pursuant to Ayurveda: Vata, Pitta and Kapha (collectively called the tridosha). The Vata energy is composed by air and ether. The Pitta energy is made up of fire and water. The Kapha energy is composed by Earth and Water.Ayurveda Pura – Unique and inspiring Ayurvedic herbal teas
Each of us has an Ayurvedic constitution, where one of the doshas predominates over the others. Some people are bi-doshic, meaning that two of their doshas are equally strong. Generally speaking, Ayurvedic body types are as follows:
Vata people are usually thin-framed, nervous, imaginative, artistic, sensitive, and creative. Pitta people are usually medium-framed, rational, sharp-minded, competitive and goal oriented people. Kapha people are usually more heavily framed and tend to be calm, caring, patient and compassionate.
When the natural balance in your doshas is deranged, ailments appear. So the way to health is to restore their natural balance. But how do you know which of your doshas is deranged?
How to know which of your doshas needs balancing
Ayurvedic expert practitioners examine your radial pulse with their fingers (Nadi diagnosis) and are able to identify up to 95 per cent of all known diseases from your pulse alone. They also check your tongue, face, eyes, nails and lips. They look closely at your pathological symptoms and many factors involving your general lifestyle, behavior and diet, in order to make recommendations that will balance you. It is a very comprehensive and holistic way to diagnose.Ayurveda Pura – Luxurious, natural Ayurvedic cosmetics
And if you study and begin to understand Ayurveda, you realize that your own body can tell you many things. Because, as Dr. John Diamond says, “your body doesn’t lie.” If you are experiencing some ailments like depression, constipation, dizziness, restless mind, insomnia, sciatica, backache, rheumatoid arthritis, varicose veins, menstrual disorders, dry skin or even wrinkles, chances are that your Vata dosha has being deranged. Negative emotions like fear, anxiety, timidity, lack of confidence, apprehension or nervousness contribute to derange the Vata dosha.
But if you are experiencing some ailments like irritability, anger, bitter taste in the mouth, peptic ulcer, hypertension, migraine headache, liver disorder or hemorrhoids, chances are that your Pitta dosha has being deranged. Negative emotions like anger, hatred, intolerance, resentment, impatience, indignation or irritability contribute to derange the Pitta dosha.Ayurveda Pura Food Supplements – Natural Herbs for a Healthy Life
On the other side, if you are feeling very lethargic or your are experiencing ailments like sore throat, bronchitis, emphysema, or sinus congestion, chances are that your Kapha dosha has been deranged. Lethargy and negative emotions like stubbornness, possessiveness, greed or jealousy contribute to derange the Kapha dosha.
A quick Tibetan test
Your body can also tell you in some simple ways. Just observe it. Tibetans, for instance, use a simple daily test to know when they have a tendency towards a derangement of Vata, Pitta or Kapha. They collect their urine in a clear transparent jar first thing in the morning. Then they check the urine’s appearance to determine if they have an excess of air (Vata), bile (Pitta) or phlegm (Kapha) in their bodies at that moment.a href=”http://www.ayurvedapura.com/159-3-3-5.html” target=”sydney”>Ayurveda Pura Massage Oils – Exclusive Blends for the Ultimate Massage Experience
How can they tell? Simple. If the urine looks watery, almost transparent, there is an excess of air in their bodies (Vata). If the urine has a strong yellow or brownish appearance, fire (Pitta) is predominant in their bodies at that moment. If the urine looks very pale and foaming, there is a predominance of phlegm (Kapha) in their bodies.
How can you balance a Vata, Pitta or Kapha derangement?
Ayurveda offers many ways to heal and restore your natural balance and energy. A targeted diet to “pacify” your specific deranged dosha is one of them. These are the general principles:
To pacify Vata. Realize that Vata is cold and dry. So have hot drinks like ginger tea, or chamomile tea. Center your diet around broths, cheese (warm, not cold) -as long as you are not lactose intolerant-, carrots, onions and spinach -cooked, not raw-, garlic and spices.Avoid cold foods such as salads (because raw salads increase the air in your body) and ice cream. Generally speaking, avoid cold foods, raw foods and dry foods. Eat warm, oily, moist foods instead. Have also regular meal times. Regularity is important too.
To pacify Pitta. Realize that Pitta is hot. So balance it with cold light foods such as cool water, salads, yoghurt and cooling herbs. Avoid meat and alcohol. Also avoid sour, salty, fried and spicy foods. Boring diet? Not necessarily, since Pitta people can enjoy oatmeal or pancakes for breakfast, salads for lunch and rice dishes and pasta for dinner.
To balance Kapha. Realize that Kapha is heavy, cold and humid. So balance it with dry, light foods, spices, vegetables and salads. Avoid sweet and salty foods. Also avoid dairy foods (because they are heavy and produce mucus in your body), fried foods (because they are oily) and frozen foods. Wheat is not good for Kapha. But you can enjoy muesli (without wheat) for breakfast and drink apple juice instead of cold milk. You can also enjoy salads (but with very little oil-based dressing) for lunch and dishes with basmati rice (other types of rice are heavy) or millet, or baked apples with clove and cinnamon for dinner.Ayurveda Pura for natural health and inner balance
What about life styles, daily routines and leisure?
Generally speaking, Vata people need to introduce regularity to their lives. Routine is good to pacify Vata. Yoga, meditation or gentle -not exhausting- exercises are good for Vata. Pitta people, on the other hand, tend to be very organized and are sometimes too achievement-oriented, so relaxing things and activities that do not involve competition (like a relaxing walk, or water and winter sports) are good to pacify an excess of Pitta. Kapha people tend to dislike exercise, but can derive benefit from it once they are motivated. They can also benefit from activity vacations that sparkle new interests. Reviewing and changing their routine often is beneficial for Kapha people.
Any other Ayurvedic treatments?
As previously said, Ayurveda expert practitioners resort to many ways to heal and restore your natural balance and energy. A targeted diet for your dosha is just one of them. They use pre-detoxification techniques like massage with oils specific for your dosha (or snehana karma), sweat therapies (or swedana karma), yoga, internal detoxification (or panchakarma), herbal natural remedies, sound therapy (or manthra karma) and even rejuvenation therapies (or rasayana).
Ayurveda is not only about therapy. It also teaches you how to contact your own awareness, how to bring it into balance, and how to extend that balance to the body. Ayurveda is a natural holistic approach for your body, mind and spirit.
By Javier Ramon Brito
Siddha medicine or siddha practice is regarded as the oldest medicine practice of the world, older than Ayurveda itself. Siddha practitioners traditionally kept the knowledge of their medicine as a secret and were reluctant in sharing knowledge with outsiders. Siddha medicine or sidha vaidya practice remained more of less a traditional family matter and outsiders had little scope of learning this system of medicine.
However, it is to be noted that siddha vaidya or siddha system of medicine survived longer than Ayurveda and has considerable support base in Kerala, India and different parts of the world.Ayurveda Pura for natural health and inner balance
Siddha vaidya or siddha medicine is mainly the contribution of Dravidians in south India. It is believed that an ancient seer named Agastya had 18 disciples, who were called siddhas. These 18 people learned, taught and wrote extensively about almost all spheres of knowledge. Medicine was just one of them. They wrote philosophy, theosophy and literature.
Only selected families had the right to see the scriptures written on palm leaves.
Though Ayurveda was originated in north India and Siddha medicine in the south, it is Ayurveda that got much support in Kerala and South India. Still Ayurveda is given preference by more people in Kerala and Tamil Nadu.
Opening up of the knowledge in the last few decades has opened up the scope of siddha vaidya. Now there is a medical college for siddha vaidya (Santhigiri siddha vaidya medical college, Thiruvananthapuram) in Kerala and six in Tamil Nadu.
One can find similarities between Ayurveda and siddha schools of thought. Both identify microcosm (humans) and macrocosm (the universe) as an essential unit. The basic component of nature is sky, earth, water, air and fire.
Siddha in Malayalam means some kind heavenly achievement. Siddha is derived from a Tamil word Chitta which means divine perfection. Siddha medicine translates into a perfect medicine. The basic principle of siddha vaidya is to revitalize and rejuvenate organs and thereby instilling a fresh lease of life to persons. No chemicals are used or allowed in the siddha treatment.Ayurveda Pura for natural health and inner balance
The siddha system also emphasize on permanently curing the disease. That is once treated, there can be no re occurrence of the disease.
By Dev Sri
Ayurveda is an ancient Hindu system of medicine that has been practiced for thousands of years and is becoming more popular worldwide due to its natural, holistic healing approach. With many aspects that are similar to traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), it views illness as caused by an imbalance in a person’s bodily or mental constitution. It is prevention-orientated and treats the root cause of a disease instead of just the symptoms. In the Ayurvedic health care system, it is believed that diet and lifestyle modifications play a critical role in bringing each disease and health condition under control.
For many centuries, honey has been used in vital alternative medicine of Ayurveda. It is mixed with a variety of herbs and spices and made into compound for curing various ailments. The daily consumption of honey is also advocated in Ayurvedic teaching to promote good health.
Here are some common Ayurvedic home remedies using honey:
1) For severe cold, take one tablespoon lukewarm honey with 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon powder daily for 3 days. This will help clear the sinuses. (Daily use of honey and cinnamon powder also strengthens the immune system and protects the body from bacteria and viral attacks.)Ayurveda Pura for natural health and inner balance
2) For a persistent cough with mucous, mix a pinch of black pepper with a teaspoonful of honey and lick the mixture from a spoon after meals.
3) Mix 2 teaspoons of honey with carrot juice and consume one hour before breakfast. Do this regularly to improve eyesight.
4) Mix 2 teaspoons of honey with equal quantity of ginger juice. The concoction helps to expectorate mucus, providing relief for the common cold, coughs and sore throat.
Knowing and understanding your Ayurveda body type, or Ayurveda dosha, is a very important requirement for healing yourself or others. The practice of Ayurveda insures the balance of health, happiness and beauty. The Tri–dosha concept is a characteristic known only within Ayurvedic medicine and knowing your unique body type will allow you to diagnose yourself and show you which steps to take for you to heal your mental, physical and spiritual self
According to Ayurveda, the three body types are known as Vata, Pitta, and Kapha. Your skin/body type combines the five universal elements of air, fire, water, earth, and space. Illnesses occur when there is a dosha imbalance. This may seem a bit confusing; but after reading the characteristics of all three body types you will be able to find your dosha.
Vata Type–(space and air) Lightness in manner,quick actions and fast movements, tends to be thin, with a slender frame and pronounced joints, has dry skin, hair, and lips, quick speech, is flexible to change, creative and imaginative, exhibits mood swings, are attracted to warm climates, can be easily excited sexually.
Pitta Type–(fire and water) Has medium well built frame, good focus and concentration, is well organized, competitive, self–confident, sexually energetic with more endurance than Vatas, usually light complected and sometimes freckled, are attracted to cooler climates, tends to perspire a lot, can be an extravagant spender.
Kapha Type–(water and earth) Has a gentle, graceful step, is relaxed, loving, forgiving, and affectionate, has methodical thought processes, is a slow learner but has great long term memory, has a tendency to be overweight, is slow to arouse sexually but possesses endurance, has a strong immune system and good health, does not anger easily, is excellent managing money, does not like cold, damp climates.
Now that you have a better understanding of the Ayurvedic doshas, and can recognize your body type, you can embark on your journey to health, happiness, and beauty with Ayurveda. You’ll never look back!
By A Wilcher
Ayurveda in its real meaning is a way of life, a philosophy and a science of healing and health care. As a medicinal knowledge, it originates from two distinct dominions, folk wisdom and scientific knowledge. Tradition attributes the origin of ayurveda from the creator itself. Ayurveda is the collection of the principles of life that took birth with the world itself and is believed not liable to change at any time or in any part of the world. Although ayurveda put across antiquity, authenticity and efficacy, the tradition does not determine the source of knowledge, nor does it suggests any precise date of origin. The claimed deity of this celestial science is Lord Dhanwanthari, an incarnation of Lord Vishnu.
Vedas, the ancient Indian testimonials contain references to illness, cures and other health-related issues. The cures are both magical and medicinal. However, the references do not add up to a theory of medicine. This developed in the post -Vedic period and was presented in a compete form in the works of Caraka (author of Carakasamhita) and Susrutha (author of Susruthasamhita) probably or before 5th century B.C. Carakasamhita’s principal subject is illnesses and their cures with a stress on preventive care. Susruthasamhita is mainly a textbook on surgical practices.
The founding fathers of Ayurveda as we know them today do not claim any originality as authors. Caraka states that he is only redrafting a work composed by Agnivesha who was orally instructed by the sage Atreya. Susrutha presents the text as the teachings of his teacher, King Dhanvantri. Neither of the texts has come down to us in the original form. What we have is a recension or edition of Carakasamhita by Dhridabala and Nagarjuna’s recension of Susruthasamhita. The detailed instructions in the two works indicate that a whole body of medical knowledge and practices existed in ancient India for Caraka and Susrutha to draw upon. The other great names in ayurveda are Kasyapa, Bhela and Vagbhata. Very little is known about the first two and the works their names are associated with, Kasyapasamhita and Bhelasamhita, available only in fragmentary parts. Vagbhata’s Ashtangahridayam, on the other hand, is a well-known and widely circulated text. He is said to have lived in or after 5th century A. D.Ayurveda Pura – Unique and inspiring Ayurvedic herbal teas
PHILOSOPHY OF AYURVEDA
Ayurveda does not see the human being as a being separate from the universe. According to ayurveda, the universe and human beings are created with five basic constituents known as panchabhuthas, viz. akasa (space), vayu (air), tejas (light/heat or energy), jala (water), and prthivi (earthy matter). The latter contain athma in addition. Panchabhuthas have specific qualies (gunas). They are:
Two other aspects of the panchabhutas are: 1) their density increases progressively from akasha to prthivi and 2) each succeeding panchabhuta is not only characterised by its own specific quality or guna, but also contains the guna of the panchabhuta preceding it. This process of combination or panchikarna means that the specificity is diluted in four elements except akasha that is at the top of the scale. Prthivi, at the bottom of the scale, therefore has the gunas of all the elements or bhutas. The panchabhuta concept is rooted in the philosophical systems that emerged in ancient India; namely, Sankhya and Nyaya-Vaiseshika. Human beings are able to access the panchabhutas through the five senses or indriyas namely,
The sensory perception of the bhutas takes place because of the process of combination between them with indriyas.
Human body made up of panchabhutas and any part of the body, howsoever minute, is an inseparable mixture of these principles. In Ayurveda, combinations of these principles are classified into three, viz. vayu or vata, mayu or pitta and valasa or kapha for analytical and curative purpose. Of these the first is a combination of akasa and vayu, the second is tejas, and the third is a combination of prthivi and jala. These three mega-divisions of the body particles are called the tridoshas. These not only build and sustain all parts of the body but also fulfill all biological function when alive. These cannot be detected in their original form in any parts of the body. We must identify these with those parts of the body, where they predominate.
Acharyas emphasize yet another postulate regarding the structural basis of body. The human body consists of seven dhatus or body tissues. They are: rasa (chyle or limph), raktha (blood), mamsa (flesh), medas (fat), asthi (bone/cartilage), majja (marrow), and sukra (semen). The dhatus are ultimately derived from the panchabhutas. The dhatus undergo a constant process of decay that is arrested by the intake of food and drink. While the seven- dhadu principle postulates a common structural base for the human body, the tridosha doctrine explains the functional equilibrium within the human body. A body that is in disequilibrium of tridoshas, that is ill. The essence of Ayurvedic medical treatment is to restore the equilibrium within the body and bring back harmony between the inner and external worlds. The first step in treatment is to clean the body. The five cleansing processes or panchakarma are: nasya (head/nasal evacuation); vamana (emesis); virecana (purgation); rakthamoksana (blood letting); and vasti (enema). The administration of drugs is generally done (if needed) after the panchakarma treatment. Ayurvedic medicines are based on products from the vegetable, animal kingdoms and also from minerals. These products are used to create formulations based on time-tested formulae. Most of the herbal and other products used in ayurveda are now being recognised as holding the curative keys to a range of potentially dangerous illnesses.
THE GREAT TEXTS
Carakasamhita consists of 120 chapters divided into eight parts. This voluminous work deals with pharmacology, aetiology of diseases, anatomy, diagnosis and prognosis, preventive therapy, hospitals, epidemics, embryology and philosophy. Carakasamhita also states the fundamental principle of allopathy, namely treating a condition with its contrary or the opposite of the cause. Caraka says: “those who know about herbs use cold to soothe diseases caused by heat and the medicine for those diseases which are caused by cold is heat”. It is the same for other diseases too: the medicine is the opposite of the cause. Susrutasamhita mainly teaches surgery. It lists 101 types of surgical instruments but states in clear terms that the surgeon’s hand is the most important tool. Surgical tools are described in minute details with their uses and the student is taught how to take care for them. A whole chapter is on how the student can gain practical experience in surgical techniques. The qualities of a good surgeon are spelt out in detail. The 16th Chapter of Susrutasamhita is on plastic surgery: it teaches how to reshape a torn ear and also repair a severed nose by grafting skin and flesh taken from another part of the patients’ body. Kasyapasamhita and Bhelasamhitha are available to us only in fragmentary forms. Karyapasamhita is a textbook on the diseases that affect women and children and their treatment. It deals with pregnancy, pre-natal care and childbirth. Bhelasamhita is notable for the fact that unlike all earlier ayurvedic texts, it situates the mind in the brain. The ayurvedic text that has had the largest readership is Vagbhata’s Ashtangahridyam. The author does not claim originality. His stated aim is to re-synthesize in simple and clear language all the earlier ayurvedic textbooks. All that we know about Vagbhata is that he was the son of Simhagupta. The text of Ashtangahridayam is presented by the author as the technique expounded by Atreya and other sages. It is in 120 chapters divided into six sections. The first chapter begins with a salutation to Buddha and then presents in a concise form the whole of ayurvedic theory and medicine. It ends with a summary of the remaining chapters in the book. The chapters among other subjects deal with lethal points of the body (marma), causes of disease, preventive measures, treatment of diseases, materia medica, medical formulations, children’s diseases and insanity. Another great textbook is Sarangadharasamhita supposedly composed in or about 1300 AD. It is short, explains in simple terms the different measures and weights used, the various ayurvedic procedures of treatment and gives the recipes for making different medicines. Sarangadhara speaks to us directly in the text. He is the author and not a student writing down the teachings of his teacher. Very little is known of Sarangadhara except that his father’s name was Damodhara.
AYURVEDA IN KERALA
Before Sanskrit became the language of intellectual debate and the influence of the Ayurveda samhitas grew in Kerala it had its own native tradition of medicine rooted in the knowledge of Dravidian and pre-Dravidian societies. Three castes were prominent in the practice of medicine: Ezhava, Mannan and Velan. While the first practiced what can be called general medicine, the second and third were specialists in pregnancy -related issues and illnesses affecting children. In addition there were specialist practitioners in the treatment of snakebites and other poison -related illnesses who produced textbooks that are still used. The native tradition thus was a vibrant one.
Its pharmacopoeia contained medicines and formulations unknown or untested in the ayurveda samhitas. For instance, while the qualities of coconut are recognised in the Sanskrit works. It is the Malayali physician who developed various medical formulations from the coconut like the elaneerkuzhambu for the eye. Many such formulations are contained in the textbook Sahasrayogam. In physical therapy a whole science of treatment using different methods was developed. Njavarakizhi, pizhichil and dhara are part of this tradition. abhyangam or oil massage was used for medical treatment and with some difference in the training of warriors and kathakali dancers.
The Ayurveda samhitas came to Kerala with the spread of Buddhism and Jainism (5 -7th century AD). The influence of the samhitas and their importance were strengthened with the growth of namputhiri (Brahmin) settlements. Each settlement had at least one household which specialised in ayurveda. These families are known as ashtavaidyans because their members had mastered the eight (ashta) sections of the great ayurvedic texts. Today the surviving ashtavaidyan families of Kerala are: Pulamanthol, Kuttancheri, Trissur Thaikat, Elayidathyu Thaikat, Chirattamon, Vyaskara, Vellot and Alathiyur. While the members of the last ashtavaidyan family are called ‘nambi’, the others are called ‘moos’. Unlike the Brahmins in north India, the Namputhiri physicians use Vagbhata’s Ashtangahridayam as the basic text despite its Buddhist philosophical overtones.
By the 14th century the spread of Sanskrit among the non -Brahmin castes made it possible for others to read and master the contents of the ayurveda samhitas. The leaders in this were the Variers, a caste that performed specific duties in temples. The Variers proximity to the temples which were centers of learning meant that they became scholars in Sanskrit and hence the samhitas. It is the coming together of these two streams of knowledge, the samhitas and the native medical tradition, that has created what can be called the Kerala system of ayurveda.
Eczema is a skin disorder. The main symptoms of eczema are inflammations with redness of skin, extremely dry, itchy, brittle skin and thinness of skin. Patients complain about painful swelling, bleeding, scaling, burning sensation (when sweat) and itching.Ayurveda Pura for natural health and inner balance
Eczema is found in even in 12-month old children. It may appear incurable or not completely curable. Eczema can be cured with natural methods. The main herbs used in eczema cure are neem, haemafine, guggulu etc. Evening primrose, flaxseed oil and even wheat grass oil can come handy help in eczema treatment.Ayurveda Pura Academy – Accredited Ayurvedic Training
According to Ayurveda, skin diseases are the result of impure blood.
Panchakarma
Ayurvedic deep cleansing method, Panchakarma is a full body purification therapy. Blood letting (raktamoksha) is a method of purifying blood. This practice is not permitted in USA. It is practiced in Kerala in recognized pancha karma centers.Ayurveda Pura Food Supplements – Natural Herbs for a Healthy Life
Blood letting is not indicated for persons with anemia, physical weakness, mental disturbances and for children and the aged.
Caring your skin
Eczema skin is very sensitive. Use only a soft on skin soap. Take bath in cold or mildly warm water, not in hot water.
Take plenty of water. Include fish, fruits and nuts in your daily diet. Eczema brings with it many difficulties. Finding a way to somehow manage the disease is essential to manage the disease and your life in general.
By Dev Sri
Ayurveda is an ancient Indian healing system that allows you to gain insight into your body mind. It explains how to keep the body mind balanced with the internal and external environment, and functioning optimally.
When you have insight into your unique body mind nature, you understand:
* What your potential is
* Your likes and dislikes
* Why you do the things you do
* How you are likely to respond to stress
* What diseases you are more likely to succumb to
* What your dominant tendencies are, both negative and positive
The ancient seers realized that the 5 universal elements exist within all of creation. That the qualities or metaphors of earth, water, fire, air and ether is present within nature in various combinations. For example: observe the proportion of solidness – earth – that’s within a palm tree and an oak; the quality of lightness – fire – within garlic and pepper; and the quality of movement – air – within a tortoise and a hare.
A unique combination of the elements, called doshas, form the body, and each body must be cared for it its own distinctive way to achieve and maintain balance with the environment. This is essential for health as an excess or deficiency of an element can ultimately result in disease.
Body Mind Spirit and Yoga Therapy
In the Yoga Ayurveda connection, Ayurveda emphasizes cleansing and building the physical body through herbs, massage, diet and lifestyle, and recommends yoga, meditation and breathing techniques for healing body mind spirit. With an understanding of your body mind nature, you’ll be alert to override the natural tendency to select those yoga exercises, meditation and breathing techniques that create imbalance.
Yoga therapy with Ayurveda would be guided by the principles of Ayurveda. Ayurveda recognizes the cycles of time and season, and their affect on the body. The six different times of each day has an affect on the doshas, and therefore each body. Each season of the year will increase one or two doshas within the body. And this ancient Indian healing system acknowledges three different times of our lives that also affect body and mind.
In the body mind spirit connection, the mind changes constantly. Cool and calm one moment, then agitated another, and feeling dull and lethargic yet another time. And when we understand our predisposition to a specific emotion like fear, anger or greed, these enemies of the spirit can be tackled.Ayurveda Pura Massage Oils – Exclusive Blends for the Ultimate Massage Experience
Yoga therapy and Ayurveda can rejuvenate your body and bring compassion and understanding to relationships. Get to know your body mind nature and understand why you do the things you do
If you found yourself overindulging during holiday celebrations you may be considering some sort of “cleansing” or detoxification program. Your body may be feeling lethargic, spacey, dull…yet your mind may be busy with overactive thoughts. This is not uncommon during the winter months. These are common complaints of vata and kapha doshas. According to ayurveda, ama (toxins) accumulating in the colon or small intestine, can mix with your primary dosha and when left unchecked move out of their “home” to weakened areas of the body. Many cleansing programs are ineffective at restoring health and harmony to the body-mind because they do not take into account specific imbalances or needs of the client.
If vata has combined with accumulated ama, a plan which includes pungent, warming, and carminative herbs and spices is needed. If kapha has combined with ama a different plan is needed. So one general “cleansing” plan is not appropriate for most people. I have respected many of the cleansing plans that have come down through the years. Ann Louise Gittleman’s “fat flush plan” has some sound wisdom in its theory. Yet, if you are a vata type living in Minnesota in January drinking bitter and cold cranberry juice everyday is not at all beneficial for clearing toxins and restoring balance.
The seat of vata is in the colon, not the kidneys, which is the organ that benefits most from cranberries. Imbalances and ama could of course eventually spread to the kidneys but that is after a long standing imbalance left unchecked, and in this case cold and bitter is still not beneficial to vata dosha. Pitta dosha is most likely to experience imbalances related to ama collected in the liver, especially if they have overindulged in foods that are too warming and pungent, like fried foods or large amounts of meat. If you are a pitta type drinking lemon and cayenne will create more imbalance.
In any case, a cleansing approach needs to address your individual constitution, and should to begin by removing ama from the affected tissues of the body, not just evacuating your colon or stripping your kidneys and liver. Digestion in our bodies often reflects how we “digest” our external environment and outer world. A true cleansing would not be complete without addressing this aspect as well. I often create “mantras” with my clients to assist them on an emotional and spiritual level while they are restoring natural health. A favorite is, ” I easily digest all that comes into my life today.”
In order to effectively restore balance and vitality I highly recommend:
TIP 1
~~ Work with a holistic practitioner that customizes a self -care plan that teaches and empowers you to become in tune with your own body-mind needs.
TIP 2
~~Educate your self. Spend some time in reflection or meditation and create a list of questions, things that you want to know about yourself and your body. Deepen your awareness and your knowledge of your self. Be a co-creator in your health care.
TIP 3
~~Do not surrender your body, mind, and life to a “one size fits all” plan. Those who take active responsibility for their health have the best results. If something does not feel right dig deeper, learn more, make educated decisions, but be willing to try new things and recognize that some new things are just that, new and out of your comfort zone….work with someone that offers you the support that you need to get through it.
By Martha Gesegnet
According to Ayurveda, we are unique, and our dietary needs are unique too, determined by our body constitution, age, the season and our environment. But there are some diet and digestion principles that are universally applicable.
1. Add some zest to your life with lemon!
First thing in the morning add freshly squeezed juice of half a lemon to a large cup of warm water and drink.
Yogis have done this for thousands of years, saying it promoted a long and healthy life. Fresh lemon juice in moderation is good for all constitutions. Lemon is a wonderful aid to internal cleansing. Antibacterial and antiseptic, lemon retards the presence of disease-causing bacteria in the digestive tract. It is also a digestion enhancer and helps reduce bloating and flatulence. It kindles a lethargic appetite, getting the digestive juices flowing. And it aids elimination, so your digestive tract is naturally flushed clear every morning. As an antioxidant, lemon helps fight disease-causing free radicals in the body. It helps keep your skin clear and your eyes sparkling.
More ways to use fresh lemon:
* Skip the fatty prepared dressing and opt for a squeeze of fresh lemon and a dash of extra-virgin olive oil over your salad.
* Add lemon juice to your herbal tea.
* Squeeze some fresh lemon juice over your veggies, instead of butter.
2. Say “NO” to ice!
According to Ayurveda, iced drinks, especially with or right after a meal, will wreck our digestive process. It is no different than pouring freezing cold water over burning coals. The fire will eventually go out, as will your digestive process when you gulp down iced drinks with your meal. Instead, have a digestion-enhancing drink like fennel tea. Fennel helps enhance digestion, prevents bloating, and freshens the breath naturally. Cumin tea, or ginger-mint tea made with fresh ginger root slices and fresh mint leaves are great alternatives. These teas stimulate the digestion, help your body assimilate the nutrients from the foods you eat and help flush toxins from the system.
3. Make mealtime enjoyable!
Our digestive process begins with the whole process of food preparation, not when we begin to shovel the food down our throats. All our senses are involved; the aromas of the cooking, the presentation and the taste all get the juices flowing. This is a good indication that your digestive process in kicking in. When food is prepared properly and presented beautifully, and our body and mind are receptive, all of our senses can aid digestion. When we eat mindfully, colors, flavors, aromas and textures blend to make the process of eating a delightful and productive experience.
4. Take a lunch break!
According to Ayurveda the midday meal is the most important. This time of day lends itself to “pitta” or the fire element, which aids greatly in digestion. Try not to eat the biggest meal of the day at night. If you have no choice, try to make it as early as you can. If food is eaten before sleep, it is often undigested and will create toxins in the system. When the body sleeps it shuts down, all its systems work at a snails pace, allowing it to recuperate. It will certainly have a hard time digesting and assimilating a huge meal.
5. H2O!
Water, the Ayurveda beverage of choice, is crucial for digestion and absorption and is essential to flush toxins out of the body as urine, sweat and saliva. It helps prevent bloating and constipation, and helps transport nutrients to the cells and tissues. It also helps support the metabolism of fat.
Although considered to be very important, Ayurveda does not believe we should drink water constantly throughout the day. This fad can also put out the digestive fire and make it difficult to assimilate food properly. Throughout the day only drink if you are thirsty.
By Jennifer Beckman (Yogamaya)
