Make your own Digestive SVA Spice-Mix, and Mouth-Freshener with Fennel and Ajwain Seeds

March 6, 2015 by 2 Comments

Ill-health starts with poor digestion. Eating an easy-to-digest freshly prepared meal is ideal, but sometimes, no matter how hard we try, we may end up eating something heavy, or not-so-terribly-fresh, or suiting our body’s

needs. This SVA digestive spice mix is a simple and quick recipe that you can make and carry in your purse or pocket, and use throughout the day. It will keep your digestive fire well-stoked, and ensure that your meals are all properly absorbed and digested – whether you “cheat” or not!

Optimal digestion is when you make zero toxins, or ama, from the food you eat. Ama-free optimal digestion occurs when your digestive flame (pachakagni) is neither low nor too high. Due to stress, or when you eat heavy processed indigestive food, or left-overs, the digestive fire can go either low (mandagni), high (teekshnagni), or sometimes-low-sometimes-high (vishmagni).

Low agni (mandagni) makes ama; when you have low agni, it means you are not able to break-down and absorb all that you are eating, and you produce semi-digested toxic matters after you eat. You will usually feel lack of appetite, or feel heavy even after eating something very light, and in general not desire food.

If your digestive fire is high, then after consuming a meal, your body produces “amavisha” or poisonous acidic toxins, also known as free-radicals. When you have “teekshnagni” then no matter what you eat, you crave more! You will also crave sugar a lot. You may wake up hungry in the middle of the night.

If you have “vishmagni,” that is: if your digestive fire is sometimes slow and sometimes too high, then you will make both ama and amavisha. With “vishmagni,” you sometimes feel hungry and then at other times, not. You will experience a feeling of fullness alternating with a feeling of excessive hunger.

“Samagni” is the state of a balanced digestive fire – neither too low nor too high. When you have “samagni,” you have a balanced appetite for food, attuned with the needs of your body. After consuming a meal, you feel satiated, and blissful.

If you have not been experiencing the blissful state of “samagni” after consuming your meals, then you probably need to support your digestion. To have “samagni” you need to have “pachak pitta” and “pachak agni” in your stomach balanced out. Packak pitta is the fuel, while pachak agni is the flame in your stomach. The fuel feeds the flame, so your stomach can break down and cook the food.

This SVA recipe is very simple, consists of only 2 ingredients, but it works like a charm. Fennel cools off excess fuel or pachak pitta; while ajwain sharpens the flame, or pachak agni.

In an open pan, or in your toaster-over, dry toast Fennel and Ajwain seeds in the following proportions:

80% Fennel

20% Ajwain

Mix them. Let the mixture cool off. Then add to a container and it’s ready to be used.

Chewing a teaspoon at a time, after lunch or dinner. Or as needed. This spice mix also serves as a delicious natural mouth freshener!

Note: Fennel is highly estrogenic. If, for any reason, you restrict your intake of estrogenic foods, simply replace the Fennel seeds with Coriander seeds in the above recipe and follow the same steps.

Filed Under: 2015, Archives, Featured Products, Health & Nutrition, Knowledge, Recipes Tagged With: , , , , , , ,

“Lights On!” Inside and Out: Total SVA Eye Care with Marma and Ayurvedic Herbs

February 20, 2015 by 6 Comments

Without our eyes we would not only not see the world we live in, but we would also not be connected to our inner light, says Vaidya Mishra. Our “inner light” is our “satwa,” the incandescent source that keeps us connected to cosmic life. In SVA, we learn that the physical eyes are the gateway that guide us from the individual satwa to the universal satwa, from jivatma to paramatma. When we close our eyes and shut out the hustle and bustle of the sensory world, it is our eyes that yogically turn on the inner light, and re-connect our subtle being with its source, guiding us back home to ourselves. Keeping our eyes physically healthy is therefore key.

In Ayurveda, the eyes or “chakchu” are a predominantly agneya organ, characterized by transformational energy. Through the eyes, we not only see, but we also “cook” or transform what we see into information and experience.

 The eyes are run by several sub-doshas, but “alochak pitta” is the primary subdosha to address when trying to keep your eyes healthy.  Alochak pitta works in tandem with all other four pitta sub-dosha-s that govern our body: pachaka in the stomach, ranjaka in the liver, sadhaka in the heart, and bhrajaka in the skin. Alochaka, however, shares a special relation with ranjaka and sadhaka. In this sense, if one of them those go off, the likelihood of the others going off is greater.

To keep our eyes healthy, there are several things SVA recommends locally, as well as generally.

Diet: is always key for pacifying subdoshas, and particularly so for pitta. Avoiding pitta-aggravating sour, pungent, acidic foods, salty foods, and instead eating lots of colorful vegetables, as well as seasonal sweet juicy fruits can work wonders. Also, not skipping or delaying meals will help keep pachak pitta in balance in the stomach.

Take care of sadhak and ranjak pitta: taking care of of our sadhak pitta and ranjak pitta can work wonders for the care of your eyes. Sadhak pitta governs the heart, and processes our emotions and thoughts. Ranjak pitta governs the liver and processes the food we ingest. Making sure that both sadhaka and ranjaka are cool and balanced will help support the eyes. All the things that help keep your emotions happy and healthy will keep your sadhak pitta in balance: from garnering positive mental habits to avoiding horror movies, going to bed on time and making sure you get some laughs and down time daily, you can keep sadhak pitta in check. Ranjak pitta gets affected by mental and emotional predisposition as much as bad food, and stress. So putting attention on managing your life and diet will help keep ranjak pitta in check.

Ashoka, Arjuna, Rose, DGL, and more: can play a central role when used daily and properly. For example, Ashoka, Arjuna, Rose,  De-glycerized Licorice, are wonderful herbal support for pitta subdoshas. SVA formulations that can readily help you pacify pitta subdoshas: the Samadhi Set (cream or roll-on) with Ashoka; rose is a balm for pitta! You can use it in any form or shape as an external transdermal application, as an aroma therapeutic addition, or ingest it in the SVA Rose preserve form. Then DGL  – either as a loose ingredient to make tea with (1 pinch DGL powder, 2 rosebuds, 1/4 tsp fennel seeds, 1/4 tsp coriander seeds – these proportions are per cup – drink no more than 2 cups a day); or as a cream or roll-on to apply on the liver area. Of course, SVA Pitta Tea, and SVA Pitta Masala are always great delicious additions to daily diet. Other ingredients that are also known to be of great help for the eyes are the amalaki berry (Wild Amla Capsules), Calcium (Soma Cal capsules), Triphala (Triphala for High Pitta Capsules).

  Marma point massage for the eyes: particularly for alochak pitta, doing eye marmas with Lalita’s age-defying cream or Vaidya Mishra’s ALA cream, or the SVA Triphala ghee before going to bed are ideal. If you do spend too many hours a day working on the computer, do the eye marma massage protocol in the morning as well. In this day and age, whether we are working on the computer, or starting at one of our many electronic devices’ screens, our eyes are overexposed to EMF and EMR. This electric that has been a technological boon is burning the “soma” of our eyes. Our eyes being agneya organs need a continuous supply of soma either through food, or from the environment. For example, you may consider keeping some plants in your work area, or take a break from work by going out into a garden or a park, and giving your eyes a break by staring at long distance objects to release and relax the eye muscles as well. You can also spray Vaidya’s Vayu Shudhi air freshener, it will not only refresh the air but its herbal aromatic ingredients will replenish the soma in the air.
Herbalized Clay to Soak EMF/EMR: for those working extended hours on the computer, or surrounded by many computers, the impact of EMF and EMR excessively reduces the soma in the eyes. Here is a soothing and restoring remedy one can use after a long day of overusing the eyes at the screen!

One teaspoon of SVA Skin Clay

2 tablespoons of warm or room temperature (not cold) water

Mix together in a bowl and turn into a thick paste,

Apply a spoonful on a band of clean cheesecloth, and then apply another spoon on the other side – measure so each spoonful will coincide with your eyelids once you lie down and place the cotton band on your eyes. Leave the cheesecloth on until your eyes are feeling or getting cold. Remove and discard the cheesecloth and wipe your eyes with cotton balls or cloth to remove any clay residue, then apply SVA Triphala Ghee on your eyelids and the temple area, massaging the eye marma-s. It is good to do this clay protocol before bed, as it will relax the brain, giving better sleep, even as it refreshes and soothes your tired eyes.

The SVA Eye Marma points for overall eye health are:

phana marma points help to inhale soma and agni: soma through the left phana marma, agni from the right one. So constant cooling energy of soma to keep the eyes cool, and transforming the energy of agni to help the eyes process the images and deliver them to the brain.

Staphani marma in between the eyebrows to enhance the coordination between the eyes and brain.

Ajna Marma to connect the inner vision of the eyes with the light of the soul.

Shankha marma to release the stress built-up in the eyes

Apanga marma also releases stress

Urdhwa and Adhoakshi directly supply pranic energy to the whole visionary system.

6) Ayurveda has a wide array of unique ingredients for every organ and organ-system : For our eyes, Chakchushya is the best specific herb for healthy long eye life. Vaidya Mishra has added this ingredient into his SVA Lalita’s Eyeliner along with, bhasma of  Mameera – bhasma means cooking it until it turns into a fine ash. Mameera is the traditional non-toxic ingredient for eye health. In addition, it supplies the rich black tint of the eyeliner. Then, Triphala if of course well-known for its three-dosha pacifying, detoxifying and nurturing effect on the eyes. Vaidya has made a special formula for the eyes that has Triphala and SVA Mum’s Ghee made from raw cream (not butter). Ghee made in the  traditional method is particularly considered best for the eyes, because ghee carries a balanced amount of soma and agni. When Triphala is infused in the ghee it becomes nectar for the eyes!  It will then not only nurture but also pacify alochak pitta and support alochak agni. Then, rose  is ideal for eyecare. A preparation of rose water to rinse the eyes on a daily basis will work wonders for your eyes. Vaidya Mishra has added the very best rose essence to the Lalita’s Eyeliner, in addition to ghee, Chakchu Mameera, beeswax – which s also good and nurturing and gives a good consistency to the eyeliner.

7) ALA for the eyes: Vaidya has also formulated Alpha Lipoic Acid cream which is great for eye care. Due to chronological aging, or the  extensive drying effect of EMF on the eyes, the circulation of blood to the optic nerve and retina gets slowed down. Alpha Lipoic Acid has been shown to have the specific beneficial ability to enhance the blood supply to the nerves. The eyes being an agneya organ (fiery and hot organ), ALA is ideal for soothing without overheating or stimulating the eyes further even as it enhances blood flow and circulation. Ideally, if you have tired sore eyes, it is great to do the marma protocol at night with SVA Triphala ghee, and then, in the morning, do the marma treatment with the ALA cream. The ALA cream is also a great cream to use fro eye care and eye marma massage, as it works like a gentle non-greasy facial cream base. You can do the eye marma massage with ALA and then continue your usual SVA facial marma massage with Lalita’s Facial oil or Age-defying cream.

The idea of having an ayurvedic herbal eyeliner is not a concept unique to SVA! The ayurvedic shastras are filled with different kinds of herbalized eyeliners, called “anjan,” to support and/or enhance the health and activity of the eyes. An eyeliner is a great way to address the health of your eyes on a daily basis, since it is easy to use and apply. With Vaidya Mishra’s total Eyecare Marma protocol, products, and Lalita’s Eyeliner, you can have the best of all worlds: benefits from ancient ayurvedic herbs, marma remedies, and ingredients to help you keep going looking and seeing you best in the modern world!

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Top 11 Ayurvedic Properties of Rose: The Queen of Flowers

February 13, 2015 by 1 Comment
Did you know that a rose not only pacifies your sadhak pitta – even as it balances your sadhak agni – but also carries a “somnasya jana” or bliss-enhancing property in its aroma? These properties bestow upon rose its supreme position in the flower kingdom.  This is probably why our hearts open wide to love when we see or smell a rose, or when we eat its petals.

In Ayurveda, we know that sadhak pitta is the pitta subdosha that governs the emotions in the heart. It is aided by sadhak agni, the metabolic principle, sitting in the heart, that helps us “digest” and “process” emotions and thoughts. When sadhak pitta and sadhak agni are out of balance, we will tend to feel down and blue, unable to appreciate or enjoy anything. We may try hard as we can to chase away the blues, mentally listing things we know we are grateful for, our heart will not follow suit and allow us the liberating feeling of gratitude unless we balance sadhak pitta and re-ignite sadhak agni.

pink roseIn life, many times even though things maybe be going great or smooth, if our sadhak pitta is aggravated due to external circumstances – stress from work; sleep deprivation; a fatigued overworked physiology; family pressures; etc, we may feel down and lack the readiness to tackle a new day, or our projects, with zest. Things can be even more challenging in conjugal life, if one partner’s sadhak pitta is off and the other just can’t understand why he or she is not able to enjoy or appreciate…

  Aggravation of sadhak pitta is common. When sadhak pitta is aggravated, our outlook on life will remain grim and grey despite our best mental and other efforts. Or we may just not feel up to anything. Sadhak pitta aggravation takes the spark out of life.

Pacification of sadhak pitta with the proper food, or proper aroma therapy, can work wonders! By “proper” Vaidya Mishra means for us to make the best choices of least processed foods, non-synthetic scents, etc.

When sadhak pitta is aggravated, we will crave sweet and cool or cold foods. We  usually reach for the freezer door and take out the ice cream tub! If your ice cream is made with white sugar (white sugar depletes our bodies of minerals and lowers our pH bringing in more sadness!) and contains processed ingredients, flavorings, the sweet taste may pacify your sadhak pitta temporarily, but at the same time it will put out the flame of your sadhak agni. Sadhak agni is the wick which helps to fuel your sadhak pitta so that your thoughts and emotions are processed. When you eat heavy, cold, clogging foods that are processed, your sadhak agni flame goes low, and in a little while, after eating the ice cream, you will experience a new low and even though you will feel immediate joy from eating the sweet and cold ice cream, after a little while, you will crash. You may then crave more ice cream, and then crash again. At the end of the day, your sadness will be coupled with guilt at eating so much ice cream!

We need to fan the sadhak agni flame and keep it up and running in order to maintain our daily joy.  So when you are down and out, it’s important to not reach out for that chocolate bar or the ice cream, instead choose fresh juicy fruits. Or run  yourself a nice hot water bath with rose essential oil. Or apply rose oil on your wrists and inhale. Or inhale the rose aroma with Vaidya’s portable aroma inhalers. Or have a spoonful of SVA rose petal preserve.

Making preserve out of rose petals is an old tradition in many cultures. In India, in the Middle East, as well as Europe. In India, rose preserve is very popular and is called: Gulkand.

Vaidya Mishra has carefully formulated his SVA Rose Petal Preserve according to his ancient ayurvedic family precepts, with Rosa centifolia and raw organic cane sugar. He uses natural ascorbic acid to balance the sugar molecules. In addition, he uses pectin which micro-encapsulates the sugar molecules, so that they do not rush into your blood stream and give you a sugar high. Pectin also modulates the sugar molecules to give sustained release into the body.

But you can introduce more rose into your life for other benefits as well. Rose does much more than sooth the emotions. Here is our list of the top 11 Properties of the queen of flowers:

1. Pacifies Vata and Pitta Dosha: Since it carries the sweet and unctuous properties, it pacifies Vata dosha  – the sweet rasa, or taste, pacifies vata. The rose’s snigdha or unctuous property also balances vata, since vata that tends to be dry. Any dravya or item that has the unctuous lubricating guna or property is pacifying to vata. Then due to its cooling virya or potency, as well as bitter and astringent taste, it is pacifying for Pitta dosha.

2. Enhances brain health: rose is known to be a medhya, that is, it enhances  dhi dritti smriti. These are the 3 primary functions of the brain for the actions of registering, storing and recalling knowledge and information. When they are operating in a balanced and coordinated manner, the brain is in a stress-free state of bliss.

3. Uplifts spiritually: A unique property rose has is called “Som Nasya Janana.” This means that rose creates good coordination between the mind and Satwa, the light of the soul, so it’s an instant bliss generator!

4. Strengthens the stomach: according to Ayurveda, rose is balakarika, meaning it strengthens the stomach, intestine and liver organ systems. Bala means strength. In addition, due to its deepana properties, it balances appetite. It is also pachana – it enhances overall metabolism.

5. It is anulomana: it  helps pacify apana vata by making sure the downward movement of apana is maintained – make note, however, that it does not act as a laxative, unless you consume excessively large quantities of rose. When consumed in small but regular quantities, it enhances absorption of nutrients.

6. Balances the metabolism: consuming rose petal products is particularly beneficial when people have high pitta and high vata imbalances. These imbalances are also usually associated with low agni or low metabolic fire in the stomach and tissues. Low agni results in toxic build-up, weight gain, body aches and pains, etc. Eating rose will pacify these two doshas and help reset the physiology on its way to blissful balance.

7. Supports everlasting youth: Rose is also known by the name “taruni” – ever young. Because it pacifies pitta dosha, soothes our emotions, supports the metabolic fires, aids in elimination, and acts as a hridya – rasayana for the heart – it is commonly known to help keep us younger and healthier.

8. A Great Pitta Pacifier: Other specific ailments that Rose has been known to help with are amenorrhea (absence of menstrual flow), inflamed eyes, dizziness, headache due to Pitta aggravation, sore throat, enlarged tonsils, nervousness, grief, dullness of the skin and acne caused by Pitta imbalances.

9. Nurtures and Supports Beautiful Skin: Whether ingested orally or applied transdermally, Rose is used in Ayurveda for individuals who experience heat or burning sensations in their limbs, or their body overall. This is one of the most important uses of rose for the skin. When taken internally, it purifies the sweat of hot acidic toxins that cause harm on the surface of the skin when a person sweats. Regular transdermal use of rose either in poultices or cream formulas cleans the sweat externally, by neutralizing the pH of the sweat, so that when it is released through the skin, it does not cause irritation.

10. Helps Heart Health: In Ayurveda, rose is also used as a remedy for the physical circulatory system. It is a cardio-tonic, called a “hridya.”

11. Enhances Romance: Rose is also known for its vajikarna properties: we find a lot of recipes in Ayurveda that use Rose to enhance as a remedy to support romantic conjugal life.

Rose is great for vata and pitta doshas. Kapha body types may feel they do not fare so well with too much rose. They can use less of it, however, if they want to enjoy the rose petal preserve, they can sprinkle some freshly ground black pepper on top.

Here’s to more of everything turning up roses in your life!

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Is Detox a Hoax?

February 6, 2015 by 7 Comments
An article running in the British The Guardian in December 2014 concluded  that much: “detoxing – the idea that you can flush your system of impurities and leave your organs squeaky clean and raring to go – is a scam. It’s a pseudo-medical concept designed to sell you things.”  

While it is true that over the past decade we have witnessed a proliferation of ineffective as well as harmful detox protocols and products on the market, it is also true that the article’s take on detoxification is elementary:

“There are two types of detox: one is respectable and the other isn’t. The respectable one […] is the medical treatment of people with life-threatening drug addictions. The other is the word being hijacked by entrepreneurs, quacks and charlatans to sell a bogus treatment that allegedly detoxifies your body of toxins you’re supposed to have accumulated.”

The problem is simple: scientists want to measure and identify the toxic substances that are making us ill, but apparently they don’t seem to know where to start: “Much of the sales patter revolves around “toxins”: poisonous substances that you ingest or inhale. But it’s not clear exactly what these toxins are. If they were named they could be measured before and after treatment to test effectiveness.”

Well then we could put aside the good work done by NGO environmentalist groups and just revert back to the time-tested ayurvedic texts, but particularly SV Ayurveda, as taught by Vaidya Mishra, the only living tradition of Ayurveda that actually goes into a detailed explanation of the 4 different types of  toxins that can accumulate in our physiology from different sources. SV Ayurveda has full protocols for identifying these toxins, as well as helping us eliminate them. In general, we know that detox is part and parcel of Ayurveda – one of the many synonyms of disease in Ayurveda is “amaya” – originating from ama. Taking care of ama, or toxins that accumulate daily, is the sure way of a healthy life according to Ayurveda.

We live in a toxic culture where our bodies are daily exposed to chemical fumes emanating from the environment we live and sleep in; a culture where we ingest highly processed foods and drinks; are driven to use personal care products that are laden with toxic preservatives, scents, and ingredients; use electric and magnetic devices that disrupt our body’s natural vibrational make-up; etc. Not to mention the acidic chemical toxic waste that our own bodies produce on a daily basis as we struggle with stress.

Our bodies are naturally programmed to detox on a daily basis, and come equipped with detox pathways. As the article also mentions: “The healthy body has kidneys, a liver, skin, even lungs that are detoxifying as we speak, […]There is no known way – certainly not through detox treatments – to make something that works perfectly well in a healthy body work better.” Ayurveda, however, offers a much more refined and holistic perspective on detox, as well as diet, daily regimens, and seasonal and other detox protocols that do and can help make a healthy body work better. And nothing, but nothing, beats daily detox! Daily detox through skin(sweating), urination, and bowel movements. Making sure you not only have at least one daily bowel movement (ideal is two!), but are also fully evacuating toxic buildup is key to your optimal health. In this sense, colon detox and colon health (though colonics, colon irrigation or flushing, etc) have also become very popular amongst the health-conscious population.

Vaidya Mishra’s stand on these is conclusive: you must not adopt any of these short-cut cleansingmethods because even as they may flush out accumulated toxins, they deplete our gut of its friendly bacteria. Our brains thrive on the health of our colons. Maintaining a healthy colon is key, as Vaidya Kameshwar Mishra, Vaidya Mishra’s father used to say: “the brain of our brain lies in our gut!” If we can take care of our daily bowel movements, making sure we are following a diet that suits our body types, then we can skip the confusing detox isles in the health food stores, heading straight to our happiness! In general, Triphala, made of 3 fruits as its name indicates, is a safe and effective daily non-habit forming supplement for supporting colon health. However, Ayurveda has much to offer in terms of colon health. 
Vaidya Mishra explains that in Ayurveda, colons can be categorized into three types. A colon is called “kostha” in Sanskrit. Identifying your colon type will give you the advantage of managing it better, and improving your daily detox needs. See which type below best describes your bowel tendencies.

The three kinds of colons or “kostha“-s are:

mridu kostha: individuals who are usually not constipated, have a proper daily stool, softer (unless they eat salty, dry or drying, foods which absorb more water and result in increased absorption and there dryer stool). For people with this bowel tendency, Vaidya recommends only soft, gentle products to support the bowel movements. For example, prune or tamarind chutney (recipes available in the detox booklet), taken at night with dinner, 1-2 tablespoons. In addition 1 tablet of Prakrit at night, along with DGL or Prakrit cream on the spine before bed will further support and help this bowel type.

madhya kostha: second category or type of bowel is called madhya kostha where a person can easily experience harder stools, has the tendency of getting harder stool due to stress, lack of sleep, not eating on time, eating drying foods, too salty or pungent food. These individuals need to maintain a proper SVA diet, consuming chutneys on a regular basis, as well as  add 2-4 tablets of Prakrit at night. Sometimes Prakrit will not be enough, then they can add SVA LAX (mild) – 1 capsule before bed. Probiotic support is essential for a healthy colon. A mixture of 20% yogurt with 80% water, blended with a couple of pinches of Soma Salt in one glass of water will help. Add 1/4 tsp of Mums Masala for added support and flavor and drink only with lunch, never dinner. In addition, Prakrit Transdermal cream before bed on the spine, to connect the mind with the colon will help re-instate the intelligence of the colon even faster and more efficiently.
kroor kostha: the third type is called kroor kostha. Kroor means difficult. Individuals with this type of colon tend to experience hard stools, and when they eat dry or drying foods that may contain too much salt, or they sit for long periods of time, or they do not drink enough water, it makes their bowel movements even more difficult. The following protocol is good for them, and will not give them any side effects – such as Senna leaf, or Castor oil, or Cascara Sagrada. All these ingredients, while they might help, are very habit forming and detrimental for the colon in the long-run. The colon loses its intelligence, it forgets to fulfill its own function and comes to depend on these plants. There are specific protocols for individuals who have this bowel tendency. The proper SVA diet, eating more cooked leafy greens, drinking extra water, consuming 2-4 tablespoons of prune and tamarind chutney at night, 4-6 tablets of Prakrit before bed, and applying Prakrit and Anushudhi Transdermal creams on the lower abdomen before bed. If Prakrit tablets do not help, they can try 1 capsule of SVA LAX.

Special note for high pitta individual: sometimes, when the individual  is high pitta type, or the colon has accumulated more heat (this can be assessed through an ayurvedic consultations), regardless of the colon type or tendency, then along with the lunch yogurt drink (which is ideal for all 3 colon types), they should only use the High Pitta Triphala tablets to pacify the pitta of the body and pitta of the colon. Start with one capsule and go up to 4 capsules per night. In addition to the High Pitta Triphala Capsules, a pitta- pacifying diet (minimize sour, pungent, and salty foods) should be followed, while pitta masala and pitta tea would make a great addition. It is important to always use a good salt, such as Soma Salt. Consuming sweet lassi with 20% yogurt and 80% water, add a teaspoon of 1/2 tsp of rose petal jam, or toasted fennel in 1 glass of water is also recommended. In addition, applying DGL on the colon and the liver before bed will also help.
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Winter Body and Mind Care with Aromatherapy Soap Bars

January 23, 2015 by Leave a Comment

Winter weather can be hard on our bodies and minds! Deep cold weather takes a toll on our skin, slow us down in general by shrinking our channels, but also ushers in the “winter blues” resulting from the gloom of grey skies and shorter days. Here are a few quick tips:

  • Keep a SVA diet and routine, with specific attention to your body type so as not to put-out agni; this is key to staying on top of your health. The SVA diet targets the health of your channels so you won’t put on or lose weight when you don’t need to.
  • Maintain a regular self-massage or abhyanga routine: this supports your winter-shrunk channels further but also keeps your skin moist and well lubricated, nourishing it transdermally
  • Use aromatherapy to chase away the winter blues!  Scientists are not yet quite sure how the chemistry of aromatherapy works, but none questions its effects! Vaidya has put together new soap bars that can help you stay on top of things through aromatherapy, even as they nourish and balance your skin with a rich creamy base of organic Shea butter.

You know our skin is the largest organ of our bodies. The skin is not just a barrier between us and the world, it is an intelligent portal, governed by different ayurvedic principles. Ayurveda offers a lot of insight about the proper care of your skin during the different seasons of the

year. Keeping your skin moist and lubricated with regular daily – or at least weekly – self-massage is utmost; using massage oils that contain herbal synergies or nutrients is even better! Using a good toxin-free moisturizer to keep things balanced is of course recommended, but even if you do not heed regular massages or use moisturizers, what gets your skin most is the use of commercial soap bars.

Did you know that regular soaps strip your skin of its natural oil balance not only drying it out but also depleting its friendly bacteria, and delivering synthetic toxic chemicals -preservatives,  and fragrances – transdermally to your entire physiology?
The majority of soaps on the market carry toxic foaming agents (SLS), or preservatives (Parabens), or many more coloring and aromatizing synthetic chemicals that reduce the natural lubrication of the skin. The skin is governed by 3 ayurvedic principles: shleshak kapha,vyana vata, and bhrajak pitta. Shleshak kapha helps maintain moisture levels and keeps the skin lubricated;Vyana vata keeps the balance of friendly bacteria and nutrients of the skin well distributed; and Bhrajak pittaprotects the skin by warding off unwanted particles and molecules from entering and going into the blood stream, while it invites and takes in all good molecules that are applied on the skin. When you use soaps and cleaning products with chemicals, you disrupt the balance established by these 3 ayurvedic principles one after another, and you can eventually develop chronic skin imbalances.

For example, regular soap bars dry your skin. This meansshleshak kapha goes off. When Shleshak kapha is off, thenvyana vata goes high, and this eventually brings downbhrajak pitta – the skin loses its intelligence as to what to absorb and what to reject. Using a drying
synthetic soap bar for prolonged periods of time will eventually bring in deeper imbalances.
Vaidya’s unique SVA aromatherapy soaps are made with the best organic Shea Butter, packed with the goodness of flower and plant essences, to achieve optimal therapeutic benefits.

What’s in the Aromatherapy Soaps 

Energy

-Nutmeg energizes and balances the body, it is also known to support the nervous and endocrine system. Its sweet and musky aroma brings encouragement and spontaneity. Nutmeg has antiseptic properties.

-Sweet orange is an uplifting aroma whose properties also include:  digestive, diuretic, expectorant, fungicidal, stimulant, stomachic, tonic, anti-inflammatory, bactericidal, carminative.

Inspiration

-Neroli properties range from being a gentle antidepressant, aphrodisiac to being a soothing sedative and tonic substance amongst many other benefits.

-Tangerine is rich in the powerful antioxidant d-limonene. It also helps to release stress and occasional nervous irritability!   Its fresh and citrus aroma is very calming to the mind and body.

Clarity

-Cedar wood properties: Cedar wood Essential Oil has an earthy aroma that is soothing and grounding. It is a well documented oil, used by the Sumerians, Egyptians and Tibetans.

It is also a known to have been used as a tonic, astringent, diuretic, insecticidal, sedative and fungicidal substance. Cedar-wood oil contains the highest amount of sesquiterpenes.

Sesquiterpenes are a hydrocarbon group that is found in essential oils. They stimulate the limbic system of the brain which helps to elevate our mood and helps us relax (overcome stress), hence Cedar wood’s potential in relaxing and helping with focus.

-Ylang-Ylang provides relief from stress, anger, expression and anxiety it strengthens the nervous system and helps maintain healthy skin.

 

Serenity

-Lavender can relieve nervous tension; it has been used to disinfect the scalp and skin,enhance blood circulation and treat respiratory problems.
-Rosemary is a rich source of antioxidants and anti-inflammatory compounds- these are thought to help boost the immune system and improve blood circulation. Laboratory studies have shown rosemary to be rich in antioxidants, which play an important role in neutralizing harmful particles called free radicals. It is also known to enhance memory and concentration.

This Winter, luxuriate in the bounty of Mother Nature through SVA flower essence blends – calm your mind and heart and nurture and hydrate your skin with Vaidya’s unique soap bars.

Filed Under: 2015, Archives, Health & Nutrition, Knowledge, New Arrivals, New Herbs Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
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