Yogini-s are your Best Friends – Inside & Out

The gut-brain axis states that a healthy gut populated by flourishing friendly bacteria can help you think more clearly; it can make you more resolute in your outlook and decision; give you steady mood mode; and helps generate neuro-transmitters that support brain functioning fully.

Friendly bacteria or beneficial microorganisms inhabiting our gut and hosted by our body were a central part of SVA healing in my father’s, Vaidya Kameshwar Mishra’s clinic. We do not find a straightforward discussion of friendly bacteria in Ayurvedic texts, only an indirect one, such as through the discussion of the health promoting properties of yoghurt. However, for my father, this was the missing puzzle in many conditions for patients who came to him with chronic ailments.

As far as I am aware, my father coined the term yogini-s to refer to the friendly bacteria in our gut. Yogini – from the Sanskrit root word “yog” (akin to the English “yoke”) because they are the ones who conjugate the external world with the internal biochemical environment of our bodies. They bring it together through their metabolic activity, by breaking down nutrients and nutritional packets that we ingest, making them available for absorption and use by the body. But not just that! They also add in their own pranic energy in the process, so that the nutrition that gets absorbed is further enlivened and enhanced in its properties for our use.

I have written at length about the importance of yogini-s for health, internally, as well as externally for our skin on my blog: www.vaidyamishra.com/blog. The friendly bacteria present in the gastrointestinal tract are the foundation of our overall health, the health of our immune system, and more. In skin care supplying and ensuring the survival of these micro-organisms for our skin care regimen is essential because these yogini-s (friendly bacteria) enhance the pranic coordination between the skin and the environment, helping the skin to receive more soma from the environment and thus produce more ojas (neurotransmitters and immune supporting factor).  In turn, more ojas supports the barrier function of the skin, which helps protect the body from infection and the hazardous effects of the xenobiotic (household chemicals, pesticides, heavy metals, etc.) and vibrational toxins (EMFS).  Furthermore, their colonization on the skin (just as in the GI tract) protects the skin from the growth of any number of unfriendly bacteria.

How Yogini-s (Friendly Bacteria) Support Skin Health & Beauty

  • Conjugate the individual pranic energy with the universal pranic energy – they act as the bridge where the universal and the individual interact;
  • Boost the skin’s receptivity of Soma (nurturing energy) from the environment;
  • Enliven the protective barrier function of the skin with a live, dynamic shield;
  • Fight and limit the growth of infectious bacteria;
  • Soothe skin inflammation;
  • Give anti-aging and anti-wrinkle support for the skin by keeping the skin metabolism alive;
  • ï Protect the skin against the damaging effects of EMF/EMR/RF;

Friendly Bacteria on the Inside

The key to total health lies in maintaining thriving and flourishing colonies of friendly bacteria in your gut. For that, Ayurveda is a treasuretrove. For example, drinking “lassi,”  a mixture of yoghurt and water,  is one of the best ways to support the friendly bacteria in our gut.  If yoghurt or milk products are too heavy for you, you can try my probiotic coconut drink and probiotic recipes. Here are the simple recipe and links.

Yogurt:  mix 80/20 ratio of spring water to home-made yogurt.  Add Soma Salt to taste and a few pinches of Mom’s Masala. Blend well in a blender.  This is a delicious drink to help replenish your friendly bacteria of the gut. Lassi is reputed for its health benefits for the digestive system.

Takra:  Takra is obtained from the churning of yoghurt into butter. The yellowish liquid that results when the fat content is separated, is called Takra. It is highly populated with friendly bacteria, and is considered a superfood by Ayurveda, because it is very balanced in its ratio of soma to agni – the churning action infuses further agni energy into the yoghurt, making takra by far easier to digest than lassi.

You can make fresh buttermilk or takra by combining 20% fresh yogurt with 80% water (room temperature) and blending on high speed for 5 -10 minutes in the blender. You may then take out the foam top, and sprinkle Soma Salt to taste.  You may also add ¼ tsp toasted cumin seeds or some Mum’s Masala per 8 oz. of buttermilk.  Make sure to drink only with lunch not dinner. Best is to have a sip and then a bite.

Coconut Pro-Biotic  

Vegan High Protein Powder with Pro-biotic Recipes

Friendly Bacteria on the Outside – Synbiotic Skin Care

Several years ago based on divine guidance and the Shaka Vansya SVA Ayurvedic lineage, I formulated pre & probiotic products for face and body that strengthen the immune system, protect, enhance, and enrich the skin.  These products offer a two-step approach to skin care that goes beyond the doshas.  The prebiotic formulas support the environment for the growth of friendly bacteria on the skin and act as food needed by the probiotics to survive.  The probiotic formulas deliver viable, living lactobacillus bacteria to and needed by our skin.  Together these products offer a Synbiotic solution to the all-too-common depletion of the skin’s friendly bacteria.

Synbiotic (prebiotic and probiotic) topical skincare is the ultimate in skin care. Our body and mental and physical health depend on the trillions of friendly microbiota that it hosts. Sadly, our friendly bacteria get depleted through the use of antibiotics, environmental toxins; poor diet; the use of toxic preservatives such as parabens; non-alkaline acidic food; toxic personal care products; excess alcohol intake; too many anti-bacterial solutions in skin products; chemical peels and more. The overuse of antibiotics is of particular concern as antibiotics not only kill pathogenic germs, they also kill beneficial bacteria.

When our optimal level of friendly bacteria drops we see and experience symptoms of dry and rough skin, thinning and scaly skin, lack of resistance against environmental and seasonal changes and allergies, and flare-ups related to auto-immune conditions.  The skin loses it healthy luster, elasticity, and glow, and eventually becomes wrinkled.  The face especially often shows these signs more than other parts of the body.  Common chronic skin conditions include; eczema, acne, psoriasis, rosacea, allergies, dermatitis, rashes etc.

In whatever approach we take to support the body and mind, SV Ayurveda always believes in total care.  This is no less true with respect to the skin.  To really give age-defying action for the skin we must take several steps, including:

  • Oleate the skin for smoothness, suppleness, and to encourage nutrition and detoxification
  • Feed the skin Bio-Active collagen
  •  Enhance the skin’s transformation and synthesis of protein molecules
  • Provide greater thermogenesis to enhance circulation in the skin
  • Repair sun damage and make the skin less photo-sensitive

In addition to these points, we must support the friendly flora, or yogini-s, of our skin.  Without this step, our skin care can not be complete nor 100% effective.  The SVA Synbiotic approach of using prebiotics and probiotics in skincare is straightforward: reduce the amount of bad bacteria, while preserving and supporting the beneficial bacteria that protect our skin from infections and other environmental effects.  The topical application of prebiotics promotes the growth of beneficial bacterial and inhibits harmful bacteria. The topical application of probiotics provides a preventative and alleviating effect for many skin issues.

SVA Full Spectrum Synbiotic Skin Care

SVA Lalita’s Prebiotic Cream Clay for the Body

SVA Lalita’s Probiotic Facial Cream

SVA Lalita’s Probiotic Cream for the Body

I have formulated these proprietary pre & probiotic SVA Synbiotic Skin Care products after thoroughly familiarizing myself with contemporary scientific research, and then applying the practical knolwedge of my SV Ayurveda lineage.

The prebiotic herbs used in the SVA skincare line are bacteriostatic.  This means they stop bad bacteria from reproducing without harming the good bacteria. They provide a healthy environment and food for friendly bacteria to thrive, and keep the pH level of the skin neutral. Since the bad bacteria are not welcome, they leave or simply do not multiply. The SVA skincare line does not use bactericidal substances, which are designed to kill bacteria.  Together the SVA pre- and pro-biotic products provide a safe, effective two-step solution for balancing the skin, protecting it, and reversing skin aging.

Ingredient-wise Effects

Whether for our face or body we must use only paraben-free cleansers that are 100% free from synthetic scents or additives.  These synthetic products suffocate friendly bacteria and create a negative environment on the skin where friendly bacteria cannot thrive. That is why the ingredients of my SVA Prebiotic products clean the skin and create a healthy nurturing environment for the beneficial microflora (not all ingredients are in each product, please see individual labels):

  • Turmeric – immune modulator and bacteriostatic
  •  Neem leaf – supports cellular immunity
  • Ashoka – binds auto-immune toxins
  • Lodhra – firms and reshapes skin
  • Triphala – nurtures and helps bind toxins
  • Iron bhasma – provides extra nourishment and supports the immune system
  •  Praval pishti – Coral calcium to nurture skin and balance skin pH
  • Baking powder – alkalizes and cleanses
  •  Marshmallow root – contains inulin, an adaptable substance that helps bind toxins & food for friendly bacteria
  • Slippery elm – helps bind toxins and supply prebiotic nourishment for friendly bacteria
  •  Indian sarsaparilla – fat purifier, it binds and evacuates acidic toxins in the fat tissue and sweat that inhibit friendly bacteria
  • Praval bhasma – balances acidic pH
  •  Pranic clay – for enhanced delivery of life-enforcing pranic energy to help absorb toxins and dead skin cells.
  • Sweet orange and grapefruit – gentle natural preservatives
  • Manjistha – immune corrector, ideal for evacuating amavisha, or toxic acidic accumulation
  • Vegetable glycerin – emulsifier base
  •  Ylang ylang – calming and uplifting fragrance
  • Jasmine – unifies skin layers through its unique “sandhaniya” effect
  • Lavender – calms mental tension

The Probiotic creams in the SVA line include an organic base of coconut and vegetable glycerin, ylang ylang, jasmine, sweet orange and grapefruit as natural preservatives, neem, turmeric, manjistha, Indian sarsaparilla, guduchi, aloe vera, and live lactobacillus bulgaricus as the active probiotic ingredient.

 

How to do it: SVA Skin Care Protocol

SVA Synbiotic & Collagen Full Spectrum Anti-aging Support

The best time to nurture the friendly bacteria of our skin is right before we go to bed.  This is because we have fewer disturbances from computers and cell phones.  The EMF/EMR from these devices suffocate and burn the friendly bacteria.  Also at night our exposure to airborne xenobiotics (external toxins) is less.  This factor also weakens the survival of friendly bacteria.

The following protocols are categorized by body and face and by how much your skin has aged.

Synbiotic Facial Protocols with Collagen Enhancement  for Mild to moderate wrinkles and other signs of aging

Daily each morning

Bedtime Routine – once or twice per week

  • Clean your face with a thin layer of Lalita’s Prebiotic Facial Clay
  • Leave it on for 5-8 minutes, then rinse off
  • Apply a thin layer of Lalita’s Probiotic Facial Cream

Facial Protocols for Advanced Aging, Severe dryness, wrinkles, and sagging skin

  • Morning routine same as above
  • Bedtime routine same as above but do it at least 3 times a week

 

Synbiotic and Collagen Support for the Body

Body skin is far more extensive than facial skin. This protocol can therefore be used and targeted for your more troublesome areas of the body – those that may be showing greater signs of aging: less toned, more dry, sagging or flabby areas.  Again, just before bed is the best time for pre & probiotic support.  In the morning, give those same areas nutritional support with Bio-CoQ10 and NutriFascia Cream to feed and synthesize the collagen.

Daily each morning 

  •  Apply Bio-CoQ10 (synthesizes collagen protein molecules; improves skin tone) Discover how this product works on my Blog article.   Do Not use on face.
  • Apply NutriFascia to the affected areas of body – see blog article above to learn more on how this nurtures declining levels of collagen.  Do Not use on the face.

Bedtime Routine – Use once or twice per week for prevention of body skin aging.  Use twice per week to nurture and tone affected areas.

  • Apply a layer of Lalita’s Prebiotic Cream Clay for the Body
  • Leave it on for 5 minutes, then rinse off
  •  Apply Lalita’s Probiotic Cream for the Body

Additional references on Synbiotic skin care 

Prebiotics & Probiotics for Your Skin – In-Depth SVA Perspective by Vaidya RK Mishra and Dr. Marianne Teitelbaum

Pre Biotics, Pro Biotics, Ayurveda Skin Care

Journal of Dermatological Science. Pre-and probiotics for human skin by Jean Krutmann

 

Disclaimer:  These products and statements have not been evaluated by the FDA (Food and Drug Administration) and are not intended to be used to diagnose, treat or cure any disease. All of the information above is intended for educational purposes only and may not be used to replace or complement medical advice.

Disclaimer

The sole purpose of this blog is to provide information about the alternative healing modalities of Shaka Vansiya Ayurveda (SVA) as practiced in Vaidya Mishra's ancestral family tradition. The information contained herein is not intended for use in the diagnosis, prevention or cure of any disease. If you have any serious, acute or chronic health concern, please consult a licensed health professional who can fully assess your needs and address them effectively. Otherwise, for more information, you may call Vaidya Mishra's Prana Center toll free in the USA at 1.888.3CHANDI (888.324.2634). or 1.818.709.1005 globally, or email us at: info@prana-center.com. You may also visit: www.vaidyamishra.com, or www.chandika.com

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