When you go to an Ayurvedic spa you’ll see quite an offering of wonderful treatments to choose from.  Some of the names may not be familiar to you, so let’s run down what these treatments are, and what their benefits are to you.

-Abhyanga can be done as a massage or a self-massage.  The oil, usually infused with herbs especially chosen to help balance your dosha, penetrates the skin, relaxes the mind and body, and helps to stimulate circulation.

-Garshana is a dry massage.  Silk gloves are used to brush the skin and enhance circulation.  This also cleans the skin so that oil and herbs can more deeply penetrate the skin.

-Shirodhara is an amazing treatment where warm herbalized oil is slowly and gently poured over the forehead.  While this happens, you are lulled into a very deep state of profound relaxation, allowing brain waves to synchronize body, mind, and spirit.

-Swedana is like a steam bath.  A tent is used so the head is kept cool while the body is heated to remove toxins that have built up in the body, mind, and emotions deep within the cells.

-Udvartana is a massage that uses an herbal paste to help the lymphatic system drain.  This is an exfoliating treatment that also beautifully conditions the skin.

-Vishesh is a deep muscular massage.  It helps open up the channel of communication to the deep tissues and improve circulation to the muscles.

Ayurveda teaches us to care for our hair both inside and outside.  Hair is a by-product of our bones, and healthy bones depend on healthy fat tissue.  We need to care for our both our bones and our fat tissue to have that luxurious hair we crave.  Using healthy fats, such as olive oil and ghee (clarified butter) in cooking helps.  It also helps to eat sweet, juicy fruits and leafy greens, while avoiding processed and packaged foods, refined sugars, and fried foods.  A good night’s sleep is of benefit to body, mind, and spirit, and will reflect in our entire physiology, including our hair!  To care for our hair on the outside, we need to use gentle shampoo and conditioners with natural ingredients like plant extracts that nourish the hair and provide moisture and balance to it while getting it clean.  We can also massage the hair and scalp, once a week, with warm oil.  It keeps our hair looking good, and it feels great!

Thinking of what to do for your Valentine this year?  Let Ayurveda help you out!  Use your honey’s dosha to come up with the perfect romantic surprise.  When it comes to the senses, each dosha has one or two that are dominant.  Vatas are most sensitive to touch and sound.  So for your Vata sweetie, plan for time to cuddle in front of a warm fire, and listen to soft, calming music.  Or if you’re daring enough, treat your Vata to a warm almond oil massage, and play nature sounds, like ocean waves, in the background.  Pittas are visual creatures.  For them you want to put on a show!  Set the scene with beautiful flowers, and flattering lighting.  Wear your best outfit, and present your sweetheart with a framed photo of the two of you.  Kaphas will melt when you indulge their senses of taste and smell.  Feed them their favorite meal, or sweet chocolate covered strawberries while they close their eyes and enjoy.  End the evening with an aromatherapy bubble bath.

These days, we spend so much time in front of the computer screen, watching TV, driving, reading, we’re using our eyes all the time, and yet we tend to take them for granted and not give them the care they deserve.  In Ayurveda, we learn that it is important to take care of our health, and the health of our eyes, while we are healthy.  This way we can prevent problems from occurring and improve our vision.  The eyes are governed by Pitta, which becomes less balanced as we age, so it’s a good idea to implement some Ayurvedic recommendations for eye care now.

-Make sure you get enough sleep.  Your eyes need rest just as the rest of your body does.

-Wear sunglasses to protect your eyes from direct sunlight.

-Make sure you have proper light to work or read in, not too dim or bright.

-Take a break from the computer every 30 minutes.  Get up, walk around, and look at objects in the distance for awhile.

-Try this Yogic eye exercise.  Look up for two seconds, then look down for two seconds, then close your eyes for two seconds.  Open your eyes, look right as far as you can for two seconds, then look left as far as you can for two seconds, look to the front again, and close your eyes and breath for 10 seconds.  Repeat.

-Make sure to include foods that are rich in vitamin A in your diet, like carrots, and green, leafy vegetables.

-Drink plenty of water to stay hydrated and keep the eyes moist.  Avoid caffeine.

-In the evening, rest with two cotton balls dipped in rosewater placed over your closed eyes.  Rosewater is cooling, and the fragrance is balancing for Pitta.

Triphala is a traditional ayurvedic herbal compound. “Tri” means three, and “phala” means fruit, so Triphala literally translates to three fruits.  The three fruits that make up this wonderful remedy, or rasayana, are: amalaki, bibhitaki, and haritaki.  This unique combination nourishes the mind and body and promotes longevity.  Triphala also gently regulates, strengthens, and cleanses the digestive system.  When our digestion is strong, our body functions more efficiently.  Triphala helps the body to create “ojas,” a positive product of digestion that helps to prevent illness, maintain healthy, lustrous skin, and clear vision.  At the same time it helps the body to release “ama”or toxins, and this helps to balance our cholesterol.  Each fruit has its own benefits, and when the three are combined into Triphala a synergistic effect is created and the benefits are more profound and powerful.  Triphala is high in vitamin C, it works as both an immunity-enhancer and an antioxidant.  Organic India makes an all-organic Triphala. 

http://www.organicindia.com

A puja is a kind of prayer, a Hindu ceremony of devotion.  In India this is performed either in temples, or in the home.  The five elements are honored: air, space, fire, water and earth.  There are various chants or songs that are presented.  It is a ritual that involves all of the senses.  Traditionally, there is an offering of fruit and flowers, and incense is lit.  Bells ring, and camphor is circled around.  This is a beautiful experience, filled with symbolism and love.  I found this great site that has “virtual” pujas online, we can click on the incense, flowers, camphor, coconut and bell and get a glimpse of what a puja is like.  It’s fun, and there’s no cost, check it out!

http://www.eprarthana.com/virtual/vganesh.asp

Almonds are one of the best foods for pacifying Vata.  They’re sweet and warm, high in protein, and loaded with vitamin E and magnesium. They’re also a good source of calcium, iron, potassium and zinc.  Because almonds are raw, and heavy, Ayurveda gives us some recommendations about how to eat them so that we can digest them more easily.  It is a good idea to soak almonds in water overnight.  Peeling the skin off of almonds also helps their digestibility.  Almonds are best eaten with other foods, like grains or vegetables.  I add sliced almonds to our salads, or sprinkle them on hot cereal.  They’re also really great added to breads and muffins.  Eating almonds helps to balance Vata, and applying warm, sweet almond oil to the skin is a real treat.  Almond oil is a wonderful massage oil for Vatas.

Vastu Shastra is India’s sacred science of architecture, and it is a sister science of Ayurveda, both dating back more than 6,000 years.  Vastu gives us guidelines for arranging our environments so that they are in alignment with the energy of the universe.  It can also help us to create altars for ourselves to attract or enhance certain energies in various areas of our lives.  In India, there are altars in just about every home, temple, or building.  I love the beauty and meaning behind altars, so I have placed one in my office, one in the entry way to my home, and one in my bedroom.  I was lucky enough to have Michael Mastro, a Vastu Shastra master, come to my home for a Vastu consultation.  It was fascinating!  He gave me lots of great tips, including having a representation of each of the 5 elements on each altar.  Michael and his wife, Robin, have written a beautiful book: “Altars of Power and Grace: Create the Life You Desire.” There are colors photographs throughout to illustrate how we can achieve harmony, health, fulfillment, and prosperity with personal altars based on Vastu Shastra.  They’re giving our subscribers a special offer, check the banner below for more details!

Sure, taking a bath is a nice way to get cleaned up.  But in Ayurveda a bath is so much more than that.  A bath can actually be therapy!  It relaxes the muscles, opens up the pores, and restores moisture to the body tissues.  A bath can also clear the mind and balance emotions.  Sounds wonderful, doesn’t it?  It’s easy to prepare a healing bath, and here are a few guidelines:

-Use cleansers that are moisturizing.  The idea is to help the skin absorb the water and rehydrate.  The skin’s moisture balance is essential for the overall health of the skin.

-Make sure the bath water is pure.  Use a water filter if necessary.  The water should be comfortably warm, not too hot or too cold.

-Take your time in the bath, relax and breathe deeply.

-Set the mood in the room with natural aromatherapy and soft lighting.

-Moisturize your skin after the bath.

With our western penchant for busy-ness many of us skip breakfast, thinking we don’t have time as we’re rushing around in the morning.  According to Ayurveda, we’re doing ourselves a disservice.  Fasting irritates all of the doshas, and missing breakfast is particularly bad for Pitta, making us irritable and unsettled as we start our day.  What to do?  Eat something!  Blended fresh fruit and/or vegetable juice is a great way to rehydrate the body after the night’s fast.  Citrus is too acidic for an empty stomach, so try alternatives like apple, pear, or grape.  Fresh juice is best, and it should be served at room temperature or slightly cooled.  Cooked apples are another wonderful way to start your day the ayurvedic way.  Morning is the perfect time to get the maximum benefit from fruit.  It helps with our digestion and overall well-being.