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.

Here in the northern hemisphere it’s getting hot, which signals the official start of Pitta season.  Whether or not you are dominant in Pitta dosha, it is important to keep cool during this time to balance out all the excessive fire that is around us.  Too much Pitta can mean heartburn, ulcers, acid indigestion, acne, or skin rashes. It can also exhibit itself as irritability or anger.  To pacify Pitta there are a few simple things we all can do.  Cool, but not ice cold, drinks help a lot.  Avoid carbonated drinks which tend to disrupt digestion.  Choose sweet fruit juices and pure water to stay hydrated.  Pitta tea is delicious chilled!  The Pitta diet calls for more sweet, bitter and astringent tastes.  Salads with leafy greens are a great way to get these tastes in.  Cooling spices, such as mint, fennel, and anise can be added to foods.  Swimming and other water-based sports are ideal for balancing Pitta.  Moonlight is especially soothing, so take that evening stroll after dinner.  Pitta skin is especially sensitive to the sun, so make sure to wear sunscreen when you’re out during the day.

The peacock is the national bird of India.  The peacock’s tail, with its iridescent “eyed,” feathers designed to attract the hen, gives this bird a grandeur that is associated with royalty.  In ancient India, the tail motif was a symbol of the all-seeing sun and the eternal cosmic cycle.  The peacock is the sacred animal associated with Saraswati, the goddess of education and the arts.  In Buddhism, the peacock represents compassionate watchfulness.  The peacock is one of the images on our Dosha Screensaver, and we have it as a wallpaper, too all free!

Hanuman, the monkey god, is celebrated at this time of year because his birthday is December 20.  Hanuman is known for his intelligence, and for his strength.  He is loyal, and he represents justice and commitment.  We can learn from some of the qualities that Hanuman embodies.  He is a gentleman, very respectful towards everyone.  Hanuman is considered to be a symbol of diplomacy and tact, so it is useful for us to think about him as an example when we need to negotiate, and resolve conflicts.  Hanuman is also the embodiment of humility and devotion, or Bhakti.  He represents the unlimited power within each one of us to heal, to create, and to serve.

Mudras are kind of like yoga for the hands.  Mudras are hand positions, or exercises, used to balance various energies in the body.  We use different mudras for each dosha in the Dosha Yoga DVD.  In Ayurveda, there are five elements, and each corresponds with one of the fingers.  The thumb represents fire.  The second finger represents air.  The third finger represents space.  The fourth finger, or ring finger, represents earth, and the little finger represents water.  Mudras can have positive effects on our physiology.  And we can get some of the same benefits by working with our hands, playing an instrument, washing our hands, and massaging our hands.  The next time you wash your hands, try consciously massaging them at the same time.  Spend time on each finger, and then rub both palms together vigorously.  While you’re sitting at your desk, use the thumb and index finger to gently massage the “web” between each of your fingers.  Place one hand on your desk, and use the second, third, and fourth fingers of the other hand to gently massage between the long bones on the back of the hand.