Dr Deepa Apté is our SME for Ayurveda. She is a fully qualified Indian medical doctor (Bachelor of Medicine; Bachelor of Surgery, India), a qualified Yoga teacher (specialising in Hatha Yoga and the Sivananda tradition) and a qualified Ayurvedic practitioner. As a former external Examiner for a Masters degree accredited by Middlesex University, she also an Executive Director of the APA’s (Ayurvedic Practitioners Association). She helped set up www.Ayurvedapura.com which offers authentic Ayurvedic products and is in charge of products, production and ingredients.
Natural Beauty with Ayurveda
Ayurveda is the ancient medical science from India which covers all aspects of life including beauty. In India beauty is considered a blessing from God and it is our duty to keep our bodies and mind healthy and beautiful. Ayurveda believes that beauty is not just skin deep but comes from within too.
To look and feel beautiful, one should follow all the five lines of treatment in Ayurveda. They are:
▼ Herbs and herbal remedies
▼ Food and diet
▼ Ayurvedic massage and bodywork
▼ Yoga exercises
▼ Daily lifestyle routine
Being healthy, feeling and looking beautiful, in Ayurveda, is based on freeing your body from “Ama” or toxins. Getting rid of this toxin means that your digestive fire (Agni) is strong. A strong Agni helps to restore nutrition at a cellular level thereby aiding good health and natural beauty from within.
Following a simple detoxification at home will help to get rid of toxins. This generally includes:
▼ Drinking plenty of warm water throughout the day.
▼ Starting your day with a cup or mug of a ginger lemon tea. Ginger-lemon tea is very good at detoxifying and cleansing the body. But remember excess ginger can be too hot for the body and excess lemon can be too citric or acidic for the body. But the right proportion of ginger and lemon can do wonders to the body. It is best to take a ginger-lemon tea based on Ayurvedic principles.
▼ Triphala is a very good herbal combination to help strengthen the digestive fire and keep the digestive system strong and healthy. It rejuvenates the membrane lining of the digestive tract and contributes to effective cleansing of the colon, a key condition in Ayurveda to maintaining optimum health and natural beauty.
▼ Avoid heavy, cold food and take more of light, warm and nourishing food. Kitchari (rice and mung beans cooked in little clarified butter (ghee) with various spices like turmeric, cumin seeds, corianders seeds etc) is the best food during a simple detoxification. (See Laura’s recipe for Kitchari in this edition – ed)
Herbal remedies:
▼ To have beautiful skin and to maintain it, take one capsule of turmeric every day. Ayurveda says that when a pregnant lady regularly takes turmeric during pregnancy, she will be blessed with a child with beautiful skin.
▼ If one is suffering from a severe form of acne, Neem is the answer. Neem (Azadirachta indica) has traditionally been used in Ayurveda to purify the blood and support the immune system. It is considered to be an excellent herb for maintaining glowing and beautiful skin, as well as supporting healthy blood glucose levels.
Food and diet:
▼ The first rule is to follow a diet to suit your body type (Vata, Pitta, Kapha).
▼ Make it a habit to take three skinned almonds which have been soaked in water overnight. Such almonds are full of Prana. Peeling away the brown skin is essential. This is also one of the anti-aging recipes mentioned in various Ayurvedic text books.
▼ Fast at least once a week. On such days one can take water, fruit or vegetable juices. This helps to strengthen the digestive fire.
▼ Maintain a regular routine for food intake.
▼ Eat raw fruit alone and never as a part of meal.
See Janary’s Newsletter (https://thinktreehub.com/nutrition-from-an-ayurvedic-perspective/?mc_cid=669cb304e9 )
Ayurvedic massage:
▼ Touch is very fundamental to life. Touch is as nourishing as food itself.
▼ Self-massage when practised everyday can turn back years and make you look younger and more beautiful.
▼ Use an Ayurvedic oil to suit your skin type (Vata, Pitta, Kapha). Alternatively one can also use pure, cold pressed sesame oil for daily massage.
▼ Spend at least 15 minutes to massage your whole body and face. Concentrate on various Marma points or energy centres. This will help release blocked energy. Once energy start flowing in an uninterrupted manner, not only will you feel fresh and rejuvenated but you will also look young and radiant.
▼ Taking a warm bath or shower after a massage is essential to wash off any toxins that may be drawn out to the skin surface.
▼ Alternatively, you can take steam on your face and then apply an Ayurvedic face mask containing sandalwood and rose (both of which are skin rejuvenators).
Yoga and breathing exercises:
▼ Any exercise that stimulates the blood circulation to the face and skin helps to bring fresh oxygenated blood to those parts.
▼ Downward facing dog pose helps to stretch the muscles of the whole body especially your back and legs. It also helps to improve blood circulation to the head and face region.
▼ The lion pose is the best exercise for the head, face and neck region. It improves blood circulation and strengthens the muscles of the face and neck. Hence it is the best position to keep wrinkles away from the face.
▼ Forward bends help to keep the digestive system strong and healthy. It also helps in evacuation of the colon.
▼ Breathing exercises like the alternate nostril breathing, cleansing breath exercise and bee breath exercise are beneficial.
▼ Although hard to believe but people who meditate regularly enjoy more beautiful younger looking skin than those who do not. Ayurveda says that inner peace and happiness is a sure way to both inner and outer beauty.
Daily lifestyle and routine:
▼ Find out what your Dosha type is and follow a lifestyle routine to suit it.
▼ Gargle your mouth with warm sesame oil (pure, cold pressed sesame oil) every morning. Keep the oil in your mouth for at least two minutes. This process of gargling helps to draw out all impurities from the digestive tract and helps to keep it strong. Gargling with sesame oil also helps to keep the gums and teeth strong as well as imparts a natural glow to your facial skin.
▼ Try and maintain a regular routine of your daily activities.
For a long time Ayurvedic remedies have been used in India to brighten eyes, clear the skin and strengthen hair. Anti-aging Ayurvedic treatments are very popular and are aimed at looking and feeling younger and leading long and rejuvenated life.
https://www.ayurvedapura.com/gbp/academy
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