Abhyanga Ayurvedic Daily Massage-Be Your Own Massage Therapist

Massage is really important as it opens all the channels of the body – making it clear and free from toxins.

Here’s a great read from Maharishi Ayurveda -

If getting on a massage table once a week is out of the question, you can practice the art of abhyanga, Ayurveda’s daily oil massage, on your own. It’s just a matter of taking however many minutes you can spare- from two to 20- to give your skin some love. It’s a powerful tool before or after a shower and has healing qualities. This gentle massage will increase circulation, loosen toxins, and stimulate nerve endings resulting in a sense of calm you can carry with you. Follow these how-to instructions the first time, and soon you’ll be a pro.

Place a small amount of Rejuvenation Massage Oil for Women or Rejuvenation Massage Oil for Men, from the Maharishi Ayurveda Products in the palm of your hand for each point listed below. Massage in a circular direction over joints and in a back-and-forth motion over long bones.

-Massage the face and outer part of the ears.

-Massage both the front and back of the neck and the upper part of the spine.

-Massage the arms, using a back-and-forth motion over the long bones and circular motion over the joints.

-Use a circular motion to massage over the heart and a clockwise motion over the abdomen.

-Massage the legs, using the same long motion over the leg bones and a circular motion over the joints.

-Last but not least, massage the feet. Use the open part of your hand to massage vigorously back-and-forth over the soles.

Rejuvenation Massage Oil for Women and Rejuvenation Massage Oil for Men is a precise blend of ayurvedic herbs and pure essential oils that penetrate quickly into the skin. A good time to do the above massage is right after showering. Using small amounts will help you avoid feeling too oily. After abhyanga you can use a natural bristle body brush with a vigorous motion upward toward your heart on the front and back of your feet, legs, arms, back and tummy. This is really easy and takes less than 5 minutes in the morning. It can be done before going to bed as well. A good time to do the above massage is either before or after showering.

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The Power Of Triphala

Ama, or toxins accumulate in the body especially when your digestion or elimination is out of balance.  And these days, with all the crap that I’m sure we all eat from time to time, puts our bodies out of balance.  And when out of balance, the body craves to be cleansed.  Signals are given to us when digestion or elimination is not up to par, for example, you may feel fatigue, lack of sleep, foul smell form body, breakouts, etc.  This is where the power of Triphala does the job!

Triphala is made up of 3 powerful fruits – Amalaki, Bibhitaki and Haritaki.  Each of these fruits contain balancing and rejuvenative  qualities known as Rasayana.  Basically, tripahala is a mild laxative and when used over a long period of time, the deepest level of tissues and organs become free of toxins.

Here are some more powerful benefits of triphala -

• purifies the urine
• cleanses and tones the digestive tract
• detoxifies the liver
• clears all channels of circulation
• nourishes eyes and skin
• maintains good cholesterol
• contains anti-inflammatory & anti-viral properties
• maintains regularity
• natural antioxidant

Get your hands on some!

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Powers of Ashwagandha, Neem & Brahmi

Ashwagandha, Neem and Brahmi are just some of the most valuable herbs Ayurveda offers.

• Ashwagandha is great for balancing Vata, which governs all movement in the body.
• it is an adaptogen and promotes stamina and well-being
• supports all nerve impulses
• increases strength in muscles
• supports healthy functioning of the reproductive system
• helps with joint pain
• promotes a good sleep, memory and clear mind

Neem has been around for centuries and is very widely used in India.  In Ayurveda, it is known as a great herb to have a medical effect on the skin.

• Neem is great for balancing Pitta
• helps in the removal of ama and other toxins
• excellent purifier for the blood
• clears blemishes
• helps with psoriasis and other skin problems
• also very nourishing for the hair

Brahmi is one of the mot popular Ayurvedic herbs.  In ancient Vedic literature, it is known that brahmi was used by scholars and students to increase their memory and proper brain functioning.

• Brahmi calms the mind
• supports proper brain functioning
• increases memory
• promotes relaxation
• support consciousness and longevity

Powers of Ashwagandha, Neem & Brahmi

Strong Digestion & Constipation

Creating a strong digestion is very important for the system especially when you're constipated.
Foods that are not properly digested create toxins and impurities that get absorbed and localize in tissues and disrupt their true nature of functioning.

Here's what you can do to strengthen your digestive system so constipation won't occur -

• herbal preparations 
• favor foods that enhance digestion
• use of proper spices
• knowing what to eat for breakfast, lunch and dinner
• exercise, yoga and breathing techniques 
• proper food combinations
• lifestyle and daily routine
• stress management
• balancing the nervous system
• herbalized oil massage 

Constipated?

Constipation is something that we all have experienced at some point in our lives.  Causes can be anything like poor diet, digestion and elimination.  Toxins tend to build up in tissues and block the channels of elimination.  Your lifestyle, what you do on a daily basis that is not in accordance to the laws of nature as well as the food you put in your body plays a major role as well.

The root causes of constipation are -

• poor nutrition
• poor digestion
• toxins accumulating in tissues
• blocked channels 
• accumulated mental stress
• accumulated physical stress
• disruption of the natural body rhythms 

There's a lot you can do naturally to be relieved from constipation and here's one of them -

Mix 2 teaspoons of ghee (clarified butter) in a glass of warm milk and drink thirty minutes before bedtime.  It will definitely help with constipation and acidity!

Menstruation Guidelines

In today's world, women curse to the knowledge of having their period.  But according to Ayurveda, having your period is a blessing and not a curse.  Apart from preparing the body for conception and pregnancy, the body is being cleared of all toxins.  Every month we get to clean out our system and we don't even have to do anything!  Nature does it for us!  Our bodies are being renewed.  We are born again!  What a beautiful support from the laws of nature.

Constipation, diarrhea, irritability, mood swings, bloating, upset stomach, cravings, fatigue, breast tenderness, breakouts, sadness, anger, sensitivity - just to mention the very few variety of symptoms we might experience.

Here are some guidelines that will help during our menstruation -

• the body needs to be free of ama - this means no fast food, junk food, leftovers, alcohol and drugs.  Best to favor vegetables, grains, fruits, milk.  These fresh foods will keep your body clean and be easy on your digestive system.
• favor light and warm foods - the ones that will pacify your Vata.
• take it easy!  Don't engage in certain activities or people that will get you moody.  Best to be more inwards.
• light to moderate exercise is recommended; walks in particular
• avoid daily massages during menstruation 
• definitely follow a routine when menstruating as this will help in regulating your menstruation 
• use the following spice mix when cooking to help balance your cycle - 
• 6 parts fennel
• 1 part black cumin
• 1 part cumin
• 6 parts coriander 
• 1 part turmeric 
• 1 part black pepper 
• sauté this mix in ghee and add to your meals 

Lemon Water

Drinking one tall glass of lemon water is very beneficial to the body.  And since Ayurveda likes to keep things rolling, purifying the channels of all toxins is very important.

Here are some reasons why drinking lemon water is important:

• purifies the liver
• stimulates the liver
• aids in digestion
• aids in bowels
• helps lower blood pressure
• maintains a higher pH balance in the body
• dilutes uric acid
• reduces phlegm 
• clears the skin
• helps with weight loss
• boosts the immune system
• freshens breath
• promotes energy
• helps with urinary tract infections

For better results - have a glass in the morning. 

Drink Hot Water

60% of our body is made up of water.
70% of the brain is made up of water.
90% of our lungs is made up of water.
It's not joke that all parts of the body needs to be well hydrated to work and look good.

For the past 13 years I've been drinking hot water every morning.  After waking up, brushing and evacuating the bowels, I drink 1.8 liters of hot water.  I started during my college years at Maharishi University of Management and have been hooked ever since.

Here's why.

Hot water basically clears out the toxins and undigested food particles, or ama that are being blocked in the channels.  These blocked channels can interfere with life energy, metabolism, and elimination.  The hot water gets absorbed in the circulatory system and travels throughout the entire body providing warmth and opening the circulation and washing out toxins.

The result of this hot water flow through the digestive tract helping dissolve waste products and cleansing the body - better eliminating and prevention of ama.

I highly recommend you all to try it.
It's great to remove waste!

Recipe 1 - Cilantro Chutney

Here's a great Maharishi Ayurvedic cilantro recipe.

This is a simple recipe using the remarkable coriander leaf (cilantro).  It is not only delicious, it is a safe way to begin purifying deep toxins (known as garavisha) from the body.  You can eat cilantro chutney with holy basil (tulsi) as an addition to your diet.  The cilantro is said to help remove heavy metals and the holy basil is helpful in eliminating two particular kinds of toxins recognized by Ayurveda - amavisha and garavisha.  If you grow it in your home, it helps purify the air as well.  It grows easily in most spring/summer north American climates.

The recipe:

• 8 teaspoons of chopped organic cilantro leaf
• 1 teaspoon of shredded organic ginger
• 1/2 teaspoon of organic lime or lemon juice
• 1/2 teaspoon of chopped holy basil leaf

To make this delicious Ayurvedic chutney, just add a little water and blend together to a thin paste.  Add salt to taste.  You can use this chutney with cooked vegetables, rice and other grains and flat breads.