Health & lifestyle ideas
Removing toxicity from the body is one of the most important factors to moving into full health. Ginger tea is the greatest addition for working on the toxicity of the digestion, adding to the need of the six tastes for its great pungency.
It is also wonderful for any nausea (whatever the cause may be). Be warned it can cause overheating so in that case do add fennel seeds to add the a cooling element! If pregnant please be gentle with amount of ginger, contact a practitioner is always best at such a tender time.
Ginger Root tea - Roughly measuring a half a thumb length, to a full thumb length of root ginger, scrape off the skin with a spoon,, finely cut the root into small pieces, place a litre of boiling water ontop, leave to brew in a flask, and you can add fennel (which will keep it cool for pitta or for high acidity in the digestion) or any herb you are attracted to, drink hot or tepid thru the day in place of any drinks - especially those you have with dairy. Enjoy and know this is doing your body a bit of magic!
OM - the symbol of life-energy (Prana or Chi)
The Vedic texts say 'Om' is the first word, vibration or manifestation of pure conciuousness into the reality of creation.
OM is the sound of Prana, the purest form of Love - Love is the only emotion the body can digest and transform into healing.
All other emotions create stress in the mind and body.
The good news is, Prana is available for free!! Sit in your garden or take a walk on the beach, in a forest or in the mountains and you will be charged with the life energy that is abundant there. Take time to feel the earth
beneath your feet and connect to the Pranic energy of
mother nature - the most powerful energy source available!
This is a simple way to revitalise your mind and rejuvenate your body.
Ayurvedic Skin Care
Prana is also solar energy and is not only ingested through our breath and through the foods we eat but also through our skin. If our skin is dry Prana cannot enter our body. It is vital that we keep our skin moisturised, soft and supple.
The skin is our body's largest organ and will readily absorb and
digest any cream, oil or lotion that we place upon it. Therefore,
it is important not to subject our skin to any substance that we
wouldn't be happy to eat!
From an Ayurvedic perspective the best way to keep the skin protecting us from pathogens, absorbing Prana and containing the inner body by being supple, strong and toned is by drinking enough pure water, eating enough healthy fats and
by applying unrefined, organic oils to the skin a few times a week. The type of oil will depend on your body type but generally organic sesame, almond or coconut oil is good for most people.(Coconut being more cooling is better for summer use or in hot climates.)
It is toxicity or imbalance that create most dryness.
It is best to eliminate or cut down on the most aggravating and drying substances taken voluntarily internally; coffee, tea, refined white sugar, alcohol and cigarettes.
Kitcharee - fast food that's good for you!
This light, nutricious and easily prepared meal made from split
yellow mung beans is balancing for all body-types. It can be
tailored to your own individual tastes through the judicious
use of herbs and spices.
For one:3 oz white basmati rice
1 oz red lentils or split yellow mung dal
1/2 tsp ghee
1/4 tsp each of cumin, fennel, coriander
8 oz water
Melt the ghee in small saucepan on a medium heat then add
the spices. Cook for a few minutes and then turn the heat to
low. Stir in the rice and lentils and then add the water.
Bring briefly to the boil and then turn down to low, cover
with a lid. Red lentils will only take 15 minutes to cook but
split yellow lentils will take a little longer.
Serve with a colourful mix of vegetables. Add salt and pepper
to taste. Add a little creamed coconut or sprinkle with freshly
chopped coriander for extra flavour.
Waking up to Walking
Doctors tell us to get enough exercise by walking every day.
From an Ayurvedic perspective this is the best way to relax
the mind, calm the emotions and rejuvenate and revitalise
the body.
I have found that when I follow this timeless wisdom I feel
refreshed; my mind alert and my body supple and lively.
If I make a conscious intention to connect with nature,
by putting any worries or concerns I may have aside for a
while, and aim to simply enjoy the colours and fragrances
of nature, my mind relaxes and I feel present.
Try and walk for at least fifteen minutes each day. Feel the fresh
air in your lungs and be conscious
of the sounds and feelings beneath
your feet. Listen to the wind and
the bird song, feel the sun and be
reeze on your face. Take time to
register the subtlies that awaken each sense. Allow yourself
to be totally present to the beauty of nature, noticing each
step on the earth and each breath of fresh air. By walking
mindfully you will gradually reconnect to yourself and your
heart will feel more open and joyful, ready to meet the c
hallanges that may lay ahead.
"It may be when we no longer know what to do, we have come to our
real work, and that when we no longer know which way to go, we have
begun our real journey." Wendell Berry
Organic choices
Many of the toxins we ingest on a daily basis come from the foods we eat.
They gradually build up in our tissues
and lead to the onset of chronic health
problems in later years. The use of
hormones, pesticides, fungicides and
insecticides is a relatively recent phenomenom but is one of
the leading causes of digestive complaints, lowered immunity
and allergies. The only way to ensure that the food we are
eating is healthy, nutritious and revitalising is to insist on
buying organic. If you do eat non-organic fruit or vegetables
it is very important to remove the outer skin before eating
or at least scrub and rince it well before eating.
For more information on organic food and the serious health
problems relating to many of our modern farming methods,
check out PAN UK, Pesticide Action Network: an organisation
working for safer farming
Awaken your Mind and Body, Breathe
Breathing properly is the best way to recieve Prana or
life energy. By relaxing our shoulders, expanding our chest
and breathing fully into the lungs, through the nose, we
prevent our breath becoming shallow and keep the mind
focused and alert.
The tiredness, heaviness and low energy many people
experience around late-afternoon is often due to poor
digestion, high stress levels and excess activity.
This timely low is often exacerbated by wrong breathing
habits, which reduce the amount oxygen available to the
mind and body.
To rectify this, take a few minutes each day to to become
conscious of your breathing. Sit up straight in a chair, relax
and pull back your shoulders. Be fully present in your body
for a moment.
Now consciously breath in deeply from the diaphragm,
filling the abdomen with breath - feel it spread outwards
and rise up on the inhalation and then reduce and fall on
the exhalation.
Do not rush - relax and breath easily, just staying conscious
and aware of the movement of air into the abdomen and chest.
Practice this breathing exercise for about three minutes and
gradually build up to ten minutes over the coming weeks.
Over time, you will find that you have re-trained your
breathing pattern and that you have more energy and vitality.
" Sometimes the most important thing in the whole day is the rest we take
between two deep breaths, or the turning inwards in prayer for five short
minutes. "
Etty Hillesum
