Happy August! Since we are in the full swing of the summer season, let’s go through some Ayurvedic tips to brighten your skin, make your hair healthier, and keep you calm and relaxed through this fun time! Skin Care Swedana, sweating, is great for opening up the pores and sweating out toxins. You can buy a facial steamer from Amazon, or boil some water in a pot, cover your head with a towel, and hang over the hot water (with the stove off!). The steam works just as well as a facial steamer! Brides (and grooms) can use…
Author: Staff Reporter
by Chahna Tailor Gupta Happy November! As we approach the fall and winter seasons, it is important that we continue to keep ourselves balanced by keeping up with our ritucharya (seasonal routine). These seasons have guna (qualities) that are the same as vata dosha which can bring our body out of balance. Vata dosha is the dosha of movement. It helps with circulatory movement in the body and the movement of different biological processes such as digestion. However, it can also move us from balance to imbalance. Vata dosha can manifest with primordial symptoms such as constipation, on-and-off metabolism, dryness (of the skin, hair, mouth, eyes, or lips), aches and pains,…
February – the month with a day dedicated to love! This year, Valentine’s Day falls on a Monday instead of on the weekend. But that doesn’t mean it can’t be enjoyed! COVID is a bit rampant right now, and some people may not be comfortable doing things outside. So, here are some fun ideas for a Valentine’s Day with a special someone (which can mean just you!): Eat! Check out a cool Ayurvedic recipe on Google or Pinterest and cook up some nice breakfast, brunch/lunch, or dinner. You can even turn it into a picnic by sitting in the…
Happy May and Happy Spring! The season of spring brings qualities of prithvi (earth) and jal/aap (water) elements such as wet, heavy, dense, soft, cloudy, cool, stable, dense, and solid. Environmental changes can affect our bodies in different ways. Some of us enjoy the excess moisture in the air and feel more down to earth, whereas others may present with allergies, mucus buildup, congestion, lethargy, fluid buildup, and sluggish digestion. According to Ayurveda, our health is determined by the state of our digestive system. Our digestive system is not only affected by what we eat, but also the environment, our lifestyle, and our state of…
When I was in grade school, questions such as “Why does your religion have monkeys, elephants, and other animals?” were ubiquitous. I was always interested in our religion, but I could never defend it because I felt I wasn’t well-informed. My friends practicing other religions were able to speak eloquently about their faith, but they never had to defend it. It didn’t help that school textbooks contained incorrect details on Hinduism, probably because they were written by someone of a different faith. (A huge thank you to the Hindu American Foundation for changing that!) While other religions had similar prophets…
The ancient Vedic science of yoga is gaining more and more popularity each and every year. Even though the current practice of yoga is slowly moving towards mindfulness rather than just stretch-based fitness, many still fail to realize that yoga is so much more. Yoga and meditation are designed for self-realization and the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali provide a step-by-step guide to reach enlightenment. To attain this, however, one must be able to quiet the mind and find a stillness between her thoughts. The first step of the Yoga Sutras is “Yama” which translates to self-restraint or moral discipline and…
Nasya is an Ayurvedic therapy that involves the administration of medicated oils, herbal powders, or other herbal preparations into the nostrils. Our centuries old practice has been used to treat a variety of conditions, including sinusitis, allergies, and headaches. When we talk about Ayurveda, we talk about the doshas. Vata, Pitta, and Kapha energies are always present. The dosha that is quick to get out of balance as well as push the others out of balance is Vata. When Vata is out of balance, dryness, variability, and irregularity is present. When we feel off, we need Pitta and Kapha…
Diwali, the Hindu New Year, is a time of renewal. We want to bring in light, positivity, and kindness. We want to remove darkness, negativity, and anything that drains our energy. Darkness could be seen as external, but what about internal? Have you ever experienced intrusive thoughts? Intrusive thoughts are recurring thoughts that are unwanted and cause distress. They can lead you down a tunnel of darkness. When the darkness is in your mind, it can be very hard to escape. Breathing is automatic for us. However, you can take advantage of manual, conscious breathing to take control of the…
