Sexual Rejuvenation for Women
/Women are endowed with tremendous sexual capacity, from multiple orgasms to female ejaculation. Yet women who come to our Ayurveda clinic often express dissatisfaction within their sexual lives. There are many factors that may hold women back from attaining their full sexual potential: trauma, physical health problems, unsatisfactory intimate relationship, lack of training on the part of the woman or her partner, to name but a few.
It would take a book rather than a short blog to address all these concerns. So today we'll just look at the most simple scenario. You're happy with your partner and were enjoying a good sex life until something affected your libido. That 'something' could be an illness, a stressor or a hormonal change such as pregnancy, nursing, or your menopausal transition.
First of all, check with your doctor. Specifically, ask about your thyroid. If your thyroid is under-functioning, that will flatten your libido. And many stressors do lower thyroid function. All your hormones--sex hormones, thyroid hormones, adrenal hormones--are controlled by a multi-tiered system. The higher centres of your brain talk to your hypothalamus. Your hypothalamus talks to your pituitary and your pituitary talks to each endocrine gland (the glands that produce hormones). The glands in turn talk to the pituitary. It's a finely orchestrated system, but if one instrument is out of tune, the whole symphony goes wrong. And so if stress throws your higher brain centres out of tune, the end result could be problems with your thyroid and or your sex hormones.
From an Ayurvedic standpoint, we're dealing with ojas, that mysterious core energy that governs your general wellbeing. So we could try some simple recipes that enhance your ojas and tone your nervous system and endocrine glands. It's also a good idea to see an Ayurvedic practitioner for a holistic look at your overall wellness and balance.
Special Ojas-building recipes
Shatavari Kalpa
Roast an ounce of Shatavari with one or two tablespoons ghee in a cast iron pan until light brown and add two tablespoons turbinado sugar, two pinches saffron and a pinch of cardamom. A teaspoon of this recipe can be taken in the morning or at bedtime with a cup of warm cow's milk or almond milk.
Shatavari Ghee
This is a special ghee medicated with shatavari. Take a teaspoon twice daily followed by warm cow's milk, warm almond milk or warm water.
Ashwagandha Milk
Drink a cup of warm milk at bedtime. Stir in a teaspoon of Ashwagandha and two pinches of nutmeg. Ideal for vata women or in winter.
Almond Restorative Drink
Ingredients
10 raw almonds
1 cup pure water
1 cup milk
1 Tablespoon organic rose petals
1 tsp ghee
1/32 tsp saffron
1/8 tsp ground cardamom
pinch of black pepper ½ tsp of sweetener
Method
Soak almonds and water together overnight.In the morning, drain off the water and rub the skins off the almonds. Bring the milk to a boil. Pour the milk in the blender with the peeled almonds. Add rose petals, ghee, saffron, cardamom, black pepper, and sweetener. Blend until smooth. Drink 3-4 times a week.
Non-dairy Almond drink
Ingredients
10 raw almonds
2 cups pure water
20 raisins
1 Tablespoon organic rose petals
1 tsp ghee
1/32 tsp saffron
1/8 tsp ground cardamom
1 pinch of black pepper
Method
Soak almonds in 1 cup of water overnight, and soak raisins in 1 cup of water either overnight or for several hours. In the morning, drain off the almond water and rub the skins off the almonds.In a blender, add the raisins AND their soaking water with the drained and peeled almonds. Add rose petals, ghee, saffron, cardamom, black pepper. Blend until smooth. Drink 3-4 times a week.
Date Milk Shake
Ingredients
4-5 whole dates
1 cup whole organic milk
2 pinches cinnamon powder
Method
Boil milk until it foams once. Turn off heat. Put milk, cinnamon and dates in automatic blender. Blend until dates are ground fine. Serve warm in winter, room temperature or slightly cool (not cold) in summer or if a strong Pitta imbalance exists.
Vegan Fig shake
Ingredients
1/4 c. coconut milk
1/2 c. filtered water
2 large or 3 small figs cut in small pieces;
use dried figs if fresh are unavailable
1 date, pitted and finely chopped
dash of cinnamon
Method
Place all ingredients in blender and puree at high speed until
smooth and frothy. Yum.
Alakananda Ma M.B., B.S. (Lond.) is an Ayurvedic Doctor (NAMA) and graduate of a top London medical school. She is co-founder of Alandi Ayurveda Clinic and Alandi Ayurveda Gurukula in Boulder Colorado, as well as a spiritual mother, teacher, flower essence maker and storyteller. Alakananda is a well known and highly respected practitioner in the Ayurveda community both nationally and internationally.
Enliven your holistic health! Visit Alakananda Ma in Alandi Ashram’s ayurvedic clinic to support the overall rejuvenation of your body, mind, and spirit. In-person and virtual appointments available. Book now!