Dough Ring Treatments for Pain Relief

Today I want to share some exciting developments at the gurukula. This past weekend, the students had a refresher course on doing some special dough ring treatments for pain relief, known as external vasti. We’re really excited to be able to offer these treatments at our clinic. So, what are these vasti treatments and how can they help us?

Basically, for all these therapies, a warm medicated oil is retained over the painful area, held in place by a dough ring. It’s the retaining of the oil that earns this therapy the name vasti. These are the ideal treatments for localized pain. Let’s describe a few of them.

Low back pain and sciatica are common problems. In fact, as many as 40% of us will experience sciatica at some point in our lives. For these issues, we use kati vasti, a dough ring treatment done on the low back, typically with mahanarayana tailam, a special pain-relieving oil. This comforting and non-invasive treatment helps relieve hip pain, low back pain and sciatica.

Knee pain is also a very common issue. One in four adults has chronic knee pain, often due to sports injuries or overuse of the knee. In this case, we do janu vasti, making a dough ring around the knee and pouring in mahanarayana tailam. Again, it’s a non-invasive and inexpensive way to get relief.

 Another wonderful treatment we’ll be offering is hrid vasti. This time, the dough ring and oils are applied over the region of the chest and heart chakra. We choose different oils and herbal pastes for this treatment, depending whether we want to target the ribs for costochondritis, the lungs and bronchi, or the heart itself. This is a wonderful therapy for heart palpitations, heart disease, angina and heart surgery recovery.  It is also good for heart opening to relieve emotional pain. And I know what you’re thinking—this treatment is perfect for many Long COVID sufferers who have lung issues or heart palpitations.

Alandi’s students are really excited to be offering these treatments, as part of their overall mission to relieve suffering. Join us for some nurturance!

 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!

Home Remedies for your digestive fire

As we discussed last time, there are four types of agni, or four conditions of digestive fire. For the lucky ones, you might have samagni, balanced digestive fire. You can eat anything, any time and never get a stomach upset. Your bowel movements are regular, and you never get sick. In this event, you don’t need any home remedies. Just keep it that way by following proper food combining and the basic agni rules.

The next condition we discussed last time is visham agni. That’s the one where your digestion is fickle, and you tend to get constipated. It’s most often seen in vatas.

An important home remedy for visham agni is CCF Tea. This is made with whole seeds of cumin, coriander and fennel, in equal parts, simmered or steeped in boiling water for 10 minutes. Sip some after meals to support your digestion. You can also kindle your digestive fire by taking Agni Kindler before meals.

 The second condition of agni we discussed last time is tikshnagni. Affecting pittas, as well as those who eat a lot of spicy food, this is an extra sharp appetite with gnawing hunger pains and irritability. An important remedy for tikshnagni is licorice tea. Simmer a teaspoon of licorice in a cup of boiling water for a few minutes, strain and sip after meals. You can also make licorice and fennel tea, using half a teaspoon each of licorice and fennel. If blood pressure is a concern, just make plain fennel tea, using the same method as for CCF tea. You can also chew roasted fennel seeds after meals, or chew a cardomon pod.

Finally, let’s remind ourselves of mandagni, or dull digestive fire. You simply don’t have much of an appetite and tend to skip breakfast. While this agni type is most common in kaphas, it can happen for anyone. Ginger tea is mandagni’s best friend. Start your day with a nice cup of ginger tea to get your digestive fire going. For kapha, use cut and sifted dry ginger. You’ll have to experiment to see how gingery you like it; try half a teaspoon per cup simmered for a few minutes and see if it’s right for you. For vata and pitta, use half a teaspoon of grated fresh ginger to a cup and simmer for a few minutes.

   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!

Home Remedies For Loss Of Taste

Enjoy this blog post written by Alandi student Kelani Pratibhaa!

Loss of taste or smell to any degree affects parts of life important to living fully, maintaining well-being and enjoying life - whether it is temporary (as with a minor illness such as a passing cold) or for longer (due to conditions such as COVID 19).

Some troublesome effects of a lack of taste include losing too much weight, and a low intake of too many nutrients due to a low appetite. And, without a strong sense of taste or smell, even the best food does not get the digestive juices flowing!

Loss of taste and smell decreases quality of life and may result in unhealthy situations, such as eating something unwholesome or the inability to sense smoke or chemicals.

The remedies below provide suggestions to increase your appetite, assist your body to activate digestive juices, enhance a low sense of taste (all so dependent on our ability to smell!), and overcome loss of smell with food and seasonings in your own home.

Lemon or Lime juice - Promotes taste perception

Put several drops in a small (6-8 oz) glass of comfortably warm (but not hot!) water daily before breakfast, and before meals when hunger is weak.

Apple juice - Promotes taste perception

Drink warm apple juice spiced with cinnamon and clove to help restore taste, appetite and strength.

Banana - Promotes taste perception

Mash half a ripe banana (when it is yellow with no trace of green, but when not too ripe): eat.

*But, if you are prone to feeling hot or have inflammation (excess pitta): Add a pinch each of raw sugar and cardamom. Optionally, add a dollop of rose petal jam! Also, always wait at least an hour after drinking any liquids to eat a banana.

Fish - Promotes taste perception and improves appetite

The most effective way is to grill fresh fish over a fire, which adds and concentrates flavor.

The healthiest fish to eat are generally:

Anchovy, atlantic croaker, mackerel, black sea bass, butterfish, catfish, cod, flounder, haddock, hake, herring, American and spiny mullet, Pacific chub, mackerel, perch, freshwater and ocean pickerel, plaice, pollock, salmon, sardine, shad, skate, smelt, sole, tilapia, trout, freshwater tuna (canned light-includes skipjack), whitefish, whiting

Additional beneficial options with fish and seafood, are to cook with black pepper, and lightly salt. You may also sprinkle lightly with powdered pippali (piper longum) before serving. Generally, the right sized serving of fish for a person is one the size of their palm.

[For more information on fish (and shellfish), go to: www.FDA.gov/fishadvice.]

Haiyangavinam Ghritam/Ghee - Promotes taste perception and improves appetite

Prepared from day old milk from organic, contentedly grass-grazed cow’s milk. It promotes taste and appetite, and is nourishing.

Grape - Promotes taste perception

Eat fresh, fully ripe, naturally sweet grapes.

Concord grapes are the best variety for this purpose; look for organic. Few types of grapes will work, even when fully vine-ripened, because many varieties of grapes do not develop all the Ayurvedically-required properties.

Mango - Promotes taste perception and improves appetite

The riper the mango, the more beneficial it is. When fully ripe, the flesh will be soft, fragrant, colorful, and lusciously sweet, without a hint of starchiness. Note that improperly ripened mangoes are extremely sour and drying, vitiating the three doshas and rakta (blood): Mangoes ripened in this way are superior to tree ripened ones in flavor, and for health benefits requiring a ripe mango.

*Caution: The mango peel has an allergen which can cause dermatitis in people sensitive to either poison oak or poison ivy.

Choose full-grown mangos with some color. Wrap each one in clean cooking parchment or newspaper. Let sit in a warm room until thoroughly ripe. Test a ripe-looking mango (the skin may be soft and wrinkled, and its fruity fragrance, intense), by lightly squeezing near the stem.

The most beneficial ways to eat a ripe mango:

• Suck a ripe mango out of its skin

Select a fully ripe mango (instructions above). Squeeze the mango, loosening the fruit pulp inside from seed and skin, as if a squeeze bag. Make a round hole in the peel of the mango near the stem end. Place lips over the hole. (This is not for people with allergies as cautioned above!) Suck the mango pulp from the hole, continuing to squeeze, until all the juice is sucked out.

• Ayurvedic Spiced Mango + Milk

Mango mixed with milk calms vata and pitta, is tasty, nourishing, tonic, aphrodisiac, and improves complexion. It is sweet and cooling. You can blend mango and warm cardamom milk together in a blender, or eat a sliced mango and follow with a cup of warm cardamom milk or saffron milk. Sliced mango is very sweet and tasty, cooling, nourishing and vata soothing.

For energy and vitality: Eat a mango followed by a cup of warm milk with a pinch of cardamom and a teaspoon of ghee.
Better still- Eat a mango followed by a cup of warm saffron milk.

• Mango Drink (recipe by Savitri and Ma):

Take 2-3 cups pure water or unhomogenized cow’s milk: Bring to a boil.

Meanwhile, add the following to a blender cup:

10 raw almonds, soaked overnight and peeled

1 ripe mango, peeled and cut into pieces

1 Tablespoon organic rose petals

1⁄4 tsp of each: anise seed, ground coriander, ground cardamom, ground fennel

1/8 tsp ground clove

Pinch of black pepper

Combine all ingredients and blend until smooth- enjoy while it is warm!

Pomegranate - Remedy for bad taste in mouth or a lack of relish for food, and improves appetite

As a ‘mouthwash’: Stir a pinch of rock salt + a teaspoon of honey into a few ounces of fresh pomegranate juice. Hold the enhanced juice in your mouth for as long as possible.

This is recommended for even ‘stubborn’ loss of appetite.

Tamarind - Helps restore taste and promotes taste perception

Tamarind has a tart, savory, slightly lemony flavor which inherently increases appetite. The fruit pulp of this beautiful tree’s seed pods adds its zing to dishes in many parts of the world. In India and South-east Asia it is used in seasoning curries, chutneys, lentil and bean dishes, hot and sour soups. In the West Indies and Middle East, tamarind pulp is made into a refreshing drink- adding water and sugar to taste.

Tamarind is often available in many ethnic grocery stores (Oriental, South American, Hispanic, African, Caribbean, and Mideastern) either: fresh (remove the shell and seeds), sliced, in a block, or as a convenient paste in a jar.

Find a recipe containing tamarind which appeals to you, and savor the zing!

Ajwain - Helps increase appetite, perception of taste, flavors- and in loss of smell

Ajwain seed (also known as Wild celery seed, carom seeds, Bishop's weed, and Ajowan caraway) is used as a spice in much of the world. Powder or crush the seeds just before using, or add whole as a garnish, to flavor food at mealtimes.

*Do not use if pregnant, lactating, in male infertility, or if there is a burning sensation after taking. As with most herbs, unless prescribed by your qualified health provider, use only in amounts appropriate for adding a pleasant seasoning for food.

Ginger - Helps stimulate taste buds and enhance sense of smell

Garnish a meal with thin peeled sticks of fresh ginger or slices of fresh or pickled Japanese ginger (gari, the kind used in sushi).

Brew a cup of tea of several slices of fresh ginger, or use commercial teabags of (dried) ginger.

Long pepper (pippali) and cinnamon are other useful spices to flavor dishes, even with a decreased sense of taste, to improve one’s appetite.

Castor Oil: Promotes regaining sense of smell, discourages nasal polyps - Improves appetite

Castor oil can discourage nasal polyp growth, reduce swelling and inflammation in the delicate tissues of the nose, and promote regaining one’s sense of smell.

Using hexane-free, preferably organic, pure castor oil: Warm a few drops gently on a sterile surface. Use your pinky finger (the perfect fit!), with the nail trimmed close, filed smooth, and freshly washed, to take up a drop of warm castor oil. Rotate the finger to gently coat the oil on the inner surfaces of each nostril. Apply twice daily, before and after sleeping.

References:

1. AAG Medicinal Foods Manual

2. AAG Herb Manual

3. https://www.netmeds.com/health-library/post/anosmia-5-incredible-ayurvedic-remedies-to-treat-loss-of-smell

This piece was written by a student of the Alandi Ayurveda Gurukula in Boulder, Colorado. Learn more about studying ayurveda at our home school, or access your deep wellness with the support of our student practitioners in the Alandi Ayurveda Clinic.

Home Remedy For Lung Health: Wildfire Lung Tonic Soup

Enjoy this blog post written by Alandi student, Zaidy Charron! Zaidy is a current student and available to work with in our student clinic.

Rising temperatures and human impact are leading to an increase in wild fires across the West. Living near wild fires zones or down stream from the smoke can cause harm to the lungs and respiratory tract. It is important that we adapt our diet and lifestyle in order to combat the negative effects that the wild fire smoke and pollution are causing to our lungs. Here is a recipe for a vegetable broth that you can drink alone or add to the base of any of your favorite soups. It is filled with lung nourishing, anti inflammatory and detoxifying herbs and vegetables. Enjoy! 

Ingredients:

-       5-10 cut and peeled carrots

-       1 bundle of Celery

-       1 Onion

-       3 cloves of garlic, finely cut

-       1 tsp ghee

-       7-10 cups of water

-       Any additional herbs, vegetable scraps or greens that you have collected

-       2-3 cinnamon sticks

-       5 cloves

-       3-4 star anise seeds

-       2 tsp of grated fresh ginger

-       2 tsp of grated fresh turmeric or 1 tsp of dried turmeric

-       2 bay leaves

Directions:

Peel and cut the onion and lightly cook in a large pot with ghee and garlic for 2 minutes. Add in the peeled and chopped carrots and cut celery. Cook for 3 minutes. Add water and additional vegetables scrapes and herbs. Bring to a boil, then cook on low simmering heat for 2-5 hours. Let the soup cool, then strain out the herbs and vegetables. Add salt and pepper to taste. Enjoy! 

The Herbs:

Cinnamon, otherwise known as Tvak in Sanskrit, is a warming herb that has been revered since ancient times. It was found in Egypt as early as 2000 BCE. Its powerful constituents support the reduction of coughs, reduces asthma, breathlessness and is an expectorant. It supports digestion through its simulating qualities, is anti parasitical, reduces vata and kapha in the body and tastes delicious. 

Clove otherwise known as Lavanga in Sanskrit, is a cooling yet pungent herb that reduces kapha and pitta in the body. Like cinnamon it has expectorant qualities that are known to reduce cough and breathlessness while stimulating digestion and supporting the clearing of toxins, ama. It is anti fungal and anti microbial, reduces fever and is aromatic. The smell of clove will fill the house when you make this soup, and the aroma already offers its healing qualities for the lungs. 

Star Anise. What most pho vegetables broths have in common are the trifecta of herbs, cinnamon, clove and star anise. No wonder I feel so much better after I eat pho in the winter especially when I am fighting off an upper respiratory virus or infection. Like clove and cinnamon, research shows that star anise fights off cold and flu symptoms, it is an anti viral immune booster, it reduces inflammation of the lungs and diminishes respiratory tract infections.

Garlic is mentioned in the early texts of Ayurveda and is known as a rasayana, a rejuvenating food. According to Vagbhat (AH U 39 113-114), garlic should be taken during the winter. It can also be used in spring when Kapha tends to be increased causing allergies and colds to flare. Garlic has anti inflammatory properties, kindles digestion, is anti parasitical, liquefies kapha and removes phlegm from the respiratory tract. It reduces vata and kapha. When taking garlic in the summer make sure to pair it with cooling foods and herbs as to not aggravate pitta. 

Sources:

-       Alandi Ayurveda, Herbology Manual

Star Anise: A Purported Antiviral Herb with Numerous Associated Health Benefits by Dorathy Nwachukwu, Nicholas A. Kerna, Joseph Anderson II, and Kevin D. Pruitt.

This piece was written by a student of the Alandi Ayurveda Gurukula in Boulder, Colorado. Learn more about studying ayurveda at our home school, or access your deep wellness with the support of our student practitioners in the Alandi Ayurveda Clinic.

Remedies for Sound Sleep

For the last couple of weeks, we’ve been talking about sleep. Today I’d like to offer a few remedies for sound sleep.

Essentially, there are five types of remedy: bedtime teas, bedtime milk drinks, local application of herbs on the on forehead, oil on feet, and pillow remedies like sachets and essential oils.

Enjoy a soothing bedtime tea like lavender, chamomile, nettle tea, catnip tea or yarrow tea, or any combination of these herbs. I also like to make a summer bedtime tea from mint, lemon balm and catnip, a teaspoon of each to a cup of water. Be sure you steep the tea rather than boiling it.  If you are picking fresh herbs from your garden, you’ll need to use more than if you were using dried herbs, which are more concentrated. A tablespoon per cup is good for fresh herbs.  You can also use valerian as a bedtime drink—one or two teaspoons of valerian powder in warm water.

Bedtime milk is a favourite Ayurvedic remedy for sound sleep and also has rejuvenative properties. Try mixing two pinches of nutmeg in a cup of boiling milk.  Simmer for a minute and drink. Or you can make saffron-nutmeg milk. Take a cup of hot milk at bedtime with a pinch of nutmeg and a pinch of saffron. This works best if you soak the saffron in a little hot water for at least 20 minutes and add the saffron and its soak water to the milk.

The special Ayurvedic herb ashwagandha is a great ally for sleep. Take a teaspoon of ashwagandha with a cup of hot milk two hours before sleep. You can also combine ashwagandha and a couple of pinches of nutmeg. If you are pitta and find ashwagandha too heating, use shatavari instead, or a mixture of shatavari and rose.

For local application, you can mix a some ashwagandha into a paste with a little milk and rub it on your forehead at bedtime. You can also mix some nutmeg with an equal amount of ghee and apply around the eyes and forehead at bedtime.

As we’ve mentioned before, oiling the soles of your feet at bedtime is a great way to promote sound sleep. You can use an oil medicated with ashwagandha for a stronger effect. You can also rub castor oil on the soles of your feet to promote sleep.

For pillow remedies, you can use a lavender sachet, lavender eye pillow,  or a sachet filled with valerian. You can also put a drop of sandalwood oil or lavender oil on a handkerchief and tuck it inside your pillowcase.

I hope these remedies help you as we approach the hot summer nights.

Next week, we’ll talk about dreams and their significance in Ayurveda.

 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!

Home Remedies For Painful Menstruation (Dysmenorrhea)

Enjoy this article written by Alandi student Prachi Vinata! Prachi is a current student and available to work with in our student clinic.

Many women and menstruators experience menstrual cramps (dysmenorrhea) before or during their periods.  While cramps may be uncomfortable at best, and debilitating at worst, there are plenty of home remedies within the Ayurvedic toolkit that can relieve cramping and its accompanying symptoms.  Here are a few that can be found in your kitchen pharmacy.

Coriander (Sanskrit: dhanyaka) is a common kitchen spice that can support the female reproductive system.  Its rasa (taste) is astringent, bitter, sweet, and pungent.  Its virya (potency) is heating.  Coriander’s vipak (post-digestive effect) is sweet.

1.    Coriander tea for menstrual cramps: Boil 1 tsp coriander seeds in a cup of water until seeds sink; strain and drink to relieve menstrual cramps

2.    CCF Tea: Mix one-third tsp each of cumin, coriander and fennel 'seeds' in a cup of water, boil until the seeds sink and strain. Drink after meals to aid digestion or to relieve colic. This tea is also a great way to help get adequate iron and calcium in your diet as well, especially important for menstruators.

Cinnamon (Sanskrit: tvak) is a favorite household spice in Indian and American homes alike. Its rasa (taste) is pungent, bitter, and sweet.  Its virya (potency) is heating, and it has a pungent vipak (post-digestive effect). 

1.     Cinnamon and Hibiscus tea: Take 1 teaspoon of hibiscus and 1/8 teaspoon of cinnamon and steep for 20 minutes in 1 cup boiling water. Strain and drink 3-4 times daily. This tea is good for dysmenorrhoea or menorrhagia

Fennel (Sanskrit: mishreya) is a cooling kitchen spice.  Its rasa (taste) is sweet, pungent, and bitter.  It has a cooling virya (potency), and sweet vipak (post-digestive effect).

1.     Fennel and Ajwain tea: Take half teaspoon each of fennel seeds and ajwain seeds, make a tea, add rock sugar or honey and drink 2-3 x daily.

2.     Hormonal balance essential oil blend: Apply 1 drop of fennel oil, 1 drop of geranium, 2 drops of clary sage oil and 1 tablespoon of whole fat milk on the lower abdominal area.

Nutmeg (Sanskrit: jatiphala) is antispasmodic and relieves pain.  It’s rasa (taste) is pungent, bitter, and astringent.  Its virya (potency) is heating, and its vipak (post-digestive effect) is pungent. 

1.     Jam for menstrual cramping: Mix 1/3 tsp nutmeg in honey and eat it.  The sweet taste of honey reduces vata and pitta, often the primary factors of dysmenorrhea.

2.     Milk for insomnia that can be accompanied by cramps and high vata: Mix two pinches nutmeg in a cup of boiling milk, simmer for a minute and drink.

3.     Acne mask: Make a facemask with nutmeg, milk and honey and apply.

This piece was written by a student of the Alandi Ayurveda Gurukula in Boulder, Colorado. Learn more about studying ayurveda at our home school, or access your deep wellness with the support of our student practitioners in the Alandi Ayurveda Clinic.

Home Remedies for Gum Health

       Enjoy this home remedies blog by Alandi student Anita Muralidharan! Anita is a senior student and will graduate shortly.                               

Do you, or does someone you know, have bad breath, swollen, inflamed, red, bleeding or receding gums? You might have gum disease. Taking care of your gums are important, because if left untreated it might ruin your teeth, bone and tissues connected to it. Gum disease is preventable and here are few Ayurvedic tips to have a good smile.

For Receding Gums

1.  Gently massage gums by combining ½ tsp of tea tree oil with ½ tsp of neem oil.

2. Lightly roast a tablespoon of cumin in a pan without oil. Grind this to a fine powder by mortar and pestle or a clean coffee grinder. Mix in a quarter teaspoon of salt. Massage gums with this powder to strengthen gums and prevent gingivitis.

3. Take a mouthful of warm sesame oil and swish it around in your mouth for few minutes before going to bed. Then massage your gums with your index finger. It is not necessary to rinse with water afterward; leave the oil residue in your mouth.

4. For strengthening teeth and gums have 4 figs every day.

For Bleeding Gums

1.     Make a paste with cinnamon in honey and apply 2-3 times daily.

2.     Massage aloe vera gel gently on gums.

3.     Gargle with Triphala tea will prevent gingivitis and bleeding gums.

4.     Eating a raw apple about an hour after meals helps to clean the teeth and heal the gums.

5.     Massaging the gums with coconut oil can also help heal gingivitis and bleeding gums.

6.     Gargle using Goldenseal to treat gum infections, mouth sores, pyorrhea, and thrush.

Bad Breath

1.     Taking a pod of cardamom after meals will stop bad breath.

2.     Chew few coriander seeds to freshen your breath.

3.     Chewing 1-2 clove pods will help remove bad breath

4.     Make fenugreek tea by steeping 1 tsp fenugreek in a cup of boiling water, strain and drink daily. It will prevent bad breath and body odor.

5.     Swish mouth with warm fennel water once a day to get rid of bad breath.

6.     Gargle using Rosemary helps with gum ailments, canker sore, sore throat and also freshen breath.

These are just tips for your oral care but do not forget to brush and floss every day and make an appointment to see a dentist once every year to ensure your oral health.

This piece was written by a student of the Alandi Ayurveda Gurukula in Boulder, Colorado. Learn more about studying ayurveda at our home school, or access your deep wellness with the support of our student practitioners in the Alandi Ayurveda Clinic.

Home Remedies for Beauty

Enjoy this home remedies blog by Alandi student Prema Shakti! Prema is a senior student and will graduate shortly.

The concept of beauty in Ayurvedic medicine is well documented. The knowledge of using herbal remedies, minerals and animal products are as old as the human existence.

In Ayurveda, cosmetic preparations are used for sensual enjoyment as well as for worship. Cosmetology is the study and application of beautification treatments. Gods and Goddesses have been known to use cosmetic procedures in the scriptures. Beautiful women are praised in ancient texts as a virtue.

Beauty consciousness is detailed in dincharya (daily routines) and ritucharya (seasonal routines). Ayurveda strives to rid the body of toxic buildup (ama) through shodhana (purification therapies). Diet is also used to improve and maintain the beauty of an individual. Panchakarma procedures such as garshana, abhyanga, svedana are implemented for beautification of the skin.
Ayurveda determines beauty by prakriti (mind/body constitution), sara (structural proportions), twak (skin complexion), praman (measurement) and dirghayu lakshyana (sign of long life).

Ayurvedic Cosmetics may be grouped into the following categories:
1. Beautification of complexion and longevity of youthfulness
2. Hair health and care
3. Skin care, specifically for teenagers and puberty
4. Soaps, shampoos, makeup, dyes and perfumery, etc.
5. Miscellaneous products

Beauty gives pleasure to the senses and has been sought after by humans since the dawn of time and plays an important role in finding a mate for procreation. In Ayurveda there are medicinal treatments for acne, treatments for diseases and conditions of the skin, herbal preparations for a glowing complexion, toners, anti-aging treatments, burn treatments, eye treatments, and face oils.

A few Ayurvedic remedies for beautification:
Moisturizer: Combine equal parts of rosewater and sesame oil in a spritz bottle. Shake it well before using and spritz your face. This is easy to keep in your purse so the face can be spritzed frequently.
Acne: Apply a paste of clove powder in honey over the affected area.
Skin care: The high content of beta-carotene, folic acid and iron help maintain the skin’s health protecting it from damage. Apply a mash of apricots to your skin and let it work for about 10 minutes. Rinse the paste with lukewarm water and enjoy the feel of soft, moist skin.
Face Mask: Mix triphala powder with honey and a splash of rosewater to create a paste. Apply to face.
Anti-wrinkle treatment: Combine rose petal powder with goat’s milk and apply as a facial mask, rinsing off after ten minutes. Alternatively, mix a jar of rose petal powder and powdered goats milk (e.g. Meyenberg brand) for a facial mask that is available whenever you need it.
For lustrous eyes or to remove dark circles: At bedtime, apply ghee over eyelids and under
eyes.

This piece was written by a student of the Alandi Ayurveda Gurukula in Boulder, Colorado. Learn more about studying ayurveda at our home school, or access your deep wellness with the support of our student practitioners in the Alandi Ayurveda Clinic.

Home remedies for spring allergies

Spring is in the air! House finches sing as they build their nests and purple and golden crocuses are in bloom. All of us look forward to the longer, warmer and sunnier days. But with the beauties of spring come the challenges of spring allergens—tree pollens and moulds. To make matters worse, your cats and dogs are shedding their winter coats, and possibly triggering allergic reactions for many of us. Here are some tips to help you enjoy the season without red itchy eyes, a runny nose and stuffy sinuses.

Spring is kapha season. As the snows melt and paths turn to mud, we experience mucusy kapha conditions like spring allergies. So, the first thing we have to do is get on a kapha-soothing diet emphasizing the bitter, pungent and astringent tastes and avoiding heavy oily, sticky foods like macaroni and cheese. As we’ve stressed in our last two articles, the most important taste for spring is the bitter taste.

Next, use a neti pot to keep your sinuses open and to wash out pollens and dander that have stuck to your nasal mucosa. This involves washing the nasal passages with salt water which is poured into the nostril and exits out the other nostril or through the mouth. The water used for the purpose should be pure, free of chlorine, while the salt should be either pure sea salt, or better still, Himalayan salt or Utah salt. Classically, a brass vessel with a long spout is used, although an indoor plant watering can with a spout makes an excellent substitute. The water should be salty as tears, two teaspoons of salt to a quart of water or half a teaspoon to a cup of water.

Like any other part of the body, the nose, after being washed with lukewarm water of the same salinity as tears, must be carefully dried. Do this by vigorous breathing exercises and forward bending yoga poses which allow any excess water to drain from the sinuses.

As well as doing neti, we can also use nose drops to help our allergies. Ideally, get a nasya oil from your Ayurvedic Doctor, who will suggest something that’s just right for you. Alternatively, you can make your own ginger, rose, jaggery nasya. Jaggery is a sugar cane product you can get from your local Indian store.

To make ginger, rose jaggery nasya, mix a teaspoon of grated fresh ginger, a teaspoon of jaggery and a teaspoon of rose petals in boiling water and steep for ten minutes. Strain it and allow it to cool to room temperature. Instill five drops into each nostril on an empty stomach. This nasya can be stored for a few days in a screw top glass jar in the refrigerator. The jaggery balances vata, rose balances pitta and ginger balances kapha, allowing for a healthy nasal cleanse for all body types.

Another option is a herbal smoke.  Combine rose petals, chamomile flowers, a few drops of ghee and a pinch of nutmeg as a herbal smoke to combat nasal and sinus symptoms.  

If your throat feels sore, a gargle may help. Mix some Himalayan salt and turmeric in hot water and gargle.

If you have a headache due to allergies, a face paste may help.  Make a paste of half a teaspoon of ground cinnamon mixed in water and apply it to the temples or the area of pain.

Next, here are a couple of home remedies you may like. Try cilantro juice for hay fever and allergic conjunctivitis.  Drink two tablespoons of cilantro juice twice daily and gently bathe your eyelids with cilantro juice. For hives, drink the cilantro juice and apply the pulp to the hives.

And my favourite remedy for allergies—turmeric! Mix a teaspoon of turmeric in honey and eat for almost instant relief.

For swollen, sticky or itchy eyes, use hexane free castor oil. Apply a drop in each eye before bed and your symptoms will soon vanish.

If you like to use local herbs or things from your own garden, here are a few suggestions.

You might be growing catnip for your kitty. Catnip leaves can be made into an infusion. Let the infusion cool and then bathe your eyelids with it if they are red and itchy due to allergies.

You can also try  drinking dandelion tea or nettles tea to relieve allergy symptoms.

There are some special Ayurvedic herbs you might like as well. Remember to drink your triphala tea during allergy season. It’s chock full of antioxidants. You can also soak a cloth in triphala tea and apply it over your closed eyelids for red and itchy eyes. And for coughing and sneezing, you can take sitopaladi churna, a sweet mixture that helps with coughs, colds and congestion.

With the BA 2 variant of COVID, (Omicron 2) beginning to make itself felt, you’ll want to make sure that your runny nose, sneezing and sore throat really are due to allergies and not to COVID. So be sure to test if you have symptoms, wear a mask when indoors, even if mandates are lifted.  Stay safe and help protect others.

 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!

Rose Home Remedies and Recipes

It's rose season. And roses are not only fragrant and beautiful, they are an important Ayurvedic medicine with cooling, pitta soothing, anti-inflammatory, antiviral, antibacterial, haemostatic, nervine and antidepressant properties. Here is a selection of traditional Ayurvedic home remedies and recipes that you can make from your garden roses.

All roses that you intend to eat, smoke etc. must be free of pesticides. Do not eat flowers from florists, nurseries, or garden centers, unless labeled organic. In many cases these flowers have been treated with pesticides not approved for food crops. The tastiest roses are usually the most fragrant. Many of the newer varieties have been selected for appearance rather than fragrance. Choose old-fashioned fragrant roses for your remedies.

Herbal smoke: Combine rose petals, chamomile flowers, a few drops of ghee and a pinch of nutmeg as a herbal smoke to relive sinus congestion.

Ginger, rose, jaggery nasya (nasal drops): Mix 1 tsp. grated fresh ginger, 1 tsp. jaggery and 1 tsp. rose petals in boiling water and steep for 10 minutes. Strain and allow to cool to room temperature. Instill 5 drops into each nostril (on an empty stomach). Can be stored for a few days in a screw top glass jar in the refrigerator. The jaggery balances vata, rose balances pitta and ginger balances kapha, allowing for a healthy nasal cleanse for all body types.

Anti-wrinkle treatment: Combine rose petal powder with goat's milk and apply as a facial mask, rinsing off after ten minutes. Alternatively, mix a jar of rose petal powder and powdered goats milk (e.g. Meyenberg brand) for a facial mask that is available whenever you need it.

Acne: Combine equal parts of rosewater and sesame oil in a spritz bottle. Shake it well before using and spritz your face. This is easy to keep in your purse so the face can be spritzed frequently.

Nosebleeds: Take a teaspoon of rose petal jam twice daily to alleviate the tendency to nosebleeds.

Constipation: Drink warm milk at bedtime with a teaspoon of rose petal jam or rose syrup.

Menstrual cramps or heavy menstrual bleeding: try rose petal tea or rose and hibiscus tea.

Eye fatigue or 'computer eye': For tired, red or burning eyes, soak two organic cotton balls in rosewater. Lie down and relax, close your eyes and apply one cotton ball to each eye.

Insect bites: Rose water can be applied over insect bites such as mosquito bites to relieve itch and inflammation.

Acne scars: Apply a mixture of sandalwood, lemon juice and rose water.Rose ghee: Good remedy for eyes, skin, pitta.

Make ghee by the normal method. In a rectangular Pyrex dish, place a leyer of rose petals and pour hot ghee over it. When the ghee cools, place on another layer of rose petals and pour hot ghee on again. Repeat a couple more times, then cover and leave for 3-4 days to infuse. Now gently melt the mixture, strain out the roes petals and store in a screw top glass jar.

Laxative Rose Syrup

Source

• 2 cups water
• 1.5 cups sugar
• 1/2 heaping cup red rose petals, rinsed, patted dry and air-dried until crisp.

Bring the water to a boil. Place the dried rose petals in a glass bowl, pour on the water, stir.

Allow to cool and then steep under refrigeration for 12 hours.

Next, strain out the rose petals and place the rose infusion in a pan. Add the sugar and clove. Stir as it comes to a foamng boil and thn simmer for ten minutes.

Allow to cool. It will naturally thicken.

Store in refrigerator in glass bottle for up to two months.

Can be used in milk at bedtime (1tsp) for a delicious laxative drink.

Rose petal jam

Method 1 (Ayurvedic Gulkand)

In a sterile screw top jar, alternately layer clean dry organic rose petals and organic turbinado sugar. Keep in a sunny windowsill for 3-4 weeks, stirring every other day. After this time, it should have a jam-like consistency. Now store in a cool, dark cupboard for another 3-4 weeks to cure.

Method 2 (Western)

1/2 pound pink or red edible rose petals
2 cups turbinado sugar, divided
4 1/2 cups water
Juice of 2 freshly-squeezed lemons (approximately 1/2 cup)

Clip and discard bitter white bases from the rose petals; rinse petals thoroughly and drain.

Place rose petals in a bowl and sprinkle enough sugar to coat each petal. Let set overnight.

In a saucepan over low heat, place remaining sugar, water, and lemon juice; stirring to dissolve sugar. Stir in rose petals and let simmer 20 minutes. Increase heat to medium-high and bring to a boil; continue boiling for approximately 5 minutes until mixture thickens and a spoonful dropped onto a cold plate jells and holds its shape. Remove from heat. After boiling, transfer the jam into hot sterilized jars. Fill them to within 1/4-inch of the top. Wipe any spilled jam off the top, seat the lid, and tighten the ring around them. Cover, label, and store in a cool place. Makes 1 pound of jam.

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!

Home Remedies for Nasal and Sinus Congestion

It's the season of colds and flus--all to often followed by chronic nasal and sinus congestion. Alandi student Katrina Debs offers some simple home remedies to help you breathe freely all winter long. To learn more about how to take care of yourself when congested, read here.

1.  Turmeric honey – Mix 1 tsp turmeric with 1 tsp honey and eat twice a day.

2.  Tulsi black pepper tea – Boil ¼ tsp black pepper in 1 ½ cup water for 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and add 1 tsp tulsi leaf, allowing it to steep for 10 minutes. Add 1 tsp honey and enjoy.

3.  Take ½ tsp Mahasudarshan churna (powder) in hot water in the morning before breakfast. You can purchase it from Alandi’s pharmacy.

4.  Ginger fenugreek CCF tea – Boil 1 tsp grated, fresh ginger with ½ tsp fenugreek seeds, ½ tsp cumin seeds, 1 tsp fennel seeds and 1 tsp coriander seeds in 4 cups of water until most of the seeds fall to the bottom of the pan (20 minutes). Strain.

5.  Snort powdered herbs – Mix a tiny bit of equal parts calamus, tulsi and vidanga powders, and snort them. This loosens up stuck mucus.

7.  Clove facial paste – see recipe below.

Ayurvedic Facial Paste

This wonderful facial paste helps the ‘local agni’ (metabolic action) of the sinuses to burn up the mucus, without you having to blow it out your nose. It simply dries it up! You may love this remedy so much that you add it permanently to your winter daily routine. Clove is categorized in Ayurveda as a cooling pungent.

Ingredients

1-2 tsp fine ground clove powder

a tiny bit of hot water, enough to make a paste

Directions

In a tiny bowl or cup, mix the clove powder with enough water to make a thin paste. Being careful not to get it in your nose or eyes, spread the paste on your sinuses--above your eyebrows and on your cheeks under your eyes. Within minutes you will begin to feel a tingling and possibly a burning sensation (this only lasts a couple of minutes). Remember that this is the herbs doing their work—don’t wash it off! Rinse the paste off when dry, carefully avoiding your mucous membranes. This is potent enough that you can leave it on the counter to dry for tomorrow and just add hot water to reinvigorate it.

*Contraindicated for those with high pitta symptoms (headache in temples, burning sensation anywhere on the body, red face, loose stool).

*This is the most basic version of this recipe, but one can make it other ways. For instance, you can add 1 part cardamom, 1 part dried ginger, and ½ part cinnamon powder to 1 part clove.

This piece was written by a student of the Alandi Ayurveda Gurukula in Boulder, Colorado. Learn more about studying ayurveda at our home school, or access your deep wellness with the support of our student practitioners in the Alandi Ayurveda Clinic.

Home Remedies with Almonds

Known in Sanskrit as vatāda and in Hindi as badam, almonds are a source of antioxidant flavonoids and phenolics and are revered in Ayurveda for their building, strengthening, nervine and intelligence promoting properties. Here are a few home remedies to make use of this great super-food.

While enjoying almonds, remember that we depend upon bees to pollinate them. So eat your almonds and speak out for honeybees!

Remedies

1. Asthma, pertussis, bronchitis: mix 10 drops of ginger juice, 10 drops of lemon juice and 1teaspoon of almond oil; take this 1 or 2 times a day.

2. Constipation: chew some almonds with rosewater.

3. To support digestion: eat 2 teaspoons of almond oil daily for 10 days.

4. Sprains and muscle strains: Gently cook a clove of garlic in almond oil. Strain the oil and apply on the painful area.

5. Chest pain: combine 2 teaspoons of almond oil and 1 teaspoon of rose oil and rub gently on the chest. (Chest pain should be evaluated by a doctor).

6. Anemia: soak 10 almonds in water for overnight. Remove the skin and grind them to a paste. Eat this paste daily for about 3 months.

7. For anxiety: soak 10 almonds in water overnight. Remove the skin and grind them to paste. Add 1 teaspoon of nutmeg and a pinch of dry ginger powder and eat daily.

8. For improved concentration, soak a handful of almonds in in water overnight, next morning peel and and eat on an empty stomach.

9. Dark circles: massage the area under the eyes with almond oil daily for at least 2 weeks.

10. Hair health: massage the scalp with almond oil.

11. Eye health: Take equal parts of almond, fennel seeds and tubinado sugar and grind to a fine powder in spice grinder or Vitamix. Store the mixture in a screw top glass jar. Take two tablespoons each night with a cup of warm milk, spiced with cardamom.

12. Ojas Drink: Used for low ojas, pregnancy, low libido, debility and premature ejaculation. See recipes below.

Ojas Almond Restorative Drink

Serves 1, Sattvic, V-P-K+

Ingredients

• 10 raw almonds

• 1 cup pure water

• 1 cup milk (unhomogenized if possible) (milk is highly rejuvenative when digested)

• 1 Tablespoon organic rose petals (optional - rejuvenative)

• 1 tsp ghee (rejuvenative)

• 1/32 tsp saffron (increases digestion & rejuvenative)

• 1/8 tsp ground cardamom (increases digestion)

• pinch of black pepper (helps control the K)

• ½ tsp of sweetener (increases lactose digestion)

Directions

1. Soak almonds and water together overnight

2. In the morning, drain off the water and rub the skins off the almonds.

3. Bring the milk to a boil

4. Pour the milk in the blender with the peeled almonds

5. Add rose petals, ghee, saffron, cardamom, black pepper, and sweetener

6. Blend until smooth.

7. Drink 3-4 times a week as directed. Best done after Pancha Karma as part of rejuvenation.

8. Watch if any signs of excess mucous/kapha, consult if so.

Non Dairy Almond Ojas Drink

Ingredients

• 10 raw almonds

• 2 cups pure water

• 20 raisins

• 1 Tablespoon organic rose petals (optional - rejuvenative)

• 1 tsp ghee (rejuvenative)

• 1/32 tsp saffron (increases digestion & rejuvenative)

• 1/8 tsp ground cardamom (increases digestion)

• pinch of black pepper (helps control the K)

Directions

1. Soak almonds in 1 cup of water overnight, and soak raisins in 1 cup of water either overnight or for several hours

2. In the morning, drain off the almond water and rub the skins off the almonds

3. In a blender, add the raisins AND their soaking water with the drained and peeled almonds

4. Add rose petals, ghee, saffron, cardamom, black pepper

5. Blend until smooth

6. Drink 3-4 times a week as directed. Best done after Pancha Karma as part of rejuvenation.

7. Watch if any signs of excess mucus/kapha, consult if so.

For more nurturing and rejuvenating almond recipes see: Almond Pudding, Almond and Rice Dessert, Soma Horchata.

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!