Resources - Healthy Ayurveda
Resources
Delectable And Delicious Rose Flavored Treats
Delectable And Delicious Rose Flavored Treats The beauty of the rose is seconded only by its healing properties. In Ayurveda the rose, more specifically the Damascus rose, is used for more than just perfumes. In foods it makes a delicious yet cooling accompaniment and as it has an affinity for the skin, it can also be used in a paste (lepas), along with sandalwood and fennel, to help in excess heat. As an essential oil it has nervine, antidepressant, antiseptic and aphrodisiac properties amongst others. In India a jam (Gulkand) is prepared using the rose petals and sugar. It is a simple recipe that involves layering of the petals and the sugar in a glass jar and leaving out in the sun for 10 days. Gulkand is a cooling and tasty treat to help balance the body during the summer months. Organ...
Shatavari – An Excellent Female Tonic
Shatavari – An Excellent Female Tonic Shatavari is a very popular pitta pacifying herb. It is referred to as “the woman who has a hundred husbands” and thereby suggestive of its properties of being an effective female reproductive system herb. However it can elevate kapha but pacifies vata, so its use must be carefully monitored. It is a tonic and a nutritive and it is also has wonderful anti-inflammatory effects. As a rejuvenative herb, it is especially helpful in cases of female reproductive debility, stomach ulcers and dehydration. Contraindications include high ama, excess mucous and also breast cancer/ fibroid tumors. GREAT VIDEO ON SHATAVARI GHEE FOR WOMEN’S SUPPORT: By Dr Monica B Groover of San Diego College of Ayurveda Properties: Shatavari is a heavy and oily herb an...
Purifying The Mind With Pratyahara ~ A Yoga & Ayurvedic Approach
The conscious withdrawal of the senses or pratyahara is thought to help purify the mind Just as a healthy body can resist toxins, a healthy mind can ward off the negative sensory influences around it. In today’s modern times, most people suffer from sensory overload from television, cell phones, radio, computers, newspapers, magazines and books. Society functions on stimulation through the senses. When we watch violent acts on TV etc. we are absorbing that into our system/mind and each impression has an impact on our mind, positive or negative. If one is easily disturbed by the noises and turmoil in their daily lives, then you may need to practice withdrawing your senses in order to help avoid paying too much attention to these disturbances. Indriya-pratyahara, or control of the senses, i...
![Female Health: Amenorrhea [cessation of menses] – An Ayurvedic Perspective](https://healthyayurveda.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/1.-Amenorhea--1050x600.png)
![Female Health: Amenorrhea [cessation of menses] – An Ayurvedic Perspective](https://healthyayurveda.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/1.-Amenorhea--80x80.png)
Female Health: Amenorrhea [cessation of menses] – An Ayurvedic Perspective
Female Health: Amenorrhea – An Ayurvedic Perspective Amenorrhea is a condition characterized by the absence of menstruation. This disorder is of two types – Primary amenorrhea and secondary amenorrhea. If a girl has not menstruated by age 16 it is referred to as primary amenorrhea and can continue indefinitely. Secondary amenorrhea is characterized by the absence of 2-3 periods in a row in a woman who menstruates normally. Pregnancy, lactation and menopause do not create the absence of menses. Etiological Factors To Consider: There are many etiological factors in amenorrhea. It can be due to endocrine disturbances such as hyperthyroidism which can be due to increased vata and kapha. Increased kapha can manifest in hypothyroidism leading to primary amenorrhea. Other factors such as...
Turmeric “Golden” Milk ~ An Ayurvedic Elixir
Turmeric “Golden” Milk ~ An Ayurvedic Elixir It’s to no surprise to that turmeric has fast become a popular remedy for just about everything that ails you. Traditionally, turmeric milk has been used for conditions such as colds, congestion, headaches, and sore throats due to tumeric’s anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidant properties. What is more interesting is that Ayurveda [and other ancient systems of medicine] have used turmeric for health and wellness since for as long as historical records have existed. Turmeric “Golden” Milk Is Extremely Simple To Make! – 1 cup of whole organic milk, preferably non-homogenized – 1/2 tsp of dried turmeric Turmeric – Helps Purify The Blood & Acts As An Antioxidant!! Turmeric is one of the oldest, most important spices k...
The Three Pillars Of Good Health ~ An Ayurvedic Perspective
The Three Pillars Of Good Health There is nothing as important in life in making a radical change within the body, mind, and consciousness than establishing a healthy routine in daily life. Ayurveda is a science of good health. Its first objective is to preserve health of the healthy individual. Charaka [the founder of ayurvedic medicine] has summed up beautifully the whole technique of how to promote a healthy lifestyle in two lines. “Nityam hitahara-vihara-sevi samikshyakari vishayeshvasaktah Data samah satyaparah kshamavan aptopasevi cha bhavati arogah” – Charaka Samhita Translation: A person who practices regularly a wholesome lifestyle, eats wholesome food, is deliberate in all his actions, not involved in the objects of the mind [i.e. overindulgence in sense pleasures], who is...
Female Health: Menorrhagia ~ 5 Simple Ayurvedic Considerations
Female Health: Menorrhagia ~ 5 Simple Ayurvedic Considerations Menorrhagia is a condition that results in excessive bleeding during a woman’s menstrual cycle. This can include both the amount of blood and/or the number of days during which bleeding occurs. The causative factors can vary from hormonal imbalances to diet and lifestyle patterns. Ayurveda classifies this disorder as a pitta [heat] imbalance and can be common during the pitta stage of life (ages 30-40 years). If not properly managed, this can also lead to anemia and patients may start to feel fatigue and develop headaches amongst other symptoms. Ayurveda Considers The Root Cause It is important to discover the root cause of the disorder, as it may vary for each individual. From an ayurvedic perspective, the strength of agni [t...
Is Bitter Better for Pacifying Pitta?
Is Bitter Better for Pacifying Pitta? “I read online that for pitta people, particularly in the summer time, in order to keep things cool, bitter things are good. So I ordered a bitter ghee preparation called “pancha tikta ghritam” and I started using it on an empty stomach first thing in the morning. I immediately developed nausea and felt like I had a hangover. It felt like instead of pacifying my pitta, it aggravated it? Can you please address this? If ayurvedic texts and experts say that bitter is good for pitta then why did it not help me? Also, how should I take care of my pitta in the summer? I read your article on cooling pitta in the summer and it gave a different approach. You were recommending sweet things like rose petal preserve. Is the sweet taste enough for pacifying pitta i...
Herbs & Spices ~ An Ayurvedic Perspective
Herbs & Spices ~ An Ayurvedic Perspective Plants, whether the whole plant, the bark, the root, the flower or leaf, or even an extract of a plant – are a type of medicine that is used to promote health, as well as prevent and treat illness. Part of the beauty and magic of plants is that they are easily accessible and have been used by people from around the world as an important healing modality. Much of the world’s population still relies today on the use of plants as medicine. To answer the question “What is Herbal Medicine?” you should know that it is, in and of itself, a way to stimulate and restore the body’s natural healing capacity through the use of plants. Acute symptoms can be resolved effectively using herbs and spices. The typical goal is not to alleviate a specific sy...
A Personal Look At Depression ~ An Ayurvedic Perspective
A Personal Look At Depression ~ An Ayurvedic Perspective “For underneath my tears and the hallow feelings is a deep intrinsic knowing that our sadness is always here to teach us something, to help us grow and lead us to a deeper evolution of ourselves. I know that once I have moved through the darkness, I will be very grateful for the lessons learned along the way. I’ve heard it said so many times, being vulnerable is a pathway to deeper connections, a richer life, healing and a profound experience of “Aliveness”. But how easy is it to be vulnerable when we have jobs to keep up, social statuses to maintain, teeth to brush and lives to live? Yet, a gift of this depression is that at times I have no choice but to be vulnerable. It doesn’t matter if it’s a co-worker I barely...
CUCUMBER RAITA ~ Simple & Delicious Dishes To Keep Cool This Summer!
Simple & Delicious Dishes To Help Keep Cool This Summer! According to the teachings of Ayurveda, every aspect of our lives contrubutes to our overall health with seasonal changes being of great significance. The summer heat is reflective of the fiery element of pitta giving all the more reason to discover some delectable yummy and cooling dishes to help stay cool this summer. CUCUMBER RAITA Often a good meal for lunch on a hot summer day is basmati rice and mung dal kitchari. However, to bring about flavor you may also want to consider cucumber raita to help improve digestion and even help to cool down many spicy dishes. Ingredients: · 1 small cucumber skinned and grated · 1 teaspoon of ground fennel seeds dry roasted · ½ cup of plain yogurt · ¼ teasp...
The Real Power of Mantra
THE REAL POWER OF MANTRA Amantram akṣaram nāsti, nāsti mūlam anauṣaḍham Ayogyaḥ puruṣo nāsti, yojakas tatra durlabhaḥ There is no syllable that is not a mantra, no root that is not medicine; There is no person who is not born with a use, but it takes skill to find these things. In everyone’s horoscope, there are key sounds, or mantras, that reflect various aspects of the personality. They are based on the individual placement of planets at the time of ṭheir birth. Vedic astrology makes use of these (what are sometimes called sacred or ‘primordial sounds’ ) for naming people and businesses, for meditation, and even for finding compatible partners. Such short ‘seed syllables’ or bīja mantras are practicable for Westerners because they are not particularly difficult to pronounce. But prob...