Natural Ways To Manage Stress + Herbs To Enhance The Mind
Healthy & Natural Ways To Manage Stress
Stress is inevitable and we all respond to stress differently as there’s no “one size fits all” solution to managing stress. It’s as if stress walks in and out of our lives on a regular basis and at times - walks all over us. Fortunately, the ancient wisdom of Ayurveda identifies three important pillars of good health which are needed in order to achieve a state of wholeness and balance.
- Diet
- Sleep
- Lifestyle
Healthy Diet
According to Ayurveda, perfect health begins with perfect digestion. Ayurveda speaks of the digestive fire ("Agni"), located in the stomach, as being the primary location where either health or disease begins. According to Ayurveda mostly all diseases start in the digestive system; this also includes the mind since the mind also digests and transforms information that we percieve.
Simple Tips For Healthy Digestion
Organic Churnas
Ready-to-use spice mixtures satisfy the six ayurvedic tastes considered essential for balance and good digestion.
Sound Sleep
Sleep is one of the fundamental mainstays in Ayurveda. It is vital to sleep the appropriate hours at specific times in order to achieve balanced health. Sufficient sleep has tremendous health benefits including relieving stress, anxiety and restoring vitality. Before bed, try a boiled cup of milk made with a touch of ginger and sugar, Organic Rose Petal Spread, or raw honey to help relax the mind and promote falling asleep easily.
Slumber Time Tea
Helps disengage the mind from the senses to fall asleep easily and wake up refreshed and alert.
Slumber Time Aroma Oil
Diffuse a little before you go to bed, this enchanting blend of six pure essential oils will relax you for hours. Includes sweet orange, marjoram, lavender and jasmine.
Lifestyle
Daily routine [“Dinacharya”] is a vital and integral part of our state of health. A routine that is followed with care and awareness with respect to our individual constitution and balance will bring many health benefits. In Ayurveda there are certain steps to starting the day, and whilst these can take up some time, they are valuable in their relation to boosting vitality.
Daily Routine to Perfect Health
What Is Stress?
Oil Massage
Massage yourself with warm organic sesame oil. Sesame is warming and is generally considered beneficial to every body type for this time of year. Massaging oil on the body is a great way to keep the skin soft, supple and wrinkle free. It is a rejuvenating technique that improves circulation and, when done at night, induces sleep.
Organic Sesame Oil
Enhance immunity and experience a sense of well-being. Our pure golden Sesame Oil is organic, extra-light, chemical-free and cold-pressed, allowing its chemical composition to penetrate the deeper layers of the skin.
“Give yourself a full-body oil massage on a daily basis. It is nourishing; pacifies the doshas; relieves fatigue; provides stamina, pleasure and perfect sleep; enhances the complexion and the luster of skin; promotes longevity; and nourishes all parts of the body.” – Ancient Wisdom Of Ayurveda
Shirodhara – The Most Popular Ayurveda Treatment
Shirodhara is undoubtedly one of the most popular Ayurvedic treatments in the west. The word ‘shiro’ means head and ‘dhara’ means steady flow. Therefore, shirodhara involves pouring a steady stream of soothing oil over the forehead and acts as a method of relieving stress to the restless mind.
The Moving Mind
The science of Ayurveda speaks of vata as being the basis of all movement of the body and mind. When vata is in excess [within the mind] it can result in anxiety, nervousness, depression, insomnia and many other forms of difficulty handling stress. With nearly eighty percent of all diseases in the west being attributed to stress, it is no wonder why Shirodhara has been considered one of the most popular Ayurvedic treatments of modern day.
Organic Vata Calming Tea
Sweet, soothing choice to help restore balance quickly whenever life gets too hectic.
Creating Stillness
Shirodhara is a classical and a well-established ayurvedic procedure of slowly and steadily streaming medicated oil on the center of the forehead while resting quietly on a comfortable bed. Other liquids like coconut water, buttermilk, milk, etc. are also used depending on the individual need of the patient. Ultimately, this procedure helps to induce a relaxed state of awareness, mental clarity, and even thought to help produce improved “psychoneuroimmunology”; the ability to handle stress.
Stress Free Mind
Supports natural resistance to daily mental stress and fatigue; promotes peace, stability, and calmness under pressure.
Nourishing The Brain
The human brain contains about 100 billion cells which continuously require oxygen. Because of this oxygen demand, the brain is particularly susceptible to oxidative damage; i.e. free radicals. Antioxidants are therefore crucial for longevity and continued effective functioning of the brain.
Amrit Kalash
Amrit Kalash is a powerful broad-spectrum antioxidant and contains Amalaki which is considered the richest natural source of vitamin C, along with a rich balance of other herbs. Amrit Kalash has been shown to be 1,000 times more potent as a free radical scavenger than vitamin C or E.
Herbs - Enhancing The Mind
Ayurveda talks highly about a special class of herbs called “Medhya” herbs. Ultimately, by providing nourishment to the brain, these herbs are especially useful for the mind and helps to enhance learning while improving both the retention and recall of knowledge.
Intelligence Plus
Promotes natural intelligence; rejuvenates mental processes; supports attention span and concentration; promotes positive emotions and self-confidence.
Mind Plus
Stress and fatigue can diminish mental strength and clarity. Support mental functioning under stress and revitalize the mind with Mind Plus.
Organic Youthful Mind
Supports mental functioning as one ages; removes toxins that impede learning, memory, and recall; promotes the development of consciousness.
Benefits Of Meditation
It seems that research centered around the benefits of meditation have now been rolling in steadily validating the ancient wisdom common to both Ayurveda and Yoga. Ayurveda is an ancient science which literally means ‘the science of life’. A basic fundamental premise to both Ayurveda and Yoga is that – both a sound mind and sound body are integral to one’s overall health and well-being.
Just Some Of The Potential Benefits Of Meditation:
– greater clarity and inner calmness
– increased creativity and happiness
– improved sense of emotional stability
– reduced level of anxiety and depression
– improved brain function and memory
– reduced level of stress
… the list can go on and on …
Disclaimer
The sole purpose of these articles is to provide information about the tradition of ayurveda. This information is not intended for use in the diagnosis, treatment, cure or prevention of any disease. If you have any serious acute or chronic health concern, please consult a trained health professional who can fully assess your needs and address them effectively. If you are seeking the medical advice of a trained ayurvedic expert, call or e-mail us for the number of a physician in your area. Check with your doctor before taking herbs or using essential oils when pregnant or nursing.
Improving Brain Function With Ayurveda + Benefits of Ghee & Brain-Boosting Herbs
Improving Brain Function With Ayurveda
According to the ancient wisdom of Ayurveda, health rests upon a foundation supported by three pillars - sleep, diet, and overall balance of life. If any one of these three pillars becomes weakened, our overall health and well-being may become affected. Therefore, in order to function optimally especially during modern times, let us look at specific ways to help maintain a healthy balance for the brain.
Intelligence Plus - with Gotu Kola, Ashwagandha, & Bacopa!!
~The Healthy Brain~
It’s to no surprise that the brain requires oxygen. In fact, the brain can only survive for about four minutes without oxygen before suffering from irreparable brain damage. Not only does the brain require oxygen - the brain requires glucose, fat and protein.
Healthy Fat - Healthy Brain
It’s quite astonishing that nearly 60 percent of the brain is fat. In fact, every single neuron [brain cell] is insulated by a myelin sheath made of fatty material - which stresses the importance of fat required for brain stability. That said, it is also important the differentiate between the quality of fat. For example, it’s important to eat healthy fats from pure oils [i.e. olive oil] and avoid nonorganic, mechanically processed, hydrogenated fats and all other altered fats such as trans-fatty acids [i.e. margarine].
The Importance Of Ghee
Ayurveda has traditionally considered ghee [clarified butter] to be the healthiest source of edible fat, with many beneficial properties. Ghee is butter from which the water and milk solids have been removed. Recent research has clearly demonstrated the importance of essential fatty acids [EFAs] for normal brain function and stabilization of moods. According to Ayurveda, not only does ghee improve memory and strengthen the brain and nervous system but it’s thought to improve digestion, promote longevity, and even help to protect the body from various diseases.
The Brain-Gut Connection ...
According to Ayurvedic wisdom, by-products of poor digestion [ama] are considered toxic to the body and overall well-being. If these toxins [ama] enter into the general circulation and lodge into certain tissues this can interfere with proper functioning of the bodily systems. For example, in modern medicine we are quite familiar with a particular substance associated with Alzheimer’s disease being an amyloid-beta-peptide ‘plaque’. From an Ayurvedic perspective, this plaque formation is a by-product of poor digestion at various levels [G.I. tract, tissue, cellular, mental]. Therefore, from an Ayurvedic perspective, in order to keep the brain healthy and free of these toxic by-products of poor digestion [i.e. amyloid plaques], it is important to maintain a healthy and balanced digestive function.
The Ayurvedic Brain Gut Connection - By Dr. Kulreet Chaudhary
Dr. Kulreet Chaudhary, the Director of Neurology at Wellspring Health and a pioneer in the field of Integrative Medicine, explains the Ayurvedic view of The Brain Gut Connection.
4 Simple Tips For Keeping The Brain Healthy
1. Black pepper. Modern research suggests that black pepper enhances the uptake and utilization of oxygen by brain cells. Likewise, black pepper helps to improve the quality of digestion - therefore, preventing formation of by-products of poor digestion [ama].
2. Ginger. Ayurveda describes fresh ginger root as one of the best enhancers of digestion - helping to better assimilate food and prevent the formation of toxic by-products of digestion [ama].
3. Turmeric. Turmeric is anti-inflammatory, antiseptic, and antibacterial and has long been used in the Indian system of medicine to treat a variety of conditions. Epidemiological studies show a 4.4-fold lower incidence of AD in Southeast Asian countries where turmeric is commonly used as a dietary spice
Turmeric - is one of the oldest, most important spices known to humankind!!
4. Avoid eating refined sugar. Alzheimer’s disease has been likened to “diabetes of the brain” and excessive sugar is thought to impair certain enzymes within the brain, such as neprilysin - which can promote the buildup of amyloid plaques [ama] within the brain.
Brain Boosting Herbs
There are a certain class of Ayurvedic herbs which are distinctly thought to improve the functions of the mind and enhance memory which are classified as “medhya rasayanas”.
Shankhapushpi [Aloeweed]
Shankapushpi is revered as one of the best herbs for supporting the brain and mental function. It enhances memory, calms the mind, and thought to improve tolerance to mental stress. Because of these properties, Shankapushpi is often considered “somanasya janana” - the giver of great mental power and bliss.
Brahmi [Bacopa]
The effects of Brahmi help to calm and balance the mind. Certain scientific studies have demonstrated Brahmi to enhance learning and memory while providing antioxidant support for the brain.
Organic Brahmi - A Revered & Ancient Brain Tonic!!
Gotu Kola [Indian Pennywort]
Gotu Kola is considered one of the best herbs at enhancing memory. Likewise, Gotu Kola also contains asiatic acid which is a known potent inhibitor for the formation of amyloid plaques often seen in Alzheimer’s disease.
Disclaimer:
This information is strictly for educational purpose only and not to be considered medical advice. Always first seek the consultation of your primary care physician before considering any new health regimen.