Ayurvedic Self massage

Abhyanga : The Ayurvedic Self- Massage

The Ayurvedic practice of Abhyanga, refers to the practice of daily self-massage with warm oil. Abhyanga is a beneficial and rewarding addition to any wellness routine. I recommend doing it for 5-10 minutes before a shower or bath each morning, so that the benefits will stay with you all throughout your busy day. However, it can also be done later in the afternoon, which works well, too.

Benefits:

- Calms the mind and nervous system while it rejuvenates, strengthens and protects the internal organs.

-Relieves muscular tension.

- Improves circulation and energizes the whole body.

-Helps the body release toxins from the deepest cellular level.

- Purifies and tones the skin.

-Strengthens and tones the musculo-skeletal system, including the joints, making the body stronger and less prone to injury or pain.

- Helps balance the digestive system, relieving constipation and indigestion.

-Supports eyes and eyesight, as well as ears and hearing.

-Improves sleep patterns.

The best oils to use would be - vata oil, pitta oil or kapha oil as they have pacific herbs infused within the oils itself.

However you can use Cold- press Sesame oil in the cooler winter months as it is a great warming, purifying oil and coconut oil in the summer because of its cooler properties as well as being highly nourishing.
Essential oils may also be included for enhanced health benefits. Sandalwood and rose are especially lovely for their calming and healing properties.

All these oils are considered anti-inflammatory and anti-microbial.

---

Instructions:

1. Place your jar or bottle of oil in a bowl of hot water for about 5 minutes, until the oil heats up to a comfortable temperature.

2. Make sure to do this in a comfortably warm, draft-free room.

3. Placing oil in the palm of your hand, apply to your body, working systematically down from the top of your head.

4. Next, massage the oil into your skin, giving each part of your body ample attention. Use long strokes on the limbs and circular clockwise strokes on your joints. Massage the abdomen and chest in wide, clockwise, circular motions. Apply lighter pressure over the chest and abdomen. This process should take about 5-10 minutes.

5. If massaging your scalp, apply oil to the crown of the head and then work it into your scalp with your fingers in outward circles, as if you are shampooing your hair with the oil. Also, make sure to gently rub oil on your forehead, ears, and throat area. You might be amazed in the beginning how quickly the oil soaks in everywhere.

6. As you massage your body, smile at your organs and body, envisioning yourself as healthy and happy. Allow yourself to feel gratitude and love for yourself in this simple ritual of self-nurturing.

7. Sit quietly with eyes closed for 5 or more minutes, breathing deeply and enjoying the nourishment that you have just taken into every cell of your being.

8. Take a warm bath or shower, being very careful not to slip. Use a very gentle, non-soap cleanser and a gentle shampoo. The thin layer of oil that remains on the skin after your bath or shower helps keep your skin moisturized and protected from the environment through the day.

9. I also recommend that you rub a little sesame oil on your feet at night before bed, and cover your feet with light socks after applying the oil. This is very calming and strengthening to the nervous system, and over time, can help promote restful sleep.

Love and Peace Fez

Kitchari Recipe

Ayurvedic healers say that Kitchari (split yellow mung dhal cooked with rice) is a golden food for the sick.

I remember as a child when my mum used to cook kitchari for lunch on Sundays. I now realize that it was her way of getting the family detoxed for the new week.

Kitchari is a one dish meal that combines rice, mung dhal, turmeric and salt cooked in ghee. It's a great source of protein with the mung dhal, excellent for detoxification and de-aging of cells. Kitchari is balancing for all three Doshas (Vata, Pitta and Kapha). It is a complete food that is easy to digest, detoxifies the body, gives strength and vitality.

Kitchari Recipe

Ingredients

1 cup basmati rice
½ cup split mung dal
2 tablespoons ghee (clarified butter)
1 teaspoon black mustard seeds
1 teaspoon cumin seeds/powder
1 pinches hing (asafotida)
½ teaspoon turmeric powder
½ teaspoon salt 4 cups water (add up to 6 cups for soupy consistency)

Directions:

Wash the rice and mung dal well. In a saucepan, heat the ghee and sauté the mustard seeds, cumin seeds, tumeric and hing for a few minutes. Add the rice, Mung dal and salt. Sauté over low heat for a few minutes. Add boiling water and bring to boil. Stir and cover to simmer on low heat for about 30 minutes. Cook until tender and serve warm.

Love Fez

Detox 2- Eating habits

Follow Ama-Reducing Eating Habits

While detoxifying, it's important to follow the ayurvedic eating guidelines for reducing ama(toxins).

1. Do not skip meals during any phase of a detox program.
2. Eat at the same time every day so your agni can "fire up" for the meal.
3. Eat your main meal at noon and lighter meals at breakfast and dinner.
4. Eat while sitting down in a settled atmosphere; paying attention to the food when you eat (no TV, no phones, no reading).
5. Have pleasant conversations with friends or family (no business meetings or emotional discussions).
6. Eat only when the previous meal has been digested - when hungry.
   
7. Eat to only 3/4 of your capacity.

Love and Peace Fez

Detox Drink - Ama(toxin)Reducing.

Recipe for a easy detox drink.

Fresh Ginger- about 5cm piece grated including its juice
1/4 tsp Turmeric
1/4 tsp Fenugreek powder
1/4 tsp Fennel powder
1/4 tsp Coriander powder
4 lemons juiced
2 tbs of raw honey

Combined all the ingredients together and store it in a clean jar in the fridge.

Every morning take one heaped tsp of the ama reducing mixture with hot water.

This is a great refreshing drink to start your day.....Cheers

Love and Peace

Disease process - Agni and Ama

Central to Ayurvedic understanding of digestion is the strengthening of the digestive fire, called Agni. Agni is seated in the lower stomach and small intestine and relates to the Pitta dosha.

A sign of good health is when your agni( digestive fire) is burning bright, that is you are digesting your food efficiently, without leaving deposits of toxins(ama).

Common ways that agni become weak or aggravated: overeating, eating the same foods, eating tasteless foods, drinking to much water with meals, staying up late and eating at irregular times.

When agni becomes weakened or disturbed, food is not properly digested. The undigested, unabsorbed food particles accumulate in the gastrointestinal tract and turn into the toxic, sticky substance called ama.

In the “spread” stage of the disease process, ama clogs the intestines, overflows through the other bodily channels such as blood vessels and infiltrates the bodily tissues, causing disease.

Ama is thus the root cause of disease. The presence of ama in the system can be felt as fatigue or a feeling of heaviness. Ama can most easily be detected as a thick coating on the tongue.

In Ayurveda, disease is the crisis of ama, in which the body seeks to eliminate the accumulated toxicity.
So the key to preventing dis- ease once ama has begun to build up- is to help the body eliminate the toxins.

For the month of October I will be posting treatments and recipes for simple detoxification..

Love and Peace

Tulsi Tea

I recently found Tulsi Tea at my local Woolworths Store... my god, finally something ayurvedic in an aussie supermarket...Tulsi "Queen of Herbs" is a powerful reliever of stress...great for the up coming silly season..Enjoy .