HOLIDAY GIFTS

Glynnis Osher, the Founder and Spice Mistress of The Mystic Masala, has kindly allowed me to use these pictures. Her products are just divine! They offer both the wisdom and beauty of Ayurveda http://www.themysticmasala.com

Ayur Quotes

Anyone who believes that anything can be suited to everyone is a great fool, because medicine is practiced not on mankind in general, but on every individual in particular. ~Henri de Mondeville

When diet is wrong medicine is of no use.
When diet is correct medicine is of no need.
~Ayurvedic Proverb

The doctor of the future will give no medication, but will interest his patients in the care of the human frame, diet and in the cause and prevention of disease. ~Thomas Edison

Love and Peace
Fez

Spice for skin

Spices for detoxifying:
Spices in cooking are great for the detoxifying process because they aid digestion, which helps overall health and is especially helpful in nourishing the skin. Turmeric is probably the best friend of the skin, because it purifies the deeper layers and also is a potent antioxidant. Cumin, fenugreek, black pepper and turmeric purify the blood and fat tissue. Black pepper and turmeric also cleanse the nutrient fluid and the sweat (the waste product of fat tissue).

Skin-Nourishing Spice Mixture
3 parts turmeric
6 parts coriander
6 parts fennel
1 part black pepper

You can sprinkle this mixture when cooking curries, dhals, or spicy rice dishes.

Enjoy Fez

A Not so good Recipe

If I served you on a Wedgewood dinner plate a meal made of cetyl alcohol, octyl methoxycinnamate, disodium EDTA, BHT, red dye #17, phenoxyethanol and isopropyl myristate, would you eat it? Well most of us eat this meal regularly as they are standard ingredients in brand name skincare and soaps.

Our skin eats whatever we feed it. When we put creams and lotions onto our skin, it bypasses our digestive process and goes directly into our bloodstream. This become ama ( toxic waste).
Image using these products day in day out for twenty to thirty years....how much ama would be accumulated? Maybe enough to fuel the dis- ease process..

In my late teens when I was to studying Beauty Therapy and working for major Skincare Company, I developed a rash while using one of the products that I was selling.
Obvious distress! my mother made a turmeric , sandalwood and milk mask , after applying it for a few days the rash had completely cleared leaving my face with a beautiful glow...- now that's an ayurvedic beauty lesson straight from my mum.

As Pratima Raichur said-" Think of your beauty products not as cosmetics, but as food. If you cannot eat it, do not use it on your skin. This is the Ayurvedic standard for pure and natural."

So next time when buying skincare , makeup or perfume try looking at the ingredients...or even better look for an ayurvedic skin care range ..like Ayurda Skin care
ayurda

Love and Peace Fez

Ayurvedic Beauty

“Every person is born perfect. Inferiority is a mistake of the mind, a cloud covering the light. Dissolve the clouds by observing a balanced life with healthy habits. Nourish your mind and body. Connect with your own inner self. Celebrate your own magnificence and your beauty will always shine through.” - Dr. Rama Kant Mishra, renowned Ayurvedic physician and dermatologist

.

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 .

Dosha, Prakruti and Vikruti

Ayurveda, teaches that health is maintained by the balancing of three subtle energies known as Doshas - Vata, Pitta and Kapha.

This system teaches maintenance and protection of the whole person. Ayurvedic medicine is based on an individual's characteristics and body frame rather than oriented toward treating disease or sickness.

Each of us are made up of a combination of the three types of doshas. The three doshas are comprised of these five elements:

1. space
2. air
3. earth
4. fire
5. water

Vata is a combination of air and space.

Pitta is mostly fire with some water.

Kapha is mostly water with some earth.

Overall well-being depends on keeping your doshas balanced. Any imbalance among the tridoshas causes a state of unhealthiness or disease. Factors that can bring about balance of the tridoshas are diet, exercise, good digestion, and elimination of toxins.

Vata Body Structure:

• Slender frame
• Lightweight bone structure
• Dry, rough or dark skin
• Brown / Black hair coloring
• Large, crooked or protruding teeth, thin gums
• Small thin lips and mouth
• Dull, dark eyes

Vata Characteristics:

• Often constipated
• Little perspiration
• Sparse urine (although frequent)
• Poor long-term memory
• Good short-term memory
• Anxious, nervous, depression
• High sex drive (or none at all)
• Love of travel
• Dislike of cold weather
• Slight to variable appetite

Pitta Body Structure:

• Medium height and build
• Fair to reddish complexion and hair coloring
• Small yellowish teeth, soft gums
• Green/Grayish Eyes
• Average size mouth

Pitta Characteristics:

• Sharp/Clear voice
• Light sleeper
• Intelligent
• Clear memory
• Jealous
• Ambitious
• Sexually passionate
• Dislikes hot weather
• Loves luxury
• Loose stools
  
• Thirsty

• Kapha Body Structure:

• Large Frame
• Tends to be overweight
• Thick and pale-colored oily skin
• Strong white teeth
• Blue Eyes
• Full lips / Large mouth

Kapha Characteristics:

• Speaks in slow monotone
• Requires deep sleep
• Steady appetite
• Heavy sweating
• Large soft stools
• Business oriented
• Good memory
• Passive
• Dislikes cold and damp
• Loves good food
• Enjoys familiar surroundings

Our Dosha is like our DNA which can't be changed, we are born with it. It is determine by our parents- (their balances and imbalance during the time of our conception). This blue print in Sanskrit is called Prakruti our nature or basic traits.

Vikruti, on the other hand is the discrepancy that makes our body different from a normal or healthy constitution. In simple terms, it is the abnormal or the diseased state. When the doshas of the body are not in perfect equilibrium, it can be termed as the stage of Vikruti.

I know that the above information might be a little confusing. My case study of the month September might make it a little easier for you to comprehend Dosha, prakruti and Vikruti.

I was born Vata/kapha- which is unusual because they are opposites. This month we had major outdoor renovations, festivals, school holidays and family visitors. Now normally been a dominate Vata I would be so aggravate- anxious, nervous, headaches, backaches, worried, insomnia,restless, fear and exhaustion. However been winter/spring which is a kapha time of the year, I was quite grounded. I really prepared my body and mind with positive thoughts and well cooked nourishing foods. Additional to that I took more than usual vata pacifying herbal teas and calming tulsi tea. End results - balanced body and mind, great renovations and happy times spent with family.

Love and Peace

Anyone For Chai?

Chai tea is a pleasurable addiction of mine. Since I blend my own chai masala I have discovered that there are 4 basic components in a masala chai.

1. Tea- Strong black tea-( Assam) so that spices do not overpower it.
2. Sweetener-  raw sugar-.This brings out the flavors of the spices.
3. Milk- Whole milk- 1/4 to 1/2 parts of milk mixed with water and heated close to boiling temperature.
4. Spice- warm spices- cardamom, ginger, cloves, peppercorn, cinnamon. You can also put nutmeg, cocoa, vanilla , saffron. However in a traditional chai cardamom is the dominant note and having ginger or black pepper gives the chai a slightly spicy flavor.

Chai is a slow food. Take time to prepare it well. Savour it. Let your mind rest while you drink it. And, of course, start with the perfect concentrate- one that is brewed with a healthy respect for tradition, purity,balance, patience and focus. (The Chai Company 2008)

Chai spice are widely used in ayurveda. The balance of spices has been shown to improve circulation, along with anti-bacterial, anti- inflammatory and digestive properties.

Traditionally brewed in big, steaming pots and served anywhere people gather, for many chai is more than a drink, it is a way of life life. Savoring a cup of chai is good for the mind , body and soul.

Love and Peace

Facts on Ayurveda

1. Ayurveda, the "science of life and longevity," has been in practice in the Indian subcontinent for about 5000 years. It is perhaps the oldest system of healing in the world. Today, there is a growing awareness about Ayurveda, amongst people across the globe.

2. The word "Ayurveda" is the combination of "ayus" & "veda," a derivation of Sanskrit words that means "life" and "knowledge" . Hence, it is the "Science of life" or "knowledge of life."

3. It is one of the oldest systems of health care that deals with the prevention and cure of life.

4. Sage Charaka has being credited to be Ayurveda's founding father.

Love and Peacel

Simply Ayurveda

After years of studying Ayurveda and doing countless number of case studies, assignments, examinations, and clinical work, I realized that Ayurveda simply is a verb. " Doing" Ayurveda does not require understanding Sanskrit, mantra chanting or struggling with religious beliefs.
All it requires is that you put a little time and energy to your wellbeing. A simple, friendly, relaxed manner - step by step to great health.

To "Do" Ayurveda is to make healthy choices in daily life. This can be as simple as choosing a piece of fresh fruit instead of eating Tazi's cup cakes, or going to sleep at 10pm instead of 1am.
As Ayurveda is lifestyle , the most important life is you. Respect your own potential to heal and be whole, this is the essence of Ayurveda.

There are a heaps of websites that you can go to and learn in depth the principle's of Ayurveda. Do an online quiz to find out your dosha ( body constitution) . Is it Vata, Pitta or kapha?. Or are you a combination of two? Once people find out their dosha body type they start treating their problems with dosha balancing charts. Eg. eating only kapha foods or following a strict pitta exercise regime. To me Ayurveda is much more then dosha balancing charts. Simple Ayurveda is "Learning how intimately your body and mind are connected, knowing what will make them work in harmony, and doing what you can to create that harmony. That is all there is to it." (Words of Vaiya Sharma).

So on that note lets surf the Vedic Seas. Wave by wave until we surf the big kahuna. Perfect wave Perfect Health.

Love and peace

Jajute Ayurveda

Jajute mean Mother Earth for all creations!

Hi , my name Fehreen, also known as the Ayurvedic Teaologist.  I am an Ayurvedic Lifestyle Consultant specializing in Wellness Spas, herbs and tea blending. I have been studying Ayurveda formally for more then 20 years.  I was fortunately enoungh to be born into the Indian culture where Ayurveda was a way of life, hence spending time with the women in my family and learning the rituals and recipes has been priceless.  

I am no expert, only a humble life student of this ancient holistic healing system. This blog is all about creating the awareness of Ayurveda.  It contains ayurvedic suggestions, lifestyle advice, recipes, range of my tea knowledge as well as inspiration and my love of Rumi.  

Thank you for stopping by xxx

Many Blessings 

Fehreen.