Ayurveda is a natural system of healing from within was created by the Vedic culture in India more than 5000 years ago. There are roots of this natural healing medicine practice in Tibetan and Chinese medicines. After many years of being suppressed, the Ayurveda lifestyle has once again found its way into modern-day cultures around the world, says Chopra.com.
If Vata is dominant in our system, we tend to be thin, light, enthusiastic, energetic, and changeable. If Pitta predominates in our nature, we tend to be intense, intelligent, and goal-oriented and we have a strong appetite for life. When Kapha prevails, we tend to be easy-going, methodical, and nurturing.
Ayurveda is well explained by Deepak Chopra, a doctor and author of Vedanta Philosophy and tradition: “Recognizing that human beings are part of nature, Ayurveda describes three fundamental energies that govern our inner and outer environments: movement, transformation, and structure. Known in Sanskrit as Vata (Wind”>, Pitta (Fire”>, and Kapha (Earth”>, these primary forces are responsible for the characteristics of our mind and body. Each of us has a unique proportion of these three forces that shapes our nature. If Vata is dominant in our system, we tend to be thin, light, enthusiastic, energetic, and changeable. If Pitta predominates in our nature, we tend to be intense, intelligent, and goal-oriented and we have a strong appetite for life. When Kapha prevails, we tend to be easy-going, methodical, and nurturing. Although each of us has all three forces, most people have one or two elements that predominate.”
Therefore, in order for your hair and skin to benefit from Ayurvedic treatments, your body must be treated just as kindly.
A wholesome mix of natural foods, water, nutrients, quality sleep, and physical activity will benefit you both internally and externally. Once your diet becomes a healthier and more wholesome, your hair and skin will begin to reap the benefits incredibly. From a beauty perspective, this healing art can help us understand more about the products we currently use compared to those we should be using on our skin (as they also affect us internally and externally”>.
Here’s your quick go-to list of easy DIY remedies for better looking skin.
- Soft, wrinkle-free skin: Smooth castor oil on the face nightly.
- Unclogged pores: Rub unpasteurized milk on cotton wool.
- Natural Moisturizer: Make your own moisturizer for normal skin. Mix eight ounces of yogurt with a tablespoon of both lemon juice and orange juice to use on the face as a masque. Remove with damp cloth in about fifteen minutes.
- Skin Conditioner: Make a paste of two tablespoonfuls of face cream stirred with one tablespoon of honey. Leave the mixture on skin for five minutes and remove with a wet facial cloth.
- Even Skin Tone (pigmentation/sun spots”>: Rub a raw potato on the skin.
- Smoother Complexion: Apply freshly squeezed orange juice to the face.
Here are a few ideas and tips to include in your healthy ayurvedic habits for softer, stronger hair:
- Blend together 1/3 cup yogurt, 1 cup water, 3-4 rosehips and raw sugar or honey to taste. If you choose honey, add it after pouring strained cheese into a glass, and stir it in with a spoon—heat created during blending can destroy the healing qualities of honey.
- A warm oil scalp massage two times a week will help stimulate and moisturize the scalp. Use quality coconut, almond or olive oil. Apply some mildly warmed oil to your hair and gently massage into your scalp evenly with your fingertips. Leave on overnight if you can, if not, leave on for at least an hour or two, then , shampoo your hair. The scalp massage helps you relax and aids in a sound sleep as well.
Your Go-To Ayurvedic Hair Pack
- 1 teaspoon henna powder
- 1 teaspoon amla powder
- 1 tsp aritha powder
- 1 tsp shikakai powder
- 1 egg
- 2 tablespoons yogurt
- 1 teaspoon honey
- 1 tablespoon fresh aloe vera gel
Mix the ingredients together thoroughly and apply to dry hair for 30 minutes–up to 4 hours, depending on the needs of your hair. Wash off in the shower and shampoo as usual. Do this regularly (once or twice a week”> to experience amazing results.
What are the other health benefits of an Ayurvedic lifestyle? Recognizing how ayurveda can teach us about our own health, our health problems as well as how to relieve them, is, of course, one of the biggest benefits of this ancient healing art, according to Live Science. Chopra explains that: “The guiding principle of Ayurveda and the other Eastern healing arts is the interconnection of all things. We aren’t simply an isolated collection of atoms and molecules, but are an inseparable part of the infinite field of intelligence. From this holistic perspective, health isn’t merely the absence of illness or symptoms ― it is a higher state of consciousness that allows vitality, well-being, creativity, and joy to flow into our experience.”
The Ayurvedic principles for restoring and maintaining mind-body balance are as relevant today as they were thousands of years ago.
There are a few ways in which you can introduce Ayurveda into your own lifestyle:
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Take time each day to quiet your mind (find a quiet place and learn how to meditate”>.
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Eat a colorful, flavorful diet.
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Engage in daily exercise that enhances flexibility, strength, and cardiovascular fitness.
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Sleep soundly at night for 8 to ten hours.
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Eliminate what is not serving you (foods, unhealthy relationships, etc.”>
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Cultivate loving, nurturing relationships.
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Perform work that awakens your passion.
Have you incorporated Ayurvedic principles into own daily hair and health regimen?