Home remedies for a glowing complexion

Looking good costs money, right... Or does it?

If you are feeling too broke to splurge on a facial at the salon, let Mother Nature come to the rescue.

All you need is to do is invest some time and effort once a week, and use the ingredients available in your kitchen to concoct your own facial at home.

You can decide which facial to opt for, depending on your skin type and on the availability of the ingredients.
These facials can be done once a week, or before going for a party or for an occasion.
Note of caution: If your skin is sensitive to any natural product, it is advisable to consult a dermatologist before using any of the given remedies.

Also, please wash your face before using any of these face packs.
What is your skin type?

Normal skin
 Extract the juice of half an orange or tomato, mix with two teaspoons of curd. Lightly massage onto your face in an upward direction. Let it dry. Then, wash your face with cold water and wipe dry. This will give your skin a nice glow.

~ Rub the inner part of the skin of a papaya on your face. Let it dry. Then, wash your face with cold water and wipe dry. This will give your skin a nice glow.
Whenever you cut a papaya to eat, save a small portion of the peel for this purpose. You can store the peel in an airtight container for about two days in the fridge; however, it is preferable to use it fresh.

~ Grind 50 grams (around half a cup) of cabbage and extract the juice. Apply this on your face. After it dries, wash with cool water and wipe dry. This helps tighten your skin and prevents wrinkles.

~ Grind one small carrot and squeeze the pulp to remove the juice. Apply the juice on your face and let it dry. Then, wash with cold water and wipe your face dry. This helps to rejuvenate your skin.

~ Whenever eating an apple, do not discard the skin. Use it as a skin cleanser.

Just rub the inner side of the peel in an upward direction and let your face dry. Then, wash with cool water and pat dry. This helps tighten your skin.

~ Take an ice cube and rub on your face. Then, pat dry. This helps to improve blood circulation and keeps your skin healthy.

Variation: Boil some lemon grass in a small container of water and cool. Pour it in the ice tray and freeze. Later, rub the ice cube on your face.

~ Beat the white of one egg and apply on your face in an upward direction. Once it dries, wash with cold water. It helps tighten your skin and delays wrinkles.

6 steps to beautiful skin

Oily skin

~ Make a paste of 2 tbsp of wheat flour using as much water as needed. Apply on your face in an upward motion. Leave to dry. Then, wash with cool water and pat dry. This helps remove excess oil from your skin.

~ Mix two teaspoons of raw milk, around the same quantity of cucumber juice and few drops of lemon. With a cotton ball, apply the solution on your face and leave to dry. Then, wash with water and pat dry.

~Soak two to three teaspoons of methi (fenugreek) seeds overnight. Grind into a paste, then rub on your face. Once it dries, wash with cool water.

The granular effect helps remove blackheads. Methi also helps remove excess oil from your skin.

The excess paste can be stored in the refrigerator but should be used within a week.

~ Soak two to three teaspoons of whole masoor dal (red gram) overnight. Grind into a paste and apply on your face. Once it dries, wash your face with cold water and pat dry. It gives the same effect as methi.

The excess paste can be stored in the refrigerator but should be used within two days.

~ Grind half a cucumber and squeeze to remove the juice. Apply the juice on your face and leave to dry. Then wash with water and pat dry.

It helps refresh and tighten your skin.

Say goodbye to dry skin

For dry skin

~ Mash half a ripe banana, add a teaspoon of honey and make a paste. Apply on your face. Once it dries, wash with cold water and pat dry.

This acts as a moisturiser and helps in tighten your skin.

~ Soak khus khus (poppy seeds) overnight. Grind it with just enough milk to make a paste. Apply on your face. Once it dries, wash with cold water.

The natural oil present in khus khus helps to moisturise your skin.

~ Just before boiling milk, remove two tablespoons. Massage it lightly on your face in an upward motion. Leave to dry, then wash with water and pat dry.

This helps to keep your skin supple.

Variation: Add ¼ teaspoon of salt to the raw milk and follow the same process. However, avoid doing this if you have pimples on your face.

~ Make a paste of 2-5 tablespoons of raw peanuts with milk. Add ¼ teaspoon of honey to it. Apply on your face. Leave to dry. Then wash with cold water and pat dry.

The natural oils present in the peanuts help moisturise your skin.

~ Make a paste of one teaspoon of malai, a pinch of turmeric and four to five drops of olive oil. Apply on your face, leave to dry. Wash with cold water and pat dry.

Malai acts as a natural moisturiser and turmeric and olive oil helps rejuvenate your skin.

Which perfume suits your personality?

Combination skin

~ Mix 3-4 tablespoons of Multani mitti (Fuller's Earth) with 8-10 ground pudina (mint) leaves. Freeze the pack overnight.

Keep outside for 10-15 minutes and then apply on your face. After 10-15 minutes, wash off and pat dry. It helps in cooling and cleansing your skin.

~ Boil a handful of lemon grass leaves in one litre of water, until you get the aroma. Then, place in an ice tray and freeze.

After returning home from work or an outing, rub a lemon grass ice cube all over your face. It cleanses the dirt and grime accumulated in your skin's pores and shuts them.

Whisk away black spots and pimples

~ Make a paste of either half a piece of nutmeg/ six to eight jamun seeds with water/ rose water. Apply on your face. Leave to dry. Then, wash with cold water and pat dry.

~ Squeeze half a fresh lemon into one glass of freshly boiled milk. Leave for half and hour, then apply on your face before retiring to bed.

~ Take 125 ml (¾ cup) of tomato juice and squeeze in half a lemon. Add five to seven mashed mint leaves and black salt to taste.

Drink this every morning and evening for at least one week. It will help detoxify the body.

It also helps to relieve constipation and worm infestation.

For blemishes

~ Rub a slice of lemon or the remains a squeezed lemon on your face. Allow it to remain overnight, then wash with cold water. It will restore your skin's softness and lend your complexion a glow.

~ Squeeze the juice of one lemon into one ripe tomato (in which a hole has been made). Rub the tomato on your face. Leave to dry. Then, wash with water and pat dry.

Skin solutions for men

Diet tips

Diet can play a major role in imparting glow and freshness to your skin, some of the tips that can help are:

~ Drink 12 to14 glasses of water everyday.

~ Avoid eating to much of fried foods like vadas, samosa, chips, bhajias, etc. Stick to fresh vegetable salads or fruit salads.

Depending on the seasonal availability, eat all types of fresh, green vegetables and all types of fresh, juicy fruits (except for strawberries and mangoes; they are heaty and overconsumption can lead to acne).

~ Avoid consuming too much of heaty food like chillies, garlic, non-vegetarian items or dried fruits like dates.

~ Detoxify once a month by consuming fresh vegetables, fruits and liquids all day.

MEDITATION

MIND


Mind can be defined as an ability of a person to be aware or conscious of things and to think and reason; a person’s attention, remembrance, intention, or opinion and sanity.

In modern times Sigmund Freud, 1856-1939, the Austrian founder of psychoanalysis, advanced our knowledge tremendously with his research into mind processes and with his psychoanalytic concepts. He believed that the mind as a whole consists of three main divisions-the Ego, the Superego and the Id. Our awareness, the part with which we think and reason, he called Ego. The ego is the more conscious of the world and of itself (that is, it is mostly self-conscious) and is the part of the psyche which tests reality. The ego develops when the child becomes aware of the difference between “self” and things, which are not self”. Another part, best thought of as partly conscious, he termed the Superego. The superego is the “conscience” made up of the internalized taboos, prohibitions and moral restraints imposed by parents and society. These parental and societal inhibitions are instilled in childhood and remain largely unconscious. Below consciousness is a part, which he called the Id, this being the seat of our memory and basic instincts. The id is the sum total of our primitive drives and urges of one’s nature. The id is completely unconscious its energy is called “libido” and is governed by the “pleasure principle”. These three concepts, ego, superego and id, form the structure of the psyche according to Freud. To simplify and summarize: the id says. “Do it now!” the Ego says, “Not now. This is not the appropriate time and place to do it”, and the Superego says, “Don’t do it at all – ever! It’s evil and wrong to do it under any circumstances”.

Later Freud theorized as to a fourth part lying between the id and the ego, just below the level of consciousness, calling it the Preconscious. Experiences, which once were conscious but now are imperfectly consciousness and unconsciousness known as the preconscious. A memory is preconscious when we say, “I know it but I can’t recall it to my memory”.

The superego is not just partly conscious and conscience but is the most spiritual part of the mind. He termed it the super conscious mind.

Women Mind Today

You have only one mind, but your mind possesses tow distinctive characters. The line of demarcation between the two is well known to almost all men and women today. The two functions of your mind are essentially unlike. Each is endowed with separate and generally used to distinguish the tow functions of your mind is as follows. The objective nad subjective mind, the consious and the subconscious mind, the surface and the deep self, the outer and the inner self, the outer and the inner mind, the voluntary and the involuntary mind, the male and the female, and many other terms. You will find the terms “conscious” and “subconscious” used to represent the dual nature of your mind throughout this book.


The subconscious has also been called the “subliminal”, the “soul”, the “psyche”, the “inner voice”, “spirit” and by varius other terms.

The Origin

It was Pierre Janet who originated the term “subconscious”, a claim Freud did not dispute. Pierre Janet worked at the Salpetriere in Paris where the used the term “subconscious” in elaborating his theories of psychopathology based on his extensive work with hypnosis. However, the German influence of the Freudian terminology largely prevailed in the medical and academaic worlds. It is due to this influence of the Freudian model of the mind that many psychiatrists and psychologists consider the use of the term “subconscious” to “unconscious”. As the most popular and common terminolgy used is “subconscious”, it is, therfore, helpful to define what is meant by it.

There is a difference between the unconscious and the sunconscious nad subconscious means that which is not conscious and sunconsious means that which is below or under conscious. When we speak of the “subconscious”, we are legitimately using a term, which followed Pierre Janet’s great discoveries in hypnotism at the Salpetriere asylum along with modern computer analogies.

BREAST SHAPE IMPROVEMENT

From ancient times, women have been concerned about the shape and size of their breasts. Breast development is a vital part of reproduction in the human female. Unlike other mammals, however, human females are the only ones who develop full breasts long before they are needed to nurse their offspring.

Breast development in distinct stages throughout a women’s life, first before birth, and again at puberty and during the childbearing years. Changes also occur in the breasts during menstruation and when a woman reaches menopause. The development and kinds of breast changes that take place are directly related to age. There are three phases of development: lobule development, which takes place between the ages of 10 and 25; glandular development, which is under the influence of menstrual hormones and occurs between the ages of about 13 and 45, and involution, or shrinkage of the milk ducts, which begins from of about the age of 35 onwards.

The rate at which breasts grow varies greatly and is different for each young woman. Foundational breast tissue growth occurs most efficiently with the balanced presence of estrogen, progesterone, prolactin, prostaglandins, and GF compounds (human growth factor hormones). Factors such as heredity, hormonal imbalance, stress, poor nutrition and medications (in particular, the contraceptive pills) and the long-standing effects of puberty prevent the bust from developing to its full potential size. Proper care during the adolescent age will prevent this problem. However, at some point after adolescence, the body on its natural course ceases to produce certain hormones, resulting in the completion of breast tissue growth.

Breasts contain mammary glands which are nothing but modified sweat glands that lie over the pectoralis major (chest) muscles and are attached to them by a layer of connective tissue. These glands are divided into compartments and are separated by fat tissue. The amount of fat tissue determines the size of breasts. Since the female breasts are composed of fat tissue, the only reliable way to increase their size is to gain weight-not something most women want to hear. However there are certain exercises and oil massages, which may correct bust line and supple breasts by improving the underneath muscle tissue of the breast and elasticity of the superficial skin. Please not that these measures are not intended to increase the actual size of the breasts, but to improve their shape.

AYURVEDIC REMEDIES

• To firm and tone the breasts, stimulate circulation with alternative rinses of hot and cold water.

• Wear a well-fitting bra that enhances the shape of your breasts. Avoid using very tight bras that squeeze and pinch all over the breast region.

• Swimming is an ideal exercise for improving the shape of the breast especially breaststroke or backstroke. Playing shuttle or badminton is equally good. Lawn mowing or using a hand mill are also fine exercises to improve bust line.

• Hand rotations and arm stretching are also recommended. Stand erect with your stretch your arms at shoulder level in front of you and cross arms in a scissor-like fashion and move quickly, the right arm on top of the left and then the left over the right arm.

• Massage the breasts gently but firmly with Yuvatyaadi tailam, a classical ayurvedic medicine formulated by the famous sage vaatsyaayana. A regular usage of this oil is claimed to improve firmness and shape of the breasts. While massaging, always work upwards towards your neck using circular movements. Blot our excess oil using a tissue.

• Two other oils are traditionally advised to get a firm youthful quality to your breasts pomegranate toner and shataavari ghee. To prepare pomegranate toner, mix 1 part powdered pomegranate rind, 4 parts mustard oil and 16 parts water in a container and bring to boil. Gently simmer until water is evaporated. Cool in refrigerator until ready to use. Shataavari ghee can be prepared in similar manner for which the ingredients include-1 part shataavari powder, 4 parts ghee and 16 parts water.

Home Remedies For Dark Eye Circles

Dark eye circles can be effectively diminished somewhat with home remedies. These remedies can be even more effective when combined with products for dark circles. By themselves, home remedies will not be as effective as the latest products developed by scientists and dermatologists - but they're way better than leaving the house when you look like you've gone twelve rounds in a boxing ring.

Please be cautious when applying anything to the sensitive skin around the eyes. If you accidentally get a few drops of lemon juice in your eye, not only will you have dark circles, you'll also have an unsightly, staring, bloodshot eye, too. The skin around the eyes is very sensitive so don't rub, scratch or exfoliate enthusiasticaly.

Now, onto the remedies for dark eye circles!

Cucumbers for dark eye circles

This may sound too cliche to be true, but slices of cucumber (or cucumber juice) applied to the skin around the eyes can help reduce the appearance of dark circles. Cucumber slices help to lighten the skin and also have a soothing, refreshingly cool sensation when applied. (Yes, we have tried this at home.) Lay down with the cucumber slices on your eyes for at least 5 minutes, up to 10 minutes. Set an alarm if you're getting ready for work, because you don't want to have to explain to your boss why you were late.

Cucumbers don't just help dark eye circles - they also help soothe your eyes after a long day of staring at the computer screen. But if you get cucumber juice in your eyes, they'll sting like crazy. So be careful.

If you don't have a cucumber in the house, try using slices of potato. They work almost as well.

Vitamin E for dark eye circles

This nifty little remedy for dark eye circles works very well for some people, and not at all for others. Take a Vitamin E capsule and carefully pierce it with a pin or needle. Dab a bit of the oil on your fingertip and pat it into the skin under your eyes. This remedy can help reduce dark eye circles and puffiness as well.


When you're done, swallow the rest of the capsule with a glass of water.

The Indian remedy for dark eye circles

This recipe comes from an acquaintance, a fashion model in India. She uses this particular preparation on her dark circles every morning before covering them up with a thick concealer.

You will need:

1 tsp tomato juice

3-4 drops of lemon juice

a pinch of turmeric powder

enough white flour to make a paste

Mash these ingredients together into a medium-thick paste and dab it under your eyes. After fifteen minutes, wash the paste away. This should lighten the dark circles and address puffiness to some degree.

Tea for two

For some reason, dark eye circles can't abide an old tea bag. Take a used tea bag (black, green or white), after it has cooled, and apply it to the skin under your eyes. Lay down while you do this - otherwise, it's hard to get the tea bag to stick. Leave in place for about 10 minutes. Make sure the tea bag is somewhat dry because if it's too moist, irritating tea can get into your eyes, which can make you look like you've been crying.

Herbal tea bags aren't recommended, except for chamomile. Chamomile tea bags can help reduce dark circles and puffiness around the eyes because of its anti-inflammatory properties.

The cold washcloth

When washing your eyes after using any of these remedies for dark eye circles, use a washcloth soaked in cold water. Cold water helps to constrict the blood vessels under the eyes and can also reduce puffiness.

HIBISCUS STOPS HAIR FALL, DANDRUFF

Hibiscus is a common garden plant with a variety of flowers sure to attract everyone’s attention. A part from providing beauty and elegance to gardens and backyards of houses, hibiscus has several medicinal prosperities. It is a handy medicinal recipe for problems like dandruff, hair fall, premature graying of hair, high blood pressure, upper respiratory tract infections and indigestion.

Hibiscus is generally consumed as hibiscus tea, available in the market. One can also prepare hibiscus tea at home. It is quite simple to prepare a cup of fresh hibiscus tea. Which can be consumes as general health tonic to keep the physiological functions of the body in perfect condition.

Take fresh flowers from a hibiscus plant and dry them under the sun. Crush tem into a powder and keep it in a clean and dry bottle. Whenever you feel like taking hibiscus tea, take a teaspoon full of powder and add it to a cup of water. Boil the mixture, filter it and allow the hibiscus tea to cool you may add honey or lemon or a little bit of sugar to add taste. Ayurveda and Unani doctors recommend the use of hibiscus tea early in the morning for a day long feeling of good health.

HOME REMEDIES

Hibiscus tea is often suggested as the best home and quick remedy for high blood pressure. Regular consumption of hibiscus tea will keep the blood pressure under check, preventing major health complications.

If you are obese and want to reduce your weight, hibiscus tea is the best bet. Research studies have shown arteries and ensure that blood cholesterol levels in out any interruption. Blockade of arteries is a serious problem which may even lead to death if the coronary arteries are involved.

If is a hot and sultry day and you feel exhausted, and then go in for a cup of cool hibiscus tea.

Body inflammation and swelling can be reduced through hibiscus tea, as it is believed to be a good diuretic.

Paste prepared from fresh leaves and flowers of hibiscus can be applied on the scalp for treatment of dandruff. It is good for hair growth too. Hibiscus shampoo prevents hair fall.

AGNITUNDI VATI

Agnitundi Vati is an excellent herbal remedy for weak intestines and gas formation. This is purely an herbal formulation containing many aromatic, carminative, digestive herbs which reduce gas formation, indigestion and fermentation in the intestines and help in natural digestive process. This is purely an herbal remedy to improve digestion. It helps restore proper digestion by stimulating release of digestive juices through liver, pancreases and small intestine. It is antispasmodic, carminative and digestive.

When fuel is added to the fire it burns away immediately. Similarly food is digested immediately by the Kalpa. Agnitundi Vati is useful in Agnimandya, Ageerna and Udarshoola, due to its ingredients like Panchalavan, Kshara which are Deepan, Pachan, Anuloman and Shoolaghna Dravyas.

Agnitundi Vati works as Amapachak in Agnimandya and Ajeerna seen in Varsha Rhutu, eradication the root cause, hence also useful in Amavata in Varsha Rhutu. Many times instead of the actual Amavata Samprapti similar symptoms are seen in the patients due to samavayu. In such cases Agnitundi Vati proves to be useful.

Indications: - Agnimandya, Ageerna, Udarshoola, Yakrut Vikar, Grahani, Parinaamshool, Sandhigata Vata, Amavata

Dosage :- 1-2 tabs twice a day along with honey, Nimbo Swaras or Lukewarm water

THE IMAGINATION IS STRONGER THAN THE WILL

In a contest between the will and the imagination, the imagination usually wins. While relying on willpower to achieve your goals requires great energy, employing the imagination is easy and can be fun. Are you imagining, visualizing success, health and happiness for yourself? Or are you busy visualizing problems? Hypno-Meditation can help you plant helpful images.

CONTROL OF BODY MECHANISM

Those organs and parts of the body which we can control by the exercise of will or volition are under the jurisdiction of the conscious mind, working through the brain. This part of your mind is very much at your command. In fact, many times it commands you. Willpower is the function of the conscious mind. When fully alert inclined to over-analysis while problem solving. This can often lead to unproductive results such as avoidance, indecision, refusal to take action and excessive anxiety.

When we are asleep we are unconscious-the conscious mind becomes unconscious or inactive. Any movements or action that we perform while asleep are caused by the subconscious mind, dreams also are stirred up by subconscious activity. But during natural sleep, the subconscious as well as the conscious mind are inaccessible from the outside. The conscious mind is the door to the subconscious mind.

One of the duties of the subconscious mind is the control of the body mechanism, working through the brain. It is something like a thermostat. One part of the brain regulates the autonomic nervous system and through it controls every organ and gland. Probably the subconscious is able to control chemical and electrical reactions as well. Hypnotic experiments have been made which scientifically prove the control by the subconscious of many such mechanisms.

By hypnotic suggestion circulation of the blood can be controlled, heart beat slowed or speeded up, action of organs and glands changed, the rate of healing of a wound or injury greatly increased, body temperature lowered or raised. Many other body changes can be induced through hypnotic suggestion.

LITERAL

If we expect to influence the subconscious with the aim of self-benefit, it is important to understand the way it works. At times it seems to be some what childish and immature. It takes everything entirely literally. Often we do not say what we really mean. For instance a commonly used phrase is “that makes me mad”. We mean that we are angry, but we are actually saying that we have become insane.

Many people experience illness or conditions that are directly related to body language (“that person is a pain in the neck”, “I can’t swallow that”, “I can’t bear it,” “I can’t stand it”

Tomatoes

Tomatoes are excellent for health. For starter, they famously have anti cancer properties. This is due to their lycopene content, which contributes to their colour. Tomatoes are also packed with Vitamin C, which acts as an antioxidant. The body succumbs to free radical damage, harming healthy cells, caused by stress, pollution fried foods, chemicals and pesticides in foods. Antioxidants that are plentiful in tomatoes are the” little soldiers” of our body which not only prevent this free radical damage, but they also keep the skin clear, add a twinkle to the eye and add strength and luster to the hair

Tomatoes are also a dieter’s delight as they are low in fat. Raw tomatoes are alkaline and do not cause acidity or any gastric disturbance. They are easy to digest.

The next time your kids want something yummy to dip their strips of carrots, cucumbers, breadsticks or boiled potatoes, whip up some nutritious and tasty tomato salsa. Avoid fried chips and crisps, as they will only leech nutrients away from the body. You could also vary the level of spice in the salsa according to everyone’s tastes. This dip is appealing to people of all ages, and though it has a western origin, it completely agrees with Indian taste buds.

Cool irritated skin with a tomato-and-yogurt mask

If your skin is raw, irritated, itchy, sunburned, red, blotchy, or scaly, you’ll enjoy the benefits of this yogurt-and-tomato mask. Yogurt gives skin a protein boost and leaves skin soft, while tomato cools and neutralizes the skin’s surface. Crush half a tomato and add two tablespoons of plain, unsweetened yogurt. Mix well and spread the mixture on your face.

Cure sunburn with tomato juice and buttermilk

Mix two teaspoons of tomato juice with four tablespoons of buttermilk. Apply it all over your skin. Leave on skin for a half hour, then rinse gently. Make sure you always have tomatoes on hand to make homemade skin-care remedies anytime.

ENHANCE SENSUOUS POWER TO ENHANCE SEXUAL POWER

Sexuality begins with sensuality. During the sexual process, one transcends the senses. In other words, all the five senses are used, and it is their coordination that accounts for the intensity of sexual pleasure. For enhancing sexual power, the prime most things is to augment the power of individual senses in the following ways.

1. Touch: The tactile sensation of the body. The sense of touch plays a significant role in sexuality. For enhancing tactile sensation, it is important to have a regular oil massage. Through Ayurvedic massage the body and mind are nurtured. The skin is seen as a receptacle of a variety of energies. Some forms of massage are aggressive while others are soothing. What type aids an individual’s healing process depends upon the constitution and the nature of the imbalance. Through the knowledge of Ayurveda, different base oils such as sesame oil, almond oil, coconut oil or mustard oil are selected. These oils are chosen because of their unique properties. Some are warming while others are cooling. Some nourish the body through the skin while others are invigorative. In addition, specific hand motions are utilized to balance the subtle energies defined by Aurveda. Besides the care of the skin, a regular body massage makes you aware and sensitive to your body. This is essential for complete sexual expression.

2. Sight: Sharpening the sense of sight is to develop keen observation and act in an appropriate way. Through our eyes we take in thousands of impressions each day. These impressions are actual energies with different vibratory rates. Each colour is a different energy or vibrates at a different rate. Some colour are harmonious for us and some agitate us in subtle ways. We interact with colour all the time through the clothes we wear and our home environment. Conscious use of colour can help create a healthy and revitalizing environment. Ayurveda teaches us that each person is an individual and hence, every colour has a healing capacity if prescribed for the right person. Not only is colour important but also how colours interrelate. Clashing colours in general create greater agitation while those that blend harmoniously impression received by the eye. Violent images as seen in real life or in the movies create agitation and disharmony. Viewing nature and flowers creates a feeling of calmness and clarity and thus benefits our journey toward health and sexuality. An enhanced sense of observation is essential at every step of sexual relation. You should be able to notice and appreciate each and every change in your partner. If you are to learn to enhance your sexual energy, begin by seeing.

3. Smell: Sense of smell is important for many reasons. If your body smells bad, people do not want to be near you. Bad body odour can be an aphrodisiac (opposite to aphrodisiac). Your body odour depends upon your dosha arrangement, and it is possible to change it and make pleasant and sexually exciting by keeping the doshas balanced. Aromatherapy is an important part of Ayurveda, as smell has long been known to evoke emotion. From the perfumes and scents long used in mating rituals to the relaxing feelings evoked by a walk through a rose garden, aromas have always played a large role in our lives. Rose, jasmine, water lily, sandalwood, smell of the soil, the flavours from products… all are exhilarating smells. While most people use aromas (perfumes and aftershaves) unconsciously, Ayurveda teaches us that some aromas create harmony while others contribute to disharmony and ultimately to diseases. From this understanding we can see that aromas are also medicine in the context that they can be intelligently used to balance the subtle energy of our bodies. In Ayurveda specific aromas are prescribed to aid specific conditions.

4. Taste: To enhance the sense of taste, begin to recognize a variety of exotic spices or fruits from their flavor and taste. Through the sense of taste, we interact with the foods and their therapeutic benefits. Each of the six tastes affects the body and mind differently. Each taste has its benefits and negative consequences if we overindulge in them. Sweet taste as an example is very nourishing and builds tissue and strength, but overindulgence, as we all know, leads to excessive weight gain, diabetes and other complications. In Ayurveda we do not count calories. Grams of fat or the cholesterol content of food. From an Ayurvedic Perspective, if we learn what balance of taste are right for us, then we will eat in harmony with our body’s constitution an the body will respond with great health. Some benefit from meat while others thrive as vegetarians.

5. Sound : Our ears take in the vibratory energy of sound. Some sounds are calming and others agitating. Of course, which sounds balance our energy depends again on our constitution. We may think that only quiet, calming sound is healing. Again we must remember the tenet of Ayurveda that teaches us what heals each person is different. For instance, agitating music can also be motivating. In Ayurveda, special sound energies called mantra are sometimes prescribed to induce specific reactions in the body. As far as human sexuality is concerned, fine sounds are associated with women and reveal presence and actions, their gestures and movements. A man’s imagery of a woman is associated with subtle sounds of bangles, anklets, earrings, and other jewellery worn by her. In addition to the sounds of jewellery, there are sounds of birds, music, tidal waves, and blowing wind that enhance the sexual energy in both men and women

Intestinal Gas

Many a time, intestinal gas is a cause for humor. But for the person who experiences gas in a public place, it is no longer a laughing matter.

As many as 30 to 40 percent of people experience bloating and gas, which they attribute to gastric trouble. Most of the patients even refrain complaining about flatulence, excessive belching, increased intestinal gas and bloating to the physician, as they are embarrassed. Our intestines cannot digest everything we eat. The leftovers are passed on the colon. The processing or fermentation of leftover carbohydrates by the colonic bacteria leads to the formation of intestinal gas.

While it may appear that some people pass too much gas compared to others, there may not be any different in the amount of gas produced in the complainers and the non-complainers. It is just that some people are more sensitive and feel it more than others do.

Several factors cause people to swallow air. For instance, if dentures do not fit well, the person tends to swallow more saliva, which carries air bubbles with it. If the patient has post-nasal discharge, then he tends to swallow more often, carrying more air to the stomach. Smoking a cigar or pipe may also increase the amount of saliva produced and swallowed, contributing to excess gas.

Some patients have habit of belching frequently. To do this, they swallow air, which they then belch. Unfortunately, the patient is never able to belch out all of the swallowed air, thus producing intestinal gas. Rapid eating increases the amount of air that people swallow. Gum chewing and sucking on hard candies also increases the amount of air swallowed. Avoid carbonated drinks. Some gas is also created as the carbonated drink enters the mouth.

However, the most common source of intestinal gas is beans. Beans cause gas, as the body cannot digest the complex sugars they contain. These starches pass into intestine, where they become food to the bacteria present there. While they use the starch is food, gas is passed as a by-product. Similarly, milk is gas formatting in adults. Incomplete digestion of milk can lead to gas, stomach cramps, bloating and diarrhea. Certain medicines like narcotics, calcium channel blockers slow the gut, and may lead to gas being trapped in the bowel, due to slow movement.

In ayurveda, flatulence is called as Aadhmaana. Treatment modalities include measures to promote deepana (by carminatives), paachana (by digestives) and vaataanulomana (by gas expellers)

SELF-HELP GUIDELINES & AYURVEDIC REMEDIES

• Drink a cup of warm water with two drops of peppermint (pudina), cinnamon (daalchini) or ginger extract.

• Dried ginger and ajwan in equal weights should be steeped in double the quantity of lime-juice, dried with warm water as and when needed.

• Tie two handfuls of bajra and a handful of crystal-salt in a bag, warm it over the hot plate and foment the abdomen.

• IF the sufferer is a child, you can apply a pad of cotton wool or cloth steeped in hot water, in which asafetida has been dissolved? Alternately, one part of turpentine oil and two parts of castor oil can be applied over the abdomen in lukewarm condition. Warmed castor leaves can also be wrapped over the abdomen.

• Prepare a compound powder by taking equal parts of fried asofoetida (hing), black-salt (souvarcha lavana), cardamom (elaichi), ginger (sonth) and Solanumxanthcorpum (kantakaari). Take in doses of 3 to 5 grams

• Mixture of two parts of celery seed (ajamoda) and one part of fennel seeds (suanf) and sugar, taken in does of half to one teaspoonful, helps relieve flatulence.

• For children, there is an user friendly preparation to use. Take fine powder of 5 parts of rutagraveolens (sadaab), 4 parts of celery seeds (ajamoda), 3 parts of mint (pudina), 1 part of saffron, 2 parts of black peppr, and 10 parts of honey. Keep in fresh bottle and use as and when required, in a dose of one to half teaspoonful.

• The common prescription for flatulence consists of Hingwaashtaka choorna in a dose of one teaspoonful, twice daily, mixed with one teaspoonful of ghee, followed by hot water. Also, taking Kumaari aasava in a dose of 20ml, twice daily after food with an equal quantity of warm water, improves the condition.

• Don’t eliminate all the gas producing foods at once. Instead, avoid one food at a time.

• Dentures should be fitted properly.

• If you’ve post-nasal discharge, then you should take treatment for the same.

• Slow down when you eat, avoid gulping food and chew each bite thoroughly. Don’t talk while eating.

• Avoid drinking through straws or narrow-mouthed bottled. Use a glass or cup instead.

• Don’t lie down immediately after eating. Sit for a while.

• Eliminate carbonated beverages from your diets. Remember that beer also contains gas.

• Cut down on fatty meats.

• Exercise regularly. Reduce undue mental stress. Yoga Is a good option.

• Don’t use synthetic drugs. Self-medication Is dangerous.

• Be cautious about ‘recycled’ restaurant tea, as it irritates the inning of intestines, thereby forming gas.

Cinnanomum Camphora

Cinnamomum camphora is a tree native to Asia where it is used in a variety of ways: from religious rituals to aroma theraphy, from killing insects and moths to fighting skin diseases. As the tree’s scientific name suggests, Cinnamomum camphora yields a crystalline aromatic substance called camphor.

Camphor, Karpoor or Kapoor has found mention in Ayurvedic medicines through the ages. Even multinational Parma companies that manufacture allopathic drugs use camphor in medicines meant for treating the common cold and body ache, as an antiseptic substance and in cough syrups.

Camphor can used both in its crystalline and as an essential oil. But utmost caution should be taken while using raw camphor or camphor oil at home. If taken in excessive quantities, camphor oil may prove dangerous to your health. Research has shown that camphor has medicinal properties that fight skin ailments, particularly eczema. It also provides relief from itching and rashes. Since it has antiseptic properties, camphor heals wounds quickly, killing harmful germs.

Home Remedies

Camphor is most effective in providing relief to those suffering from a common cold, nasal blockage, congestion of the lungs and uncontrolled sneezing. Pour a few drops of camphor oil on to pieces of clean cloth or onto handkerchief. Inhale the vapours for relief from common cold. This remedy is good for headaches as well. Camphor is also regarded as good expectorant.

For the quick healing of wounds and cuts, apply a paste of camphor powder and ghee to the affected areas.

Those suffering from eczema may try camphor ointment for relief from itching. Apply a little of camphor oil or camphor ointment to the affected portion

Camphor is often prescribed for relief from joint pain. Take a little camphor and add it to a few drops of sesame oil. Gently rub this against the affected parts of the

    

Best Hair care for all

Ayurvedic herbs have long been associated with hair care. Very often, various herbs are used in making conditioners, shampoos and rinses. If you were to consider your skin as a rolling landscape, the hair is tall grassland needing moisture, nourishment, and a firm root system to flourish. Therefore, the beauty of hair is largely dependent on your health.

Hair fall is the biggest and the most agonizing problem of the youth today. Ayurvedic remedies to counter the problem are fast gaining popularity among the masses. In Ayurveda, hair fall is termed as Indralupta. At times, it is also referred to as Khaalitya.

Ayurveda runs on tridosha theory; vaata, pitta and kapha are the tridoshas. These govern the physio-chemical and physiological activities of the body. Coming to the problem of the hair, the vitiation of pitta and kapha leads to graying and falling of the hair. A dry and rough appearance to the hair is usually caused by vaata vitiation. Just as drought and blazing heat quickly destroy a lawn, heat is most detrimental for the hair. Too much temperature dries the hair and heats the head, weakening the scalp and hair roots.

SELF-HELP GUIDELINES

1. Cleanliness: To begin with, everything used for the hair should be spotlessly clean. Brushes should be of good quality. The whalebone-bristle variety is perhaps the best, as it is not so stiff as to damage the hair, but the bristles are long and stiff enough to brush the scalp apart from the hair. Remember, combs should always be blunt-tooted. Both combs and brushes should be washed twice a week, and kept in a bag, which should be washed frequently. Both the brain and scalp should be kept cool, so whenever washing the hair, it is best to use lukewarm water and a cool water rinse. It helps in toning the scalp and refreshing the nervous system.

2. Massage. Daily hair care is necessary. Massage of the scalp is perhaps the best method for keeping your hair healthy and preventing hair loss. Though a good massage can be given with blunt-toothed comb, the best way is to massage with hands. The thumbs should be placed at the back of the ears, and the scalp rotated under the fingertips. Ensure that scalp is also moved, apart from the fingers. Then, deep pressure should be applied with palms pressed firmly against the scalp. This ensures good circulation and an increased blood-supply to the hair roots. A head massage helps relieve tension, improved circulation, and strengthens the hair roots.

3. Oil application: Massage should be done using either oils or lotions, both of which are use full in different ways. They act as antiseptics or lubricants during massage. There are a variety of medicated oils available in the market with good results like the neelikaadya taila, neelibhrungaadi taila, bhringa raga taila, to mention a few.

You can also prepare good hair oil at home. Take pure coconut oil and fresh brahmi leaf juice, 16parts each. To this, add cloves and cardamom, one part each. Heat the ingredients until all the water evaporates and preserve in clean bottle. If you add fresh aamla juice equal to brahmi leaf juice, the medicinal value of the oil will increase. Regular use of the oil has cooling effect on the eyes, helps you to sleep well and protects your hair from early fall the premature graying. It also keeps the hair silky soft. These oils enhance the effect of the massage by nourshing and as it are more relaxing and penetrate better.