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Entries in Ayurveda (24)
Do Your Genes Really Tell the Future of Your Health?
Jul 5, 2008 
Scientific American Magazine recently published an article called: Can Lifestyle Changes Bring out the Best in Genes? Quote: "recent research shows that diet and exercise may change how our genes behave". The research may be new but the revelation isn't. This information has been known for thousands of years contained within the teachings of Ayurveda, the ancient science of life.
The article begins by saying that "a new pilot study shows that eating right, exercising and reducing stress may help keep chronic illnesses at bay by switching on beneficial genes, which can include tumour fighters, and by silencing genes which can trigger malignancies and other ills". Dene Ornish the founder and president of The Preventative Medical Research Institute is quoted as saying: "we've found that simple changes have a powerful impact on gene expression" and he says that while genes may indicate our predisposition, they are not our medical fate. This is exactly inline with Ayurvedic Science.
Nature & Nurture
Medical research has been pointing the finger at our genes for years, yet most diseases and disorders in our bodies have direct cause and those causes are largely under our control. Genes may play a role in disease tendency, but the way we live, eat, sleep and express activity has a great influence over whether or not that disease tendency is triggered into manifestation of illness.
We each have our own strengths and weaknesses, and knowing what they are gives us invaluable clues in keeping healthy and reducing the likelihood of developing common concerns like high blood pressure, diabetes, heart disease and some cancers.
Ayurveda: 8 Golden Rules for Good Digestion
May 24, 2008 
Ayurveda teaches that poor digestion is at the root of all disease, following these simple guidelines is one of the greatest favours you can do for the health of yourself and your family.
1. Bright and Fresh
Choose wholesome foods that look fresh and colourful, and try to buy organic where possible.2. Regular Meals
Eat slowly and chew your food thoroughly, and stop eating just before you feel completely full. Ayurveda teaches that leaving some space in the stomach helps us digest our food better, to eat until you are uncomfortably full puts your digestive system under duress and makes you feel sleepy after eating.
Oil Pulling: How to Get Shiny Teeth & Healthy Gums from a Stir Fry Ingredient!
Feb 1, 2008 
Every so often the internet buzzes with a new “cure all”, right now oil pulling is the thing. So what is it? And should you be doing it?
What is “Oil Pulling”?
Oil pulling comes from Ayurveda where rinsing the mouth with oil is recommended for keeping teeth and gums healthy.Why you Might Want to try it…
If you want white healthy teeth forget harsh oral bleach and get yourself some sesame oil (not the toasted type, just plain cold pressed oil and organic if possible). By using the sesame oil as a mouthwash you can improve the health of your gums and teeth and help detox the upper part of your digestive system.Slick Soles & Sound Sleep
Oct 6, 2007 
Did you know that massaging your feet before going to bed can help you sleep? Rubbing sesame oil into the soles of your feet is extremely relaxing and brings all that busy head energy down your body, leaving your head calm and trouble free and ready for the good quality rest it deserves.
Start by rubbing a little oil between the palms of your hands then rub it over the top of your foot. Work your thumbs in the groove between the bones on the top of your foot to relieve tension in the chest, and then work up and down the instep of your foot to relax your back and let accumulated tension in your spine melt away. Next pinch and squeeze your way down the outside of your foot from the base of your little toe to your heel area to relax tension in your shoulders and arms.
Now turn your attention to the soles of your feet, rubbing and working your way from your heels up to your toes, pressing into the middle of the sole of your feet activates the kidney meridian and is very grounding and good for relieving anxiety.
Ayurveda Abhyanga - Ayurveda & Massage as an Act of Self-Care
Oct 2, 2007 
Autumn is the perfect time to learn the simple art of self-massage. Ayurveda recommends massaging oils into the body at any time of the year, but Autumn is particularly important as it’s the season where chills can easily enter the body. Rubbing a thin protective film of oil over your body nourishes your skin, muscles and nervous system.
Ayurvedic massage is good for:
- improving circulation
- lubricating the joints
- calming the nerves
- improving sleep
It also helps keep you supple as you simultaneously relax your muscles by massaging them and stretch yourself by reaching your own back and shoulders etc.