Bliss At Your Fingertips

Healing fingertips trace gentle circles on my head, coaxing the oil deep into each thirsty pore. Patch by grateful patch, my scalp welcomes the warmth, the moisture, the tender touch. The forehead next, the face, then down the length of the neck…Slowly, each limb, each joint, every cell of my body is soaked in bliss.

No, I haven't checked into an expensive spa. The healing fingers are my own, and I am sitting in my bathroom on a hectic Monday morning, playing my own masseuse and therapist before I rush to work.

I first tried self-massage on the recommendation of an Ayurvedic physician. '15 minutes,' he said. 'That's all it takes. Try it just a few times and see the difference.' I did. Within days, my skin was glowing, and I had energy to give away. Now, I look forward to my morning massage as eagerly as I await my first cup of coffee.

Called 'abhyanga' (a Sanskrit word meaning 'moving energy into the body'), the 3000-year-old practice of self-massage has been extolled by Ayurvedic texts for its countless virtues. Here is a sampling:

Massage works through the power of touch. When your fingers caress your skin, lavishing it with lubricant, they communicate to your body the one vital message it craves: that you care for it.

The rubbing and stroking action dislodges accumulated toxins, which then move out of the body through the digestive system. The result: all the three doshas--Vata, Pitta, and Kapha--gradually regain their balance.

v Massage stimulates circulation and improves the flow of blood, nutrients, and oxygen throughout the body. This makes you feel wonderfully energized.

A regular oil massage is an excellent beauty treatment because it replenishes the skin with moisture, so essential for that youthful glow.

The gentle action of massage relaxes the nerves, making you feel calm while simultaneously filling you with energy!

The Practice
Choose a cold-pressed, chemical-free and organic massage oil. Sesame oil, neither too heavy nor light, suits all types of skin and body.

First, 'cure' your massage oil by heating it. The warmth makes it easier to absorb, and enhances its antioxidant qualities. The method is simple: pour about a quart of the oil—which should last you about two weeks—into a pan, and put it on a low flame until it begins to boil. Now sprinkle a drop of water into the oil. Do you hear a “pop” sound? If yes, the oil is cured. Let it cool a bit, and then pour it into an easy-squeeze, flip-top bottle. Take care: do not leave the oil unattended while heating, do not heat it on a high flame, and do not pour hot oil into a bottle.

When you are ready for the massage, reheat the oil, simply by holding the bottle under the hot water tap for about two minutes. Now remove all clothing and jewelry, and sit down on an old towel so that you don’t slip or make a mess. Take a deep breath, and get ready for a wonderfully healing experience.

Start at the top: massage your head first. Pour a small quantity of oil into your cupped palm, and raise it to your scalp. Then, swiftly opening your palm, let the oil kiss the top of your head with a light “chapp” sound. This is your introduction to bliss. Now move your palm in circles, rubbing the oil gently but thoroughly all over your head. Part your hair from time to time so the oil seeps right into the scalp. Ayurvedic healers recommend spending maximum time on head massage, and for good reason, too. Ayurveda identifies 107 vital points just beneath the skin. Called marmas, they are believed to be connecting points between mind and body. Of these, 37 marma points are located in the head and neck area; so do lavish time and attention on this region while massaging.

Move down to your face, the outer part of your ears your neck—both front and back, your shoulders, and upper back. Rub gently, especially on the face. If you are too rushed to wash your hair, your massage can start at this point. You will find that massaging the ears feels particularly good.

Now dab some oil across the length of your arms, and then rub oil along them in long back-and-forth strokes. Rub around elbows and knuckles in circular motion, applying gentle pressure.

Take some more oil, and rub it up and down your chest. The breasts should be massaged in gentle circular strokes. When you reach the abdomen, make sure your strokes are in clockwise motion, for that is the direction in which your large intestine moves.

Treat the legs to similar strokes as the arms: back and forth along the bones, and circular strokes around the knees and ankles. Lavish some time on your feet—they are often the most neglected part of our anatomy, and absolutely love the attention.

By now, you should be experiencing a unique feeling: that of being deliciously rested as wonderfully refreshed. You might want to allow the oil to soak into your pores for a while, and that is an excellent idea. Use these few minutes to relax your body and mind. Listen to music, read a book or simply close your eyes and think happy thoughts.

Afterwards, using a mild oil-based vegetable or herb soap, wash the oil away in a warm shower. If your skin is not very sensitive, you can also use barley or chickpea flour to gently lift the oil—and with it, dead cells—from the surface of the skin. In that case, gently wipe excess oil from your body using your old towel before you step into the shower so that you do not clog the drain.

On a weekend, you can treat yourself to a warm bath for even greater relaxation. Take care: The hotter the water, the dryer it will leave your skin—so let the water be as cool as you can tolerate. Also, leaving the oil on the skin for more than 45 minutes can clog the pores and make you feel sluggish, so do take your bath within that time.

MASSAGE MATH
How much time should you spend on your daily massage? Ancient ayurvedic healers pondered this question quite deeply. Dalhana, a sage, recorded the calculations of Susruta, one of Ayurveda’s founding fathers thus: “300 matrakalas are needed for oil to seep into the roots of hair. In 400 matrakalas, oil penetrates the Rasa dhatu. Similarly, oil reaches 500 matrakalas to seep into the Rakta dhatu, 600 matrakalas to reach Mamsa dhatu, 700 for Medha dhatu, 800 for Asthi dhatu, and 900 for Majja dhatu”

This seemingly unintelligible calculation becomes instantly clear when you learn that a matrakala is 1/3 of a second, and the dhatus are essentially the principles that sustain various body tissues.

Rakta dhatu supports blood plasma
Rasa dhatu sustains the channels of nutrition—such as red blood cells.
Mamsa dhatu supports muscle tissue
Medha dhatu supports adipose or fatty tissue
Asthi dhatu upholds bone tissue
Majja dhatu sustains central nervous system and bone marrow
There is a seventh dhatu called the Shukra dhatu which sustains reproductive tissue, but that is not penetrated by massage oil.

So in effect, the sage is saying that a thorough massage should last five minutes at the very least. Ideally, 10 to 15 minutes are perfect, but if you are rushed for time, give it five minutes, which is better than skipping it altogether.

This article was published in Yoga International magazine, now rechristened Yoga Plus.

Easy Peasy Ayurvedic Recipe

One of the simplest Ayurvedic recipes is 'raita': grated cucumber stirred into plain yogurt. Spike it with roasted and ground cumin seeds (zeera), add a little salt, and yo! you've got the perfect, digestion-firendly, light-but-luscious summertime delight. You can add a few finely chopped fresh mint leaves and coriander leaves, but those are optional. Enjoy raita with freshly cooked dal and hot chapatis.

Practising Ayurveda isn't tedious at all: for a good part, it involves dishing up these quick, healing dishes. Stay tuned for more tips and recipes.

Ayurveda strongly believes that food is synonymous with life. If you want to brim with life and energy, you should stay away from the following:

Fermented, canned and frozen foods: which have been 'disconnected' from their source for a long time, and are devoid of natural life-force or “prana”.

Meat and fish: which are associated with violence. Red meat is also heavy to digest, so if you cannot give up meat, it is best to eat it for lunch, when digestive power is strong.

Microwaved: cooking in the microwave does not employ 'real' heat from fire—and food cooked without “agni” is, to Ayurveda, lacking in “prana”.

Leftovers: foods that sit for long periods in the fridge undergo chemical changes, which makes them heavy and hard to digest. Such foods cause toxic residue, called 'ama', to build up inside you. Avoid them: cook in small batches.

Processed foods: this includes yeast-based foods that are not natural and hence cause ama build-up.

Mushroom: which is not really a vegetable, it is a fungus—Ayurveda does not recommend eating fungus of any kind.

Genetically engineered foods: interference with the very structure of foods saps them of their natural intelligence, rendering them undesirable—even unsafe.

Feel free to ask questions about any or all of this. I'll be happy to answer them to the best of my ability.

Delicious Rice with Ghee

Rice and Ghee

Few pleasures on earth rival the taste of freshly cooked rice lightly flavored with ghee. Maharishi Ayurveda makes premium-quality ghee in a variety of flavors: among these, the garlic, fennel and basil flavored ghee work very well with rice. How to cook your rice with ghee:

Ingredients:
1/2 cup rice
1 cup water
1/2 tsp. Ghee

Directions:
Rinse rice with water. Boil water. Add rice and Ghee, stir once, turn heat down to low and cover. Simmer for 10 to 15 minutes, until rice is fluffy and water is almost evaporated. Remove from heat and let it sit for 5 to 10 minutes. Put rice into serving dish. Lightly fluff with fork.


Spicing Your Rice

Directions:
Prepare rice by following the steps above, but omit the Ghee. Heat Ghee to melting in a separate pan. It is done when a tiny drop of water sputters across the top of the Ghee. Put your recommended spice blend in the Ghee. Heat and stir until the spices release a sudden burst of aroma. Put into rice, mix gently and serve immediately.

The complete article is on http://healing.about.com/od/nutrition/a/riceday.htm

Full of Beans!

In Ayurvedic nutrition, legumes are often a part of almost every meal of the day. They are also used to make desserts and snacks. The protein in legumes is a very different protein from that which is found in meat products, cheese, eggs, and fish. Vegetarian protein from legumes requires some effort to digest and individuals new to legumes will find it very helpful to use spices that help digestion such as asafetida, cumin seeds, fresh ginger, and black pepper. Adding these spices to legume dishes will help to reduce any side effect such as bloating or gas that beans are often associated with.
It is best to add legumes gradually to your diet if they are new additions to your diet. With regular intake, your body will adapt to them and enable you to digest them better and better. You can slowly increase your intake over time to levels that are comfortable for you.
The easiest to digest of all the beans is yellow split mung dal. Yellow mung beans are green mung beans that has been hulled and split. This dal helps to balance all three doshas and is the quickest cooking of all the dals. It takes only 20 minutes to cook without any soaking time. Be sure to properly rinse the beans with water before you use them and look out for small pebbles or twigs.
There are three basic ways to prepare and use legumes:
1. Legumes are soaked in water overnight and then cooked the next day by being boiled in water. Spices can be added while cooking or lightly fried in oil or clarified butter after cooking. Vegetables and grains may be added while cooking to create hearty stews. These legumes can be poured over rice or used for dipping flat breads such as Indian chapati bread or Middle Eastern pita bread.
2. Legumes can be soaked for several hours and then ground into a paste with a food processor to make dumplings, fritters, and desserts.
3. Legumes can be ground into flours to make dough for breads and for desserts and puddings.
If you plan to make legumes a regular part of your diet, I'd suggest investing in a pressure cooker, which will help speed up cooking times and cook many dahls without pre-soaking. It also helps cook legumes to butter-soft consistency, which Ayurveda recommends for easier digestibility. Different pressure cookers have different time mechanisms, so you will have to experiment to figure out ideal cooking times for each variety of beans or lentils you cook.
The following is a list of commonly used legumes:
split mung dahl
whole mung bean
chick peas or garbanzo beans
split chick peas (channa dal)
black bean, whole or split
black eyed peas
brown lentils, whole or split
toor dahl
pinto beans
navy beans
lima beans
kidney beans
soy beans
Here are some recipes that demonstrate the versatility of legumes:
Fresh Bean Sprout SoupServes four
1 carrot chopped in 1/2 inch pieces2 sticks of celery chopped in 1/2 inch pieces1 Tbls. Oil or clarified butter1/2 teaspoon ajwain seeds (available at Indian grocery stores)1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds1/2 teaspoon black mustard seeds1 inch fresh ginger minced3 cups fresh mung sprouts3 cups fresh lentil sprouts or other sprouts of your choice2 tomatoes diced3 cups vegetable stocksalt and pepper to taste
In a stainless steel soup pot, heat the oil or butter. Add brown mustard seeds. When they start to pop, add the cumin and ajwain seeds. After one minute add the fresh ginger, celery, and carrots. Cook for 5 minutes and then add the sprouts. Stir and cook for several minutes. Then add the vegetable stock and tomatoes. Slowly bring to a boil and then back to a slow rolling boil. Cook for about 30 minutes. Add salt and pepper to taste. Puree in a blender and garnish with fresh sprouts.
Kidney Bean SoupServes four
1 cup dried kidney beans5-6 cups of water2 inch piece ginger, grated2 tablespoons fresh cilantro, chopped2 tablespoons clarified butter or olive oil1 teaspoon black mustard seeds1 teaspoon cumin seeds1 teaspoon freshly ground coriander seeds5 curry leaves (available at Indian grocery stores)1 pinch hing (asafetida)1/2 teaspoon ajwain1/2 teaspoon turmericone pinch cinnamon1/2 cup carrots, diced1 celery stick, chopped into 1/2 inch pieces1/2 cup fresh spinach leavessalt and pepper to taste
Soak beans in water overnight. Drain and discard water. In a large soup pot, melt the clarified butter. Fry black mustard seeds until they pop. Add cumin, hing, ginger, ajwain, coriander and curry leaves. Sauté for about one minute. Add the beans and stir once. Add the fresh water, turmeric, cinnamon, carrots and celery and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a low boil and cook about 25 minutes or until the beans are soft. Add the spinach and salt and pepper to taste. Cook for about 10 more minutes. Garnish with fresh cilantro and serve with rice.


Note: you can read this article on vegsource.com as well, and email it to your friends if you find it worthwhile. Thanks!

Ta-da, Ta-da-da: it's really all about rhythm!

Ayurveda gives you some very happy messages. It tells you that you are, quite literally, one in six billion, because you—complete with your looks, build, skin texture, food preferences, reactions to situations, talents, emotions, and ideas—are like no other in the world. And that is why, you can understand and heal yourself better than any physician or one-size-fits-all prescription can. (An ayurvedic physician, known as a vaidya, doesn’t specialize in any one aspect of your physiology or psychology—he is dentist, dermatologist, cardiologist, neurologist, and counsellor—all in one. A holistic healer, whose laboratory is the earth and whose pharmacy is Nature.)

More than anything else, Ayurveda awakens you to the concept of rhythm.

5000 years ago, sages roaming the jungles of India slowly homed in on a simple connection: just like nature had a rhythm—sunrise, noon, eventide and night; summer, winter, autumn, spring—human life also followed a set pattern: birth, growth, old age, and death.

But while the sun never decided to stay a little longer on the horizon, and the birds always returned to their nests at eventide, human beings tended to stray from their natural rhythm quite often—staying awake till late, pushing themselves hard, eating at odd times—causing themselves all sorts of discomfort and ‘dis’ease. A large part of ayurvedic teaching focuses on ways to reset this timeless rhythm.

A doctor friend of mine in Toms River, New Jersey said it best. “Say that you are a guitar. A beautifully made guitar with the best strings and the best seasoned wood. But, you’re not playing the most moving music, because you have been neglected. So, Ayurveda gives you a tuning fork. Bing! And then you say, ‘Oh, that’s what the E string is supposed to sound like. This is how C Minor goes. And slowly and steadily, you are back in tune and melody pours forth. ”

This ‘tuning’ is what Ayurveda does for you: a tweak here (going to bed just ten minutes before your usual time), a gentle tug there (drink a glass of warm water to get those toxins moving)—and you’re ready to make music!

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