The power of a bath

A bath can be a wonderfully healing experience. Done correctly, it is truly one of life’s great personal rituals.

But how do you turn a bath from a simple cleansing ritual, to a therapeutic, stress relieving personal ritual?

Here are some tips to help you relax and unwind ayurvedicly.

• Atmosphere is everything. Don’t just fill the tub with water and jump in, be sure to make the environment as clean and relaxing as possible. Light a candle, use lush towels, place a flower in a vase where you can focus on it’s beauty, or anything that will focus your mind on how wonderful this experience is.
• Use bath products that are appropriate for your dosha. It’s pointless to set yourself up for a relaxing massage, only to dump a chemically enhanced, headache inducing bath oil or salt into the tub. It does nothing for you or your stress levels.
• Use this quiet time to meditate, or use visualization to relax your tensed muscle. The idea is to focus on your personal needs and to nurture your self and your body as much as possible.
• When your bath is finished, be sure to moisturize your skin while it is still damp. This will seal moisture into your skin. This is the perfect opportunity for Abhyanga (self-massage).

The main idea is to turn a plain ol’ bath into a nurturing and tension relieving experience. Take the time to pamper yourself, and watch your spirit soar!

Namaste,
Tiffany
Personal Alchemy
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Originally posted 2008-05-26 21:07:54. Republished by Old Post Promoter

What is Panchakarma?

If you’ve read about or studied Ayurveda at all, you’ve no doubt come across the term “Panchakarma”. But unless you’ve read up on Panchakarma specifically, you probably have little idea what it is.

In searching for a good definition, I came across a web site that explained it like this:

“Panchakarma is a Sanskrit word meaning “five actions.” In ancient times these included massage, steam treatments, enema, blood letting, and emesis. In modern times, massage, steam and enema are more commonly used while blood letting and emesis are rarely used. These “actions” were traditionally performed during the transitional seasons of the year, as hot shifts to cool in the fall and as cool shifts to warm in the spring.”

When visiting an Ayurvedic practitioner these days, panchakarma may be prescribed as part of your treatment therapy. The most common “prescriptions” of this nature are massage, steam and enemas. Colonics can also be used in place of enemas. While colonics don’t sound very appealing, I can tell you from personal experience that they are actually quite comfortable, even for the most apprehensive person (me!).

Basically, Panchakarma is a set of five different therapies that purify the body. The idea is to get the body completely cleaned out in every way possible, so that the body can regain it’s own healthy balance.

Well worth the effort.

Namaste,
Tiffany
Personal Alchemy

Originally posted 2008-04-28 15:54:50. Republished by Old Post Promoter

The Bindi

Aside from looking pretty, Why do so many Indians wear red or decorative dots on their foreheads?

The red dot that many Indian women wear is called a “Bindi” (among other names).

The bindi can be worn by either men or women. But most often, you will see it on women.

Originally posted 2008-06-02 10:24:08. Republished by Old Post Promoter

Ayurvedic Beauty

The concept of Ayurvedic beauty is a simple one. Eat correctly, get enough sleep, exercise and use natural products. You can’t help but look your best!

But what if you want a little something extra?

Here are a few of my favorite tips I found in various Ayurvedic resources online.

This information is in no way intended as medical advice and should not be construed as such. Please talk to a doctor for all medical issues. If you have any adverse reactions to these suggestions, discontinue immediately, and consult a physician.

Puffy Eyes. We all get them. We look in the mirror, and there’s that unwanted, unattractive puff around our eyes. What can you do about them? Wet a chamomile tea bag, chill in the refrigerator, and then place over your eyes for a few minutes.

Hair loss. Massage your scalp every day with coconut oil for 10 to 20 minutes. The coconut oil will help with any dry scalp issues that may be causing the hair loss, and the massage will stimulate blood flow to the scalp, helping with hair growth.

Scaly legs. Take a few tablespoons of sea salt and mix with a small amount of milk. Scrub on the skin vigorously and wash off. It acts as a powerful cleanser and exfoliater.

My favorite treatment. At the end of a long day, I’m tired and weary and all I want to do is relax. I boil a pot of water, and add chamomile tea to the pot. I let it steep and cool slightly. (The water should be the temperature of a nice warm shower before you touch it.) Put a wash cloth in the water, wring it out slightly, and put the cloth over your face. It’s an amazing feeling, and the smell of the chamomile calms me immediately.

What’s your favorite natural/ayurvedic beauty treatment?

Originally posted 2008-03-27 04:22:41. Republished by Old Post Promoter

Beauty in Balance

The article even includes a quiz to help you figure out what your dosha is, and what to do once you know. Can’t get the magazine? Take our dosha quiz here!

Originally posted 2008-02-29 20:35:41. Republished by Old Post Promoter

Do-it-yourself Ayurvedic Facials

People are always surprised when I tell them that I clean my face with olive oil and a cotton ball. I never use soap or water, and my skin looks great.

The other day, I had a conversation with my mother the other day about beauty aids you can find in your kitchen. I began to wonder how to do an Ayurvedic facial with simple, natural products that you might have in your kitchen cabinet (just like my olive oil!).

I found a blog that tells you how to do just that! So I thought I would share it with you here.

If you try this facial, let me know how it turns out! I’ll be trying it myself very soon.

Namaste
Tiffany

  
Find peace and balance. Unveil your bliss with Ayurvedic bath and body products. Personal Alchemy offers botanical bath salts, ritual massage oils, healing balms and body creams.

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Originally posted 2008-06-30 07:06:50. Republished by Old Post Promoter

A beautiful head of hair

I don’t know about you, but every Indian woman I’ve ever seen has an incredibly beautiful head of hair. It’s always thick and full whether it’s gray or not.

Ayurvedic hair treatments can go a long way towards helping anyone achieve a nice head of hair. While us westerners do everything possible to get the oil OUT of our hair, those following the Ayurvedic lifestyle know the value of putting oil INTO the hair. (Hot oil treatments, anyone?)

Here’s what you do:

Once you know your dosha, purchase a dosha specific oil. Put it in a bowl, and place the bowl in warm to hot water until the oil is nice and warm. Then, slowly massage your scalp with it. This will encourage blood circulation in the scalp and conditions the hair at the same time.

Wet a towel with hot water (don’t burn yourself!), and wrap your head and hair completely. Wrap this with plastic wrap to keep the heat in longer. The longer you leave the oil in your hair, the better. Shampoo as you normally would.

Do this regularly, and you’ll see a difference quickly.

Enjoy!
Tiffany
Personal Alchemy

Originally posted 2008-04-23 15:21:38. Republished by Old Post Promoter

Personal Rituals

Personal Rituals are a very individual thing. You may not realize it, but you have your own personal rituals already. From your routine in the morning, to the order in which you do things when going to bed at night, personal rituals are already a part of your life.

The trick is, to change those rituals just a bit, so that they are helping you to reduce the stress in your life.

One important change is in the way you care for your body. You may exercise and eat right, but there is always more you can do here.

One very important personal ritual that is often overlooked, is self massage. Massage in any form lowers your heart rate and blood pressure, and has many many other positive effects on the body, including stress relief. We often feel we don’t have time for this type of personal ritual. But the trick is to just make the time. It doesn’t have to take an hour out of your day. Try rubbing your feet with a nice lavender oil before going to bed, or moisturizing your body with an invigorating eucalyptus oil in the morning to get you going.

Meditation is also an important personal ritual, with many positive effects (similar to massage!) on the body. Just ten minutes a day can have a wonderful effect on your health. The same benefits can be had from a daily yoga practice.

The idea here, is to take the time to do these things, even if that time is just a few moments out of your day. The more you care for yourself, the better you’ll be able to care for those around you. So give it a try. What do you have to lose except your stress?

Do you have any personal rituals that help you unwind at the end of the day? I’d love to hear about them. email me, or post a comment! Either way, I love to hear from my readers.

Namaste,
Tiffany
Personal Alchemy

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Originally posted 2008-05-14 07:20:24. Republished by Old Post Promoter

Unveil your bliss

For those of you that have visited the Personal Alchemy web site, you’ve undoubtedly seen the phrase “Unveil your bliss” on each page. That phrase is there for a reason.

But what does this mean? How do you unveil true bliss in your life? One should start by defining the word bliss, and what it means in your life specifically.

There is a sanskrit word, ”Ananda” which means bliss. Ananda is what puts meaning in our lives. It’s the thing that brings us happiness, in even the smallest of moments. It can be a moment in time, or a lifetime journey.

Think back to the last time you had a truly great belly laugh. The last time somebody told you they love you. The last time someone’s smile brightened your day, or an act of kindness warmed your heart.

This is Ananda. Those moments and feelings that put pure joy in our hearts. Can you remember the last time you pursued something that truly made you happy? This could be a hobby, a career, or a person. Either way, you felt pure joy, happiness, contentment, and reason for being, in that moment.

When your body is in balance, you have Ananda. When you have true health and vitality, you have Ananda.

So take a moment to think about what creates Ananda in your life. I’d love it if you would share it with me here at the blog. What brings bliss to your life? How do you “unveil your bliss”?

Namaste,
Tiffany
Personal Alchemy
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And the winner is……

The winner of the Mother’s Day Blog Contest is….

 Sadie from All Natural Me. Here is the comment she posted.

My mother is amazing. She is definitely why I am an environmentalist today. Maybe it was the protest she took me to when I was ten years old to shout how we didn’t want a toxic incinerator in our back yard that initially inspired me.

My mother is a school teacher and continues to inspire me with her activism with recycling and land restoration on the school grounds.

Even at home, she is an eco-super star. Every spring, my mother cleans up a two mile stretch of road by herself and frees it from litter. She also is passionate about reusing paper and has been know to be pretty crafty with upcycling old greeting cards into fun place mats.

Cara, is a woman after my own heart.

I love you Mom!!!

This is what Sadie had to say about herself:

“Online, I’m known as Sadie from allnaturalme.com.  I run a website that promotes

eco-friendly issues and natural living in a fun and humorous way. 

All Natural Me has connected with thousands of people over the years

and it’s been a great way to show just how much one person can do.

 

Offline, I am your typical crunchy green fanatical mama happily raising her cubs. 

When I’m not changing poopy diapers or trying the change the world,

I enjoy dancing, sewing and eating organic chocolate.”

Thanks for posting your comment Sadie! I’ll be sending you and your amazing Mom a Personal Alchemy Body Cream in the scent of your choice. Congratulations on winning! Happy Mother’s Day.

Tiffany
Personal Alchemy

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