Ayurveda: The Art of Being

In this amazing documentary. Ayurveda is explored and explained in great detail.

I should warn you, it’s a full length documentary, but it’s sooooo worth the time to watch it.

Enjoy!

Tiffany
Personal Alchemy

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Originally posted 2008-05-16 08:22:21. Republished by Old Post Promoter

Getting kids to eat healthy

Okay, so this post isn’t specifically about Ayurveda. But getting kids to eat their veggies can be tough whether you are living the Ayurvedic lifestyle or not. That said, I will take a moment to brag here. My son LOVES his veggies, and fruits, and whole grains. So what’s the trick?

Well, for those of you who are new parents, please see my post on “Making your own baby food“. Giving our kids REAL food, instead of the yucky manufactured stuff is the first step. We can’t expect our kids to enjoy good healthy food if we start them out with nothing but the processed stuff. Think of it as “culture shock”.

Just remember, the funny faces your baby makes don’t mean he/she doesn’t like what you are giving them. It’s just your child getting used to new textures and flavors. You’ll know if they truly don’t like something because they will either cry, or they won’t open their mouth. But if it’s just the funny faces, and they keep opening their mouths for more, keep going. You have to get them used to different foods.

That said, if your kids are older and you need to find creative ways to get them to eat their veggies and other healthy foods, here are a few ideas.

• When making rice, mix the rice with half white and half brown. The kids will never know the difference, and you’ll feel better knowing they are at least getting some whole grains.
• Make your saturday morning pancakes with whole wheat pastry flour. (See my post on pancakes for an easy, “from scratch” recipe. Your kids will love them!
• Serving a meal with sauce, such as spagetti? Steam a few pieces of veggies, put them through the blender, and add them to the sauce. Your kids won’t be able to tell the difference.
• Put some steamed veggies through the blender with a little butter and milk. I loved this growing up. My grandmother always did this for me. It worked every time. It was like a thick and tasty veggie soup.

All in all, you just have to NOT give your kids a choice. Because, given a choice, they will ALWAYS go for the junkfood. As a parent, it’s up to you to make sure they make healthy choices. Lessons that will last a lifetime.

Tiffany

Originally posted 2008-08-13 06:48:19. 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

Interview with Deepak Chopra from Time Magazine

I hope you’ll enjoy this video. It has some wonderful information.

 

Namaste,

Tiffany
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Originally posted 2008-07-13 21:48:13. Republished by Old Post Promoter

Ayurveda and Herpes

In Ayurvedic belief, disease is not specific to one part of the body or another. Disease affects the entire body, and therefore the entire body must be treated.

Herpes is no exception. It lives in the body, and emerges when your immune system is impared.

While Herpes cannot be cured, it can be managed. Staying healthy and in doshic balance is the key to managing this disease. Caring for yourself and staying in balance will bolster your immune system, which in turn, will help avoid Herpes breakouts.

If you have Herpes, it is vital that your partner be aware of this information, and that proper protection is used and implemented. Herpes is a silent virus. Many people have the virus and don’t even know it. So please use precautions.

Local treatment for affected skin parts:
Along with the process of balancing doshas and rejuvenation of body, the treatment to the particular organ which is mainly affected by the disease should be treated. This is called local treatment (Sthanika chikitsa). In genital herpes this is achieved through local application of herbal paste prepared from powders of sandle wood, rose, amalki,Neem etc.

These preparations rejuvenate the skin and restore the structure of the skin. These preparations also reduce local inflammation of the skin and the skin gets a very good resistance to subsequent attacks. The tenderness of the skin vanishes and skin discoloration fades to get back the natural color.

http://ayurveda-foryou.com/treat/herpes.html

 

 

The main idea is to take proper care of yourself, regardless of where the breakout is, or how severe it may be. Proper body maintanence is vital for managing Herpes.

Namaste,

Tiffany
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Originally posted 2008-07-20 22:15:51. Republished by Old Post Promoter

Ayurveda and Eczema

Eczema has plagued me for many years now.

While it has gotten better over time, it is still a part of my every day life. While I have not seen an Ayurvedic practitioner for the condition (yet), I did manage to take a trip into my local Elephant Pharmacy in Walnut Creek, CA.

There, I spoke with a woman who was their Ayurvedic expert. She gave me some interesting information.

She told me that Eczema typically comes from bad digestion, and encouraged me to try herbs as well as digestive enzymes.

The herbs she sold me were called “Trikatu” and “Triphala”. The Trikatu is to be taken before meals with water, and the Triphala is to be used as a tea in the morning and evening.

I will keep you updated as to wether or not this works for me. For those of you with eczema, I understand your pain, and hope that this information will help.

Please consult a physician before trying any treatment. This post is for informational purposes only, and is not intended to diagnose or treat any condition.

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 2008-06-27 01:20:27. Republished by Old Post Promoter

Shira… what?

If you havent’ tried this amazing spa treatment yet, I highly recommend it! Aimed at bringing balance to both the mind and body, this incredible treatment is a must!

Shirodhara is just one aspect of Ayurvedic healing. The word shirodhara is defined as: “shiro,” meaning head, and “dhara,” meaning flow. It’s been my experience that most spas will do Shirodhara as an add-on service to an Ayurvedic massage. During your massage, the therapist will slowly pour warm, fragrant oil over your forehead, onto the “third eye” area. The oil will trickle down over your head and down to your neck and shoulders, upon which time, your therapist will perform an Ayurvedic neck and shoulder massage. You will then be wrapped in a cocoon of soft, warm towels.

Can we say “pure heaven”???!!

Ask your local spa if they offer this service. I should warn you, it can get a bit pricey. But it’s so worth it!

 

Originally posted 2008-03-06 23:08:11. Republished by Old Post Promoter

The science behind The Secret (The Secret – Part 1)

If you have followed The Secret at all, you may find this video interesting. I enjoyed it, and I hope you will to.

 

Namaste,

Tiffany
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Originally posted 2008-07-29 17:43:06. 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

Just Breathe!

Breath is such a spontaneous thing. When we are breathing well, we are relaxed and take no notice of our breath at all. But when we are winded, suddenly, we realize just how important breath really is. Let’s face it; we won’t live long if we don’t breathe.

But controlling your breath for health and relaxation is far from spontaneous and well worth the small effort involved.

Ever watch a sleeping baby? Now there is perfect breathing at its best! The lower belly rises up and falls without effort. Nice slow, deep breaths.

When we are stressed, however, breathing takes on an entirely new look. We breathe from our chests and shoulders. Our breaths become short and shallow.

So how can we control our breathing in a way that benefits our health? Slow breathing slows a rapid/stressed heart rate. Taking control of your breathing is the fasted and easiest way to calm yourself when stressed. Simply stop, take notice of your breathing and be sure that you are breathing from your lower belly instead of using your chest area. This small thing can lower blood pressure and heart rate, reduced amounts of stress hormones, reduce lactic acid build-up in muscle tissue, balanced levels of oxygen and carbon dioxide in the blood, improved immune system functioning, increased physical energy,  and increase feelings of calm and well being. Not bad for something so simple.

The hard part is becoming conscious of your breathing on a regular basis. Leave yourself little reminders, and you’ll be “breathing easy” in no time!

Originally posted 2008-02-28 06:15:26. Republished by Old Post Promoter

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