Ayurveda Archives - PranaShanti

Summer: Pitta Season

June 19, 2023June 19, 2023 by superadmin superadminNo Comments

"Because summer is pitta season, your primary focus in the summer months will naturally be to keep pitta under control, but you’ll want to have a close eye on supporting healthy vata by countering excessive lightness, dryness, sharp intensity, subtlety, and mobility as well. Foods to Favor Focus on eating summer foods that are good for both vata and pitta: apples, coconut, dates, figs, melons, prunes and soaked raisins, asparagus, cucumbers, green beans, cooked leeks, okra, parsnips, sweet potatoes, summer squash, zucchini, kidney beans, mung beans, soft cheeses, cottage cheese, cow’s or goat’s milk, yogurt, amaranth, cooked oats, quinoa, white rice, and wheat. If you enjoy salad or raw vegetables, consider a lightly sautéed salad, blanched vegetables, and lubricate your greens with a generous amount of olive oil, sunflower oil, or ghee. Also consider some mild spices like fresh ginger, cardamom, clove, coriander, cumin, and turmeric to keep your digestive fire healthy. Acceptable Seasonal Indulgences Sweets are cooling, nourishing, and calming to both vata and pitta, so...

Spring : Kapha Season

March 16, 2023March 16, 2023 by superadmin superadminNo Comments

"Spring is upon us. Winter’s accumulated snow and ice are beginning to melt. Gentle rains soak the land. The earth itself seems heavy with moisture—saturated with it—and the landscape is becoming a wellspring of life. Spring is a season of birth, new beginnings, renewal, and growth—a time for the earth to make manifest the latent potential within all things. Seeds are germinating, flowers budding, insects buzzing, leaves unfurling. And despite our growing separation from the natural world, we are deeply affected by this gentle stirring around us. Our physiology senses a natural opportunity for a fresh, clean start; our bodies are primed to lighten things up, cleanse ourselves of any accumulated imbalances, and rejuvenate our deepest tissues. As the natural world emerges from its long winter slumber, it is common to experience a renewed sense of joy and inspiration. But for many, the spring season is also associated with seasonal irritants, heaviness, and feelings of lethargy. Thankfully, an appropriate seasonal routine can help us...

Winter: Kapha Season

December 29, 2022December 29, 2022 by superadmin superadminNo Comments

"Ayurveda recognizes winter as a kapha season with strong vata undertones. It is characterized by cold weather, a sense of heaviness, increased moisture (usually in the form of rain or snow), cloud-covered days, and the grounded, slow feeling that sends many animals into hibernation. These are all qualities shared by kapha dosha, which is why winter is considered—primarily—a kapha season. However, if your climate is exceptionally cold and dry, or if you tend to feel more isolated during the winter months, vata will also be a strong component of your winter season, and you will want to actively keep vata placated as well. How to Create a Supportive Winter Diet Winter is actually the season when the digestive fire is strongest. The body requires more fuel to stay warm and healthy in the winter months, and the cold weather forces the fire principle deep into the core of the body—igniting the digestive capacity. Our bodies, therefore, crave a more substantial, nutritive diet at this time of...

Dry Brushing

November 16, 2022November 16, 2022 by superadmin superadminNo Comments

Dry brushing the skin is a comparatively new trend, though its roots lie in ancient times. It’s common in Ayurvedic medicine and is an ancient Kriya yoga practice but many cultures, including the ancient Greeks and Japanese, have used skin brushing to cleanse the skin. It’s done at day spas but you can do it yourself too! It’s called “dry” brushing because you aren’t scrubbing up while you bathe or shower; instead, a firm, bristled brush is swept across the skin, from toe to head. Both the skin and brush are completely dry. Dry brushing has gained traction for a reason. The benefits include: Detoxifying the skin - Dry brushing unclogs pores in the exfoliation process. It also helps detoxify your skin by increasing blood circulation and promoting lymph flow/drainage. By unclogging pores, it’s easier for the body to sweat and eliminate toxins in your system.Stimulating the nervous system - Dry brushing can stimulate the nervous system. It can also leave you feeling invigorated like a massage often does.Giving...

Summer: Pitta Season

August 10, 2022August 10, 2022 by superadmin superadminNo Comments

The most striking characteristics of summer—the heat, the long days of bright sun, the sharp intensity, and the transformative nature of the season—are directly in line with pitta dosha, which is why summer is considered a pitta season. And, despite the fact that some climates are exceptionally humid this time of year, the cumulative effect of intense heat is to dry things out, so summer is also considered dry. On a more subtle level, summer is a time of expansion and mobility—traits more characteristic of vata dosha. While there is plenty to celebrate about summer’s unique personality, it’s possible to have too much of a good thing. A summer seasonal routine is aimed at fostering diet and lifestyle habits that will help prevent the over-accumulation of summer qualities and allow you to enjoy the unique gifts that summertime has to offer. General Recommendations for Pitta Season Your primary focus through the summer months will be to keep pitta balanced by staying cool, mellowing intensity with relaxation,...

Golden Milk: Healing Tonic for Vitality and Flexibility

December 14, 2016February 28, 2023 by Devinder KaurNo Comments

Turmeric is the most healing root for the body. It comes from the root of a plant which is grown mainly in India but it has been used in many countries for thousands of years as a healing food. It is known to be beneficial to the inner organs, the spine and the joints. It is purifying to the blood and promotes general good health. It also has external healing properties and can be used in masks and baths for the skin. Golden Milk can help to repair damage to nerve centers caused by drug abuse. Drink it every day for 40 days. When used internally, it should be cooked rather than raw, so that the body can more easily assimilate its healing powers. It is an essential nutrient for women over the age of 28. Golden Milk is especially beneficial for stiff joints and provides a source of lubrication for the entire system. It includes both essential oils and turmeric, both vital...

Ayurveda For Self-Healing

April 23, 2016February 28, 2023 by Devinder Kaur4 Comments

By Maria Garre We don’t have to search very far in the ancient Ayurvedic texts to find a simple definition of Ayurveda. Charaka, known as the first physician of Ayurveda, says “science where advantageous and disadvantageous as well as happy and unhappy states of life along with what is good and bad for life, its measurement and life itself” is Ayurveda. To begin the healing process, we must first inquire and comprehend what made us sick in the first place. Understanding the root cause of illness is at the heart of Ayurveda. Often we want to get rid of the symptoms, put a band-aid on what pains us, without looking deeply and connecting the dots of our actions which led us to feel ill. This is the glory of Ayurvedic medicine as stated above. We should understand how all of our actions, from eating to exercise habits along with lifestyle choices, can sometimes serve us and sometimes not. Today’s nectar may very well...

Benefits and Bliss of Hair and Scalp Massage

June 9, 2015July 28, 2015 by Devinder KaurNo Comments

From the Sanskrit words "shiras" (head, which you might recognize from the Sanskrit for headstand "Sirsasana") and "dhara" (flow), shirodhara is the gentle flow of warm oil from a brass oil fountain onto the third eye chakra (Ajna) just above and between the eyebrows. It's an incredibly relaxing, meditative practice that stimulates circulation, brain function, and a healthy head of hair. Should you not be able to get to your local Ayurvedic practitioner, you can reap the health benefits of massage with Ayurvedic hair massage oils. Massaging increases blood flow to the treated area, and helps with fatigue, stress, and pain. This is also true for scalp massages, and they also benefit the skin, scalp, hair follicles and hair to grow faster and more luminous. Only oils appropriate for the hair should be used for scalp massage. We have Banyan Botanicals Healthy Hair Massage Oil for you to try this at home, but you can also use Almond or Castor oil to...