India Herbs

Publication: mapi.com

Author: Unknown

Date: May 28, 2007 

Ayurveda believes that true beauty is composed of three vital elements: a well-nourished body, a balanced mind, and a peaceful spirit. Achieving all three might seem like a lot of hard work, but here’s the good news. Ayurvedic beauty secrets are astonishingly simple. And you are about to discover them — right here, right now!

Nine simple steps that will launch you on a beautiful journey:

S-T-R-E-T-C-H: Ever seen a cat stretch its supple body? The way it lengthens every muscle-lazily, luxuriously, deeply? What is it doing in that moment? It is being fully present in its body, practicing awakened relaxation. At the same time, it is giving you a lesson in physical fitness. Every morning, give yourself some time out for exercise. Yoga not only nourishes the body but strengthens the mind and nurtures the spirit. Don’t work yourself to the limit, however. Using up just about half of your total energy reserve will give your circulation a boost, while also loosening ama or accumulated toxins, urging it toward exit points. Could there be an easier, more pleasurable beauty tip?!

BREEEATHE: Right from the minute we’re born, we know the breathe in, breathe out routine. But right now, as you read this article, ask yourself — am I breathing right? Stop for an instant, and observe your rhythm of inhale-exhale. Chances are, you’re breathing too shallow — just in and out of your upper chest. Ayurveda recommends breathing deep and slow. Inhale so that you can feel the air right reach into your abdomen. Take care not to breathe too fast-because if your vata vahi shrotas or air circulating channels are not clear, the oxygen will be distributed unequally in your body; and that can do more harm than good. Therefore, keep the pace easy and the rhythm steady. The use of a therapeutic essential oil or blend at this time-lavender, rose and jasmine are good choices — will support your deep breathing activity. Do this at least twice a day for 10 minutes each, and your skin will radiate bliss. Deep breathing also brings instant calm, and serenity is one of the essential elements of beauty.

TURN DOWN THE NOISE: The rich and the famous make a conscious effort to get more silence into their lives. They build and buy retreats in remote islands and mountains. Fortunately, it’s perfectly possible to invite that silence into your own life at absolutely no cost. All you have to do is, well, nothing. Just for a few hours, every now and then, say nothing. Hear nothing. Filter the noise out of your life, and tune in to your inner self. This means no phone calls, no pagers, no television, no conversation, not even the computer or books: just true, deep silence that connects you to yourself. Ayurvedic philosophy says this increases your spiritual density, making you a person of substance.

From your ultra-hectic schedule, steal 20 minutes in the morning and evening to give your mind the rest it craves. Maharishi Mahesh Yogi’s Transcendental Meditation® technique does more than relax your tired body and mind. It puts you back in contact with yourself and provides numerous benefits to mind and body. And by helping your mind and body stay balanced, TM® contributes to your goal of looking and feeling truly beautiful.

TIGHTEN UP: Discipline is one of the most powerful beauty ingredients. And it need not be painful at all. Ayurveda has a very intelligent approach to cultivating beauteous habits: it asks you to weave little acts of discipline into the small routines of life. Look at them as small favors you are doing yourself. Like leaving just one-quarter of your stomach empty when you eat a big meal. Or spending 15 extra minutes in the bath to give your skin a pampering massage. Rising early in the morning. Paying closer attention to the way you brush your teeth and clean your tongue. To the hurried and the harried, these little favors might seem like punishments at first, but when the rewards start to come in-and that happens almost immediately-you learn to look at beauty with fresh eyes.

LIGHTEN UP: Ayurvedic philosophy, being so intimate with nature, believes less is more. And that applies to skin-care too. Don’t work your skin too hard. Give it a vacation! Keep it free of lipstick, mascara, concealers that contain chemicals your skin can do without. Remember, your skin absorbs everything it touches. Once you start thinking of your beauty products as food, you’ll never buy synthetic ones again.

Just like the petals of a delicate blossom, your skin needs to breathe. Just keep it clean, and protect it from the glare of the sun, the friction of the wind and the chemicals in pollutants. Remember, most of your skin-care routine is geared toward purification and protection: all those other lotions and creams are only supplements to a good basic beauty routine.

EAT FOR THE SPIRIT: Ayurveda urges you to spend time and attention on the preparation of your food. This not only ensures you choose the best ingredients and cook in the best way possible, but also that you make your food a visual feast. Keep the flavors simple, the portions austere. But make the presentation so stylish it feeds the senses and satisfies the soul. The very act of eating should be an exercise in grace. Let the mouthfuls be small and dainty. Savor each morsel. Put your fork down between mouthfuls. While eating, keep your posture perfect: straight spine, and a relaxed stillness to the body. All these habits promote automatic portion-control: eating precisely what your physiology needs. Soon, eating right will become a habit.

Bonus: Most foods Ayurveda recommends have tremendous healing value, too. Think Ghee (clarified butter), whole grains, lightly cooked fruit, ginger, turmeric, black pepper, legumes and herbal tea. Many of these foods are said to possess anti-aging, hair-nurturing and skin-strengthening properties.

PLAY WITH PACKS: Ayurveda doesn’t believe in trying to outrun the time clock. It advises you to work towards graceful aging right from the beginning, when the skin is naturally young and beautiful. The Council of Maharishi Ayurveda Physicians recommends gentle, all-natural face-packs for every kind of skin. Many of the ingredients used in these packs are like medicine for skin. See below for skin-care packs and masks.

THE BEAUTY BATH: Ayurveda invites you to make your daily bath a pleasurable, healthful ritual. A 15 to 20 minute massage with warm sesame oil can work wonders for the way you feel. This self-massage nourishes the seven different layers of the skin as well as the seven different types of body tissue. It is also considered ayushkar — conducive to longevity. Specifically, it is also considered twak-dardhya — helping to increase the firmness of the skin. Further, such a massage is considered jarahar — capable of “destroying” old age, shramhar — helping to reduce physical and mental fatigue, and mrijavard balapradha — something that purifies the skin, enhances the complexion and makes it more radiant and attractive.

SELF-IMAGE: Ayurveda urges you to remember a universal but often-forgotten truth: each one of us is beautiful in his or her own way. Sadly, few of us are ever truly secure about the way we look. Even if your physical features are less than perfect, you can be the picture of grace and beauty, say Ayurvedic beauty experts. How? Simply by changing the viewing angle: starting to cultivate gunam or inner, non-physical beauty attributes like elegance, grace, kindness, softness, creative energy. Supplement these natural elements with consciously cultivated roopam or physical assets like graceful movement, good posture, relaxed manner and calm voice; and you’ll start feeling truly beautiful.

SKIN RECIPES
Here is a sampling of recipes to start you off on your skinsational adventure:

CLEANSING SCRUBS
For Dry Skin:
2 teaspoons quick-cooking oats
1/4 teaspoon almond powder
1/4 teaspoon orange peel powder
1/4 teaspoon lavender flower powder
2 tablespoons yogurt

Stir together all the ingredients and apply very gently on face with fingertips. Let the scrub set on skin, then using very slight pressure, flake the mask off into the basin. If the mask feels too sticky, use warm water to rinse. Dab face with a soft towel, and apply a good moisturizer.

Instant oatmeal is excellent for exfoliating the skin. Oats counter daily sun damage and replenish the skin with vitamins B & E. Orange peel balances the Ph levels of the skin and softens it. Almond powder is a protein-packed exfoliant. Yogurt contains friendly lacto-bacilli that pacify an aggravated pitta. And the healing aroma of lavender powder makes this a soothing, pleasant mask.

For Oily Skin:
1 teaspoon toasted wheat bran
1/4 teaspoon almond powder
1/2 teaspoon orange-peel powder
1 teaspoon lemon juice

Wheat bran is a very efficient scrub, coaxing the grime out with ease. Combined with cooling yogurt, it helps gently exfoliate the skin. The Vitamin C in lemon juice promotes scrubbing activity.

For Sensitive Skin
Make as for dry skin, but substitute whole raw milk for yogurt, and use rose petal instead of orange peel.

MOISTURIZERS
For Dry Skin
1/2 teaspoon cocoa butter or coconut oil
1/2 teaspoon lemon or lime juice
1 teaspoon olive oil
3 drops lavender oil

This is a deep yet non-greasy moisturizer. Lavender oil keeps in the fridge for up to a week. Mix ingredients together and apply lightly to face twice a day.

For Oily Skin
1 teaspoon lemon juice
2 drops of lemon-peel essential oil
1 teaspoon olive oil
1/2 teaspoon cocoa butter

For Sensitive Skin
1 teaspoon white sandalwood powder
1 teaspoon marshmallow powder
1/4 tsp rose petals
1 teaspoon rose water
1 teaspoon barley powder

Publication: Discover Ayurveda

Author: Unknown

Date: May 24, 2007

If you have an organized kitchen and your ingredients handy, cooking an ayurvedic meal can be simple and fun, taking about 15 minutes to prepare and 20-25 minutes to cook.

Your kitchen should have the following staple ingredients on hand:split mung beans, basmati rice and/or other whole grains such as barley, quinoa, or couscous, ghee or olive oil, spices such as ginger, cumin, coriander, and turmeric, the freshest vegetables you can get, yogurt, wheat flour and a pre-made chutney.

To save time, have spices appropriate to your needs for balance pre-mixed in a container or have handy some Maharishi Ayurveda spice mixtures such as Vata, Pitta, or Kapha churna. Keep your beans and grains in glass jars for easy measuring.

Split mung dahl or moong dahl are the green whole mung beans that have been split and the green skins removed. Split mung is the easiest to digest of all the beans and is balancing for all the doshas. It provides protein and the astringent taste. Ayurveda recommends that you try to include all six tastes in a meal - sweet, salty, sour, astringent, bitter, and pungent. If you are on a diet to pacify a specific dosha, it is still good to include all six tastes, focusing on the ones related to the specific dosha and taking less of the other ones. For example, a person trying to reduce pitta would include more of the sweet, bitter and astringent tastes and less of the pungent, sour and salty tastes.

Basmati rice is considered to be a highly beneficial grain according to ayurveda. It is balancing for all the doshas, however, eating it every day is not recommended because it is a little heavy. People with a kapha imbalance can dry-roast the grain before adding the water for cooking as this will make it a bit lighter.

Quinoa, barley or couscous can be used for the grains portion of the meal as well. Quinoa has high protein content and is delicious and fast cooking.

As your beans and grains are cooking, start preparing the vegetables. Vegetables should constitute a substantial portion of your meal and it’s good to have at least two different vegetables at each meal - such as carrots and broccoli, or cauliflower and green beans. Dark leafy greens such as kale, spinach, or collard greens can be added to the vegetable dish or prepared separately. Dark leafy greens have minerals that other vegetables do not have and it is important to eat them several times per week or even every day if available. You will notice increased benefits from including them in you diet on a regular basis.

According to ayurveda, the best way to cook vegetables is to sauté them in ghee with spices. By first sautéing the spices in ghee the volatile oils of the spices are drawn out into the ghee. These spices have therapeutic value. Turmeric, for example, has been found to be an antioxidant, and other spices such as cumin and coriander help with digestion and assimilation. The spices cook into the vegetables and act as carriers, transferring nutrition from the vegetables into the bloodstream as we consume them. They also make the food taste aromatic and delicious.

First gently fry the spices in the ghee, taking care not to burn them. Add the chopped raw vegetables to the spice mixture and stir so that all the spices are mixed with the vegetables. Add a couple of spoonfuls of water to prevent sticking. Cover and cook on low heat until the vegetables are well cooked. Not mushy, but just “fork friendly”. Add salt to taste at the end and some fresh cilantro leaves for garnish.

Ghee is considered a beneficial oil in ayurveda. According to traditional ayurvedic texts, it is a rasayana, good for overall well-being and longevity. Modern research shows that it is an antioxidant and contains beta-carotene. Since the milk solids have been removed, ghee does not spoil easily like vegetable oils do. If you are on a weight loss program, limit your intake of ghee or oil to judicious amounts.

The dahl should be spiced using the same process of sautéing the spices in the ghee first. But the ghee-spice mixture should be added to the dahl at the end, when the dahl is finished cooking. (See recipe)

Lassi (yogurt drink) is a digestive aid for the afternoon meal. (It is not recommended in the evening.) Sweet lassi is a drink made from fresh yogurt, water, rose water, and sweetener. Fresh organic yogurt is full of fresh lactobacilli, necessary for a well-functioning digestive tract. When made into a drink it is useful to reduce bloating and allows the digestion of the lunch to be smoother. Plus it adds nutrition and the sweet taste. It is worthwhile getting a yogurt maker to make your own yogurt. The yogurt purchased from grocery stores is sour and does not contain the lively bacteria freshly made yogurt does.

Chapatis, or flatbreads add the sweet taste. They are made from wheat flour and are energy-enhancing foods. They are time consuming to make at home but if you can invest the time and the effort they are worth it because they taste much better than store-bought ones. You can purchase organic chapatis at most health food stores if time does not allow the homemade ones. However, if you do buy them readymade make sure you heat them before serving.

Chutneys are usually combinations of spices and cooked fruits. They aid in digestion and add variety, taste and interest to the meal. Keep a few of them stocked in your refrigerator to add some quick variety to your meals.

With practice, a meal that includes grains, beans or lentils,

and the yogurt drink should only take about 15 minutes to prepare and about 25 minutes to cook. You will enjoy a home-cooked ayurvedic meal that is wholesome, nutritious, balanced and fresh.

Publication:  Discover Ayurveda

Author: Unknown

Date: May 24, 2007

Crack!

The dark, fibrous shell breaks, and fragrant coconut liquid begins to ooze out. Using a sharp knife, you separate the luscious white flesh from its shell; then grate it to make rich, delicious coconut milk. The milk will add delicate flavor and a smooth creamy texture to your lentil soup simmering on the stove.

But it is not only for its taste that the coconut is valued, says The Council of Maharishi Ayurveda Physicians. “Coconut,” says The Council, ” is considered a divine plant in the Vedic tradition. Whenever you perform a sacred ceremony like a yagya, a coconut must grace the occasion. Thus, the coconut enjoys the hallowed status of a select few herbs and fruits-like holy basil and amla-in the Vedic tradition.

“What’s in a Coconut? The Council goes on to reflect on the flak that the coconut has received from certain quarters. “I know that people accuse the coconut of being heavy, ama-causing, and cholesterol-increasing. In my opinion, they are only partially right. A recent research study from the Department of Biochemistry in the University of Kerala states that the fatty-acid composition of coconut changes as it grows. This change in composition is being studied by scientists in many places. But ayurvedic scholars knew many centuries ago that coconut has different properties at different stages of its life.”

“In the ayurvedic nighantus or classical texts which talk about raw materials or fruits, the coconut is actually divided into three types of coconuts,” says The Council.

Baal: tender or baby coconut

Madhyam: half-mature coconut

Pakva: fully mature coconut

The Three Coconuts

Baal or Tender coconut: This type is 90 to 95 percent water. The liquid from this coconut is at its purest and most healing. It is considered the best for its cooling properties, for it is a proven pitta-pacifier. While unclogging the body’s channels, tender coconut water lubricates the dryness caused by ama. It repairs the gastro-intestinal tract, and its snigdha or sweet quality gives it a pranaropana-life-restoring-capacity.

Madhyam or Middle-aged coconut: In addition to water, the coconut at this stage has some soft pulp. Madhyam coconuts have less water than tender ones, but more water than mature coconuts. The water is slightly milky at this age. In the classical ayurvedic texts called Raj Nighantus, the middle-aged coconut is said to be the most nutritious. This type generally has more carbohydrates, protein, minerals, phosphorus, and Vitamins A, B, and C than the other two forms.

Mature or Pakva coconut: This type of coconut has firm “meat” or pulp, and very little water. Ancient ayurvedic scholar Bhav Mishra wrote that when a coconut becomes mature, it becomes heavy to digest, and it can also aggravate pitta or vata if the digestive agni of the individual is low. Mature coconuts can also build up toxic ama by interfering with digestion. If large quantities of this variety are consumed daily, then a person can suffer hyperacidity, and worse still, elevated cholesterol levels.

Therefore, people who have low agni or digestive power are not advised to eat mature coconut, unless it is combined with ingredients that balance its negative properties. In the south of India, for instance, says The Council, a popular way to eat coconut is in the form of chutney. Combined with healthful ingredients like roasted chickpea flour, curry leaves, mustard seeds, and oil, the coconut is used in smaller quantities, and can actually be beneficial.

The Key To Eating Coconuts

The Council points out that if you understand the samyoga and samskara of coconuts: that is, the right ways to choose, combine, process, and prepare them, then you can extract the maximum benefit from this healing fruit.

In general, tender and middle aged coconuts are good for almost anyone. But if you’re a kapha-dominated person and drink coconut water at night, then it will make you feel so cool and heavy that your kapha dosha will go out of gear, causing all sorts of health problems. Ayurvedic literature is full of praise for the tender coconut. Ayurveda’s revered ancient healer, Sushruta, noted that tender coconuts are “bal maans prada” in nature. That is, they strengthen muscle, the cardiovascular system, and the seven body tissues. Middle-aged coconuts are also said to possess these healing properties. Both kinds help cleanse the urinary tract.

The Council of Maharishi Ayurveda Physicians quotes Charaka, who is widely credited as being the founding father of ayurveda, as having observed that tender and half-mature coconuts have “bringhan, snigdha, seetani, balyani, madurani ” properties. Which means they increase the quantity and quality of all 7 tissues, they are vata-pacifying in nature because of their unctuous qualities, they cool and strengthen, and are filled with sweetness. To this, Bhav Mishra adds that “komal narikelam nihanti pitta jwar pitta dosha.” That is, the tender coconut helps get rid of any heat related to pitta aggravation, and alleviates any pitta-related disorders.

17 Reasons You Should Love Tender Coconut

There is much to love about the tender coconut: There are times when your body fills up with pitta-charged ama-visha (toxic matter). This causes the ph levels in the deeper digestive system to fall, leading to severe hyperacidity or amla pitta. That’s when the coconut can step in to heal. Because it is anuloman in nature-capable of getting all the toxins and Vata to move downward and helping to move pitta and purify the digestive system of it-tender coconut balances acid levels and cools the system. This makes it superior to other herbs and fruits that can cool down pitta, but do not flush it out of the system.
Ayurveda considers coconut a natural stress-buster.

Coconut cools sadhaka pitta, which is associated with emotions.

Combined with spices like cinnamon, cardamom, ginger, cloves, cumin, coriander, and turmeric, coconut is not only delicious and versatile, but also heals the digestive system and promotes better metabolism.

The juice of tender coconut has been billed “the world’s safest natural soft drink” for being a nutritious thirst-quencher.

Combined with poppy seeds and ghee, coconut can help you sleep better! For the complete recipe, visit the recipes section.

Coconut has keshya properties — that is, it improves hair quality. In Southern India, women apply coconut oil to their hair every day-which gives them long, lustrous locks.

Coconut is good for curing stomach disorders related to aggravation of pitta dosha.

Due to its soma-enhancing or nurturing value, coconut heals hot flashes and restores emotional stability in menopausal women.

Coconut improves the complexion. You can make coconut-based skin packs at home. The Council suggests mixing coconut oil with oatmeal powder and a little bit of lavender flower powder to make a soothing facial pack.

A burning sensation in hands and feet is cooled down by drinking coconut water/milk. All you have to do is make a paste of crushed middle aged coconut and apply it on hands and feet.

Coconut is traditionally considered a wound healer, especially effective at preventing the formation of scars if applied topically.

Hiccups due to pitta are also eased by coconut water.

If you have urine retention from heat, then coconut water helps. Similarly, liver problems, such as inflammation, are also soothed by drinking tender coconut water.

There is a word called karshan meaning “that which supports the body to stay slim by enhancing fat metabolism.” The Council of Maharishi Ayurveda Physicians says recent research suggests that coconut is good for burning fat and lowering cholesterol- and it is clearly written in ayurveda that the oil has karshan properties.

Coconut helps detoxify and flush toxins out of the body.

It is delicious!
Coconut Cooking Basics
You can drink the liquid that comes out of a coconut, but don’t use it in cooking. Fresh coconut is always best, but if it is not readily available, you can generally find good quality dried, grated coconut and coconut chips in natural food stores. Use the unsweetened type, which is free of chemical ingredients. Tender coconuts, or ones with pulp and water, are generally available at oriental groceries. Slash off the top with a sharp knife (the store will sometimes help open coconuts), insert a straw, and enjoy!Use coconut milk the same day-make it fresh each time. Grate fresh coconut and blend with a little warm water. Squeeze to get the rich first extraction. Add more water re-blend and squeeze again to get a thinner second extraction.
Strain.

The sweltering days of summer are ideal for cooking-and cooling-with coconut.

We hope you will try different ways to enjoy this nourishing, cooling food.

Publication: mapi.comAuthor: Unknown

Date: May 21, 2007 

In tune with nature Ayurveda suggests a skin care calendar that follows the rhythm of the seasons. Spring is the ideal season to focus on deep-cleansing the skin from within and without to foster healthy skin cell growth and counter excess oiliness and breakouts, which tend to be more common at this time of the year. In spring, toxins inside the body start to liquefy naturally, and your body works hard to cleanse itself. Some toxins are expelled through the skin, so you need to focus on deep exfoliation and cleansing to keep it looking clear and radiant through this season. Rx for Spring Skin Your skin is a mirror of what’s happening inside your body. Beautiful skin begins from within, with a balanced diet, good digestion and proper absorption of nutrients by your body. Start with an ama reducing diet. If you combine a light, easy-to-digest diet with an internal cleansing program, your skin will look beautifully smooth and radiant. Here are some tips from The Council of Maharishi Ayurveda Physicians for cleansing from within: Eat light. Cut down on heavy cold foods, deep-fried foods and rich sweets. Include several servings of fresh organic vegetables, especially cooked leafy greens, in your diet. Whole grains such as quinoa and amaranth are excellent sources of nutrients and fiber. Eat lots of cleansing foods, such as sweet juicy fruits, during the day. Add spices such as coriander, cumin, turmeric, and fennel to your diet to help stimulate the digestion and detoxify the skin. Drink plenty of warm water to help the cleansing process. For healthy skin, it’s also important to keep the elimination system running smoothly. The Herbal Cleanse or Digest Tone tablets can help. A seasonal detox program can help purify the whole body, including the skin. Take Elim Tox or Elim-Tox-O for two months, along with the Triphala or Herbal Cleanse tablets. These herbal formulas aid the body in flushing out toxins that tend to accumulate through the winter. An herbal skin care program Natural skin care products rich in botanicals that gently cleanse toxins from the skin and nourish skin cells will help rejuvenate winter-weary skin and bring the bloom back. Here are some things to remember: Do a warm oil massage regularly and follow with a warm bath to allow impurities to liquefy and flow out of the body tissues. The Youthful Skin Massage Oil contains powerful herbs to purify the skin.

Thoroughly cleanse your face morning and night with the Youthful Skin Cleansing Bar or Gel. Rinse with plenty of warm or room temperature water. Exfoliate your skin with the Youthful Skin Herbalized Clay twice a week to eliminate toxins, wash away that heavy, oily feeling and leave your skin feeling fresh and youthful. It’s important not to put anything on the skin that can clog the pores. Youthful Skin Cream nourishes the skin without being greasy or clogging. Wear a hat when you go out in the spring sunshine to protect your skin and maintain moisture balance.

Publication: mapi.com

Author: UnknownDate: May 21, 2007

Aromatherapy, the therapeutic use of essential oils, is one of the most popular techniques of natural medicine practiced today. It is widely available, pleasant, and easy to use. Everything in your kitchen and bathroom has an aroma that affects you in many ways. The smell of cinnamon can make your mouth water or bring back the memory of grandma’s apple pie. Lavender bath salts calm your nervous system as you soak in the tub. Aromas are added to candles, soaps, lotions and massage oils, so oftentimes you are practicing aromatherapy even when you don’t realize it.

AN ANCIENT TRADITION

The first form of aromatherapy utilized different kinds of burning Woods, and the use of smoke in the form of incense has survived in almost all cultures.

The Egyptians used aromatics 5,000 years ago for medicinal and cosmetic purposes. The Greeks used olive oil to absorb the odor from flower petals and herbs. Arab physicians perfected the method of distilling essential oils and brought them to Europe. By the 16th century, the women of the household made all kinds of remedies for home use. The new sciences of chemistry and pharmacology, however, reduced these practices to superstition, thus discouraging the use of aromatherapy until the beginning of the 20th century, when a succession of French chemists started to research the healing properties of essential oils. The first and foremost among them, Rene Maurice Gattefosse, turned his attention to the use of oils in dermatology after he discovered how lavender oil healed his burned hand. He coined the word “aromatherapy” in 1928 and published a book by the same title in 1937.

In the eastern cultures of India and China, however, the tradition remained unbroken. Vaidyas, ayurvedic physicians, treated Indian royalty with dried and fresh herbs, floral waters and aromatherapy oil massage.
Essential oils are the highly concentrated essences of aromatic plants. They can be derived from all parts of the plant: flowers (rose), woods (sandalwood), barks (cinnamon), leaves (basil), roots and fruits (orange). The methods of oil extraction are time-consuming and expensive, and require a high degree of expertise.

Some essential oils are especially costly due to the labor intensive process and the quantity of the plant required to produce the oil. For example, approximately 2,000 kilograms of rose petals would produce 1 kg of essential oil, and 4 million jasmine flowers produce a kilogram of jasmine oil. But they are also highly effective — only a few drops are required to achieve the desired effect.

Ayurveda considers the use of aroma as an important tool for prevention and healing. Practitioners use it for protecting the vital force, prana, regulating digestion and metabolism, agni, and increasing resistance to disease, ojas. Traditional ayurvedic practices include fumigation by burning neem leaves, use of holy basil or rose petals in water while bathing, and burning incense sticks during meditation.

Essential oils can be used alone or in combination. Maharishi Ayurveda mixes aromas into synergistic blends to increase their potency and to balance the effect of individual oils.

THERAPEUTIC USES

Smelling: The most important pathway for aromas is through the sense of smell. When we smell essential oils, the vapor stimulates our olfactory nerve. This is the only nerve in the body that directly contacts the environment and goes all the way to the brain. All of our other senses involve several nerves and synaptic junctions before the impulses reach the brain. The olfactory nerve stimulates the limbic system, which is connected to the areas of the brain that process emotions, desires, appetites and memories, as well as the endocrine glands which regulate hormone levels in the body. For this reason, aromas have a subtle but very powerful influence on our mind and body. They can be very effective in the treatment of stress. Scents of vanilla, orange blossom, rose, chamomile and lavender have a noticeable calming effect. Lavender, sandalwood and nutmeg oils also help reduce the ill-effects of stress. Patchouli oil helps reduce anxiety, lifts the mood and increases bliss. Maharishi Ayurveda offers a great variety of therapeutic aroma blends from Calming to Refreshing, from Cooling to Stimulating. They contain pure essential oils, undiluted with a carrier oil. Put them in a room or car diffuser, wear them in an aroma locket, or light one of our aroma candles to relax, uplift your mood or improve your sleep.
Massage: Aromatherapy massage is another widely used ayurvedic technique. When you receive, or give yourself a massage, you not only inhale the essential oils but your skin absorbs them as well. They penetrate the tissues and find their way into the bloodstream where they are transported to the organs and systems of the body. Essential oils have different rates of absorption so it is best not to shower directly following a massage to ensure maximum effectiveness. Maharishi Ayurveda incorporates aromatherapy into its massage oils. To balance your dosha or to adjust to the seasons try the Relaxing, Cool Sensation or Invigoration aroma massage oils. The M•SPA Youthful Skin Massage Oil is also rich in aromas and balances all the three doshas.
Bath: Aromatic baths are also popular forms of aromatherapy. The large surface of the warm water in the tub instantly vaporizes the essential oils, sending their particles to your brain. Soaking alone relaxes your muscles and your whole physiology, so you enhance the effect of the aromas. Try a few drops of Muscle Rest Aroma oil if you are sore from working out. The Maharishi Ayurveda therapeutic bath salts combine aromas with natural salts, which are also known to relax muscles. Add bath salts right before you enter the tub to enjoy the full potency of their essential oils. They come in seven different combinations such as Relaxing, Rejuvenating and Energizing.
Skin and Hair Care: Most personal care items are scented with aromas, often with synthetic ones. Maharishi Ayurveda uses only pure essential oils in soaps, shampoos, creams and lotions. The smell of roses, jasmine or neem in soaps can enliven your shower. The Rose and Lavender Waters help tone your skin and uplift your spirit. The aromas in the M•SPA Youthful Skin Cream and the Youthful Skin Advanced Lipid Support relax your entire physiology when you put them on. They also get absorbed in your bloodstream through your skin. For this reason, whatever product you use, make sure it contains only natural essential oils and ingredients. Artificial aromas and perfumes will not provide the same benefits and can cause skin irritation or allergies.
Aromatherapy has so many applications that even if you have a busy schedule you can still enjoy its benefits, by lighting an aroma candle as you cook or bathe, or use a car diffuser while you commute to work. Essential oils take up little room, go a long way, yet their effect is very powerful.