Ayurvedic Secrets Using Oil

Being well is a daily practice that requires regular maintenance to our body, mind, heart, and spirit. Ayurveda and Traditional Chinese Medicine are best known for their use of herbal remedies and body therapies based on a thorough understanding of the chakra grid, acupuncture meridian systems, and subtle, but dynamic, energy fields. Ayurvedic secrets for well-being offer powerful practices.

In Tibetan Ayurveda, there are four levels of intervention with increasing levels of invasiveness. According to this system, herbal medicine is considered to be a second level approach and body therapies fall within both the second and third levels. The most familiar of the therapeutic interventions also fall into level two or three. This begs the question: What are contained in levels one and four? As I want to address level one exclusively, I shall only say that level four has to do with spiritual medicine, the deepest medicine of all.  Level one is the least invasive, but in fact, the most fundamental to our daily health and well-being.  Level one interventions are about lifestyle.

These first level health practices which are quite simple but effective in both preventative and curative ways.  The following four techniques are specifically from the tradition of Ayurveda.  They all involve the skillful use of oil, and most specifically, organic cold-pressed sesame oil.

Gandusha: Oil Pulling 

Also known as oil pulling. When it comes to oral hygiene, I cannot speak enough about its benefits.  Of course, sources have talked about detoxification and I don’t know how many people really experience this or only wish they did.

Before appearing on the Dr. Phil Show (that’s another story), I was told that my teeth were too dark for TV.  I was ushered by limo to a Brentwood dentist who not only cleaned, but bleached my teeth.  In less than half an hour, the pain built up until it became excruciating.  After leaving the dentist, I asked the driver to take me to a Whole Foods store where I bought a small bottle of sesame oil.

When I returned to the hotel, I put two tablespoons of sesame oil into my mouth and swished the oil back and forth in my mouth. No gargling. After 20 minutes, my pain level went from an 8.5 (out of 10) to less than 2. The oil I spat out was cream colored.  After this practice, you are supposed to drink glass of water, which I did; I’ve continued this practice on an ongoing basis and never looked back.

In general, do this in the morning before you brush your teeth or eat anything. Follow the simple directions as I explain above and follow with a glass of water.  Beyond pain relief, I have personally seen a dramatic reduction in plaque buildup as a result of this practice.

Karna Purana: Oil Your Ears 

This practice involves oil in the ears.  It is great for tinnitus (ringing in the ears), for most earaches, and is quite calming to the mind.  Take a warm washcloth and rest it on your right jaw.  When the jaw is nice and pink from the heat, lie down and use an eye dropper to pour warm sesame oil into the right ear. Relax on a comfy pillow for 15 to 20 minutes.  Place a tissue near your ear and then turn your head to drain the oil.  Do not use a Q-tip or anything in the ear afterwards, just a cotton ball to allow the oil to drain slowly. Repeat on the left side.

Banishing Jet-Lag

This is a great practice for air travel and was taught to us by Vaidya Doctor Vasant Lad.  It both reduces jetlag and helps to keep you much calmer on the journey.  Just before you leave the house, place some cold-pressed sesame oil on the crown of your head, in your ears, in the corners of your eyes near your nose, in both nostrils, at the corners of your mouth, in your navel, at the tip of the penis if you are a man or on the lips of the vagina if you are a woman, and finally around your anus.

Self-Massage: Abhyanga

In Ayurveda, it is said that as we grow older we become more affected by the cold and dry vata dosha; we dry up and cool off.  The remedy is oil — more of it in our diet and on our body.  Abhyanga is oil massage where we feed and nurture our body through the skin.  For this type of self-massage, you do not have to know special massage strokes.  Just go from head to toe and spread the oil over your entire body with a high quality organic vegetable oil.  Let the oil stay on the skin for at least 20 minutes.

There are special powders called ubtans that can be used to remove the oil.  But, short of that, you can lie in a tub and allow the oil to gradually be absorbed and then remove the rest with a gentle, natural soap.  This practice is recommended as a daily practice for anyone over 50.  It is also another great practice to do when you arrive at your destination after traveling.

We always like to hear what results people experience from making changes like these in their lifestyle.  We encourage you to contact us at Diamond Way Ayurveda.

Robert and Melanie Sachs

MELANIE SACHS has worked steadily over the last 25 years pioneering the integrating of Tibetan and Indian Ayurvedic wellness techniques into the spa and beauty industry. She is the author of Ayurvedic Beauty Care and coauthor of Ayurvedic Spa. Together with her husband, Robert, she runs Diamond Way Ayurveda which provides education and spa products to both the general public and spa professionals.

www.diamondwayayurveda.com

The post Ayurvedic Secrets for Daily Well-Being appeared first on LA Yoga Magazine - Ayurveda & Health.

Q

A. Sesame oil comes from the tiny oval shaped sesame seed (Sesamun indicum); we all are familiar with this seed that sits on top of the all too familiar sesame seed bun.

Known to have been grown for thousands of years, myth suggests these precious seeds existed even in the time before time. According to Assyrian legend, when the gods met to create the world, they drank wine made from this precious seed.

Sesame seeds also appear in Hindu legend where they symbolize immortality. Whether you believe in these stories or not we do know that sesame seeds may be the oldest condiment known to man dating back to as early as 1,600 BC and was one of the first oils made.

Sesame oil, which is also known as gingelly oil and til oil, is used extensively in Ayurvedic medicine. It is an excellent cooking oil since it is exceptionally resistant to rancidity and has the benefit of not easily oxidizing at high tempera-tures while giving a subtle nutty taste to the food.

Externally, it is one of the main oils used for Ayurvedic massage and other rejuvenative treatments such as shirodhara (the pouring of a continuous stream of warm oil onto the forehead). It is also used in the body in Ayurvedic treatments such as karna purana (warm oil in the ears), basti (enema), nasya (nasal drops), eye drops, and as a mouth wash.

Ayurveda teaches us that many different oils are good for promoting a long and healthy life by taming vata (the dosha, or energy of the air and ether elements), thus keeping all the doshas in balance.

Ghee, sunflower, coconut, and mustard seed oils are all used both in cooking and for body treatments but among these, oils sesame is most highly prized. It is so commonly accepted as the oil of choice we often forget to ask why. The simple answer is to just accept we use it because it has worked so well for thousands of years. Or, we can look to modern science to support up these Ayurvedic claims.

Research tells us that sesame oil is a rich source of polyunsaturated fats, monounsaturated fats, antioxidants, and several oil soluble vitamins and minerals which help maintain a normal, healthy body in balance.

Remember the skin is an organ of digestion. Our skin actually “eats” whatever we put on it. So whether we are using sesame oil in our stir fry or for abhyanga (full body oil massage), the nutrients in the sesame oil are being absorbed by our tissues.

Sesame oil is an excellent source of polyunsaturated fatty acids including Omega-3, Omega-6, and Omega-9 oils. Polyunsaturated fatty acids are necessary for normal healthy growth. They have also been linked with the prevention of chronic diseases such as coronary heart disease, hypertension, diabetes, and arthritis. Sesame oil has been shown to help lower blood pressure, increase good cholesterol (HDL), decrease bad cholesterol levels (LDL), and help maintain normal blood pressure levels. Polyunsaturated fatty acids may also help to prevent osteoporosis caused by estrogen deficiency, although the exact mechanism remains unknown.

Sesame oil is rich in antioxidants which help clear the body of harmful bacteria, viruses, and inflammation. Inflammation is now thought to be the root cause of premature aging and chronic degenerative diseases.

Sesame oil is also a good source of the antioxidant Vitamin E; it contains 75% of the recommended daily allowance in merely one ounce of oil. Vitamin E is an excellent cardio-protective that has been shown to reduce the risk of developing coronary heart disease. Vitamin E is also now thought to possibly reduce cancer risk, Alzheimer’s disease, and the formation of cataracts on the eyes. Sesame oil is also high in Vitamin A that supports the skin and eyes.

Sesame oil contains lecithin, a molecule that plays a role in the prevention of vascular diseases; it improves blood vessel elasticity, and hinders cholesterol buildup in the arteries.

In addition to lecithin and Vitamins A and E, Sesame oil also contains small amounts of magnesium, copper, calcium, zinc, iron, and phosphorus.

Magnesium helps support both vascular and respiratory health by modulating blood pressure and tissue spasms. It also has been found helpful in restoring normal sleep patterns especially in menopausal women.

Copper is known reducing some of the pain and swelling of rheumatoid arthritis. Copper also plays an important role in maintenance of collagen and elastin; these are the substances that not only maintain the youthful appearance of our skin, but also provide structure, strength, and elasticity in blood vessels, bones, and joints.

Calcium, of course, is vital to long-term bone health but it is also thought to help prevent colon cancer, and reduce the incidences of migraines and PMS. Zinc and phosphorus are also necessary for healthy bones.

Anecdotal evidence suggests that regular use of sesame oil—internal, external—or both—reduces anxiety, enhances circulation, prevents disorders of the nerves and bones, boosts the immune system, and prevents bowel problems. Additional claims associated with sesame oil use include increased vitality, alertness, better sleep, reductions in chronic pain and muscle spasms, and even slowing of the aging process.

Sesame oil calms and nourishes the nervous system so we are less easily overwhelmed.

My teacher, Dr Vasant Lad, says “Love is Oily.” Indeed, it is the oil that connects the hands giving the massage and the body receiving the massage; it is the very medium through which loving intention is transmitted. But oil can also be like liquid fire, pure calorific energy that can banish cold and damp transforming body and mind and keeping alive that inner spark.

The following are a list of the benefits of using sesame oil for massage that comes from Ayurveda. Some of these benefit comes from loving touch, but now that you know more about the micronutrients found in sesame oil, you can understand why the ancient science of Ayurveda has always made these loving claims about the power of sesame oil:

• Improves the circulation of blood and lymph tissues. (The entire body is better nourished and cleansed so it looks and feels more youthful.)
• Relieves pain and swelling in the body by warming the subtle energy channels which then expand allowing obstructions to clear and the toxins which can cause diseases to be eliminated.
• Softens the skin, preventing dryness, maintaining a youthful look and feel while creating a healthy radiance and inner glow.
• Maintains a suppleness and ease of motion in muscles and connective tissue.
• Helps the body feel light, vital, and strong so activity remains a joy and the body does not just rest and rust.
• Heightens the sharpness of the senses, which facilitates communication and participation in the world around us.
• Supports the immune system so there are more good days and fewer hard days.
• Improves physical stamina and virility.
• Helps relaxation and restorative sleep.
• AND more subtly, sesame oil makes an invisible film that protects against extremes of climate, sun damage (SPF15) environmental pollution, even sudden changes in air pressure. This is why oil massage before or after air travel is a perfect antidote for jet lag.

For the mind, sesame oil massage is obviously calming and enjoyable process but it can also:

• Improve intelligence, steadiness, wit, memory, and self-confidence.
• Banish fatigue and confusion caused by stress.
• Give us the clarity to make better lifestyle choices.
• On the most subtle level sesame oil massage helps:
• Balance all three subtle body energies – vata, pitta and kapha.
• Move prana (life-force), in both the physical and energetic sheaths of the body.
• Open the nadis, the channels in which life force flows.
• Awaken consciousness in the chakras (energy centers) and brain centers.
• Strengthen the electromagnetic field of the body so we feel more psychically protected.

In the modern Western world, we tend to measure success by the amount and quality of our possessions. Rather than material wealth or even political power, another traditional measurement of the quality of life is an individual’s level of contentment. In these changing times, it may serve all of us to remember we need good health and a stable mind if contentment is our goal. Ayurveda teaches that there is nothing more simple or luxurious a path to contentment than the liberal use of the humble sesame oil.

Robert and Melanie Sachs

MELANIE SACHS has worked steadily over the last 25 years pioneering the integrating of Tibetan and Indian Ayurvedic wellness techniques into the spa and beauty industry. She is the author of Ayurvedic Beauty Care and coauthor of Ayurvedic Spa. Together with her husband, Robert, she runs Diamond Way Ayurveda which provides education and spa products to both the general public and spa professionals.

www.diamondwayayurveda.com

The post Ayurveda Q & A appeared first on LA Yoga Magazine - Ayurveda & Health.

After more than 30 years of study, I have grown deeper in my certainty that taking care of one’s feet and learning how to plant them firmly on the ground (even if one is on one’s toes or resting on the top of one’s feet) is is essential to yoga — and life. Practicing Ayurvedic foot massage can help us take good care of our feet.

Ayurvedic Foot Massage

Although some western authorities would like to boast of having “discovered” reflexology, rubbing and anointing one’s feet for health purposes has been around for millennia and the points that are identified as reflexology points in the west are, in fact, marma (vital energy points) in the Ayurvedic tradition. Daily foot massage can improve your health and vitality – and give you a yogi’s feet when you do your asana practice.

As you practice, keep in mind that our feet receive energy from the earth (predominantly through the left foot) and transmit our will and intention to act upon the earth (primarily through our right foot). Thus always start with the right foot with the various procedures in daily foot health practices.

The logic is simple: If you stimulate and facilitate energy moving through and out the right foot, this helps to provide the space for more energy to come into the body from the left foot. If you practice foot reflexology, this is an indispensible guideline which will help your client derive greater benefit.

Here is a simple exercise and massage sequence that you can do to get grounded, and establish your yogi feet for the day.

Breath and Ayurvedic Foot Massage

Start Your Day On A Good Foot

To begin with, Master Harish Johari notes that when we awake, we often find that we are breathing more strongly from the right or left nostril. To honor what side of our nature (lunar or solar) is being activated first to meet the day, he suggests that we study the palm of the side with which we are most strongly breathing, kiss the palm (Talhridayam or heart of the appendage marma) of that hand, touch each of the tips of the fingers of that hand with the same side thumb, then step onto the ground with the foot on that same side.

This sacred practice is to ward off and make us more resilient to negativity that might arise for the day. My experience of this simple practice is that it means you are reverently meeting the day with the strength that you will need for the tasks of that day.

Now that you have started the day on your best footing, along with doing your normal morning ablution ritual, get a loofa, nail brush, or well-textured wash cloth, turn on the cold tap, and scrub your feet in cold water, rubbing them vigorously, top and bottom, then pat dry. This is a great way to start the day fresh. It can be a substitute for or a prelude to (if you have the opportunity) going outside and walking around for a minute or two in dewy grass.

Practice Increase Prana with Ayurvedic Foot Massage

Feel alive from your feet up, just as you stretch out your arms to yawn and increase prana (life-force) and blood flow into your lungs and upper body, stretch out the toes. The following procedure for foot massage using a tennis (or even better, a therapeutic) ball was taught to me by a yoga teacher (thank-you, Sigrid). This simple foot yoga addresses the entire skeletal structure of the body as reflected in the feet.

1. Place the ball underneath the heel of your right foot. Observe the following sequence.
2. Press down on it and roll it over the entire surface of your heel – the earth element aspect of both feet. Then step on the ball, and standing as straight as you can, breathe down into your belly. Feel the connection between your second or sacral chakra (Svadhisthana) and both of your feet. One hip will naturally be higher than the other. (Don’t worry. We’ll make you even later on.) After about 30 seconds release the ball.
3. Roll the ball into the arch of the foot—which can be a bit intense. This is related to the water and fire aspects of the foot and the area reflexively of all the abdominal organs. Press down and hold for 30 seconds, breathing deeply. Then roll the ball around the ball of your foot – the air element (also, reflexively related to the lungs). Follow the procedure listed in steps 1 and 2.
4. Now roll the ball as best you can around your toes – the space element which is reflexively related to the head, the sinuses and the brain. Clench the ball as best you can with your toes and hold as before.
5. Release the ball from under the right foot and stand for a moment, observing how one side of your body feels compared to the other. Then repeat steps 1 through 4 on the left foot.

Yoga Practices to Support Foot Massage

Finally, to help this energy move up the body from the feet, loosen the ankles. Flexibility in the wrists and ankles is important in maintaining the proper circulation of prana. One method to do this is to sit in a modified virasana (hero’s pose) with your legs tucked beneath you, your buttocks on your calves and the tops of your feet on the floor. (Use props beneath your buttocks or a rolled-up blanket beneath your knees if you need modifications).

Take a deep inhalation and lift your body off of your calves and curl your toes under so that the bottoms of the toes are on the ground and again sit back and exhale, stretching the entire bottom of your foot. Then inhale, come up again and lower your feet back down as they were at the beginning of this exercise (top of feet on the ground). Repeat this 21 times.

By following these simple exercises and massage tips daily, when you begin standing on the earth to practice standing poses or just move about on your feet during the day, the energy from your feet and all that they reflexively represent will course through your body and mind. You will be grounded and ready regardless of whether you need to tread lightly, stand firm or put your foot down.

Robert and Melanie Sachs

MELANIE SACHS has worked steadily over the last 25 years pioneering the integrating of Tibetan and Indian Ayurvedic wellness techniques into the spa and beauty industry. She is the author of Ayurvedic Beauty Care and coauthor of Ayurvedic Spa. Together with her husband, Robert, she runs Diamond Way Ayurveda which provides education and spa products to both the general public and spa professionals.

www.diamondwayayurveda.com

The post Start Your Day on a Good Foot with Ayurvedic Foot Massage appeared first on LA Yoga Magazine - Ayurveda & Health.