Vata and the artist

I’ve just been thinking about all my favourite singers and realised that most of them have curly, unruly, (originally) dark hair. Maybe that is the styling they get, or maybe it is to do with the genre of music I like, but I think it’s interesting, especially as it relates to the vata dosha.

As the (sort-of) proud owner of a messy, brown crop of curls that has a mind of its own, I have heard from childhood that somehow is very ‘artistic’ to have curls. I would scowl as a child at this, what had someone’s hair to do with what they were good at? Stoopid adults. All I wanted was for manageable, docile, shiny blonde hair like all the other girls.

Then I learnt about ayurveda and the doshas. Apparently vata-type people have a lot of dryness and air in their temperaments and that extends to their hair which is often dry, curly or wavy, dark and wild. My hair and wind combined seem to create the most amazing afro hair-art, even though I am totally European!

Vata people are also supposed to be creative and spiritual in temperament, so it makes sense that a good proportion of artists out there have the wild vata look (unless powerful hair straighteners get involved).

Consider these vata singers:

Healing the Rasa Dhatu (blood plasma) with juice

I have recently had a big painful crack at the side of my mouth – thinking it was some nutritional deficiency of some kind, as Western medicine would have you think. Indeed, Wikipedia says it is a condition called Angular chellitis and is caused by zinc deficiency, anemia or an infection. But what causes it really?

My Indian friend said it is caused by excess pitta drying out my system and causing this fissure on my mouth. Sure enough, I’ve been drinking too much coffee for summer and started a new job recently. Also, the tip of my nose is sore and red, and I have red spots appearing again from the overacidity in my body.

According to Ayurveda Questions & Answers, cracks on the side of the mouth are related to the rasa dhatu, or blood plasma, drying out, due to the heat of excess pitta. The California College of Ayurveda also says that, “It is easiest to observe the mucous membranes by looking inside the mouth, at the lips, or at the eyes. If the membranes are dry, red or inflamed or if the lips are cracked, then rasa dhatu is depleted”.

A common sense approach to curing this would be to curb pitta by eliminating the coffee from my day and making sure I cool down frequently with things like coconut water, cucumbers, and lots of rest and relaxation.

According to the California College of Ayurveda article: “taking juice is the best way to replenish rasa. Rasa is also replenished through the intake of sap-type fluids such as maple syrup and agave nectar. Thus, herbal teas that are sweetened with these substances are much better than water alone in rebuilding rasa dhatu”.

So I have been making sure to have lots of freshly squeezed juices in my week, and the crack seems to be on its way out. Stay cool everyone!

As a side note, my friend makes an incredibly yummy fresh juice by whizzing whole limes and lemons in a blender with lots of water and sugar, then straining it all. It makes a refreshing and frothy lemon and lime bitter drink – perfect for cooling down after a hot day.

Ubtans: Natural Beauty Masks

Ubtans are natural face masks, used since ancient times in India to beautify the skin.

Ubtans are natural beauty masks, which were traditionally used by a bride and bridegroom in India in the days leading up to a wedding. It’s an ancient beauty aid used since the time of the Vedas to cleanse and beautify the skin.

Traditionally, an ubtan is a paste of turmeric, sandalwood, and chickpea flour, mixed with oil. It is made into a ‘dough that can be applied to the face and body, left to dry and then rubbed off. This is more gentle than most conventional cleansers and soaps, but deeply cleanses and exfoliates the skin. Used over time, it will help with wrinkles and acne.

Turmeric is antioxidant, antiseptic and will make the skin glow. It should not stain the skin if you use Kasturi turmeric (curcuma aromatica). The chickpea flour (also known as besan or gram) is excellent for exfoliation, and is also deeply cleansing. Sandalwood balances the skin and tightens pores.

Interestingly, Pratima Raichur (an Ayurvedic skincare expert who has also been a chemist) says that modern cleansers and soaps destroy the ph balance of the skin, making it too alkaline and thus ageing faster. Modern moisturisers also do not penetrate as deeply as natural moisturisers, as the molecules are too large.

You can make up your own fresh ubtan mix or purchase one cheaply from your local Indian shop (e.g. Ayur Shahi Ubtan).

Ubtan

2 tbsp chickpea flour

1 tbsp sandalwood

1/2 tbsp turmeric

Mix with enough oil (sesame, sunflower or coconut)  to make a thin dough. Spread over skin. Leave on for 20-30 minutes until dry, then rub off.

Recommendations for the doshas

Add milk, cream, almonds, oats, or sesame oil for dry Vata skin.

Add orange peel, lemon juice, neem or sunflower oil for oily Kapha skin.

Add rose water, cucumber, coriander leaves, aloe vera or coconut oil for red, sensitive Pitta skin.

Interesting links

http://www.sanatansociety.org/ayurvedic_massage/ubtan_indian_beauty_massage.htm

http://www.himalayaninstitute.org/yoga-international-magazine/health-articles/radiant-beauty/

Turmeric milk

Turmeric milk is a brilliant cure-all and natural antibiotic.

An Indian friend introduced me to the magic that is turmeric milk, or haldi ka doodh.

It is a powerful cure-all to boost your overall immunity and cleanse your blood. It is  also anti-bacterial and anti-inflammatory – a perfect winter health restorer. Many Indian households use it at a simple home remedy – much as we’d use hot lemon, honey and ginger drinks.

Turmeric is also being proven in many studies to have anti-cancer and anti-diabetic properties!

Turmeric Milk

1/2 tsp - 1 tsp turmeric

1 tsp minced ginger (its cousin)

One ground peppercorn (didn’t know this, but pepper enhances the ability to digest turmeric by 2000%)

Milk (or goat’s milk or rice milk, if allergic to cow’s milk like me!)

Bring milk, turmeric and ginger to the boil, then add freshly ground pepper.

Enjoy!

Note: there are many variants that add cardamon, saffron, cinnamon, or honey. Feel free to experiment!

Interesting links

http://www.journeykitchen.com/2012/01/turmeric-milk-indian-home-remedy.html

http://arunshanbhag.com/2009/06/05/turmeric-milk/

The flow of prana in your body

In one of the classical textbooks of ayurveda, the Charak Samhita, we read: “Vayu is life, strength, and sustainer of creatures. Vayu is the entire world; it is the master of all. The person whose vayu is with unimpeded movements and in normal state, lives long for a hundred years, devoid of disorders.”

‘Vayu’ is another name for prana, which is the life force that moves within all of us, giving us life and energy.

There are two main vayus (or ‘winds’) in our bodies: prana vayu (an upwards-moving force of prana) and upana vayu (downwards-moving force of prana). These are two directly opposing forces – both are necessary to be in harmony for our health.

There are also 3 other main forms of movement of prana around the body (which I may go into at a later date):

Udana vayu – governs the vocal chords (responsible for speaking, singing, laughing, crying etc)

Samana Vayu – inward movement, from the diaphragm to the navel, digestion of food, air and experiences

Vyana Vayu – outward movement of prana, governs circulation, skin, blood vessels.

Prana vayu and upana vayu are the two most important flows of prana in our body.

Prana Vayu

Prana vayu is the upward-flowing movement of prana in our bodies. It starts at the heart and is responsible for our respiration and hart beats. It is the taking in of prana into our bodies with each inhalation, and also the taking in of sensory impressions and mental information too. It is seen as masculine, energising and heart centered (related to the heart chakra).

To keep this balanced we need to be careful about our intake of prana, ensuring we take in lots of prana through long, deep inhalations (ujjayi breathing is good for this) and that our sensory and mental intake is kept positive and nurturing, rather than toxic and violent. This way we will feel energised and full of life.

Apana vayu

Apana vayu is the downward-flowing movement of prana, which is basically means all elimination of waste from the body. This includes the normal toiletary functions, as well as exhalation, menstruation, reproduction, ejaculation and childbirth. It is also closely related to immunity and naturally related to the root chakra. It is viewed as feminine in nature, as it is the opposite force to the prana vayu.

The apana vayu is located in the pelvic cavity, from the diaphragm down to the genitals. It controls the colon, kidneys, lungs, bladder and the genitals. It controls the physical elimination of wastes from our bodies, but also our mental and emotional wastes (negative thoughts and feelings). If we can expel everything properly, we will generally be motivated, determinated and decisive. A healthy apana vayu can make us feel confident and grounded, knowing exactly what we want from life.

To clear our bodily wastes properly, it is recommended by ayurveda, to eliminate twice a day, ideally, and pee five times a day. Yoga teaches us that there is no way anyone can become spiritually advanced if they don’t move their bowels regularly. They are literally stewing in their own wastes.

The apana vayu is the most easily disturbed, especially when we get out of our normal routines. If stressed, we can either ‘hold on’ too much and get constipated (usually Vatas) or let loose and get diarrhoea (Pitta) – either one is bad for us.

If we are constipated, wastes and fumes move upwards, distubing all the vayus in turn. This will effect our digestion (samana vayu), makes our muscles twitchy (vyana vayu), and make our heartbeat irregular (prana vayu). Our thinking and emotions will start to be effected, and we will start to have a restless, agitated mind. It will leave us feeling insecure and ungrounded, lacking in purpose and indecisive.  If it is too strong, we will feel drained and depleted.

As well as elimination, apana vayu controls other ‘downwards’ functions, which can lead to problems in these areas, if out of balance. There might be disturbances in menstruation, premature ejaculation, and difficulties in childbirth, with too much or too little ‘downwards-flow’ of prana.

How to regulate the apana vayu:

• Breath is important, use pranayama with long exhalations
• Be relaxed and regular, don’t change your life around too much
• Yoga and meditation - esp. apanasana (wind-relieving pose) and using the mula bandha lock
• Cup of warm water with honey, salt and lemon juice (for constipation)
• Take Triphala, avoid laxatives and coffee (for constipation)
• Eat fruit, vegies, whole grains, nuts, seeds (for constipation)
• Avoid meat, cheese, gluten (for constipation)

Interesting links:

http://sacred-earth.typepad.com/yoga/2008/07/prana-vayu-five-vital-forces.html

http://www.alandiashram.org/school/school_html/reviews/vata_digestion.html

http://www.yogachicago.com/nov05/gran.shtml

http://www.himalayaninstitute.org/yoga-international-magazine/asana-articles/apana-vayu-the-anchoring-breath/

http://amandagreenyoga.com/2012/01/26/apana-grounding-force/

http://www.doyoga.com/articles_07/web_site_articles/breath/breath_vayus_and_chakras.pdf

Autumn: It’s vata time!

Periods and ayurveda

Modern women have it hard sometimes. Sure, we have our freedom to have a career, choose whether to have children or not, choose whether to get married or not. But we also often have to pretend we’re not women in order to get by in a man’s world.

When we get our periods, we are expected to take painkillers or just ‘suck it up’ and keep trooping on with our jobs, our families and all the other demands, despite the huge changes in our bodies. We lose touch with what is going on in our own bodies.

Traditionally, women rested during their menstruation. Women would be given special huts to rest and meditate in at this time, when blood loss and hormonal changes could leave them feel tired and weak.

Feminists could see this as trying to control women and banish them from society for just being women, but I know, if I was given a choice to relax or keep battling on through mood swings and period pain, I know which one I would choose. Women in the past also had far less periods to contend with than modern women, because they were usually constantly pregnant or breastfeeding.

Ayurveda sees menstruation as essentially a cleansing process of the female body, keeping the uterus and body clean of toxins, in preparation for conception and pregnancy.It is seen that if the menstrual cycle is healthy, there will be a healthy preganancy too. There is also a theory, that women live longer because their bodies are regularly cleansed of ama.

Some women think of PMT as a normal occurrence in the menstrual cycle, something to put up with. Ayurveda doesn’t see PMT as normal at all – it sees it as part of a general doshic imbalance. It states that a normal period should ideally be part of a 26-30 day cycle, 5 days long, of moderate flow, of moderate colour, and with no clots, pain or PMT.

Doshas and menstruation

As a teen, I used to get periods that were so heavy and painful, I would pass out and beome anaemic. Looking back, I had a pitta imbalance which showed up during my period time. This is no longer such a problem now, but I still do get flashes of heated anger before my periods come.

Ayurveda sees the doshas as being involved in what type of period you experience. Any imbalance in your doshas, causes the types of symptoms you will experience during menstruation.

Pitta periods

If there is a pitta aggravation in the body, toxins leak out from the stomach (due to overacidity) into the bloodstream. Pitta will accumulate in the blood and liver. The extra pitta heat in the body will leads to pitta complaints, such as irritability and anger. This will become especially pronounced during menstruation as the body tries to clear itself.

Women menstruating who have a pitta imbalance will experience any of the following:

• excessive flow of blood
• bright red blood
• clotting
• long period (more than 5 days)
• irritated, inflamed skin, rashes, acne
• sharp period pain
• feeling hot and uncomfortable
• anger, irritability
• headaches, migraines
• light sensitivity
• diarrhoea

This can be balanced by anything cooling, such as resting with a fan going, meditating, drinking coconut water or aloe vera juice, or taking amla capsules.

Vata Periods

A vata imbalance means that the nervous system dries up plasma production in the blood, meaning that menstruation is adversely affected.

Vata periods will generally involve:

• irregularity
• less blood, on and off flow
• dark red or brown blood
• short period time (under 5 days)
• constipation
• pain radiating down into the groin
• menstrual pain
• thigh and lower back ache
• general body stiffness

Triphala and ginger are recommended, as are using more good oils in your diet.

Kapha Periods

Too much kapha means too much mucus in the body and blood plasma. This will have flow on effects to menstruation too for Kaphas.

Kapha periods will generally involve:

• pale blood
• large clots, mucus, slime in blood
• dull pain
• paleness
• water retention and weight gain
• feeling sensitive, sentimental and teary
• nausea, vomiting
• feeling the cold

Ginger is good for Kaphas to take during this time, as is Trikatu.

Doshas and the menstrual cycle

As well as for individuals, the actual menstruation cycle is dictated by the doshas. The older I get the more I can see that menstruation affects me the whole cycle through, not just before and during my period. This means, as a woman, I am never NOT affected by the menstrual cycle.

Vata predominates in the two weeks before your periods, after ovulation. During this time, anxiety and insecurity may build up somewhat. I know my general wellbeing takes a bit of a dive during this time, getting steadily worse towards my period time. You may also get constipated and stop sleeping so well. That is usually how I know my period is nearly here. It is important to stay rested and warm during this time. Nuture yourself.

When menstruating, Pitta normally predominates (as is usually the case with anything involving blood). The body is more hot than usual, and moods such as anger and irritability will easily flare up. Of course, the severity of this depends on your doshic makeup too. This is why it’s important to avoid heating things at this time, such alcohol, fried foods and spicy foods. Avoid discussing anything important, as you may just say the wrong thing!

The Kapha time, in my opinion, is the best in the female cycle, the time after your period’s over up until ovulation. I alwasys feel healthy and full of energy and optimism. This is because the body has rid itself of toxins and oestrogen rises. Everything normally feels harmonious again and just swims along.

I like this quote from the Lakota tribes of North America about menstruation:

“Follow your Grandmother Moon. Her illuminating cycles will transform your spirit. Begin with the Grandmother Moon at her brightest and most open. This is a time of outward activity and high energy. Sleep where the moonlight touches you. Walk outside where there are no artificial lights. Feel joy and creativity.

As the Grandmother begins to cover her face, begin to withdraw into a quieter, less social place. Move to that inward place that is more about “being” than “doing.” In the dark of the moon, when bleeding, the veil between you and the Great Mystery is the thinnest. Be receptive to visions, insights, intuitions. Go to a quiet separate place such as a Moon Lodge. Later, come out of the dark, a woman with a cleansed body. As the moon returns, come back out into the world, carrying your vision.”

From: The Women Warriors

Interesting Links on Ayurveda and menstruation:

http://www.wisewomanhood.com/womenshealthmenstrualhealth.htm

http://www.wisdomsofhealth.com/tag/menstruation

http://www.ayurplanet.com/womens-health.htm

http://www.mooncup.co.uk/