Massage Therapy Helps Those With Advanced Cancer

For people coping with advanced cancer, massage therapy may offer some relief from pain and depressed mood, according to a new study. Read more

If you choose sesame oil, look for cold-pressed, chemical-free organic sesame oil

If you choose sesame oil, look for cold-pressed, chemical-free organic sesame oil for the best results from your massage therapy. To cure or purify the sesame oil, heat the oil to 212 degrees Fahrenheit. Remove from heat once this temperature is reached, cool and store for use as needed. Up to a quart of oil can be cured at a time. Of course, you should observe safety precautions when curing oil. All oils are highly flammable. Use low heat, and don't leave the oil on heat unattended. You can look for professionally cured sesame oil at stores that sell Ayurvedic products if you'd rather not do the curing yourself. Continue Reading >>

Villa Herbarium

Villa Herbarium is located at Ganethenna, which is between Colombo and the hill capital Kandy. Every visitor will able to obtain the experience of Sri Lankan Spices, Herbal and Ayurvedic Medicine with Villa Herbarium.

Amongst the services provided:

• An eco friendly well arranges garden.
• Complete study on spices & herbs grown in Sri Lanka.
• Expanded knowledge on herbal indigenous Ayurvedic medicine in Sri Lanka.
• While on tour around the garden a fresh beverage with Cocoa and also a beverage with Spices provided.
• Facial, head and body massage
• Every visitor is entitled to have a prospect on Herbal indigenous Ayurvedic Medicine in English, German, French, Italian, Russian, Hungarian, Japanese, Slovenian, Spanish, Czech etc.
• Garden and Factory fresh Bio, Natural cosmetics and Ayurvedic medicinal products. More

Kerala Ayurveda :

Ayurveda in Kerala, as in the rest of India, originated over 5000 years ago. The Rig Veda, the ancient book of wisdom specifically mentions the existence, acceptance and practice of Ayurvedic treatments like the rejuvenation treatments, yoga therapy and panchakarma treatments in ancient India. The rulers of the day provided every support for popularizing these ayurvedia treatments. Continue Reading >>

Secrets of Ayurveda

Kumudini explains you the secrets of Ayurveda!

Becoming One With the Toilet

By Jennifer Garam

Yoga means “union” in Sanskrit, and students are encouraged to take the peace they achieve in yoga class home with them. If you’re all Zen and become full of compassion when the world has been reduced to your little mat, hold on to that. Try not to, say, steal a subway seat from an elderly woman on the way home afterward when the world is the world again.

Problem is, it’s easier to experience equanimity on your back in the final resting pose, known as corpse pose, than down on your hands and knees in your bathroom, trying to look behind your toilet to see why water is leaking onto the floor.
Read More

Ayurveda in India

Ayurveda, no doubt is the most ancient form of medicine. The origin of Ayurveda was about more than 5000 years ago during vedic times. Ayurveda is also known as “science of life” (because Ayur stands for life and veda means knowledge or science). Apart from being a medicinal system, Ayurveda is also a philosophy. Ayurveda […]

Kairali in National Geographic Traveler’s ‘50 Top Wellness Destinations: Asia’

Kairali Ayurvedic Health Resort, situated at Palakkad in Kerala, has been included in National Geographic Traveler’s ‘50 Top Wellness destinations: Asia’ list. This list was featured in National Geographic Traveler’s March 2008 issue.

Set amidst 50 acres, the spa has 30 villas with Deluxe, Classic, Royal and Maharaja. Ayurvedic treatments available at the resort include ayurveda, panchakarma and other treatments.
Speaking about the recognition, Ram Mohan, VP - Marketing & PR, Kairali Group of Companies said, “We are happy and proud that Kairali Ayurvedic Health Resort, Palakkad, Kerala, India has been selected among the top 10 in Asia & top 50 in the world”.

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CREATING JOYFUL RELATIONSHIPS

CREATING JOYFUL RELATIONSHIPS "I can't talk now -- I have a terrible headache." "Leave me alone -- I've had a miserable day and I need my space." "What happened to us? Don't you love me any more?"

In some form or another, we have all experienced these statements and what they can do to a relationship. Those who are lucky have encountered them only in books and movies. Others, perhaps the majority, have faced them in their own lives at some point or the other.

Observe these statements again. The first one tells of physical stress, the second, mental fatigue, and the third, emotional breakdown. All three of these -- either individually or collectively -- are potential relationship-wreckers.Ayurveda has always recognized and respected the intimate connection between the physical, mental, emotional and spiritual aspects of our being. More than 5,000 years ago, ancient texts like the Charaka Samhita, Sushruta Samhita, and Ashthanga Hridayam recorded some amazing insights into the body-mind-soul connection.

Ayurveda, therefore, looks at relationships as a function of several complex factors. The prime factor, say ayurvedic vaidyas, in causing not only relationship problems but also physical ills is the inability of a person to feel centered within himself or herself. This can happen due to a variety of causes, ranging from genetics to hormonal or environmental imbalances.

These imbalances affect an individual's ability to combat day-to-day stress. As a consequence, they diminish the person's ability to work, love, heal, pray, and live in the true sense of the word.

Ayurvedic SolutionsBecause the problem/disorder is complex in nature, its solutions must also be more than material. That is why ayurveda combines several therapies as the solution: sadhana (meditation), aromas, music, massage, herbal treatment, proper diet, exercise and detoxification. Together, these healing therapies provide the balm that heals consciousness and makes a person feel whole again.

The Council of Maharishi Ayurveda Physicians says ayurveda always approaches a problem at the root level. "And at the root of all relationships is the human heart," he says.

"To the ayurvedic physician, the heart is not simply a pump. It is also the seat of emotions. It is endowed with immense potential to love, feel and give. It contains the essence of the cosmos within itself; just like a seed contains the whole tree. No wonder, then, that when you subject this sensitive, emotional heart to the stress-laden travails of daily living, it sometimes quails and shrinks within itself. This is an effect of pragya aparadh or "mistake of the intellect;" when the intellect, drawn toward and influenced by material consciousness, loses connection with the wholeness of consciousness. This is when we stop being centered within ourselves."

The way to make this mistake right, says The Council, is to allow the heart to expand. To listen to its quiet voice, and to follow what it is telling us. When we start doing this, slowly, the pragya aparadh will be corrected. The seeds of doubt, despair and disappointment will shrivel up and die. We will be whole again; in ourselves and in our relationships with others.

The Council shares five tips for keeping the emotional heart healthy and strong. Recognize that:
True love is and should be unconditional. It gives without reservations.

Your relationships will flourish if you follow your truest feelings and honor your commitments.
It is important to experience all your thoughts and actions. Don't speak or act in haste.
A positive attitude is a great relationship-strengthener.

Giving is the key to receiving.

The other principal player in matters of the Self and its relationships with others is the mind. Ayurveda sees the mind as messenger between the Self and the senses. For the mind to be working in peak order, therefore, its hinges should be well-oiled, so to say... Ayurveda believes the mind has three "hinges":

Dhi: The power to learn -- acquire knowledge
Dhriti: the power to retain what has been learned
Smriti: the power to recall what has been learned and retained

When these three components work in perfect coordination, says The Council, the mind is balanced. And a balanced mind is the key to harmony both within the Self and outside it.

Ayurveda recommends some powerful mind-empowering herbs like brahmi, which enhance all three aspects of the mind.

Maharishi Ayurveda's Blissful Joy health-care system uses the synergy of powerful herbs to smoothen the mind-body connection and restore peace and happiness. A sampling of the herbs used in this formula: Arjuna Myrobalans is especially known to strengthen the heart and emotions. Winter Cherry and Holy Basil, have powerful "adaptogenic" properties.

They assist the body's natural resistance to stressful situations. Winter Cherry is also very effective in balancing the mind and improving emotional stability. Ailanthus excelsea and Arjuna Myrobalans help strengthen the body's natural rejuvenative processes, hastening the replacement of dead or weak cells with fresh, vital ones.

Vaidyas also recommend using intellect-friendly herbs and spices in daily cooking. Freshly crushed black pepper, for instance, makes nutrients readily available to the microcirculatory channels of the body -- giving mind power an immediate boost.

Ayurveda also recommends introspection as a powerful relationship-saving tool. "Most relationships go wrong," says The Council of Maharishi Ayurveda Physicians, "when the people involved start trading blame. If they were to stop and look within, they would be sure to find that the blame does not always lie with the other person. It can be hard to do, but once you do this introspection, you experience a sense of humbleness and forgiveness, both of which are tremendous relationship-repairers."

Finally, your diet and lifestyle directly also affect the way you think, feel and behave. We know only too well what happens when we miss breakfast or cannot sleep well. "Eat that stewed apple, therefore," says The Council. "You may not only be keeping the doctor but also the therapist away."

Alternative medicine offers options for fertility treatments

After three years of trying to conceive and three failed attempts at in vitro fertilization, Tracey Carroll, 33, desperately turned to the East for help. She sought the needles and herbs of an acupuncturist.
In fact, her new in-vitro doctor insisted. After she had her fourth session of getting pricked, her menstrual cycle became regular for the first time in three years. Carroll also swallowed 18 pills of "smelly, yucky herbs" of which the ingredients were derived from cow spleen and pituitary gland believed to regulate her hormones.
Six months later, the woman is now expecting twins, due in December - and believes acupuncture played a large role.

Carroll is among an increasing number of American women who are turning to alternative, Eastern medicinal arts for problems with infertility, menopause, weight loss and even dry skin.
Once dismissed as mystical quackery by many medical doctors, acupuncture treatments are now recommended by some in-vitro specialists as a way to increase fertility.

Meanwhile, other women turn to ayurveda - a 5,000-year-old practice from India that incorporates mind, body and spirit - to ensure health. Women turn to it to rid their body of toxins and dull skin. Both Eastern holistic approaches employ herbs and massage or acupuncture to bring the body into balance.

Carroll, a teacher, says that in her first session, Milpitas, Calif., acupuncturist Robin Hays diagnosed that her natural killer cells in her immune system were elevated, which meant her body might attack an embryo. A week later, blood tests confirmed it.

Acupuncture, an integral part of traditional Chinese medicine, stimulates blood flow and encourages better circulation. Needles are inserted into the body at various energy points, which correspond to organs in the body. Acupuncturists also employ herbs to bring balance to the body.

For women trying to conceive, acupuncture often focuses on the uterus, Hays says.
"It's creating a fertile valley to grow a seed or an embryo," she says. Hays, who turned to acupuncture for a sprained ankle two decades ago, was so delighted with the results that she pursued it as a profession. She graduated from San Francisco's American College of Traditional Chinese Medicine in 1985.

Back then, it was mostly Chinese and older hippies who turned to acupuncture, Hays says. Her patients didn't even tell their primary doctors about their treatments because most of the medical establishment eyed it suspiciously. Now, some insurance plans cover acupuncture, and she's getting referrals from doctors, including Dr. Christo Zouves of the Zouves Fertility Center in Daly City, Calif.

Eighty-five percent of patients at the fertility center undergo acupuncture as part of their treatments, Zouves says. He also recommends yoga, meditation and eating healthily to his patients.

"It's about the mind/body connection," says Zouves, who adopted Eastern holistic approaches to his practice a decade ago.

His experience and medical studies show that acupuncture stimulates blood flow to the pelvis and uterus. "We don't know how it works, but it does," he says.
At Hays' practice, about half of the patients see her for women's health issues, including premenstrual syndrome, irregular menstrual cycles and menopause. She also treats many patients for pain disorders and allergies.

"Most of my patients come because they don't want to take drugs," she says.
Meanwhile, other women are turning to ayurvedic remedies, which use herbal treatments, tailored diets and massage to build up immune systems and detoxify bodies. Across the country, ayurvedic spas have sprung up to pamper women and promise radiant skin. A survey of spas offering "wellness treatments" in 2004 found that 12 percent added ayurvedic services while an additional 7 percent planned to, according to the International Spa Association.

Ayoma LifeSpa in San Jose, Calif., offers ayurvedic massage treatments as well as longer-term nutritional consultations for regular members. Before each treatment, clients fill out a questionnaire so an ayurvedic consultant can gauge the imbalances in their body.
By McClatchy/Tribune Information Services

Ayurveda for good health and illness prevention

By Guardian Health
Ayurveda, or ayurvedic medicine, is a health system that people in India have used for more than 5,000 years. Ayurveda emphasizes good health and prevention of illness through lifestyle practices (such as massage, meditation, yoga, and dietary changes) and the use of herbal remedies. Ayurvedic medicine is holistic, which means viewing the body and mind as a whole.

Ayurveda not only treats a person’s physical complaints, but it also changes lifestyle practices to help maintain or improve health. According to ayurveda, the five elements of nature (space, air, fire, water, earth) show themselves in the body as three forces (doshas) known as Vatta, Pitta, and Kapha.

These doshas relate closely to the basic elements of nature and to specific functions of the body. A balance of these doshas is thought to be required for optimal health. Air and space represent Vatta. Vatta controls muscle and joint movement, breathing, and heartbeat.

Also, Vatta controls anxiety, fear, pain, and other functions of the nervous system. Fire and water represent Pitta, which is thought to control such bodily functions as digestion, metabolism, intelligence, and skin color. Pitta governs the emotions of anger, hate, and jealousy. Earth and water represent Kapha.

The physical structure of the body and the immune system are governed by Kapha. Emotional responses thought to be controlled by Kapha include calmness, forgiveness, love, and greed. The doshas, which are determined at the time of conception, also relate to an individual’s physical makeup and personality.

A person with a Vatta makeup tends to have a small, thin build. The Pitta body style is more of a medium, muscular build. The Kapha appearance is usually bigger and well-developed. Most people are considered to have a combination of doshas, with one type usually being predominant.

In ayurvedic medicine, it is thought that if an imbalance occurs in any of the three doshas, illness results. Ayurvedic medicine treats illness through a variety of means, including dietary changes, herbal remedies, and exercise. You can also use yoga, meditation, or counseling to treat disease under this philosophy.

People use ayurvedic practices to maintain health, reduce stress, and improve flexibility, strength, and stamina. Researchers currently are studying yoga and meditation as interventions for diseases such as asthma, high blood pressure, and arthritis. Ayurveda stresses proper diet for maintaining good health and treating disease.

Herbal medicines are prescribed based on the person’s dosha type. Researchers are looking into the effects of ayurvedic herbal medicines on various long-term (chronic) illnesses. Ayurvedic practices such as yoga and meditation can be safe ways to promote health. If you have a long-term illness, you may be able to combine ayurveda with conventional medical treatment.

Always tell your doctor if you are using an alternative therapy or if you are thinking about combining an alternative therapy with your conventional medical treatment. It may not be safe to forgo your conventional medical treatment and rely only on an alternative therapy.

Ayurvedic herbal medications, like conventional medications, may cause side effects, trigger allergic reactions, or interact with other medications or herbs you are taking. Some ayurvedic medications may contain high levels of heavy metals.

A recent study found that about one in five ayurvedic medicine products available in grocery stores in the Boston area contained potentially harmful levels of lead and other heavy metals. Be sure to tell your doctor about all herbs and natural supplements that you are taking. If you have taken ayurvedic medicine products, ask your doctor about screening for heavy metals.
SOURCE: Guardian

Ayurveda:West 'hijacking' Ayurveda

Hindustan Times (India), Jan. 12, 2003
http://www.hindustantimes.com/
Vijay Dutt

The big and famous like England’s future monarch Prince Charles, Pop Queen Madonna, Cherie Blair, QC and wife of Prime Minister Blair and Cher have taken to Ayurveda, the centuries-old Indian therapy, to ease their pressures and strains of public duty and fame.

But, the growing popularity of Ayurveda has turned it into a multi-million pound industry in the west. All forms of Ayurveda medicines and oils are available in High Street salons, spas and even in some chemist shops and GPs.

The Indian ayurveda purists and practitioners are livid and extremely concerned at what they call “hijacking” and “commercialisation” by the West which is threatening the ancient Indian healing and curing techniques.

Ayurveda practitioners and professors are coming over from India and many other parts of the world for a brainstorming conference next Friday in London to discuss ways to stop Britain and the United States from diluting the philosophy and purity of ayurvedic medical techniques.Gopi Warrier, chairman of the Ayurvedic Company of Great Britain has been campaigning for years to stop practice in Aurvedic treatment by those who have had what he calls a short course in Ayurveda and who use ingredients not equal to the standards laid down in Indian Ayurveda.

He even petitioned the Indian government to stop the literal plunder of Indian intellectual property. “ Our remedies are being pilfered... in order for spas and clinics to jump on a New Age bandwagon and con people.”

He and his colleagues may now be helped in their coming Friday deliberations by an investigation by the Observer. It sent a reporter to a Estee Lauder owned clinic Aveda which offers various treatments, to find out how much Ayurveda was understood.The reporter was charged £45 for a back massage. She found that there was no specific training in ayurvedic medicine for the clinic staff. The masseuse told her that there “are no places around that one can get good ayurvedic training”.

A spokeswoman for the company said that its treatements were based on ayurvedic principles but also incorporated other traditions. None of the staff claimed to be qualified ayurvedic doctors.It is learnt that Dr Basappa Hadapad, from Kasturba Gandhi Medical College in Mangalore, would be using the Friday meet to describe the dangers of the incorrect use of the therapy. Wrong prescription can cause serious dangers, he will warn. He is particularly worried about the use of Shirodhara, in which oil is poured on the forehead to relieve migraine, stress and insomnia.The conference could very well put the likes of Prince Charles and Cherie Blair on thier guard as people like them mostly want treatment for relieving stress. It may also persuade the Indian government to act said Warrier.

Win the Winter

By Dr.Savitha Suri
Long nights, short days, sparkling snow flakes and people dressed in warm clothes are the images evoked for the word winter. The winter season is marked as Hemanta ritu and Sisira ritu in ayurveda. Hemanta ritu starts from mid November and ends in mid January.

This falls in southern solstice which is called as visarga kala or dakshinayana in ayurveda. Sisira ritu starts from mid January and lasts till middle of march. Sisira ritu falls in Northern solstice which is called as Aadana kaala or uttaraayana.Winter causes health problems when adequate precautions and safety measures are not taken.

But winters can be enjoyed to full extent when we alter our diet and lifestyles a little as nature desires. As we are part of nature these changes help us to face the seasonal changes without much serious health problems.Beat the winter time BluesFew experience a condition called Winter Time Blues. This condition precipitates symptoms like increase in appetite, craving for sweets, chocolates or starchy foods, weight gain, mild depression, irritability and short temper. This condition is well marked in persons who live in places which experience long severe winter.

In winter the agni or body fire increases with the support of vata . Hence there will be a marked increase in appetite. The frequency of food consumption increases. We should keep a watch on the type of food we consume to satisfy our appetite during winter. Avoid consumption of junk foods, too much of sweets and oil food as these lead to weight gain.

Simple remedies for this condition are exposing our body to sunlight, exercising for 30 minutes and using bright light when you are indoorsPamper your skin during winterDuring winter skin can not replenish its moisture naturally due to less humidity in air. Low humidity due to indoor heating, hot showers and bath exaggerates this condition and skin is bound to become dry and irritated. Dry skin tends to crack and bleed. Cracked skin looses its ability to protect the body and increases the risk of infection.

The best ways to keep the skin soft, healthy and moisturized are
• Avoid long hot showers and bath.
• Quick three minutes bath is advisable.
• Use moisturizing body wash.
• Apply petroleum jelly on tough areas like knees, elbows and heels .
• Apply lip balm to prevent cracking.
• Twenty to 30 minutes of aerobic exercise three times a week can give your skin a healthy glow
• Ayurveda stresses on massaging body with oil during winterSpecial care for your face

Avoid washing your face repeatedly. This washes off natural oils from our skin and makes the skin dry, scaly and wrinkled. Use luke warm water instead of hot water to wash face. Apply moisturizer lotion if you feel dryness on skin. Apply sun screen lotion to exposed parts of body and face when you go out in sun.Preventing cold and cough in winter.

Consume well balanced good nutritious food, exercise thrice in a week and sleep well to keep up natural resistance. Avoid direct contact with those who have colds and wash your hands frequently.HypothermiaHypothermia is a drop in body temperature to 95 degrees Fahrenheit or less than this. This can be fatal if not detected promptly and treated properly. Any body can be the victim of hypothermia.

The elderly are at the highest risk as their bodies do not adjust to the changes in temperature quickly. This condition takes few days to few weeks to develop. A temperature of 60F to 65 F can trigger this condition. A drop in body temperature triggers fatal responses from body. The blood vessels near the body surface narrow to prevent heat loss. Muscles tighten to generate heat. Person affected by hypothermia will be having symptoms like shivering, drowsiness, slurred speech, week pulse, slow heart beat, slow and shallow breathing.
If the body temperature falls down below 86 F he may slip into coma.

Do not try to treat a person with hypothermia at home. Immediately shift him to hospital as soon as you notice the symptoms. Do not give alcoholic beverages and do not give him hot water bath.In ayurveda it is advised to drink hot water, wear warm clothes and to stay near fire place at indoors in winter to prevent this condition

FrostbiteThe exposed areas of body like face, feet, wrists and hands are affected by frost bite. The skin on the affected part becomes white, stiff and feels numb.Warm the affected parts gradually. Wrap the area with warm clothes or keep the affected hands under arm pits and seek the medical attention immediately. Do not rub the affected areas as it may damage the underlying tissues.Protect your tiny tots from cold.

Children are usually thrilled to go outside irrespective of weather conditions. To ensure that these tiny tots have a safe and fun winter, take some simple measures to keep them warm and unharmed both inside and outside. Ensure that they stay warm while waiting for school bus in low temperature conditions. Keep them as dry as possible in cold weather and make them to wear properly fitting warm clothes. Cover their head, face and neck as much as possible. Inadequate head protection lead to loss of almost half of body heat . Don’t allow them to overexert and sweat. Sweating cools the body which is hazardous in winter and it becomes difficult to warm up again. Keep them well hydrated as they may not drink sufficient water in winter due to less thirst.Other general precautions by Red Cross for winter.

Dress in layers so you can adjust to changing conditions. Avoid overdressing or overexertion that can lead to heat illness.Most of your body heat is lost through your head so wear a hat, preferably one that covers your ears.Mittens provide more warmth to your hands than gloves.Wear waterproof, insulated boots to help avoid hypothermia or frostbite by keeping your feet warm and dry and to maintain your footing in ice and snow.

Get out of wet clothes immediately and warm the core body temperature with a blanket or warm fluids like hot cider or soup. Avoid drinking caffeine or alcohol if you expect you or someone you are trying to help has hypothermia or frostbite.Recognize the symptoms of hypothermia that can be a serious medical condition: confusion, dizziness, exhaustion and severe shivering. Seek medical attention immediately if you have these symptoms.Recognize frostbite warning signs: gray, white or yellow skin discoloration, numbness, waxy feeling skin. Seek medical attention immediately if you have these symptoms.

Daily routine for winter
1. Tickle your taste buds with sweet, sour and salt tastes.
2. Satisfy your appetite with hot soups, milk and balanced food.
3. Pamper your body with mild oil massage.
4. Always wear warm clothes.Home made natural scrub for winter.? Mix yellow gram (channa), green gram (moong) , fenu greek seeds (methi) in equal proportion. Get this mixture floured. Use this flour as scrub while taking bath instead of soap and body washes.? Mix few drops of coconut oil in little water. Rub this all over body at the end of bath or shower. Dab the body with towel. This helps to increase the moisture of skin naturally.

We wish you a healthy winter. Have a great winter
Dr.Savitha Suri has been an Ayurvedic Practitioner since 1989. After getting a graduation degree in ayurveda (Bachelor of Ayurvedic Medicine and Surgery) in 1988 from University of Mysore, India, she started practising ayurveda . Her articles about ayurveda have been published in news papers and websites. She is a regular health columnist to a regional news paper.Dr.Savitha Suri lives in Mysore , Karnataka, India.

She gives consultations in Mysore and also in Bangalore, the silicon valley of India.
http://www.ayurhelp.com/
email doctor@ayurhelp.com
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Dr.Savitha_Suri

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Ayurveda Regimen for Winter Depression.

By Dr.Savitha Suri

Long nights, short days, sweaters, warm clothes and chilly weather make many of us sick and depressed. This depression which surfaces especially in winter is a Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) and is often called as winter Time Blues or Winter depression.

The exact cause for this depression is as of yet unclear. But yet few scientists believe lack of exposure to sunlight as the reason for this disorder.

The symptoms of winter depression are tendency to over eat, craving for carbohydrates and sweets and weight gain.Had our ancestors observed this change in humans? The answer is yes. Have they recommended any remedies?

Yes, they have recommended simple and effective natural remedies to overcome Seasonal Affective Disorder. They have laid down explicit guidelines about diet and lifestyles which have to be followed according to seasons.

The winter season is marked as Hemanta ritu and Sisira ritu in ayurveda. Hemanta ritu starts from mid November and ends in mid January. This falls in southern solstice which is called as visarga kala or dakshinayana in ayurveda. Sisira ritu starts from mid January and lasts till middle of march. Sisira ritu falls in Northern solstice which is called as Aadana kaala or uttaraayana.The response of human body to this season is very well explained in ayurveda. People will have increased strength and their digestion capacity is increased .

This is marked by increased hunger. These symptoms are caused by increased body fire which is supported by vata. Vata inside body increases in winter because of cold and dryness which is prevalent in outer atmosphere.The winter time depression is noticed mostly in persons who have vata as major constituent in their prakriti or body constitution.

The cause for this type of change is longer nights of winter.Light therapy is recommended by doctors for winter time blues. Exposure to artificial light may cause headache , Irritability ,Eye strain , Inability to sleep and fatigue. Exposure to sunlight and if sunlight is not available sitting near fireplace is the remedy suggested in Ayurveda.Keeping the home well lit with lights help to reduce the intensity of depression.Moderate exercise like yoga is another remedy for winter depression.

Ayurveda recommends oil massage (abhyanga) to body and head (moordha taila.). Indulging in sexual act to keep the moods elevated and to keep the body warm is another strongly suggested ayurvedic remedy.Meeting friends who are kind and understanding boosts morale and brightens up the day. Spending time with friends on the beach helps to expose your body to sunlight and keeps your spirits high.Relaxing with meditation, massage , light music and laughter helps to great extent.

The following ayurvedic tips help to prevent and reduce the intensity of seasonal disorder of winter, the winter time blues.

1. Expose yourself to sunlight as much as you can. In absence of sun light sitting near fire place is very helpful.

2. Massage your body with vata balancing herbal oil (abhyanga). Never forget to apply oil on your head (moordha taila).

3. Then remove the oil by taking hot water bath. A mixture of flours of yellow gram (channa), green gram (moong) , fenu greek seeds (methi) in equal proportion is the best herbal scrub which can be used to remove the oil. This mixture prevents the washing of natural oil from skin.

4. Consume hot soups.

5. Use vata balancing foods like wheat, oil, corn, black gram and jaggery.

6. Tickle your taste buds with sweet, sour and salt tastes

7. Always use hot water for all daily routine activity.

8. Use thick blankets and sheets made of cotton, silk and wool.

9. Always wear foot wear.

10. Indulge in sexual act.

11. Spend your leisure time with friends and relatives whom you like.

Biography of Dr.SavithaSuriDr.SavithaSuri has been an Ayurvedic Practitioner since 1989. After getting a graduation degree in ayurveda (Bachelor of Ayurvedic Medicine and Surgery) in 1988 from University of Mysore, India, she started practising ayurveda . Her articles about ayurveda have been published in news papers and websites. She is a regular health columnist to a regional news paper.Dr.SavithaSuri lives in Mysore , Karnataka, India.

She gives consultations in Mysore and also in Bangalore, the silicon valley of India.http://www.ayurhelp.com/
email doctor@ayurhelp.com
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Dr.Savitha_Suri

Related Sites:
Therapy offers
· Single-Day Therapies · Single-Day Rates · Medical Consultation · Therapy "Packages" · our full ayurvedic pricelist

Ayurvedic Products · Kama Raja · Kama Rani · Yogic Slim · Rudraksha Healing · A2 Tier Affiliate program

more info at: www.dreddyclinic.com