Ayurveda Way of Life to keep Women Happy, Healthy & Hearty

An Ayurvedic Lifestyle for Women's Healthy Living

Woman’s role is revered in our society today. It thus becomes very important to maintain health and fitness as a mother, a sister and a daughter. The responsibility increases as her role nowadays has extended to workplace too.

For many women today, it's hard to find a moment to breathe, let alone take care of your health. Whether you're working in the office or in the home, raising your children or caring for elderly parents — it's a balancing act just to get through the day.

Yet taking care of yourself and staying in balance mentally and physically is central to meeting all the demands of your family and career.

"Women today have so many areas of life to attend to, it's important that they set aside time to maintain their own health and happiness."

So, here are a few Ayurveda tips to keep you stand tall and help you play your major role with ease, by keeping you in the pink of health.

Ayurveda’s definition of health

“II sama dosha sama agnischa sama dhatu mala kriyaaha
Prasanna atma  indriya manaha swastha iti abhidheeyate II” – Sushruta Samhita

Meaning -
One is in perfect health when all the following are in perfect order:

• Three doshas ( Vata, Pitta and Kapha),
• Digestive fire ( digestion, assimilation and metabolism),
• All the body tissues & components i.e. Dhatus (the entire physical body)
• All the excretory functions  (the physiological functions of urination and defecation)
• Contented mind, senses and spirit

How to know if you are in the pink of Health?

Health of an individual can be known by the following aspects:

• Desire and appetite for intake of food
• Proper digestion of food ingested at proper time
• Sleep well at proper time
• Absence of pathological or dreadful dreams
• Feeling of freshness after waking up in the morning
• Proper evacuation of faeces, urine, and flatus at the proper time
• Proper functioning of mental faculties, intelligence and senses in all respect
• Proper nourishment
• Proper strength
• Absence of any kind of pain

How can you achieve your goals in life?

Good health can be maintained until death. For this one should intelligently follow all the rules laid down according to the Ayurvedic science. Only then will a person enjoy an optimum life span of a hundred years without contracting disease.

She will also gain recognition in society, friendship with people and honour and wealth as she has the energy and ability to achieve all the goals in life.

Ayurveda simply aims to prevent illness, heal the sick and preserve life. This can be summed up as follows:

• Swasthyasya swasthya rakshanam – to protect health and prolong life
• Aturasya vikar prashamanamcha – to eliminate diseases and dysfunctions of the body

Both of these are aimed towards the promotion of health on three levels – Mentally, Physically & Spiritually.

How can you always be happy, healthy & beautiful naturally?

Ayurveda suggests a good daily routine which is absolutely necessary to bring radical change in body, mind, and consciousness. Routine helps to establish balance in one's constitution. It also regularizes a person's biological clock, aids digestion, absorption and assimilation, and generates self-esteem, discipline, peace, happiness, and longevity.

So, you can begin your day in the following Ayurveda way:

1. Rise before the Sunrise

It is good to wake up before the sun rises, when there are loving (sattvic) qualities in nature that bring peace of mind and freshness to the senses.

Right after waking up, rub your palms and place them on your closed eyes for a few seconds. Then look at your hands for a few moments, and gently move them over your face and chest down to the waist. This helps to cleanse your aura.

2. Morning prayers of Gratitude

Every morning say this prayer to your God before getting up from the bed –

"Thank you God for this beautiful day. May love, joy, health, peace and compassion be part of my life and all those around me on this day.”

After this prayer touch the ground with your right hand, then the same hand to the forehead, with great love and respect to Mother Earth, and then bow your head to the Sun for providing us with immense strength, immunity and Vitamin D.

3. Instant Facial Glow

Look beautiful naturally by doing these simple steps:

• Fill up your mouth with tap water, splash your eyes & face with cold water and rinse out your mouth. Repeat it three times.
• Massage all the parts of your face in the following order: 

1. Head
2. Eyebrows
3. Eyelids
4. Nose
5. Cheeks (in upward direction)
6. Above and below lip
7. Chin
8. Neck
9. Nape of the neck

• Blink your eyes 7 times and rotate your eyes in all direction.
• Dry your face with a clean towel

4. Detox your body naturally

Drink a glass of warm or regular water, preferably from a pure copper cup filled the night before. This washes the GI track, flushes the kidneys, and stimulates peristalsis. It is not a good idea to start the day with tea or coffee, as this drains kidney energy, stresses the adrenals, causes constipation, and is habit-forming.

5. Let loose and be happier

Sit, or better squat, on the toilet and have a bowel movement. Improper digestion of the previous night's meal or lack of sound sleep can prevent this. However the water, followed by sitting on the toilet at a set time each day, helps to regulate bowel movements. Alternate nostril breathing may also help. After evacuation wash the anal orifice with warm water, and then the hands with soap.

6. Freshen up & have a beautiful Smile

• Using a tongue scraper: Gently scrape the tongue from the back forward with help of a tongue scraper made up of stainless steel /copper, until you have scraped the whole surface for 7-14 strokes. This stimulates the internal organs, helps digestion, and removes dead bacteria.
• Using a tooth brush: Always use a soft toothbrush and an astringent, pungent, or bitter toothpaste or powder. The traditional Indian toothbrush is a neem / licorice root stick, which dislodges fine food particles from between teeth and makes strong, healthy gums.
• Oil pulling: Gargle once or twice a day with warm sesame oil to strengthen teeth, gums, and jaw, improve the voice and remove wrinkles from cheeks. Hold the oil in your mouth, swish it around vigorously, then spit it out and gently massage the gums with a finger.
• Chewing work out: Chewing a handful of sesame seeds helps receding gums and strengthens teeth. Alternatively, chew 3-5 dried dates and an inch of dried coconut meat. Chewing in the morning stimulates the liver and the stomach and improves digestive fire. After chewing, brush the teeth again without using toothpaste or powder.

7. Keep Calm & Be A Beauty with Brains

Our nose is the door to the brain, so nose drops nourish Prana and bring intelligence. Practice Nasya therapy daily by instilling 3 to 5 drops of warm ghee or oil into each nostril in the morning. It helps in the following ways:

• Lubricates the nose
• Clears the sinuses
• Improves voice
• Enhances vision
• Develops mental clarity
• Detoxifies the ENT canals
• Rejuvenates the facial skin
• Boosts hair growth and prevents its early graying
• Strengthens the muscles of shoulders and neck (which are getting affected these days due to excessive use of mobile phones)

8. Be a good listener!

Practice Karna Purana therapy at home by simply instilling 2 - 4 drops of warm sesame oil in each ear. It helps in various ways like:

• Nourishes and moisturizes the ear canals
• Improves the hearing activity
• Helps to detoxify and drive away the negative effects of pollution and cell phones
• Helps in treating conditions such as ringing in the ears, excess ear wax, poor hearing, lockjaw, migraine, depression, ear infection, vertigo, etc.

9. Self Spa Time

There is no greater expression of Self-love than lovingly caressing and anointing ourselves from head to toe with warm oil. Practicing Abyangam therapy by gentle, daily oil massage of the body and scalp helps to:

• Nourishes the entire body and softens skin
• Imparts muscle tone and vigor to all the dhatus (tissues) of the body
• Lubricates and strengthens the bones and joints
• Increases circulation
• Detoxifies and balances all the doshas (Vata, Pitta & Kapha)
• Improves stamina
• Makes hair (scalp) grow luxuriantly thick, soft and glossy
• Prevents headache, baldness, graying, and receding hairline
• Induces sound sleep

10. Wash your worries away

Begin your morning with a cleansing and refreshing bath. It is best to use a homemade body cleanser which is made up of split chickpeas flour, turmeric and milk. This helps to cleanse & refresh your body and mind; remove sweat, dirt, and fatigue; and bring energy to the body, clarity to the mind, and holiness to your life.

11. Time to open your closet

Who doesn’t love to dress up? So, now it’s time to wear your clean, nice clothes as it brings beauty, happiness and virtue.

12. Your fragrance says it all

Do use some nice natural scents, essential oils, or perfumes without fail, as it brings you freshness, charm, and joy. It also gives vitality to the body and improves self-esteem.

13. Work out. Breathe. Relax.

Do some regular exercises, especially Yoga and Pranayama (breathing techniques), as it helps in many ways:

• Improves circulation, strength, and endurance
• Relaxes your mind and puts you to good sleep
• Improves digestion and elimination

Exercise daily to half of your capacity, which is until sweat forms on the forehead, armpits, and spine.

14. Have some ME time

You can know your true self and have inner peace by just giving a few minutes of your day to meditate. The best time to meditate is early morning or late evening or both. You can do it for at least 20 minutes daily. Meditate in the way you are accustomed, or try the "Empty Bowl Meditation". Meditation brings balance and peace into your life.

15. And finally break your fast!

Have warm, nourishing and wholesome breakfast around 8 am. Our body will be depleted of all nutrients as we do not have food in the night. So, a healthy breakfast every morning is paramount for the body to function well. Contrary to popular belief, skipping breakfast will not help lose weight. Instead, it is one of the prime reasons why people put on weight. Also, skipping breakfast in the morning will leave us depleted of energy, lethargic, grumpy and irritated.

16. Work mode on..

You are now ready to begin with your daily chores - be it work, study or performing other duties.

17. Munch a Lunch

Have your heaviest meal of the day or lunch around 12 Noon, as the Sun is strongest at that time and so is our digestive fire or Agni. Having lunch at this time helps digest the food properly. Skipping lunch or having late or irregular lunch is the primary reason for many metabolic disorders.

Walk for a 100 steps then as it in digesting the food better.

Avoid taking a nap or an afternoon siesta, except you haven’t been keeping well.

18. Calm down as the sun downs

Sundown is considered to be another Sattvic time of the day, so try to finish your work asap and do go for an evening walk in some park. Try and stay calm for some time and introspect or just feel the natural sounds by taking a calm walk or looking at the beauty and splendor of the nature.This is an important time to relax and disconnect yourself from the rest of the world, at least for a short period.

19. Fine Dine

Have your dinner around 7 PM as it should be taken at least three hours before the bedtime. This helps our body to digest the food with ease and prevents the build-up of ama or toxins in the body. Also make sure, it is lighter than the lunch.

20. Have a good night sleep!

Turn off the lights and hit the bed before 10 PM, as this is the Kapha time of the day where in our body naturally feels heavy and is trying to wind down. If we miss this time and are still awake, then we move into Pitta time (10 PM – 2 AM), which makes it all the more difficult to sleep.

One needs to sleep at least for 6 to 7 hours every day. Adequate sleep is paramount for the body to perform its functions well. Sleeping is the time during which our body performs several involuntary functions. These functions are very important for our body to stay in shape and good health.

So ladies, these are the simple 20 steps of your daily routine which will keep you happy, young and beautiful for a lifetime. Try and align yourself to this Ayurveda way of Life (Dinacharya) and you will automatically see a sense of purpose to your life. If we remodel our lifestyles to resemble the Ayurvedic lifestyle or at least try and come close to nature, then our body will automatically develop a strong resistance against diseases and we can lead a good healthy life.

This post is written by Dr.Jaina Patwa who is a Chief Ayurvedic practitioner based at Vile Parle, Mumbai, India. She is an International Ayurvedic Consultant, also available on Skype. Skype ID - vishwacare

VishwaCARE offers Ayurvedic treatment globally for all chronic and refractory health problems.

Dr.Jaina Patwa uses high quality organic herbal extracts which are easy to take, effective and completely safe for long-term use.

For authentic Ayurveda treatments or queries, kindly email us on vishwacare.jaina@gmail.com or whatsapp us on +919833998817.

AYURVEDA FOR SAGGING BREASTS

Sagging or drooping of breasts is a natural, inevitable process that happens to all women at some point. Breasts can start drooping a little at any age, because they do not have muscles in them. They have ligaments and connective tissue. When the gravity pulls the breasts down, those ligaments and the skin can stretch, and so the breast then droops.

This hits the woman’s self confidence and brings in a sign of ageing.

Causes of sagging breasts:

• Poor posture
• Improper support
• Faulty diet
• Improper breast-feeding
• Ageing

Ayurveda for sagging breasts:

Ayurveda has natural cures for this and comes with no side-effects. It helps the ladies to bring their breasts back to shape and make them more confident.

Herbs which help to stimulate the growth of new breast tissue and help to tighten them are:

• Shatavari
• Ashoka
• Lodhra
• Amalaki
• Methika
• Shilajit
• Lata Palasha
• Vidari

These herbs possess natural breasts firming properties as they all contain phytoestrogens, which work like the women’s natural estrogen.

Ayurvedic medicines for sagging breasts:

• Shatavari kalpa
• Ashokarishta
• Lodhrasava
• Chyawanprash
• Amalakyaadi ghritam
• Vidaryadi ghritam
• Ashwagandharishta
• Saraswatarishta

These medicines help to refine and firm breast contours, thereby enhancing the body's youthful qualities.

(P.S.: Do not take any of these medicines before consulting any Ayurvedic doctor.)

Home remedies for sagging breasts:

• Pomegranate oil: Take Pomegranate’s outer layer and clean that layer with water. Blend it with fresh drinking water to make a thick paste. Now keep this paste aside in a clean bowl. Take white mustard oil in such a proportion that it is half than the pomegranate paste. Mix the oil and pomegranate paste together well and boil this mix on a small flame until only oil remains. Massage this oil every day to the breasts in a circular movement at night times. This will make the breasts firm and tight. Use of this oil continuously for 8 weeks shows good results.
• Fenugreek paste: Mix some fine powder of fenugreek (methi) with a little quantity of water to make a fine paste. Now apply this to both the breasts and rub lightly. Leave it for 10-15 min and then wash with clean water.
• Raw ginger: Add 1 tsp of fresh ginger juice to 1 cup of warm cow’s milk. Having this milk every morning will improve the blood circulation in the breasts and thus will help to make them firm.
• Banyan tree root paste: Take some fresh aerial roots of banyan tree. Clean it and add some water to make a thick paste. Apply it on the breasts at night. Keep some clean cotton on that area and wear a well supportive bra. Do it every day for 3 – 4 weeks. This will tighten the breasts.

Diet and Lifestyle guidance for sagging breasts:

• A balanced diet: Protein intake is particularly important because protein is the building block for muscles and collagen, the supporting structures for the breasts. The fats found in olive oil should be substituted for animal fats whenever possible, and fresh fruits and vegetables should be consumed daily. Avoid alcohol and have a plenty of fiber to aid the digestive system. A good supplement which includes vitamins C and E, selenium, and beta carotene can also be an excellent source of antioxidants.

• Wear a well supportive bra: Wear a good supportive bra every day, especially during breast feeding.

• Maintain a healthy body weight: Try to maintain your body weight with help of healthy eating habits, Ayurveda, exercise and Yoga. Avoid doing yo-yo dieting, which causes the weight to fluctuate through the years, and can leave the breasts looking like a deflated balloon over a period of time.

• Establish a Good Exercise program: Establish a good exercise program that incorporates weights to strengthen the muscles underlying the breast tissue. This may include isometric exercises like free weights, or push-ups, or pull-ups. Swimming also helps to tighten the chest muscles. All these exercises will help in delay of the sagging of the breasts.

• Breast Firming Exercises:

1. Pec Press: Using three- to five-pound weights, lie on your back, with knees bent. With your arms outstretched to each side, slowly bring your arms together, hold for one second and then slowly lower your arms again. Work your way up to three sets of 10 - 12 reps every other day.
2. Butterfly Press: Take two to five pound weights. Sit on the edge of a chair with your back straight and arms at your sides. Slowly raise your arms to the side to shoulder level. Hold this position for a count of four, and then slowly return to starting position. Work your way up to three sets of five to seven reps every other day.
3. Wall ups: These are done by standing about two feet from a wall, facing it. Place your hands at chest level flat against the wall. Now, lean slowly toward the wall using your arm and chest muscles to control your motion until you have your nose against the wall. Push back to your original position. Repeat this motion 15 times. To increase the effects of this exercise, when you reach the point of lean that stresses the chest muscles most (you'll feel it), pause and hold for a count of 10 or 15, then finish the motion.
4. Pectoral Push-Ups: Lie face down on the floor and rise up, as if doing conventional push-ups, but keep your forearms and elbows on the floor. Hold for thirty seconds. Repeat five times. Inverted Push Ups: Stand with your legs two to three feet from a wall and your palms on the wall. Slowly lower your chest to the wall by bending your elbows and then slowly push your body back to starting position. Repeat 10-12 times.

• Mild exercises during breast-feeding: Breast requires maximum attention after delivery. During that period it is not advisable to do exercises, so therefore one should perform light ones like mentioned below:

1. Palm pressing: Kneel down and press your palms in 'Namaskar' (Indian greeting) pose in the center of chest so that the tissues around the breasts are under full pressure. Exhale slowly and release the pressure. Repeat the exercise.
2. Wall ups: as mentioned above. But do it lightly, without pushing yourself too hard.
3. Stand straight with arms dangling on your sides. Raise each arm above head and turn round alternately. Repeat ten to fifteen times.

• Perform Yoga daily: The main three Yoga asanas which help in breast lifting are:

1. Sarvangasana (The shoulder stand)
2. Sirsasana (The head stand)
3. Viparita karani (The inverted pose)

• Care during breast-feeding: Breast-feeding mothers should take extra care. Breasts sag if the infant is suckled while sitting or reclining in a faulty posture. Sucking with sitting position should be done with the child in lap and your hand under its head so as to lift it and keep its head steady. Press nipples immediately after suckling and remove the remaining milk with a couple of jerks. This gives lightness and freshness to the breasts.

• Hot-cold bath for breasts: Bath the breasts with hot and cold water simultaneously to ensure rapid blood circulation. Sprinkle hot water and then cold water four of five times alternately.

• Massage the breasts: Massage the breasts with Almond oil each night to keep the skin supple and soft. This will help them to nourish and be firm, thereby preventing ageing signs like sagging or wrinkles.

Please note that women who are pregnant or breastfeeding should consult any doctor before following any of these instructions.

(P.S: As every human being is different according to Ayurveda, all have different cures. So, kindly consult us or an Ayurveda doctor before taking any herbal medicines.)

This post is written by Dr.Jaina Patwa who is a Chief Ayurvedic practitioner based at Vile Parle, Mumbai, India. She is available as an online Ayurvedic Consultant on Skype. Skype ID - vishwacare

VishwaCARE offers Ayurvedic treatment globally for all chronic and refractory health problems. Dr.Jaina Patwa uses high quality organic herbal extracts which are easy to take, effective and completely safe for long-term use.

For authentic ayurveda treatments or queries, kindly email us on vishwacare.jaina@gmail.com or contact us on +919833998817