Period kit for beginners

An Ayurvedic Doctor’s Guide to Period Care: Period Pads, Menstrual Cups, Tampons, Intimate Hygiene & Period-Tracker Apps

by with 2 Comments Beginners guide

Growing up in a middle-class Indian household, The time of menstrual cycle to me is all about staying home and taking rest. When I have seen a sanitary napkin for the first time, I was like what’s this weird stuff? Why is it’s shape so weird? How am I going to carry this for 5 days in between my legs? Later in the life, I’m curious about what are the materials used to make this useful elongated leakproof cushion.

best sanitary pads

PERIOD PADS ARE MADE UP OF

LayerCommon MaterialsPurpose
Top sheet (cover)Polypropylene (PP) or polyethylene (PE) nonwoven fabricSoft surface that contacts the skin and allows fluid to pass through.
Acquisition/distribution layerPolyester or polypropylene fibersQuickly spreads menstrual fluid to the absorbent core.
Absorbent coreFluff pulp (wood cellulose) + Super Absorbent Polymer (SAP), usually sodium polyacrylateAbsorbs and locks away menstrual fluid.
Back sheetPolyethylene (PE) plastic filmWaterproof barrier that prevents leakage.
AdhesiveHot-melt synthetic adhesivesAttaches the pad layers together and sticks the pad to underwear.
Release paperSilicone-coated paperCovers the adhesive until the pad is used.
Wings (if present)Nonwoven fabric + PE film + adhesiveSecure the pad around underwear.

SUMMARY

  • 40–60% Wood pulp (cellulose fluff)
  • 20–35% Polyethylene and polypropylene plastics
  • 10–25% Super absorbent polymer (SAP)
  • Small amounts of adhesives, release paper, dyes, fragrances, and finishing agents

PROS OF CONVENTIONAL PERIOD PADS

  1. Easily available
  2. Affordable
  3. Hygienic
  4. Very convenient to use
  5. Travel-friendly

CONS OF CONVENTIONAL PERIOD PADS

  1. Non-biodegradable as 90% of it is plastic
  2. May cause rashes
  3. May cause itching and allergies to people with sensitive skin and to people who are allergic to fragrances

MY FAV PERIOD PAD RECOMMENDATIONS

OTHER ALTERNATIVES TO PERIOD PADS

BIODEGRADABLE PADS

Natural pads

These pads contain pure cotton, bio-degradable plastics, bamboo fibers and other plant derived substances. These are safe, non-toxic and compostable alternatives for conventional pads. Biodegradable pads are as effective as normal pads but they are a bit pricey and are least available to buy over the counter. So we always have to stock them up prior. Here are some of the really good, well performing biodegradable pads.

REUSABLE SANITARY PADS AND PERIOD PANTIES

Period panties

When it comes to reusable period products, it takes a great toll on hygiene part. I used reusable pads for more than 5 years now. I still use them and I still find it difficult to maintain during some months when I’m out of energy to wash them. Apart from the fact that they reduce plastic waste on the planet, they are not travel-friendly and we have to be very careful while washing them, drying them and storing them especially in the monsoons and in winter months.

When it comes to period panties, they might look super logical in ads but in reality after 8 hours, If we are not home, how are we even supposed to remove our pants and put a new panty while the blood is flowing like a river in a public toilet. I cannot even describe that messiness.

However this is my point view on reusable period products and your POV might be different based on your priorities. So here are my best picks for reusable Menstrual pads and Period panties

MENSTRUAL CUPS AND TAMPONS

Menstrual cups

When something enters into our body which is not a part of our body, our body considers it as a foreign body and attacks it. Now that we put these menstrual cups and tampons inside us and they are not a part of us, prolonged usage may lead to health concerns related to immunity plus they may also put pressure on the glands around vagina. I sincerely don’t recommend using cups and tampons as a staple until and unless its an emergency situation like when you are on a beach vacay and you suddenly got the period!

Although menstrual cups are made up of medical grade silicone, it’s very important to clean, sanitize and store them with utmost care. A little contamination may lead to serious infections. However tampons are easy to use and dispose but they create huge plastic waste just like pads.

VAGINAL WASHES AND INTIMATE WASHES

best Vaginal washes

Firstly our vagina has slightly acidic pH and it can clean by itself. We don’t have put these vaginal washes into it and clean it. These washes often contain detergents and fragrances which disrupts vaginal natural pH and make it dry.

A dry vagina = environment for germs to grow.

So no, I don’t have any links for these 😛 Just use plain water to clean down there. If you feel like your vagina is smelling like fish or rotten egg, go and see your Gynaec.

USEFUL APPS DURING PERIODS

Period tracker app

1. CLUE

Clue is an excellent app for tracking period, ovulation and to log symptoms + a lot of menstrual health education too.

CLICK TO DOWNLOAD

2. STARDUST

If you love mystical magical stuff, you will really love this app. It works same as clue but with more aesthetic fantasy kind of interface.

CLICK TO DOWNLOAD

3. MEDISAFE

With the current busy lifestyle that we have, it’s really hard to take medications and supplements regularly without missing. This is when Medisafe app comes into play. It’s a pill and supplement remainder app where we add the name of medication or supplement, dosage and when to take it, Medisafe will automatically remind us. Such a life savior.

CLICK TO DOWNLOAD

4. PLANT NANNY

This is a water tracking app. While on periods it’s really important to hydrate ourselves. This app has a small plant and whenever we finish our water goal, the plant keeps on growing and it kinda serves as motivation plus it send us water remainders so that we stay consistent with this habit.

CLICK TO DOWNLOAD

5. THE 5-MINUTE JOURNAL

This app takes our journalling experience to next level. Everyday morning a new quote waits for us to begin our day with super power. As the name says, it just takes 5 minutes in the morning and 5 minutes in the evening to journal. More about the app in the video linked below.

CLICK TO DOWNLOAD

SOLUTION TO PERIOD CRAMPS

If you are suffering with period cramps, I have made an amazing blog post on that one as well (CLICK TO READ)

1:1 PERSONAL CONSULTATIONS

I do offer 1:1 online and in-person consultations for these SERVICES.

BOOK AN APPOINTMENT

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FOODS TO BUILD IMMUNE SYSTEM IN MONSOONS

by with No Comment Yoga

What Happens In Varsha Ritu

Photo by Sonika Agarwal on Unsplash

Flus, fevers, aches and pains set the vibe for monsoons aka Varsha Ritu. We all know it’s because of sudden drop in temperature soon after summer and us getting wet in the rain water. That’s an absolute fact and in ayurvedic lens rainy season is perceived as vata dosha vriddhi  kaala (The season of abnormal raise in vata dosha) due to which our digestive fire at different levels becomes sluggish. During this phase, we don’t feel that sharp hunger and the food that we eat will not get digested at an optimal rate at which it has to be. This leads to reduced immunity followed by flu, fever, aches and pains.

For a healthier and happier you in the rainy season, it’s very important to understand what are the mandatory to-do’s in dietary and lifestyle choices.

Must Eat foods in Rainy Season

Photo by Jon Tyson on Unsplash
  1. Broken rice
  2. Wheat
  3. Finger millet / Raagi
  4. Chickpeas
  5. Blackgram
  6. Greengram
  7. Brinjal
  8. Ivygourd
  9. Lady’s finger / Okra
  10. Moringa
  11. Onion
  12. Ginger
  13. Garlic
  14. Grapes
  15. Raisins
  16. Ghee
  17. Buttermilk
  18. Honey

Must Avoid These Foods in Rainy season

Photo by Jen Theodore on Unsplash
  1. Brown rice
  2. Jowar
  3. Corn
  4. Barley
  5. Green peas
  6. Yellow peas
  7. Spinach
  8. Bitter gourd
  9. Cucumber

healthy recipes for Boosting Immunity in this rainy season

MADHOODAKAM

Boil half glass of water (100ml) and let it cool. Add a teaspoon of pure honey into that boiled and cooled water. Stir well and consume it. This helps in removing the dampness and accumulated phlem in the channels and boosts immunity

AGNI TEA

Boil half glass of water (100ml) and add 2 pinches of ginger powder and a teaspoon of cruelty-free ghee into it. Stir well with a spoon or small whisk. Use coffee frother for the best in mouth feel of this tea. This tea is one of a kind in activating your digestive fire and nourishing your gut at the same time.

VATA CALM CHEWABLE

Into a mortar and pestle, add 5 black raisins and a pinch of rock salt. Crush them well and roll it into a ball and chew it. This helps in calming down the vata dosha.

INSTANT AMLAPRASH

Take one fresh amla and remove its seeds from the pulp. Now take this pulp into a mortar and pestle, add a pinch of turmeric, a pinch of black pepper and a teaspoon of honey. Pound all of these well and lick this paste like candy.

SHIGRU SOOPA aka Moringa Soup

Ingredients:

Moringa leaves           : 1 cup

Chopped tomatoes   : ½ cup

Cruelty-free ghee     : 1 teaspoon

Pepper powder          : a Pinch

Cumin powder           : a pinch

Onion                          : 1 (small sized)

Garlic cloves              : 2

Ginger                        : 1 inch

Turmeric powder     : a pinch

Salt                             : as per taste

Ghee                          : 1 tsp

Water                        : 3 cups

Method of making

  1. Into a mortar and pestle, add onion, ginger, garlic and pound them coarsely
  2. Place a sauce pan on stove and to it add ghee. After the ghee is heated, add onion, ginger garlic mixture and let it fry.
  3. Once it’s fragrant, add tomatoes and cook it until they are soften.
  4. Finally add moringa leaves, cumin powder, turmeric powder, pepper powder, salt to taste and 3 cups of water. Close the lid and simmer until the moringa leaves are fully cooked.
  5. I love enjoying it as it is. But you can strain it too.

RAGI PORRIDGE

Ingredients

Ragi flour                                      : 2 tbsp

Seeds of choice (toasted)         : 2 tbsp

Salt                                               : as per taste

Water                                          : 200 ml

Method of making

  1. Into a small cup take some water, add ragi flour to it and prepare a slurry
  2. Now in a sauce pot, add water, salt and bring it to boil.
  3. Once the water is bubbling, add the ragi flour slurry and stir continuously until the mixture thickens to porridge consistency.
  4. Take this hot porridge into the serving bowl and top it up with the toasted seeds and enjoy

Habits to avoid in Rainy season

Photo by Toa Heftiba on Unsplash
  1. Excessive exercise
  2. Excess movement in sun
  3. Indulgence in sexual intercourse
  4. Day sleep
  5. Awakening at night time

One lifestyle practice for rainy season

ABHYANGAM

Abhyangam is smearing oil over the skin and it’s a jackpot kind of practice in rainy season. It cleanses, protects and nourishes skin all at a time. Pacifies vata dosha, reduces fatigue and brings that element of enthusiasm to life in gloomy rainy season. I have explained about how to do abhyangam in another blogpost (click here). Check it out and make most out of it.

SIGNATURE CARE FOR RAINY SEASON

If you are the one looking to add that one step of luxury into your monsoon health and immunity wishlist, I would highly recommend one of the best ayurvedic classical panchakarma therapy known as VASTI. This you cannot do it in your home. You must visit an Ayurvedic clinic which offer this special service. Currently at SAKHI AYURVEDA, we are offering these VASTI SESSIONS with a free prakruti analysis and Nadi Pareeksha.

Click here for further details

CLINIC LOCATION

5 Ayurvedic tools to reduce cortisol levels naturally

5 Ayurvedic Tools to Lower Your Cortisol Levels Naturally

by with One Comment Ayurveda

Stress & Cortisol

Cortisol is popularly known as stress hormone. Stress is a feeling of emotional strain and pressure that makes us accomplish tasks much quicker than our actual capacity. Stress is a completely natural process for human body from centuries but why is it a big deal in recent times? The actual purpose of stress is protection. When we see a snake, we run. During this run, cortisol is released into blood stream and our body is under an intense pressure to escape from snake. This phase of cortisol being active lasts for a couple of minutes which will not create any serious problem inside us. But in current times, due to deadlines, endless scrolling, hustling between multiple jobs, cortisol is being active 24*7 creating stress buildup inside us.

Root-cause of Stress According to Ayurveda

Acharya Charaka says,

Iṣṭasya Alābhaḥ Aniṣṭasya Lābhaḥ

Not getting what we want & getting what we don’t want is the root cause for stress and other mental disorders.

Expressions of Stress

Stress is expressed in different forms in different people. After all “No TWO humans are same” so why should the expression of stress be the same :D. Here are the expressions of stress

  1. Kāma – Uncontrolled desires
  2. Krodha – Increased anger
  3. Lobha – Greed of others property
  4. Moha – Confusions
  5. Īrṣyā – Envious
  6. Śoka – Excessive grief
  7. Cintā – Repeated and increased thoughts
  8. Udvega – Anxious
  9. Bhaya – Fear

5 Ayurvedic Tools to Lower Your Cortisol Levels Naturally

The prime dosha involved in stress generation is Vata Dosha and in stress buildup is Pitta Dosha. The 5 Ayurvedic tools which reduces cortisol are focused on calming down this aggravated Vata and Pitta Dosha are

  1. Abhyangam in 3 Prime Spots
  2. A nourishing diet with adequate fats
  3. Nasyam
  4. Ice on top of eyes
  5. Temple music

1. ABHYANGAM IN 3 PRIME SPOTS

Abhyangam literally means smearing oil on the body. Oil is the best ingredient which calms down the aggravated Vata Dosha. Oiling full body is always superior but due to our busy lifestyle schedule, it’s highly impossible to do full body oiling on a daily basis. I wanted to make this easy, effective and practical for you hence I am going to reveal just 3 parts of the body where we must apply oil on a daily basis. They are as follows:

  1. Śiraḥ (Head – Head massage)
  2. Śravaṇa (Ears – Back of the ear massage)
  3. Pādaḥ (Foot – Foot massage)

Best oil for Abhyangam : Cold pressed black sesame oil (click to buy)

2. A NOURISHING DIET WITH ADEQUATE FATS

Decreasing or completely removing fats from diet always increases the stress. Fat is nourishment and an under nourished body always invites Vata Dosha aggravation. Moderation is always key. The best fat sources that you can add-on to diet to reduce cortisol levels are

  1. Cow Ghee (click to buy)
  2. Coconut oil (click to buy)
  3. Cashew nuts (click to buy)
  4. Walnuts (click to buy)
  5. Macadamia nuts (click to buy)
  6. Pecans (click to buy)
  7. Pumpkin seeds (click to buy)
  8. White sesame seeds (click to buy)

Always keep in mind that,

Dry food = Dry body = Increased Vata Dosha

3. NASYAM

Nasyam is a process of administering medicine through nose. It is one of the important procedures among the classical panchakarma. There is a simpler version of it which we can do very easily at home on a day-to-day basis. Nasyam not only reduces stress, but also arrest hair fall and promotes hair growth at the same time.

Here is the demo of how you can do it

Universal Nasya Oil (Safe) : Anu-tailam (click to buy)

Dosage: 2 drops in each nostril

However, if you are still not sure whether to do it or not and feel like you need extra guidance to do Nasyam, feel free to write an email to me.

4. ICE ON TOP OF EYES

When we are stressed, we often have this feeling of our eyeballs getting fried. That’s because of aggravated Pitta Dosha. Eyes are already sites of Pitta Dosha which is hot and on top of it stress adds some extra heat. Ice works excellent here. All you have to do is take an ice cube in a small piece of cloth or hand kerchief and dab it over eyes. Do this as many times as you need it.

Another quick on the go option is face mists made with coolant herbs. The best choices are

  1. Rose water (click to buy)
  2. Mogra water (click to buy)
  3. Vetiver water (click to buy)

5. TEMPLE MUSIC

Few months ago, when I’m in Vishakhapatnam, I happened to meet an old man. While having conversation with him, I got to know that he is a retired musician and currently he is making music to heal kids suffering with ADHD. I’m in aww for a moment. Then I explored on the subject of how temple music heals stress. Here are some of my fav pieces which I discovered on this journey.

Whether you have observed it or not, we have worked all through our 5 sense organs. All I want to say is a disease process especially when it comes to psychological disorders, what we see, what we hear, what we smell, what we taste and what touches us every thing play a very very crucial role. So always and always protect your eyes, ears, nose, tongue and skin. Be extremely conscious about what, why and how of your looking, hearing, smelling, tasting and touching / interacting.

PROTECT YOUR AURA

These tools might not work in the cases of chronic stress buildup. If you are looking for permanent solution for stress, and are committed to it, then you are always welcome with a warm hug to book a consultation with me

BOOK YOUR APPOINTMENT

SERVICES

Menstrual cramp relief

Ease Your Period Cramps Naturally: A Holistic Guide to Pain-Free Cycles

by with 2 Comments Yoga
yoga for period cramps

Namaste 🙏

My Experience with Period Cramps

I had my first periods when I’m 11 and I had no issues for 2 years. I had no pain, no discomfort nothing. It’s just a happy phase of not going to school for 3 days, sitting in one corner of my room, nobody would come and disturb me, those are my self-care days. All I have to do is eat what my mom gave and sleep. No study nothing. Then arrived this heating phase of 9th and 10th class and I am not supposed to take leave for 3 days every month. For few months my body handled it great but later I started experiencing severe pain in my lower abdomen and back region for 2 days straight. Only I, my parents and my gynaec know how many pain killers I used to swallow those 2 days. Very intense period cramps.

Pain killers for menstrual cramps
Photo by Thought Catalog on Unsplash

I’m not the one to stay quiet. That little me started to research what’s happening within me those 2 days. I tried every single home remedy available all over the internet. Some of them worked some didn’t but in a short span of time I realised that all of these are temporary. There used to be some sanitary napkin brands which claim to reduce period cramps and I used them too (this is making me laugh right now😂). Up till 23, I keep on searching for something that would reduce my period cramps other than a pain killer. In my 23rd year I realised that I have became over weight and I decided to shed that excess fat.

Obesity and period cramps
Photo by Kin Shing Lai on Unsplash

I tried many things by my own and fortunately they didn’t work out. So, I took the help of a qualified nutritionist and I started eating balanced and healthy. I experienced that same pain free, comfortable periods which I used to have in my 11th and 12th years that month and I’m amazed. I’m 27 now and till today, I never experienced period cramps and I am not going back even in future also because I’ve got the key.

period cramp relief
Photo by Konstantin Evdokimov on Unsplash

HEALTHY EATING HABITS = PAIN-FREE PERIODS

In the process of becoming an ayurvedic doctor and specializing in ayurvedic gynaecology, I will share the different root causes of period cramps and what are some simple corrections you can make today to experience a pain free period.

Disclaimer: This post is for educational purposes and does not replace medical advice.

Causes of Menstrual Pain

causes of menstrual cramps

Ahara (Dietary causes for period cramps)

Excessive consumption of

  1. Deep fried foods
  2. Spicy foods
  3. Meat
  4. Curd
  5. Salty snacks and pickles
  6. Tamarind (in any form)

Vihara (Activity related causes for period cramps)

Too much of

  1. Travelling
  2. Exercise
  3. Staying sedentary
  4. Talking
  5. Screen time
  6. Listening to music
  7. Strong perfumes
  8. Watching horror films
  9. Day time sleep
  10. Night outs
  11. Suppressing the urge to pee & poop

Manasika (Mind-level causes for period cramps)

  1. Anger
  2. Grudgeful thoughts

These might seem so simple but try fixing them, you’ll feel the difference.

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Best medicine for menstrual cramps

  1. Avoid all the causes that are mentioned above during periods (As much as you can).
  2. Follow a healthy, balanced, plant-based diet.
  3. Always eat minimal portions. Don’t overload tummy during periods.
  4. Practice yoga asanas regularly.

Remedies for period pain relief

Best medicine for period cramps

Cardamom milk

Add 1 pod of crushed cardamom into 1 half cup (125ml) of coconut milk. Bring it to boil and enjoy it lukewarm in the evening around 5-6 pm every day.

Strengthening Elixir

Soak 5-10 black raising in a glass of hot water for overnight and drink it the next morning on an empty stomach every day and eat those raisins as well. Make sure to wash the raisins thoroughly before soaking them in hot water.

Instant pain relief juice

Roughly chop 1/4th beetroot, add it to a blender along with ½ tablespoon cumin seeds and 1 cup of water (250ml). Blend, filter and have it during periods.

Golden rice

To a rice cooker add 1 cup rice, 1 cup split-green gram, 1 inch cinnamon stick, a cardamom pod, a pinch of turmeric, 3 cups of water and let it cook. Serve hot with a drizzle of coconut oil on top and a sprinkle of 5-10 black raisins. I highly recommend avoiding salt but if it’s difficult for you, add very little amount of salt after serving not while cooking. Replace this with at least 1 meal during periods

Nourishing Laddu

Toast 1 cup of white sesame seeds, add them to a blender along with ¼ cup jaggery powder and bled them to a dough like texture. Roll them into small laddus and have 1 laddu each day without skipping.

Stir-fried sprouts

Boil a cup of green gram sprouts, drain the water and take it into a bowl. Into a small kadai, add 1 tablespoon white sesame oil, freshly grated ginger, ½ teaspoon cumin seeds, a pinch of asafoetida and fry them until the aroma is appreciated. Now turn off the stove and add sprouts along with a pinch of salt, a pinch of turmeric powder and a pinch of pepper powder. Mix and eat every day. Avoid eating this while you are in your period.

Period Cramp Relief Yoga Therapy

Do your best in following the below mentioned yoga flow for 45 days for the best results. Avoid practicing this during your period time (when you are bleeding)

Consult for personalized care

All of these works excellent if you are not having any underlying medical condition. If you are diagnosed with any medical condition prior, these might not work as effectively. I highly suggest you to book an appointment for personalised care.

yoga for digestion

Yoga for Digestion: A Complete Digestive Health Yoga Flow for Better Gut Health

by with No Comment Yoga

What is Digestive System

yoga for digestion

It’s hard to deny the fact that Digestive system is a place where food gets converted into our body parts. What if there are issues in our digestive system? Yes, you guessed it right. The quality and efficiency of our body parts will keep on declining making us sick. Digestive health is not just limited to acidity and constipation; it’s a lot more than that. I’m not going to bring all of that here but I designed an amazing flow of asanas known as Yoga for Digestion, A simple 20-minute practice.

Healthy Digestive System = Happy 100

Digestive system = A tube originating from mouth to poop hole includes stomach, small intestine and large intestine + God level organs like liver, pancreas and spleen

Reasons for Poor Digestion

yoga for digestion

Consumption of

  1. Very dry food (all crunchy and crispy foods like crackers, chips, biscuits etc.)
  2. Excess oily food (pizza, burger, fried chicken, pastries etc.)
  3. Heavy meals
  4. Half cooked food
  5. Cold food and cold drinks
  6. Excessive drinking of water
  7. Caffeine & sweets

Habituated to

  1. Unguided fastings
  2. Suppression of natural urges
  3. Improper sleeping schedule
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Seasonal wellness tips, herbs, and simple rituals.

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Who is often

  1. Worried
  2. Anxious
  3. Anger etc. during meal

Poor Digestion Symptoms

In our body poor digestion or disturbed digestive health manifests in the form of us experiencing the following symptoms

yoga for digestion
  1. Heaviness of abdomen
  2. Frequent burps after meals
  3. Loss of hunger
  4. Flatulence
  5. Vomiting
  6. Diarrhea
  7. Constipation
  8. Weakness
  9. Low Hb

Yoga Flow for Digestive Health

Asanas like Shalabasana (locust pose), Dhanurasana (bow pose), Bhujangasana (cobra-pose) and Ushtrasana (camel pose) helps a lot. Pranayama practice like Nadi shodana keeps your gut happy. I have prepared a 20-minute digestive health yoga flow which includes all these asanas along with pranayama practice for you in the video below. It’s best to practice the flow early morning on an empty stomach

Disclaimer

This practice is designed for general wellness. If you have any medical conditions, are pregnant, or experiencing severe digestive issues, it’s best to consult a qualified practitioner before starting.

Consult with me

If you are confused about the status of your gut health, I invite you to book a DISCOVERY CONSULTATION with me where I will help you in decoding this confusion and safely drive you to the zone of clarity.

yoga for digestion
de bloat

3 Powerful Digestive Hacks to Reduce Bloating Naturally

by with No Comment Ayurveda

Digestion as key to reduce bloating

The process of digestion is the process of cooking happening inside the body. Before we cook any dish, we have to turn on the stove, while cooking is happening, we have to make sure that the temperature is at right setting and once we’re done with cooking it’s important to turn off the stove. Luckily our body is super intelligent and it can perform all of these activities by itself. All we have to do is

• To cooperate with it through these processes and
• To avoid causing troubles

What why and how of bloating

Ayurveda says that the root cause of majority of diseases is Manda agni (manda= sluggish | agni = digestion & metabolism). Manda agni happens when the body loses its intelligence of turning on the stove, regulate the cooking process and turn off the stove which leads to indigestion, bloating, constipation etc., Now let’s learn 3 digestive hacks to reduce bloating ayurvedically.

Hack: 1 – Turning on the stove

To turn on the stove inside our body we need

Fresh ginger: 1 inch (thinly sliced)
Salt: a pinch
Lemon juice: 1 tbsp

Combine all of these ingredients in a small bowl. Chew 2 to 3 slices 30 minutes before every meal

Ingredient break-down

Properties of Ginger:

  1. Ruchya – known for improving the taste
  2. Deepaniya – that which improves the digestion and metabolism
  3. Vibandha hara – helpful in clearing the obstructions (gases & poop) in gastro-intestinal tract
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A monthly dose of Ayurveda for modern living.

Seasonal wellness tips, herbs, and simple rituals.

Small steps towards natural balance.

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Properties of salt (Lavana rasa):

  1. Ushna – hot in potency
  2. Rochana – improves taste
  3. Deepana – improves digestion and metabolism

Properties of lemon juice:

  1. Ama dosha hara – destroys ama (toxic products formed when food is consumed during indigestion)
  2. Vahni mandya hara – relieves us from indigestion
  3. Dipana-pachana – acts as carminative and digestive

Hack: 2 – Temperature regulation while cooking

We don’t end up with a great dish when the stove turns off in the middle of cooking. To make sure that the flame or temperature is continuing throughout the process, cumin tea helps. A good cumin tea needs

  1. Roasted cumin powder: a pinch
  2. Water: ½ cup (125ml)

Into a tea pan add water, cumin powder and bring it boil. Switch off the flame and let the cumin tea cool down. Once it’s lukewarm, pour it into a cup and take sips of this cumin tea while eating food instead of plain water.

Ingredient breakdown:

Properties cumin seeds:

  1. Agni vardanam: improves digestive strength
  2. Garbhashaya vishuddi krut: cleanses uterus
  3. Vata anulomanam: relieves bloating and helps in expelling the gases in gastro-intestinal tract
  4. Deepana-pachana-ruchya – Carminative, digestive and improves the taste

Hack: 3 – Turning off the stove

Once we are done with cooking, we must turn off the stove or else that delicious dish will burn and it becomes something that is no longer fit for consumption. To avoid this from happening inside our body, we need,

  1. Fennel seeds: ½ tbsp
  2. Toasted coriander seeds: ½ tbsp

I usually mix 50 grams of each of these ingredients and store it in an air-tight glass bottle. After completing my meal every day, I chew a table spoon of this mixture.

Ingredient breakdown

Properties fennel seeds:

  1. Swadu- tikta – it’s sweet and bitter
  2. Sheeta – sooths and cools down the environment inside stomach

Properties of roasted coriander seeds:

  • Grahi – Controls the excess fluidity in the gastro-intestinal tract post-meal consumption.

These hacks works best when the meal timings are regular. Following these steps with every single meal that you consume, helps in improving your gut peristaltic movements, reduces gas/ bloating, improving your digestive strength to peak level, facilitates highest bio-availability of nutrients and you will be blessed with outstanding levels of immunity.

Conclusion:

A summarized version of all the digestive hacks along with the recipe videos are included in my YouTube video linked below.

vata pitta kapha meaning

Vata Pitta Kapha meaning: A Simple Beginner’s Guide to Three Doshas

by with No Comment AyurvedaBeginners guide

NAMASTE 🙏

What are Vata, Pitta and Kapha

The 3 popular globally recognized terms of ayurveda are Vata, Pitta and Kapha. These are called as doshas by Ayurvedic clinicians. To understand a little bit about where these pieces fit into the puzzle of Ayurveda, I highly suggest you to checkout my blogpost on what is ayurveda first and then come back here. The literary meaning of dosha is fault. You’ll get to know the why sooner.

Vata, Pitta and Kapha meaning

Vata, Pitta and Kapha are 3 elements which are recognized by certain group of qualities. They are as follows:

Vata means the combination of the following 6 qualities

  1. Ruksha (Dryness)
  2. Laghu (Lightness)
  3. Sheeta (not so cold, not so hot in this context)
  4. Khara (Roughness)
  5. Sukshma (Minuteness)
  6. Chala (That which facilitates the movement i.e. both voluntary and involuntary movements)

Pitta means the combination of the following 7 qualities

  1. Sa Sneha (not too unctuous, not too dry)
  2. Teekshna (Sharpness)
  3. Ushna (Hotness)
  4. Laghu (Lightness)
  5. Visram (Unpleasant smell)
  6. Saram (Spreadable)
  7. Dravam (Fluidity)

Kapha means the combination of the following 7 qualities

  1. Snigdha (Unctuous)
  2. Sheeta (Coldness in this context)
  3. Guru (Heaviness)
  4. Manda (Stagnant)
  5. Slakshna (Smooth)
  6. Mritsna (Sticky)
  7. Sthira (Stable)

Role of Vata, Pitta and Kapha in Health and Disease

vata pitta kapha health
Photo by Marea Wellness on Unsplash

Three Doshas as Contributing Factors of Health

If we look at all the above-mentioned qualities closely, every organ of human body is made up of the combination of two or more of these characters only. To make this clear, I’ll quote a few examples.

Hair: It’s mostly can be rough, tough and strong. (purely vata)

Lungs: surrounded by fluids, they contain minute air-filled sacs called alveoli (combination of vata and kapha)

Stomach: Secretes Hcl (Hydrochloric acid) which is hot in potency. This Hcl is fluid and spreadable in nature (purely pitta)

Three Doshas as Contributing Factors of Disease

Vata pitta kapha disease
Photo by Martha Dominguez de Gouveia on Unsplash

Diseases are caused when the natural qualities of these doshas become abnormal such as

  1. Excessively dry or oily hair
  2. Difficulty in breathing
  3. Hyper acidity or Indigestion

Vata, pitta and kapha are superiorly known for their disease-causing ability rather than their role in health maintenance in a balanced state. This is because just a slightest deviation in them for a considerable period of time, can even cause death. Hence they are identified as three doshas than just vata pitta and kapha.

Three doshas and Prakriti

This is the most confusing section in this whole blogpost but I will do my best in making this super easy to digest for you. Prakriti is the genetic makeup of an individual which is decided at the time of the fertilization itself. There are 7 broad categories of prakriti based upon the predominance of qualities of doshas and we all fit into any one of it. They are as follows:

what ayurveda is
  1. Vataja prakriti (A person born with majority of qualities leaning towards vata dosha)
  2. Pittaja prakriti (A person born with majority of qualities leaning towards pitta dosha)
  3. Kaphaja prakriti (A person born with majority of qualities leaning towards kapha dosha)
  4. Vata-Pittaja prakriti (A person born with majority of qualities leaning towards vata and pitta doshas)
  5. Pitta-Kaphaja prakriti (A person born with majority of qualities leaning towards pitta and kapha doshas)
  6. Kapha-Vataja prakriti (A person born with majority of qualities leaning towards kapha and vata doshas)
  7. Vata-Pitta-Kaphaja prakriti (A person born with balanced doshas- very rare)

We’ll see an example: There is a person who is having dry, frizzy and curly hair and have breathing problems since birth and is obese since childhood. The characters dryness, frizzyness and curls are leaning towards vata dosha, where as having breathing problem indicates the involvement of both vata and kapha doshas. Finally, obese means kapha hence this individual can be of Vata-Kapha Prakriti.

Uniqueness of ayurvedic consultation

Let’s say initially you are born with a combination of qualities of vata-pitta doshas, but over time due to the influence of food and lifestyle habits, you turned out to be an individual with qualities leaning towards vata-kapha doshas which is causing so much disturbance in your health status then how are to supposed to know what is your actual prakriti? Prakriti is your genetic makeup and it’s there from the moment you took birth as a single cell and it will remain until the moment you die but your food and lifestyle choices confuses your current state with the actual prakriti that you are born with.

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In an ayurvedic consultation, a qualified ayurvedic doctor is capable to distinguish what’s natural to you from the current symptoms of a diseased state and helps you to cure the disease without disturbing your actual prakriti. This is why it’s very crucial to have a proper ayurvedic consultation with a qualified ayurvedic doctor before you decided to purchase some over-the-counter ayurvedic herbal blends, ayurvedic herbal teas, ayurvedic protein powders etc., and use them.

Ayurveda is never about one size fits all

Summary

Please watch the youtube video attached below which summarizes this blogpost

what is ayurveda

What is Ayurveda: A Beginner Friendly Guide

by with One Comment AyurvedaBeginners guide

NAMASTE 🙏

Ayurveda is vast and it’s extremely difficult to put it into just one blog post. With my sincere apologies to all the Gurus of Ayurveda, I dared to bring out a post like this for the sake of letting the world know, what exactly Ayurveda stands for and throw some light on very commonly misinterpreted terms and treatments of Ayurveda. I did my best to put out a bird’s eye view of What is Ayurveda in an easily digestible format

What is Ayurveda

The word Ayurveda is the combination of 2 terms AYU and VEDA. Ayu means life and Veda means science or knowledge. So, Ayurveda is known as “The Science of Life”.

what is ayurveda

Edited: Photo by The New York Public Library on Unsplash

Definition of Health according to Ayurveda

Sanskrit sloka from ayurvedic scriptures

Sama doṣaḥ samāgniś ca sama dhātu mala kriyaḥ

prasannātmendriya manāḥ swastha ityabhidhīyate

Let’s decode the sloka

Sama Dosha

Sama = equilibrium / balance (neither more nor less)

In this context, Dosha refers to prime element of the body which helps the body to thrive and also have the capacity to cause disease/ discomfort when disturbed. There are 5 of such doshas inside our body which fit into this definition. 3 of them (vata, pitta and kapha) are capable to cause disease at the level of body and the remining 2 of them (rajas and tamas) are capable to cause disease at the level of mind.

Health is “Equilibrium of health maintaining elements”

Sama Agni

Sama = equilibrium / balance (neither too much nor too less)

Agni means the one that has the potential to transform i.e. digestive fire. A prime element that supports the whole process of transformation of food that we ate into energy and waste materials is called Agni.

Health is “Equilibrium of all the digestive and metabolic processes.”

Sama Dhatu

Sama = equilibrium / balance (neither excess nor depleted)

The structural and functional tissue of the body is known as Dhatu. There are 7 such dhatus with which our body is made up of. They are as follows

  1. Rasa dhatu (Plasma- liquid component of blood)
  2. Rakta dhatu (Blood- Fluid connective tissue)
  3. Mamsa dhatu (Muscle tissue)
  4. Medo dhatu (Adipose/ Fat tissue)
  5. Asthi dhatu (Bone tissue)
  6. Majja dhatu (Bone marrow)
  7. Shukra dhatu (Reproductive fluids)

Health is “Balanced nourishment of all dhatus”

Sama Malakriya

Sama = Equilibrium / balance (neither heavy not scanty)

Mala kriya is the process of elimination of waste materials from the body in the form of pee, poop and sweat.

Health is “Balanced evacuation of toxic wastes”

Prasanna atma, indriya, manas

Prasanna = pleasantness

Atma = soul

Indriya = senses

Manas = mind

Summarised Definition of Health

The balance of life sustaining factors, digestive and metabolic processes, tissue nourishment, and elimination of waste materials along with the pleasantness of soul, senses and mind is known as health according to Ayurveda. (AKA Homeostasis / stable internal environment).

Ayurveda for beginners
Edited: Photo by Hennie Stander on Unsplash

Two Core Principles of Ayurveda

Ayurveda stands by

  1. Protecting the health of a healthy individual (preventive healthcare)
  2. Curing the disease of a patient (curative healthcare)

Preventive Healthcare: Ayurveda Edition

Can you believe the fact that Ayurveda described about wellness 5000 years ago? Yes, you heard it right. Like today, it’s not about trendy gadgets / supplements/ hitting gym no matter what. Ayurvedic wellness is all about incorporating consciously curated daily and seasonal rituals which nourishes body, mind and soul which are surprisingly functional and valid till date. These rituals range from the time of waking up to exercise, to diet, to sleep and a lot more in between. Some of the popular practices like abhyanga, nasya, yoga asana practice, oil pulling etc.., comes under Ayurvedic Wellness.

Curative Healthcare: Ayurveda Edition

Disease treatment protocol in Ayurveda is exceptional. It happens in 3 steps

  1. Shodana (Purification)
  2. Shamana (Pacification)
  3. Rasayana (Rejuvenation)
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Ayurvedic Monthly Newsletter

A monthly dose of Ayurveda for modern living.

Seasonal wellness tips, herbs, and simple rituals.

Small steps towards natural balance.

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SHODANA

Let’s start with an example. A greasy / dirty vessel must be cleaned first before we cook something in it. The same way, when the disease is in a stage of complete manifestation, the person has to undergo cleansing therapy before administering any kind of medicines. For this purpose Ayurveda described 5 cleansing processes popularly known as Panchakarma (in sanskrit language, pancha means 5 and karma means procedures). They are as follows:
1. Vamana (therapeutic emesis)
2. Virechana (therapeutic purgation)
3. Anuvasana vasti (medicated unctuous enema)
4. Asthapana vasti (medicated decoction enema)
5. Nasyam (administering oil based / water-based herbal active principles through nostrils)

SHAMANA

Here we have wide range of Ayurvedic classical and proprietary medications for treating several disease conditions by breaking the disease pathogenesis. If the stage of disease is not chronic or is having a recent onset then there is no need for a person to undergo panchakarma procedures. If the stage of disease is chronic, then a person must go through shodana procedure first followed by using medications to subside the disease.

RASAYANA

The set of procedures and formulations made out of herbs which prevent the recurrence of the disease and preserve the health of an individual is known as rasayana with respect to Ayurveda.

all about ayurveda

Unpacking the concept of Prakriti

Prakriti means Nature i.e. Nature of the person. No two persons on this planet are the same. Every individual is a unique creation. Sometimes, they might look the same in appearance but their preferences / choices / thought processes are entirely different. Ayurveda says that it’s because of combination of different doshas in different degrees at the time of fertilization (when mom’s egg meets dad’s sperm and a single celled you are formed). The process of this combination of doshas is entirely dependent on the doshic status of the couple which is highly influenced by their diet and lifestyle habits.

To summarize, prakriti is the genetic makeup of an individual and understanding the prakriti of an individual is extremely important for ayurvedic doctors because it helps us in choosing the right herbs and giving that customized prescription of diet and lifestyle habits as well.

what ayurveda is
Edited: Photo by Google DeepMind on Unsplash

Who is an Ayurvedic Doctor

The professional degree of an ayurvedic doctor in India is called “BAMS” which stands for Bachelor of Ayurvedic Medicine and Surgery. It’s a 5.5-year graduation equivalent where ayurvedic doctors learn all about assessment of prakriti, doshas, diseases, herbs, treatments, diet, lifestyle and earns the capability to personalise them according to the need of an individual. This process of personalization cannot be done by companies that sells herbs or that make supplements or health drinks or assorted herbal teas. This is why some popular herbs like Ashwagandha, Shilajit, Turmeric, Giloy etc…, might work for some and might show allergic reactions to others.

If you want to know to what all the diseases Sakhi Ayurveda offers treatment for,(click here). If you are planning to take professional ayurvedic consultation with me, (click here)

Conclusion

I have summarized this blog post in the video below. Feel free to check it out.