It’s January and everyone’s talking about their dry skin. My clients are soaking up extra massage oil. They report using plenty of lotion, but sometimes, their skin still needs help. A professional massage goes a long way, but did you know that Ayurveda has just the cure? You can zap dry skin with a daily self-massage. Continue reading
Category Archives: Home & Health
DIY Body Oil
Abhyanga is a warm oil massage, and it is one of the most important parts of a self-care routine. In Hindi, sneha means oil, and it also means love. It is a truly wonderful thing to do for yourself. This DIY body oil can be applied before or after a shower, and anytime your skin needs some affection. Continue reading
DIY Ayurvedic Body Scrub – Kapha
Body scrubs are ridiculously cheap and easy to make. You can use all sorts of things to make a body scrub: beans, grains, salt, sugar, herbs, flowers, or spices. A body scrub should be edible. If you can’t put it in your mouth, you probably shouldn’t put it on your skin.
Kaphas generally have moist, cool skin that may retain water. We want to shake things up and get kapha energized, this scrub will use sea salt as an exfoliant. Tulsi promotes lightness in the body which will help to balance kapha’s heavy quality. Lemon essential oil is also light and uplifting. Rosemary and sage are stimulating herbs and help with congestion of the lungs and sinuses. This scrub is light on the oil, since kapha is already oily enough. Continue reading
Ayurveda and Lemon Water
Ohayou gozaimasu! Good morning from Okinawa, Japan. It’s January, the month of new beginnings and changes. It also began with a new moon, which is interesting even if you don’t think so.
Did you make any resolutions this year? If so, tell me about them. If not, I suggest that you add warm lemon water to your morning routine, known as dinacharya in ayurveda. It’s uncomplicated and effective, valuable attributes in resolutions if I do say so myself. Continue reading
Ginger Tea
Ginger is my go-to herb of choice. I prefer ginger to analgesics, and have been known to carry raw ginger in my purse. It’s a great anti-inflammatory, immunity booster, and is wonderful for digestion. Helpful for breaking up colds, coughs, and phlegm, you’ll want to keep ginger around all winter. Continue reading
DIY Ayurvedic Body Scrub – Vata
Body scrubs are ridiculously cheap and easy to make. You can use all sorts of things to make a body scrub: beans, grains, salt, sugar, herbs, flowers, or spices. A body scrub should be edible. If you can’t put it in your mouth, you probably shouldn’t put it on your skin.
If you’re a variable vata person, your skin is probably on the dry side, especially during the winter. We’re going to be making a nourishing body scrub today. Most oils are good for vata. Olive oil is easy to find and is warming. The lentils and nutmeg are ground into a fine powder and are gentle enough for daily use. Ashwaghanda is calming for the skin and helps to keep it from thinning. Honey is nourishing and moisturizing. This scrub has a lovely spicy floral scent, and is very soothing. Continue reading
DIY Ayurvedic Body Scrub – Pitta
Body scrubs are ridiculously cheap and easy to make. You can use all sorts of things to make a body scrub: beans, grains, salt, sugar, herbs, flowers, or spices. A body scrub should be edible. If you can’t put it in your mouth, you probably shouldn’t put it on your skin. Continue reading
DIY Homemade Vanilla Extract OR Vanilla Infused Bourbon
I won’t tell if you “accidently” pour too much “vanilla extract” into your morning coffee. It will be our little secret…
If you happen to still be buying imitation vanilla extract, here are a few things that could be in it: chemically synthesized vanilla flavor from cloves or a paper byproduct, toxic blood-thinning substance from the Tonka bean, corn-syrup, sugar, or a vanilla-like substance from coal tar or rice bran. Guess what is NOT in it? Vanilla.
OK! Real vanilla extract only has two ingredients. Alcohol and vanilla beans. You can use anything from top-shelf to bottom-shelf booze for this. Vodka, bourbon, rum or brandy are all good choices. Go with something nicer if you’re planning to slip some into your morning coffee, if not, bottom-shelf vodka works just fine for extract. Continue reading
DIY Citrus Vinegar Cleaner
Citrus Peels
Vinegar is an all-purpose cleaner. It will kill most molds, bacteria and viruses. It’s safe and gentle enough for home-cleaning purposes. While this will not kill every germ, I’ll take the risk to avoid the harmful chemicals that most cleaners contain. Don’t forget that soap and hot water are STILL well-documented for the preventing the spread of pathogens, like salmonella. Studies are suggesting that allergies are due to a lack of exposure to parasites by creating a sterile home environment. Other studies indicate that prevalence of toxic fumes from cleaning products and flame-retardants are contributing to childhood asthma. Raise your hand if you’ve cleaned a tiny bathroom with bleach? Ack! Unlike these toxic cleaners, vinegar cleaners will not aggravate your skin and lungs. Vinegar is a weak acetic acid. It kills germs by denaturing (chemically changing) their structure. Continue reading
DIY Ayurveda shampoo
I hate buying shampoo and conditioner. Even the organic, SLS free, phthalate/paraben free kinds have a bunch of funky ingredients. Those brands sure aren’t cheap, either. It’s one of the only remaining conventional beauty products that I’ve been purchasing.
I wash my hair a lot. I’m just not one of those people that can go several days without a shampoo. I run and do a lot of sweaty yoga nearly every day. I live on an island with blazing heat and lots of humidity. 2-3 showers a day just to keep cool during the hottest bits of summer. My hair is prone to being oily in a pitta provoking climate like this one. Continue reading
Naturally DIY 