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SPRING CLEANSES
The first few weeks of Spring are ideal for a cleanse. In ayurvedic terms, we build and store the byproducts of kapha dosha (mostly in the forms of excess fat and mucus) during the cold months of winter. As soon as the weather starts to warm up, kapha liquifies so the body can rid itself of the excess. For many people, this means a Spring cold.
In ayurveda, we choose the type of cleanse for a particular person based on the health/strength of the person, the strength of the cleanse and the duration of the cleanse. The ultimate cleanse is panchakarma or "5 actions". Here is a link to panchakarma at the Ayurvedic Institute. I've done this form of deep cleanse/detoxification 6 times and recommend it highly though it's not for everyone; it's also time-consuming and pricey.
Here are some gentle Spring cleansing tips for those who aren't doing panchakarma:
·Take Triphala nightly. Triphala is a compound of 3 ayurvedic herbs. It's the most widely prescribed ayurvedic herbal formula. Rare is the person who consults with my teacher, Dr. Lad, and doesn't walk away with a recommendation for triphala. It's mild, detoxifying and rejuvenating. It can be taken indefinitely. Learn more about triphala and purchase it here.
·Drink a sip of hot water every hour. Sounds weird and ineffective but this is a time-proven ayurvedic detoxification method.
·Drink a few of cups of Coriander-Cumin-Fennel Tea daily. This combination of readily available spices is suitable for all doshas and boosts digestive fire, one of the keys to successful cleansing. You can buy the seeds or powdered versions of these spices at the grocery store and steep equal amounts in hot water for five minutes. (I stock powdered organic coriander, cumin and fennel. If you'd like me to whip up a bag of CCF Tea for you, just email me below.)
·Scrape your tongue every morning with a metal cleaner. Toxins accumulate on the tongue overnight resulting in the sticky coating you see on your tongue each morning. A tongue scraper rids you of these toxins while stimulating points on the tongue corresponding to your internal organs. Do not brush your tongue with your toothbrush! It drives the toxins back into your tongue. Ewww.
The liver, in addition to its many functions, is the storehouse of fat/cholesterol and filterer of toxins. Spring is the recommended time for liver cleansing. Dr. Lad recommends a liver/gall bladder cleanse that involves drinking a mixture of olive oil, citrus juice and cayenne to open the ducts of these organs to release excess bile, cholesterol and whatever else shakes loose. If this interests you, let me know and I'll look up the particulars in my notes.
A gentler and easier way to go is to buy an herbal liver-support supplement like this one. Take 2 capsules every day until they're gone. You may feel a little dizzy or flu-like for the first couple of days. This is part of the detox process.
Personally, because I'm not schlepping back to ABQ for panchakarma at the moment, I intend to do a series of non-ayurvedic-yet-gnarly liver/gall bladder cleanses that involve not only olive oil and citrus juice but drinking epsom salts mixed with water. It's vile but very interesting in a "it's for science!" way. If you're interested in this one, you know where to find me!
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HAY FEVER/ALLERGY PREVENTION
If you suffer from hay fever or allergies that give you a runny nose, sneezing and itchy eyes, now is the time to start taking a daily dose of freeze-dried stinging nettle. According to my herbal guru, Sonia the Witch, the nettles MUST be FREEZE-DRIED. Accept no substitutes. Taking a nettle tablet daily for a month or two before symptoms usually start can prevent them from occurring at all. Here's a product that looks good to me.
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COMING SOON: FRAGRANCES!
Last month I mentioned Bhakti and Twisted,
2 perfumes I've created. Turns out people really like them! I plan to
make some, let it marinate and put it up on the site in the next few
weeks. You'll be able to buy them in 2 forms: perfume oil in a
roll-on applicator or eau de parfum spray in a cute atomizer.
Because I love essential oils and absolutes, I've built up quite a collection. There's nothing like sniffing pure blood orange essential oil or sandalwood oil or a gorgeous Turkish rose absolute! There are many sources for these oils and absolutes but I've found that the best ones only sell at wholesale or in quantities too large for the average person to purchase.
After some experimentation, I plan to offer single-note perfume sprays. They'll only have one note and nothing else. No synthetics. Organic or non-sprayed when possible. Ethically harvested.
The best jasmine, the best rose, the best mitti (baked earth in sandalwood...smells like dirt in the all the best ways possible), the best litsea (smells like lemon but better), the best neroli, the best cardamom, the best tulsi (smells spicy and clove-like) etc. You'll be able to wear each scent on its own, layer them with each other or other fragrances you already wear.
If there are any fragrances you desire, please let me know! Please do not desire vanilla or musk.
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RELAX INTO GREATNESS CDs
Last month, I told you about Yoga Nidra, a form of guided meditation/relaxation. (I'm conducting three Yoga Nidra sessions at Exhale Spa in Chicago on March 8, April 19 and May 17. Please see the EVENTS page on my site for details.)
One of my teachers, the esteemed Rod Stryker, makes a great Yoga Nidra CD called Relax Into Greatness that I recommended last month. Yoga Nidra requires that someone (your guru, preferably) lead you into relaxation by talking you through a series of visualizations while you lie comfortably on your back. You can't do it on your own.
People, my mother mostly, have given me such good feedback on this CD that I'm happy to offer it on my site. I've used this CD countless times so I can vouch for its effectiveness!
Relax Into Greatness.
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Love, 