Ayurveda is a 5,000-year-old system of natural healing that has its origins in the Vedic culture of India. Although suppressed during years of foreign occupation, Ayurveda has been enjoying a major resurgence in both its native land and throughout the world. Tibetan medicine and Traditional Chinese Medicine both have their roots in Ayurveda. Early Greek medicine also embraced many concepts originally described in the classical ayurvedic medical texts dating back thousands of years.

More than a mere system of treating illness, Ayurveda is a science of life (Ayur = life,Veda = science or knowledge). It offers a body of wisdom designed to help people stay vital while realizing their full human potential. Providing guidelines on ideal daily and seasonal routines, diet, behavior and the proper use of our senses, Ayurveda reminds us that health is the balanced and dynamic integration between our environment, body, mind, and spirit.

Recognizing that human beings are part of nature, Ayurveda describes three fundamental energies that govern our inner and outer environments: movement, transformation, and structure. Known in Sanskrit as Vata (Wind), Pitta (Fire), and Kapha (Earth), these primary forces are responsible for the characteristics of our mind and body. Each of us has a unique proportion of these three forces that shapes our nature. If Vata is dominant in our system, we tend to be thin, light, enthusiastic, energetic, and changeable. If Pitta predominates in our nature, we tend to be intense, intelligent, and goal-oriented and we have a strong appetite for life. When Kapha prevails, we tend to be easy-going, methodical, and nurturing. Although each of us has all three forces, most people have one or two elements that predominate.

For each element, there is a balanced and imbalance expression. When Vata is balanced, a person is lively and creative, but when there is too much movement in the system, a person tends to experience anxiety, insomnia, dry skin, constipation, and difficulty focusing. When Pitta is functioning in a balanced manner, a person is warm, friendly, disciplined, a good leader, and a good speaker. When Pitta is out of balance, a person tends to be compulsive and irritable and may suffer from indigestion or an inflammatory condition. When Kapha is balanced, a person is sweet, supportive, and stable but when Kapha is out of balance, a person may experience sluggishness, weight gain, and sinus congestion.
An important goal of Ayurveda is to identify a person’s ideal state of balance, determine where they are out of balance, and offer interventions using diet, herbs, aromatherapy, massage treatments, music, and meditation to reestablish balance.

According to Ayurvedic theory, everything in the universe — living or not — is connected. Good health is achieved when your mind, body, and spirit are in harmony with the universe. A disruption of this harmony can lead to poor health and sickness.

For followers of Ayurveda, anything that affects your physical, spiritual, or emotional well-being can cause you to be out of balance with the universe. Some things that can cause a disruption include:

• genetic or birth defects
• injuries
• climate and seasonal changes
• age
• emotions

How your body works to keep you healthy and your unique physical and psychological characteristics combine to form your body’s constitution, or prakriti. Your prakriti is believed to stay the same for your entire life. However, how you digest food and eliminate waste can influence it.

Every person is made of a combination of five basic elements found in the universe:

• space
• air
• fire
• water
• earth

These elements combine in the human body to form three life forces or energies, called doshas. They control how your body works. The three doshas are:

• vata dosha (space and air)
• pitta dosha (fire and water)
• kapha dosha (water and earth)

Everyone inherits a unique mix of the three doshas. One dosha is usually more dominant. Each dosha controls a different body function. It is believed that your chances of getting sick are linked to the balance of your doshas.

Vata: Movement and Change

If Vata dosha predominates, movement and change are characteristic of your nature. You will tend to always be on the go, with an energetic and creative mind. As long as Vata is in balance, you will be lively and enthusiastic, with a lean body.

If excessive stress in your life leads to your Vata force becoming imbalanced, your activity will start to feel out of control. Your mind may race, contributing to anxiety and insomnia. You may start skipping meals, resulting in unintended weight loss, and your digestion may become irregular. If you notice these early symptoms of a Vata imbalance, slow down, take time to meditate, don’t skip meals, and get to bed earlier. A regular lifestyle routine helps ground Vata so you are not carried away into the ethers.

Learn more about Vata here.

Pitta: Transformation and Metabolism

A healthy Pitta constitution results in strong appetites and strong digestion of both information and experience. When Pitta becomes imbalanced, heat begins to rise in the body and mind. Heartburn, ulcers, hypertension, and inflammatory conditions reflect excessive accumulation of the fire element.

Mentally, too much Pitta manifests as irritability and anger. These symptoms are signals to “chill.” Stop packing in too many things to do in too little time. Reduce your competitive activities, decrease your consumption of alcohol (fire water), and go for a walk in a natural setting where you can be surrounded with abundant blue (water) and green (plants).

Learn more about Pitta here.

Kapha: Structure and Fluidity

People with a predominance of Kapha in their nature are solid, reliable, contented souls. But when Kapha builds to excess, weight gain, fluid retention, and allergies manifest in the body. Excess Kapha in the mind manifests as resistance to change and stubbornness. People with an excess of Kapha tend to hold on to things, jobs, and relationships long after they are no longer nourishing or necessary.

To lighten the heaviness of Kapha, get yourself moving and start exercising today. Eat lighter, spicy foods, and give away things you have been accumulating that you know you’ll never use.

Learn more about Kapha here.

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Oil pulling is an ancient Ayurvedic remedy for oral health and detoxification. It involves the use of pure oils as agents for pulling harmful bacteria, fungus, and other organisms out of the mouth, teeth, gums and even throat.

How To Oil Pull
The most effective oil pulling is done by placing around a tablespoon of cold pressed organic sesame oil into the mouth and swishing the oil around the mouth for approximately 10-15 minutes and then spitting it out.

Other oils such as extra virgin cold pressed coconut, sunflower and olive oil have been used, although sesame oil is considered one of the best oils for this practice. I recommend alternating oils every couple of days to get the full benefit. Putting high quality organic oils into the mouth has a multi-effect outcome.

First, the oils mix with the saliva, turning it into a thin, white liquid. Lipids in the oils begin to pull out toxins from the saliva. As the oil is swished around the mouth, teeth, gums and tongue, the oil continues to absorb toxins, and usually ends up turning thick and viscous and white. Once the oil has reached this consistency, it is spit out before the toxins are reabsorbed.

What Does Oil Pulling Do?

Multiple scientific studies show the efficacy of oil pulling therapy. One study shows that oil pulling with sesame oil can boost overall oral health. Specifically, using sesame oil as an oral health agent helps to reduce the amount of S. mutans (germ) count in both teeth plaque and mouth saliva. Scientists believe that the lipids in the oil both pull out bacteria, as well as stop bacterial from sticking to the walls of the oral cavity.

Oil pulling may also increase saponification in the mouth, creating a soapy environment that cleanses the mouth as vegetable fat is an emulsifier by nature. Most interesting is perhaps the ability of oil to cleanse out harmful bacteria, as well as reduce fungal overgrowth. These oils also possibly help in cellular restructuring, and are related to the proper functioning of the lymph nodes and other internal organs.

Other possible benefits of oil pulling for oral health include:
Overall strengthening of the teeth and gums and jaws
Prevention of diseases of the gums and mouth, such as cavities and gingivitis
Prevention for bad breath
Potential holistic remedy for bleeding gums
Prevention of dryness of the lips, mouth and throat
Possible holistic treatment for TMJ and general soreness in the jaw area

Benefits Beyond the Mouth?
Ancient Ayurvedic health practitioners believed that oil pulling could reduce more than just diseases of the mouth and throat. Today, many holistic practitioners tout its use for a variety of health concerns.

It is believed that these oils help the lymphatic system of the body as harmful bacteria are removed and beneficial microflora are given with a healthy environment to flourish. Because of this holistic perspective, oil pulling has been used as a preventative health measure for many other conditions.

Other possible benefits of oil pulling for overall health include:

Migraine headache relief
Correcting hormone imbalances
May Reduce inflammation of arthritis
May help with gastro-enteritis
Aids in the reduction of eczema
May reduce symptoms of bronchitis
May help support normal kidney function
May help reduce sinus congestion
Some people report improved vision
Helps reduce insomnia
Reduced hangover after alcohol consumption
Aids in reducing pain
Reduces the symptoms of allergies
Helps detoxify the body of harmful metals and organisms

Scientific Studies on Sesame Oil and Oil Pulling
Sesame oil is particularly high in the antioxidants sesamol, sesamin, and sesamolin. It also holds a high concentration of Vitamin E and polyunsaturated fatty acids. These antioxidants have been found to stop the absorption of negative forms of cholesterol in the liver. Multiple studies have shown the antibacterial capacities of sesame oil. These studies support the use of oil pulling in the prevention of dental cavities and gingivitis.

A 2007 study looking into the effect of oil pulling (with sunflower oil) on plaque and gingivitis on oral soft and hard tissues. Results found that after 45 days of oil pulling, subjects showed a statistically significant reduction in gingivitis.

Another study , conducted in 2008 found a “remarkable reduction in the total count of bacteria” in the mouth, and an overall marked reduction in susceptibility dental cavities. The antibacterial activity of sesame oil was also studied and found to have an effect on the Streptococcus mutans in the mouth.

In fact, these studies showed an overall reduction of bacteria from 10 to 33.4% in participants, and after 40 days of oil-pulling, participants were found to show 20% in average reduction in oral bacteria. Moreover, half of all participants in this case study showed a drastic reduction in susceptibility to dental caries.

 

For those of you ready to experiment something new, we’ve put together a selection of great face masks for oily skin and acne that you can prepare at home. Plus, they’re natural, so you don’t have to worry about the ingredients.
Sometimes you don’t have the necessary budget to book a salon appointment so you have to be inventive.

 

Banana, Strawberry, Kiwi, and Honey Face Mask

Our first suggestion when it comes to face masks for oily skin is this simple yet very nourishing natural solution.

Ingredients: 1 ripe banana, 3 Strawberries 1 tablespoon of honey, 10 drops of lemon juice and Kiwi slices for the eyes.

You should mix the banana and honey in a bowl. Then, add the lemon juice and combine them. Once the mixture is ready, apply it on your face and let it work its magic for about 15 minutes. In the end, rinse with lukewarm water and wipe your complexion with a washcloth.

Cucumber, Egg White, Lemon and Clay Mask

This mask is just perfect for cleansing clogged pores.>As its name suggests, you’ll need the following ingredients: 1 tablespoon of egg white, ½ teaspoon of clay, a few drops of lemon juice and 1 egg white.

Add all these ingredients together and mix them until a smooth paste is formed. Then, apply the mask on your face, but make sure to avoid the eyes area and leave it for about 20 minutes. Finally, rinse with warm water.

 

Strawberry and Yogurt Facial

You should know that the yogurt will help exfoliate your acne prone skin.

Ingredients: 4 ripe strawberries, 1 teaspoon of plain yogurt

Firstly, wash thoroughly the strawberries, then use a fork to mash them. Add the plain yogurt and stir until it becomes smooth. Then apply this mixture on your face and let it sit for 10-15 minutes. Use warm water for rinsing.

 

Homemade Juice Mask

Both lemon and strawberries have natural astringents that are perfect for fighting acne.

Ingredients: 1 teaspoon of lemon juice, 1 cup of strawberries, 2 egg whites, 3 teaspoons of honey and 4 drops of essential oil.

You should mash the strawberries with a fork until they form a smooth paste. Then, add the lemon juice, honey and egg whites and mix them together. Apply the formed mixture on your face and let it stay for about 10 minutes. Rinse with warm water and a warm cloth.

 

Oatmeal Face Mask

For this mask you’ll need 1 tablespoon of honey, some oatmeal and 1 egg yolk.

You should take a small bowl and mix there the egg yolk and honey. Then, add slowly some oatmeal so that you create a thick paste. Apply the mask on your face and neck and let it sit for about 15 minutes. In the end, rinse with warm water.

Apricot, Yogurt and Clay Mask

This is an amazing natural face mask because it nourishes your skin and regulates its oiliness. We recommend using it once or twice a week. You can easily create it with the following ingredients: ½ teaspoon of clay, 1 apricot and 1 tablespoon of yogurt.

Firstly, you should peel the apricot. Then add it into a blender and mash it. Add the yogurt and clay and blend them together until a paste is formed. Apply it carefully on your face and leave it for 20 minutes. Then rinse with warm water.

Turmeric and Yogurt Face Mask

Ingredients: 2 tablespoons of rice flour, ¼ teaspoon of turmeric powder and ½ cup of plain yogurt.

Mix all these ingredients until they form a smooth paste and afterwards apply the mixture on your face and let it sit for about 15-20 minutes. Then use a wet cloth for rinsing.