Do you wake up every morning feeling fresh and rejuvenated? Is your mind clear and skin glowing? If not, you may be experiencing the accumulation of Ama in the body. A body free from Ama feels light and generally enthusiastic about life and has a pink tongue and blemish-free complexion.
Indian kitchens and kitchen gardens come stocked with plenty of herbs and spices that we use to flavor our food and dishes with alacrity – and sometimes with quite a heavy hand as many a tourist who has tasted Indian food has paid testament to with watery eyes, a runny nose and a tongue that seems to be on fire!
Organic, holistic living is becoming more popular with the rise of big-name grocery stores like Whole Foods, the increasing trend of weekly farmer’s markets in cities across the country, and through practices like yoga. Many of us watch what we eat, are curious about where our food came from and want to know how it was produced.
The capacity to witness life from the standpoint of the “observer” is a skill that sets apart the novice from the expert, especially in terms of spiritual advancement. To the ancients, this ability is deemed a technique used to classify the beginner from the advanced human and is given the name drashta in Sanskrit – which translates as “the witness.” When one has cultivated this witnessing attitude and can maintain it through all layers of evolutionary unfoldment, this state signifies an awakened and functioning third eye center, or at least the beginning stages of such.
So let’s begin with what ubtans are. Long before the soap factories were born, ubtans were used to cleanse, exfoliate, and moisturize the skin, as well as give it long-term protection from the elements.
Join Basmati.com every week for a Q&A session with one of Basmati’s practitioners, Melissa Hill (FDN-P)! We know that there is a lot of confusing information out there, which can make applying health advice overwhelming. Sometimes, it’s best to ask a practitioner directly, so each week we’ll cover a common health question!
Sitting in the pit of the throat, supporting the thyroid and parathyroid, the larynx and the vocal chords, sits Vishuddhi Chakra. Literally translated as “Visha” = impurities/poisons and “Shuddhi” = to purify, this vital center sits as the vortex for taking in that which is sweet and that which is considered “poison” from our environment and our experiences for potential purification. I say “potential” because this possibility exists with the proper use and activation of the Vishuddhi chakra, though not all are able to harness its power for personal reward.
There are a multitude of herbs that have reportedly numerous healing properties and can be effective for treatment in a wide array of conditions. Ashwagandha is one of these herbs. Ayurvedic practitioners in India have been utilizing this ancient herb for many issues, especially for conditions that have root in the brain, including memory, cognitive functions in general, the regulation of neurotransmitters and insomnia.
Just like reality is layered, so too is the body comprised of concentric fields that stack on each other and overlap, working with each other in order to create perfect health in this manifestation vehicle we call the body. By understanding the layers in the body and what their functions are, it becomes easier to see and hear the inner workings by the symptomatic language the body is speaking.
Join Basmati.com every week for a Q&A session with one of Basmati’s practitioners, Melissa Hill (FDN-P)! We know that there is a lot of confusing information out there, which can make applying health advice overwhelming. Sometimes, it’s best to ask a practitioner directly, so each week we’ll cover a common health question!