Watch my short video on Dinacharya. Ask yourself what you can choose to create new health patterns. Give yourself the gift of long-term health and well-being.

Dinacharya – Ayurvedic Prescriptions for Daily Routine

Dinacharya is one of the most basic yet important prescriptions of Ayurveda that is universally beneficial. “Aham Brahmasmi,” is a Mahavakya or saying from the Upanishads. Aham Brahmasmi in Sanskrit means, I am that. From the context of Ayurvedic Dinacharya, this statement helps us examine our relationship to Prakriti or Nature. Let’s examine what this means in that context.

“Dina” means day and “acharya” to follow or be close to. When we are close to the day, so to speak, we are operating on the same principles of Nature. When we are aligned with cosmic rhythms, we see how we change with the seasons, why our body/mind slows down after sunset, and how our nutritional needs of our bodies are perfectly aligned with the bounty of Nature in each season. When we understand how the doshas change every single day and we honor our need for silence to connect to the Divine. When we understand our connection to the Universe and live according to the laws of Nature, we will naturally experience “ananda,” or bliss.

Dinacharya is a simple way to enhance your health and well-being. Its benefits are irrefutable and obvious. What it requires of us, is self-discipline and commitment. Upon regular practice, we experience ease and vitality which allows us to enjoy life and experience radiant health and happiness. Why? Because our nature is bliss, and oneness with Nature creates bliss.

Before we begin to make changes, it is important to understand why we must change. First, find your doshic imbalances by a qualified Ayurvedic practitioner or take a dosha quiz. A dosha quiz is acceptable for a basic understanding of your patterns. For a comprehensive diagnosis, it is essential to see an Ayurvedic practitioner. Read the chapter on doshas and understand your imbalances and the needs of your body/mind. Simply paying attention to your eating, sleeping and elimination helps your understanding of imbalances as you does understanding how doshas apply to the seasons and the human lifespan. Now you can implement some of the daily routine practices described below.

The Routine of the Day: Dinacharya

The dinacharya below is an ideal one. We realize that most of us in the West don’t lead an ideal life that allows us the luxury of unlimited free time for self-care. With our limited schedules, many responsibilities and our desire for sustained changes, it behooves us to make gradual changes for the sake of our health and happiness.

Many of our clients have great jobs, beautiful homes and all the amenities of the West. However, at one point or another, they have suffered from anxiety, worry, fear, feeling empty and not connected to something higher than the self. To overcome fatigue, stress and emptiness of our fast-paced life, dinacharya is a soothing balm. Over time you will wonder how you managed without the time for self-care. When you invest in your own joy, divinity, good health and happiness, all other aspects of your life will thrive effortlessly. Life will be easier. Decisions are made with clarity and focus. Relationships will bring you happiness. And you will begin to savor the magic of the ups and downs this “samsara,” (?) or life experience without undue attachment to good or bad.

The morning time is rich in solar energy. It is a pristine time, potent for creativity and the mind is fresh. Vata time has the most saatvik energy. Wake up before sunrise at vata time. You will see how you can wake up at Vata time with adequate sleep later in this chapter. It is best not to be woken up by an alarm clock. It is harsh and well, alarming to the senses and nervous system.

When you wake up, be sure to show gratitude for the new day and feel any changes or sensations in the body. It is also a good time for elimination. You can begin your morning by drinking a glass of hot water with a squeeze of lemon. Do not suppress urges to eliminate—this includes yawning, sneezing, bowel movements and flatulence.

After brushing the teeth, scrape the tongue with a steel or sliver tongue scraper and then swish 2 tbsp of sesame oil in your mouth for 5-8 minutes. Swishing the sesame oil in your mouth is an inexpensive way of maintaining dental health. Sesame oil is a powerful anti-bacterial. Do not swallow the oil and be sure to rinse your mouth with warm water afterwards. Wash your eyes with rose water for cleansing and purifying.

Exercise or vyayama is an important aspect of your dinacharya. Exercising regularly increases stamina, strengthens immune function, improves circulation and reduces fat. Exercise 50% to your capacity. Yoga for your dosha, swimming and walking are great forms of exercise.

Then follows a self-abhyanga. Abhyanga is one of the best ways to ground yourself and to enhance your immunity. See below for instructions. Take a warm shower or bath afterwards. Washing the body is a way to purify the senses and the soul, and is a pre-requisite to beginning any spiritual practice such as meditation or pujas. Wear clean clothes and use essential oils for fragrances.

Meditation is one of the most important aspects of your dinacharya. Practice some form of meditation, whether japa, which is repetition of a mantra, or an open-eyed or close-eyed technique for 20 minutes each day. After meditating have a light breakfast. Fresh, juicy and ripe fruit, with warm oatmeal is a great way to break your fast. After your breakfast, you are ready to practice your dharma. During this time, take time to nurture your relationships and cultivate gratitude. Lunch should be the heaviest meal of the day. This is when your agni or digestive fire is strongest. Along with your other foods, have dairy and yogurt at this meal. Eat slowly, consciously, and savor your food. Enjoy the company of people you love. Rest for about 10-15 minutes after you meal. An Ayurvedic meal should not cause sluggishness or create a need for a nap.

Continue on with your dharmic duties till evening. Do your prayers and meditation at sundown. This is a time for reflection and silence. Dinner should be light such as soup and rice. Finish dinner by 7p.m. Continuing the commitment to being aligned with Nature, turn off the lights by 10p.m. As a way to prepare for bedtime, listen to soft music or read inspiring books after dinner or take a brief stroll. Massage your feet with warm oil if you are unable sleep. You can also drink a cup of warm milk with a pinch of cardamom and saffron and sweeten it with a bit of agave. This is nourishing and will help you fall asleep.

If you have the habit of going to bed later than 10p.m., go to bed a half hour earlier every few days. In a few weeks, you will have easily transitioned from going to bed at 11:30p.m.to 10p.m. The quality of sleep before midnight is twice as good as the quality of sleep you get after midnight, even if you sleep for 8 hours. When we sleep we are not only resting the body, but also the mind and the nervous system. Sleep rejuvenates us, gives us clarity and freshness and enhances our immune function. So, don’t be stingy with the hours of sleep. Adequate sleep is a gift we can give ourselves every night as part of our dinacharya.

Remember, perfect health and bliss is derived from discipline and self-awareness. Connect to the divine each day and practice dinacharya and enjoy greater well-being and happiness.

Abhyanga – The Art of Self-Massage

The body of one who performs abhyanga regularly is not affected much even if subjected to accidental injuries, or strenuous work. By performing abhyanga daily, a person is endowed with pleasant touch, supple muscles and is strong, charming and is not affected by old age.
- Charaka Samhita

The health benefits of the self-abhyanga can be a gift to yourself for about 10 minutes each day. Although daily abhyanga is optimal, if you are able to do it every other day, it will make a big difference.

• Warm your dosha specific oil in a small pot on the stove or warm in a squirt bottle in a sink filled with hot water. Warm the oil to just above body temperature. Stand on a mat or an old towel which can be washed.
• 5 tbsp of oil is a good amount of oil to cover the whole body. Pour a small amount of oil into a cupped hand, rub hands together carefully and apply to the scalp. Rub gently in small circles using your palms.
• Use circular motions on face and over joints, long strokes over open areas and along limbs. Massaging the ears, palms of the hands and soles of the feet will stimulate nerve endings to help soothe the nervous system.
• Before moving off the towel or mat, wipe excess oil from the soles of your feet. Stand on a non-skid mat in the shower. Allow about 10 minutes for the oil to penetrate and absorb deeper.
• If you prefer not to wait, simply start your bath or shower, using water as hot as is comfortable and continue to massage your body. It is not advisable to put very hot water on the head or neck.

Dry with a fresh, dry washcloth or towel to remove any excess oil. Oil will wash out of fabric with hot water, a good detergent plus and some dishwashing detergent.

Oils for Abhyanga:

Vata: Sesame oil

Pitta: Sunflower or Olive oil

Kapha: Mustard or sesame oil

The three gunas of Ayurveda. Cultivate saatvic energy and watch your health improve.

Hello Everyone: If you want to know about spices, their medicinal benefits and their properties, then click on the link below. It’s a 10 minute video with lots of information. Th video is from a talk I gave at the Ojai Health Faire last year.

http://bit.ly/zzLj41

Enjoy!

Spices of Ayurveda

It has been a while since I’ve blogged. I’ve been busy collaborating with like-minded sisters and coming up with delicious ways to bring out the feminine divine in each of us.

My dear friend, Lisa Beck and I have conjured up a wonderful workshop called, “Grace Power and Beauty.” It’s a day long workshop for women only. A day of self-indulgence, self-nurturance and bonding with women through meditation, Ayurveda, movement, dance and great vegan food.

View this link below: http:\\www.gracepowerandbeauty.blogspot.com

We call it, “Grace, Power, & Beauty” — a gateway to your Temple of the Feminine Divine.

Watch our video about the retreat here: http://youtu.be/AeXxAaoaqjM

Come and be pampered, laugh, reflect on your sacred heart and learn ancient Indian ways to self-heal and self-nurture with Ayurveda, dance and meditation. Connect with other like-minded women, and go home with tools to incorporate into your everyday life.

Featured presentations:

* Movement * Guided Meditation

* Dance * Delicious lunch

* Ayurvedic tools * Gift bags

When: February 18, 2012 from 10 a.m. – 3:30 p.m.

Where: location disclosed upon registration

Cost: $125 per person Registration and prepayment required: http://www.gracepowerandbeauty.com

*If you prefer to write a check, please mail to: our address

407 Foxen Dr, SB 93105

For more information contact Aparna@TheMistressOfSpice.com (or Lisa at info@Panzumo.com

Thank you.

Ayurveda and Meditation

Watch a short clip about meditation and its benefits to your health and well-being.

Ingredients for Vegetable Korma

Vegetable Korma with paneer is one of those dishes that is so wholesome and delicious, pleasing to vegetarians and non-vegetarians. This recipe is easy, although the list of ingredients might seem daunting. Don’t be alarmed. It goes fast and the end result is tasty!

Yummy Vegetable Korma with Paneer

Yesterday, I made a roasted tomatillo salsa at my client’s house and they have always loved it. So, I bought some tomatillos and made some for my family today to accompany our Mexican dinner. Here’s the recipe. It’s so very easy, flavorful and delicious! Serve this salsa with chicken, tacos, eggs and burritos. It’s tangy and spicy.

Roasted Tomatillo Salsa

Roasting the vegetables in a cast iron skillet

Roasted about half way

Perfectly roasted tomatillos, jalapenos, garlic and tomatoes

Roasted Tomatillo Salsa

Ingredients:

1 tbsp oil

5 medium sized tomatillos

2 medium sized tomatoes

2 cloves of garlic (unpeeled)

2 jalapenos

1/2 tsp salt

Preparation:

Heat the oil in a cast iron skillet. And carefully place the tomatoes, jalapenos, tomatillos and garlic. Make sure the heat is on medium low. The vegetables need to roast on low heat to give deep flavor to the salsa. Turn the vegetables every 5-7 minutes with tongs so they roast evenly. When they are well roasted (see last photo above), turn the heat off and let it cool. Remove the skin from the garlic and the stems from the jalapenos and discard. Place all the vegetables in a blender and blend till smooth. Add 1 tbsp of chopped cilantro leaves if you wish. Enjoy. This salsa will keep in the fridge for 3 days.

Our last cooking class titled, “Street Foods of India” was so fun and delicious. Everyone got to make their own vegetable puffs, onion pakoras and potato bondas. Yes, everyone got to out their fingers in the dough and have the full experience of deep frying. The photo below is of students making potato balls for the potato bonda recipe.

Making spiced potato balls for Potato Bondas

Potato Bondas

Ingredients:

For the filling;

2 large potatoes

2 tbsp oil

1/2 tsp mustard seeds

½ tsp urad dal

½ tsp of cumin powder

3 Thai chilies chopped finely

½ inch ginger grated

1/2 tsp Turmeric Powder

2 tbsp chopped cilantro

1 ½ tsp salt

Juice of 1 lime

For the Batter:

3/4 cup Chickpea/Besan flour

1/4 cup Rice flour

3/4 cup of water or a bit more

½ tsp cayenne

A pinch of hing (asafedtida)

A pinch of baking soda

Oil for deep frying

Preparation:

For the Filling;

Boil the potatoes in 2 quarts of water till they are tender. Peel and mash with a fork and keep aside. Heat the oil oil and add the mustard seeds. After they pop add the urad dal, green chilies and ginger. Cook for about 15 seconds. Then add the turmeric, potatoes. And salt. Remove from heat and mix well. Allow it to cool and when it is luke warm from them into small balls and keep aside.

Mix all the batter ingredients together except for the oil and keep aside. Heat the oil and dip the potato ball carefully in the batter and allow for excess to fall back into the bowl. Carefully place a few batter -coated potato balls into the hot oil. Fry them till golden brown on all sides. Drain on paper towels and serve immediately or place on a cookie sheet on a single layer and warm in a 250 degree oven for 15 minutes.

Soaked Rice Noodles

Today my son Ben, asked me if I would make him Padh Thai noodles. I made this recipe below. After you prep everything this dish takes no more than 15 minutes to prepare. So healthy and truly delicious! First order of business, learning the art of preparing the rice noodles. NEVER cook your rice noodles. If you do that, you will have a gloppy mess on your hands! So, soak them in very hot water till they soften..about 20 minutes. See the photo above. And then they are ready for stir frying.

As for vegetables, use anything you wish. I used cabbage, carrot, green pepper, broccoli, green onions and bean sprouts. You can add chicken cubes. I used only eggs.

Prepped Ingredients

Sauce

Garnishes

Padh Thai

Padh Thai

Ingredients:

Rice noodles 1/2 package

5 tbsp grapeseed oil

1/2 onion thinly sliced

3 cloves garlic finely chopped

1/2 green pepper cut into thin strips

1/2 cup shredded cabbage

1 medium carrot julienned

1 1/2 tsp salt

1 cup bean sprouts

3 green onion stalks cut into 2 inch pieces

3 tbsp ketchup

2 tsp fish sauce

1 tsp red chili and garlic sauce

2 tbsp soy sauce

1/2 cup roasted peanuts chopped coarsely

Preparation:

Heat 2 quarts of water in a large pot and when it comes to a boil turn off the heat and keep aside. In a small bowl, mix the ketchup, sugar, fish sauce and red chili sauce and soy sauce together. Add the rice noodles, mix well and set aside to soften for 20-30 minutes. Drain and wash in cold water and drain completely. Drain When the noodles are soft, heat the oil in a large wok and add the onions and garlic. Stir fry for 1 minute. Now add the green pepper, carrot and cabbage and stir fry for 2 minutes. Now add the noodles and the sauce mixture and cook on high heat. Now add the green onions and transfer to a serving platter. Garnish with lime wedges and peanuts. Serve immediately.