Tag Archives: ayurveda

The first day of Spring!

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There is so much beauty within each season and cycle.

Spring in Ayurveda is about melting away the coolness and potential ‘heaviness’ of winter, (Kapha Dosha) in preparation for the intensity of Summer’s warmth!

During this time it can be very balancing to:

  • Eat slightly lighter foods such as warm Vegie Soups and Ayurvedic Kitchari (Rice & Dhal cooked together).
  • Give yourself a little extra rest.
  • Rub warm Sesame or Almond oil into the soles of your feet before bed.
  • Give yourself extra time and space to nourish and ground your body through activities such as Yoga and Chi-Gong/Tai Chi which assist in purifying the bodies energy centres ~ assisting in a smooth seasonal transition!

Spring is beautiful, warmth is in the air!

Happy Spring everyone!

Below is a photo of the first sunrise of Spring that I captured this morning as a momento!

x Love Lorien

 

Beauty-Full Moon Blessings…

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Full moon is such a powerful time to acknowledge the completion of another cycle, celebrate your beauty~your true, inherent, natural, rich, organic, fertile, abundant beauty!We are made primarily of water… The moon governs the waters of life… we can see this through the way the tide at the ocean changes according to the cycle of the moon. We also shift and experience change through a moon cycle, we have our own mental, physical, spiritual, emotional tides.

Full Moon is a special sacred time of the month to give praise to Mother Nature and express gratitude towards her for the gifts and nourishment we receive throughout each month.

‘Chandra’ meaning ‘shining’ in Sanskrit is the word used in the yogic tradition for moon. The moons energy is cooling ~ which is why for fertility in Ayurvedic medicine, cooling herbs and practices are often given to women when they wish to conceive.

“As is the human body, So is the cosmic body. As is the human mind, So is the common mind. As is the microcosm, So is the macrocosm. As is the atom, So is the universe.” ~Upanishads

Cooling, beautiful, nourishing, abundant, powerful, magical, whole, fertile, radiant, glowing full Moon!

x

 

Ginger Water for Digestion

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Ginger water opens the channels known as ‘Srotas’ in Ayurveda, burns up excess toxins known as ‘Ama’ and improves the power of your digestive fire, known as ‘Agni’ in Ayurveda! Yay!

Particularly great during the cooler months of the year when the channels of the body naturally start to contract with the cold environment. Ginger water will balance this and keep things flowing freely.

Ingredients:

  • 1 tsp of Certified Organic (for best results for you & the planet) Dry Ginger powder.
  • 2 cups of purified water

Method:

  1. Boil the Ginger powder and water in your pot.
  2. Allow to cool until a good warm drinking temperature
  3. Serve straight or with 1/2 a tsp of raw, unprocessed sugar known as Jaggery or Rapadura for a dash of wholesome sweetness with your Ginger!

*Freshly grated or sliced Ginger can also be used to warm the body and improve digestion. For the purpose of this remedy, using the powdered Ginger has a stronger effect on warming the tissues of the body and improving digestion.

To healthy, happy free flowing channels and balanced digestion! 

Yum!

x Lorien

Recipe: Golden Ayurvedic Besan Flour Breakfast Pancakes

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Besan (chickpea flour) pancakes are a beautiful Ayurvedic meal that can be enjoyed any time of the day.

Particularly grounding and yummy for a light breakfast.

Simple to make and a great source of protein to support and nourish your tissues, while being light and easy to digest. Perfect!

Simple Besan Flour Pancake Recipe:

Organic Ingredients:

  • 1 cup of Besan Flour (Hint: …It looks yellow.)
  • 2.5 cups of filtered water
  • 1/2 a small Red Onion chopped finely
  • 1/2 tsp of Cumin seeds
  • 1/4 tsp of Himalayan good quality salt.
  • Some black pepper to taste
  • Ghee
  • A mixing bowl & wooden spoon.
  • A good quality stainless steel, cast iron or ‘healthy’ non-stick pan. (Important not to use teflon or poor quality as you will end up eating the toxic plastic or Aluminium which is not worth having for breakfast!)
  • Love!

Method:

  1. Take your mixing bowl and add the Besan flour. With your wooden spoon, smooth out any lumps and bumps in the flour as much as possible.
  2. Add your water and stir into a smooth batter.
  3. Add your Onion, Cumin, Salt & Pepper.
  4. Start heating your pan and add approx 1/2 tsp of Ghee.
  5. When the Ghee is warm, pour some of the mixture into the pan to create your first pancake. Yay! Let it cook until it bubbles around the edges and in the middle slightly, then flip it over.
  6. Cook until golden brown on both sides…
  7. Serve with some fresh greens, some Chutney or a side of steamed vegies for something more substantial.

Voila!

Delicious, nutritious, QUICK, simple, yummy, healthy Besan Flour Ayurvedic Pancakes that the whole family will enjoy!

(Note: Add more water if needed to make your desired consistency. Coconut oil can be used as an alternative to Ghee, however has a different effect on the body and different taste. This recipe really lends itself to Ghee!)

Enjoy with love & gratitude!

x Lorien

 “Let thy food be thy medicine.”

~Hippocrates 

Change of Season: Welcoming Autumn

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The first sunrise of Autumn.

 

Summer has delighted us with it’s warmth and now it’s time for a change…

Autumn has arrived, a season in Ayurveda that is governed by the air and ether elements, (Vata).

When we have a change of season there is naturally extra movement in the environment. Leaves start to fall, the wind might become stronger and the temperature becomes a little hotter or cooler.

These changes happen thanks to our friend, ‘Vata’ who looks after movement both in our bodies and outside in nature.

Wherever there is change, there is Vata.

Autumn season is naturally a ‘Vata’ predominant season. The qualities of Vata are cold, dry, rough, fast, mobile and changeable.

Autumn shares these same characteristics. It is easier for our skin to become drier, to be busy, to have irregular digestion and feel colder inside during this time. Since it is a change of season (Vata), that is moving into a ‘Vata’ season, we have a double up!

This means it could be a very creative time of year where it is easy to get a lot done, however it is extra important at this time to balance all the extra activity and change in the air with some balancing and grounding food and lifestye practices.

A good way to think about looking after the air and ether elements in your body is to treat this part of you with the same care, nurturing, kindness and love that you would give to a beautiful old lady! This sounds strange, however can be a very helpful way to approach your sensitive and magical ‘Vata’ intelligence.

Vata is fragile and loves softness, warmth, nourishment, love and kindness. Having cups of tea (herbal is preferable), warm home-made food, foot massages, listening to sweet music and having a routine throughout the day will all nourishing and support your body to be balanced and happy.

When there is a change in our physical environment, living situation, work, stage of life or season, we not only experience a transformation on the outside, but also on the inside.

Taking extra special care of your body during these periods of transition and looking after your inner sensitive nature can help to keep you grounded, stable and keep your channels flowing.

Some Simple Vata Balancing Lifestyle tips:

  •  Drink warm water throughout the day. This will ground the air element in your body and keep your body feeling soft, supple and your channels flowing.
  •  Find some routine, with regular meal times, a regular Yoga class or Chi Gong practice can be great for guiding your body through the change.
  •  Give yourself a massage at home (Abyhanga) 3-5 days a week with warm Cold Pressed Black Sesame Oil to ground your mind, strengthen and nourish your tissues and support  your body during this time of change.
  • Aim to wake up by 6am, during the time of the morning when the air element (Vata) is dominant. The qualities in the environmenet at this time of day make it easy to have proper elimination of the wastes in your body, allowing you to feel calm and have clear channels.
  • Favour eating warm, light Vegie soups, Dhal’s, Kitchari and warmed Vegies. Vegetable’s like Pumpkin are great during this time of year and have a nice grounding effect on the body.
  • Spend time connecting to yourself. Journaling in a book, letting go of stagnant thoughts so that there is a clear space for new ideas and inspirations for the coming season.

Autumn is a beautiful time of year, the seasons have so much to teach us about ourselves. Nature is a reflection on the macrocosmic level of what is inside of us on the microcosmic level.

Happy Autumn and sweet transitioning!

x Lorien

Gentle Ayurvedic Morning Cleanse

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When we sleep at night our body eliminates toxins and brings them to the surface to be removed.

Often we wake up and automatically swallow the ‘gunk’ that is in the mouth rather than spit it out, as we want to sleep in or just don’t feel like getting up.

When we do this, we are swallowing toxic build up that our body thoughtfully brought to the surface over night to be released! Oh my, not so pleasant.

There are many ways to gently cleanse this build up out of the body. There are herbal preparations that can be taken as well as treatments.

The most effective and lasting way to prevent poor digestion and toxic build up from occuring is to adopt a ‘daily lifestyle practice’, known in Ayurvedic medicine as ‘Din-Acharya’, or daily routine.

3 Simple Tips for Cleansing Toxins and Mainting Balance Daily:

  • As soon as you wake up in the morning, go to the bathroom and spit out the ‘gunk’ in your mouth that has accumulated during sleeping. Brush your teeth and scrape your tongue with a tongue scraper. (Copper tongue scrapers are found in most health food shops and are said to be the best as the copper conducts the toxins away from the tongue most effectively.) You will fall in love with tongue scraping!
  • Drink a cup of warm water with a squeeze of fresh Lemon juice, some Ginger grated or finely chopped and half a teaspoon of Raw Organic Honey. (Make sure the water is warm, not hot, as honey changes its structure when heated to high temperatures and can be poisonouse to the system. So make sure your water has cooled down and is warm when you add the honey.)
  • Give yourself time to move your body, go for a walk, do some Yoga, stretches or whatever your favorite activity may be. It is great to get outside and into nature first thing when the birds are still chirping and the sun is still rising. Exercising in the morning will flush your body and boost your digestive fire which will assist in the process of burning up any toxins that are built up in the channels. Follow your exercise with a swim or a shower to cleanse and refresh your body before you move onto having your breakfast.

Incorporating these practices  into your daily morning routine might take some initial organisation to fit the exercise into your schedule and get used to the idea of ‘scraping’ your tongue, however the benefits will be worth it. Trust me. Within a short amount of time you can expect to notice your breathe smelling sweeter, your appetite coming back to life and that your bowels are working much much better.

Making sure the elimination systems of the body are functioning properly is a vital ingredient to long-term health and wellbeing.

Cleaning the body regularly, on a daily basis in simple (yummy) ways is like making sure your space is clear (your body) so that it can do exactly what it knows to do and function in a state of balance and wellness.

To healthy, happy elimination!

x Lorien

Ayurvedic Digestion Tip: Shower before eating…

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According to Ayurvedic medicine it is best to shower before eating, rather than after.

When we eat, our blood goes to the stomach and centre of our body for digestion to take place. When we shower, through the pressure of the water and the temperature, blood is directed back out to the extremities, distracting the body from it’s task of digestion.

For smooth, easy, sound digestion try showering before breakfast or dinner and see if you can notice a difference.

It becomes a nice ritual, to cleanse and purify the body, then enjoy nourishing it with your wholesome food!  A simple alteration that can make a big difference to the effectiveness of your digestion over time.

It feels so good to be fresh and sparkly before eating and you will smell lovely for your own company or those who you will be sharing your meal with.

To happy eating & healthy digestion! x

“Only eat what you can digest”. ~Jayadharma 

Ayurvedic Quinoa Porridge Recipe

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Porridge is so warming, nourishing & restorative for the body. Great for grounding your energy at the start of your day!

(Serves 2 people.) 

Certified Organic Ingredients:

      • 2 tsp’s of Ghee or Coconut Oil
      • 2 cups of Quinoa flakes
      • 1/2 tsp Cinnamon
      • 4 Cardamon pods opened
      • Pinch of Fennel seeds
      • 1 tbsp Jaggery, Coconut Sugar or Rapadura
      • 4 Blanched Almonds
      • 12 Raisins
      • 3 to 4 cups of Hot water

Method:

1. Add your Ghee or Coconut oil to your pot & warm
2. Add Quinoa flakes & stir to toast the grain
3. Once smelling, looking & feeling ‘toasted’ add hot water & stir.
4. Add Cinnamon, Cardamon, Fennel & stir.
5. Add Raisins, Jaggery/Coconut sugar & stir regularly until Porridge becomes creamy & smells yummy!
6. Serve with 2 Blanched Almonds & some Raisins on top for presentation!

Enjoy!

Note: This Porridge can also be made with milk (un-homogenised, raw Organic milk is best). Simply use 1/2 milk and half water instead of all water.

*Feel free to add some more Water during the process if it looks to thick, and if it look too thin and runny you can add a few extra Quinoa flakes.

 

Staying Cool this Summer

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Today is the first day of Summer, a season that is predominant with the elements of Fire + Water (Pitta). Summer is a beautiful time of year to relax with the warmth of the enviornment around you and also a good time to stay cool.

Some simple tips for staying cool the Ayurvedic way:

  • Wake up early in the morning to enjoy the cooling qualities of Sunrise.
  • Walk on dewy grass to balance the fire element and cool your liver.
  • Enjoy fresh Coriander and Fennel seeds in your cooking, they are naturally cooling and avoid heating spices like chilli and mustard.
  • Enjoy seasonal fresh juicy cooling fruits such as Berries, Watermelon and Papaya. (Always eat fruits by themselves and watermelon always 20 mins away from other fruits).
  • It is easy to reach for ice cold drinks, however this hampers your digestive fire (Agni). Drink room temperature water or slightly warm, Your digestion will thankyou for it.
  • Enjoy Aloe Vera juice, Cucumber, fresh greens, light vegie soups and fresh fruit
  • Swim in fresh water and spend time in nature amongst lush green tree’s. Simply connecting with ‘cooling’ environments like this can make a huge difference to your entire wellbeing! 

lorien at the waterfalls

Ayurveda – What you need to know about your honey!

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Known in Ayurveda to be heating for the body, thus great for healing colds and boosting your immune system. It is important in Ayurvedic nutrition to not heat honey, never using it to cook or bake, and choosing to use it in your food, drinks, tea and porridge once your food or drink has cooled. Heating honey changes the chemical structure of this wonderful substance, so it’s important to keep it nice and cool as nature created it.

Honey is known to be poison when heated and a medicine when used properly & used un-heated.

Use organic Rapadura sugar, coconut sugar or palm sugar instead. Those sugars are unprocessed, high in nourishing minerals and vitamins and can handle being heated to high temperatures.

Enjoy your honey with intelligence & always purchase RAW honey, so that you can be guaranteed that it hasn’t been heat treated and still contains all the healing goodies it was created with!