Embrace the Power of Cold Showers: An Ayurvedic Approach to Health and Vitality

by | Nov 15, 2024 | Lifestyle

Embrace the Power of Cold Showers: An Ayurvedic Approach to Health and Vitality

Cold showers might not sound appealing at first, but they bring surprising benefits, especially from an Ayurvedic perspective. In Ayurveda, temperature-based therapies are seen as powerful tools to balance the body’s doshas (constitutional energies) and invigorate mind and body. Cold showers are much more than a quick way to wake up—they hold the potential to improve your health and resilience when practiced mindfully.

Why Cold Showers? The Ayurvedic View on Water Temperature

In Ayurveda, water’s temperature can profoundly affect the body’s internal balance and energy. Cold water is associated with kapha (stability and structure) and vata (movement) doshas, cooling down excess heat in the body and stimulating circulation. Cold showers can help in reawakening dull senses, improving skin tone, and boosting immunity. Regular cold showers also balance pitta (heat and metabolism) by cooling down internal inflammation, making them beneficial for those who are prone to heat-related symptoms.

The Effects of Cold Showers on the Body

● Boosts Circulation: Cold water contracts blood vessels at the surface, improving circulation as the body compensates by sending more blood to organs.
● Enhances Immunity: Cold showers stimulate the lymphatic system, helping the body to flush out toxins and enhancing the immune response.
● Improves Mental Clarity and Mood: Cold water releases a burst of endorphins, lifting your mood and providing a sense of clarity and alertness.
● Rejuvenates Skin and Hair: Cold water helps to tighten pores and improves scalp health, reducing conditions like dandruff and enhancing shine in hair.
● Reduces Inflammation: Cold showers soothe sore muscles and joints, particularly helpful after physical exercise or during recovery.

Health Conditions Benefited by Cold Showers

According to Ayurveda, cold showers can be beneficial in specific health conditions:
● Anxiety and Fatigue: The brisk shock of cold water is grounding, helping to counterbalance excess vata, which can manifest as anxiety, restlessness, or mental fog.
● Skin Issues: Cold showers cool pitta dosha, which is responsible for inflammatory skin conditions like acne, rashes, and rosacea.
● Post-Exercise Recovery: Cold water helps reduce inflammation in the muscles and relieves soreness, making it beneficial for athletes or anyone engaging in physical activities.
● Mild Depression: The endorphin release from cold exposure has been linked to mood improvement, aiding in relief from low mood or mild depressive symptoms.

Who Should Try Cold Showers?

Cold showers can be beneficial for many people but are especially helpful if:
● You experience frequent feelings of fatigue or lethargy.
● You have high levels of pitta and are prone to heat-related issues like skin irritation or digestive troubles.
● You lead an active lifestyle and need a simple way to support muscle recovery.
● You struggle with mental fatigue or need a natural mood lift.
● Who Should Avoid Cold Showers?

While Beneficial, Cold Showers Aren’t Recommended for Everyone?

● Kapha Dominant Individuals: If you have a strong kapha constitution (prone to cold, heaviness, congestion), cold showers can exacerbate feelings of heaviness and sluggishness.
● Certain Medical Conditions: Avoid if you suffer from chronic conditions such as arthritis, respiratory issues, or any circulatory issues like Raynaud’s disease.
● Elderly or Very Young Individuals: They may find it challenging to regulate body temperature.
● People with Weak Immune Systems: During periods of illness or immune weakness, warm showers can provide better support.

Duration and Best Time for Cold Showers

In Ayurveda, timing and duration matter to make the most of any wellness practice.
● For cold showers: Duration: Start with 30 seconds to one minute, gradually increasing as your body adapts. A total of two to five minutes is generally effective without over-cooling.
● Best Time: Cold showers are most beneficial in the morning, giving you a burst of energy and mental clarity. Avoid cold showers late in the evening, as they may be too stimulating before sleep.

Practical Tips for Incorporating Cold Showers

● Begin Gradually: Start with lukewarm water, then switch to cold for the last minute of your shower.
● Focus on Limbs First: Ease in by starting with your hands and feet, working up towards the torso, and finally dousing the head.
● Follow with Warm Clothing: Especially in cooler seasons, wrap up in warm, comfortable clothing post-shower to maintain warmth.
● Pair with Breathing Exercises: Cold showers are a perfect time to practice slow, deep breathing to calm the mind and centre yourself.

Speak with our experienced Ayurvedic Doctors, today to learn more about the Ayurvedic wisdom on cold showers. Team ASHAexperience offers ancient Ayurvedic treatment and practices to the world for a sustainable society by offering self-care practices through Ayurveda and Yoga.

We believe in collaborative relationship-based care where our Ayurvedic Doctors, Ayurvedic Practitioner, Ayurvedic Supplement Brands, Ayurvedic Nutritionists & Chefs, Yoga, and Meditation Trainers are in sync. Contact the team who passionately works together to hold your hand in this healing journey.

Brahmi a wonder herb of Aurveda

by | Feb 6, 2022 | Ayurveda

Brahmi a wonder herb of Aurveda

Brahmi, a wonder herb of Ayurveda 

“The essence of all beings is Earth. The essence of Earth is Water. The essence of Water is plants. The essence of plants is the human being”

You’ve probably seen Brahmi or Bacopa monnieri in its fresh, organic form if you’ve ever walked through the marshlands. This wet-loving, creeping, blooming herb native to the Americas, India, Africa, and the majority of the rest of the world has an important therapeutic role in Ayurveda.

Brahmi is an aquatic creeping perennial plant that is frequently used to adorn fish tanks, although it may be utilized for much more than that. It has a major impact on cognitive function.

Stress manifests itself in a variety of ways, and so do the methods for dealing with it. Brahmi, in conjunction with other herbs, is used to treat mental illnesses such as anxiety, depression, dementia, and ADHD (Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder). This plant is also used to treat inflammatory disorders such as arthritis and ulcers.

Our body, according to ancient Vedic medical practitioners, is made up of physical and spiritual, visible and intangible aspects. Brahmi gets down to the heart of the matter, affecting the most essential component of your being. Brahmi has been regarded as the top contender medicinal plant in the realm of Ayurveda since the time of the Vedas.

Brahmi, which means “godlike” in reference to its excellent reputation for sustaining lifespan and mental vitality, is regarded as potent brain food and is suggested as a cognitive rejuvenator in the Ayurvedic tradition. It’s a popular herb among individuals looking to strengthen and deepen their practice of meditation. Ayurvedic practitioners believe that Brahmi can help with understanding, focus, and remembrance.

Brahmi is typically regarded as safe to combine with other drugs and supplements, and it is most effective after eight to twelve weeks of constant usage. With its long list of advantages, this is one plant that is well worth the wait.

This potent herb may be utilized in a variety of forms, including powder, juice, oils, and pills, but remember to find out the proper dose. Before using Brahmi in your wellness routine, always see an Ayurvedic Doctor.

Brahmi may have been employed in ancient Ayurvedic practices, but now this amazing plant is in the limelight of rising studies supporting cognitive wellness throughout the world.

What are the 5 top benefits of Bacaopa Monieri – Brahmi?

  • Enhances mental clarity and supports memory.
  • Helpful in removing ama (toxins) and acts as a powerful antioxidant and therefore neutralizing harmful free radicals due to its bitter taste.
  • Brahmi oil is great for scalp health reducing dryness, itching, and dandruff whilst calming and soothing the mind.
  • Helps manage stress, anxiety and supports sound sleep.
  • Supports digestive health due to it’s anti-inflammatory properties.

Does Brahmi, a wonder herb of Ayurveda, help in the beauty regimen as well?

The answer to the above question is YES; consistent usage of Brahmi in the skincare routine is believed to improve skin tone and elasticity. Its antioxidant capabilities aid in the removal of pollutants and stimulate cell repair, which tones and maintains the skin appearing younger, as well as brightening the complexion. It works well as an anti-aging component.

Brahmi is a disinfectant and a therapeutic herb. The herb promotes skin healing and is used to treat skin conditions such as eczema and psoriasis.

Brahmi oil is high in vitamin C, which helps to minimize the obvious symptoms of scarring. It smoothes, softens, and hydrates the skin.

If your skin is prone to acne, Brahmi may be the most efficient herbal remedy to keep acne and pimples at bay owing to its anti-bacterial characteristics. A face mask made of organic Brahmi powder, turmeric powder, hibiscus powder, neem powder, Triphala powder, besan (chickpea flour), and water is excellent for keeping the skin clean, oil-free, and acne-free.

Can we consume Brahmi as food?

Yes again, Brahmi leaves are a fantastic addition to your herbal cabinet. It may be eaten fresh from the plant and is commonly consumed as salad greens, but it can also be used in a variety of dishes such as pesto, herbal tea, and nighttime super milk.

We are sure by now you are convinced to explore further about this wonder herb from the Ayurvedic Doctors, Nutritionists, and Chefs at ASHAexperience and order your Brahmi Ayurvedic tablets.

We believe in collaborative relationship-based care where our Ayurvedic Doctors, Ayurvedic Practitioner, Ayurvedic Supplement Brands, Ayurvedic Nutritionists & Chefs, Yoga, and Meditation Trainers are in sync. Contact the team who passionately works together to hold your hand in this healing journey.

My Ayurvedic Experience Online with ASHA

by | Jan 26, 2022 | Experiences

My Ayurvedic Experience Online with ASHA
I didn’t always use my body much or walk the planet for miles and miles, eat well, or feel gratitude for each day, each moment, each sunrise. But I did have the great fortune to grow up in Australia which is a place where almost everyone lives outside to some degree. And because life 40+ years ago in Australia for a child was pure freedom with promises to parents early in the morning that I’d be home by dinner before heading off on my bike to whatever farm, beach, or bush adventure awaited me. Because of this, the earth, the water, and the vast Australian skies have always been etched deep in my soul. A childhood spent trampling Mother Earth and being watched over and protected by Father Sky can only lead to an adulthood of curiosity and exploration about the world we live in and the myriad of systems that support it and us.
Sri Lanka was one of my earliest big adventures and I traveled there on my first mission with the Red Cross after the devastating Asian tsunami. It was also my first dipping of toes into the ancient science of Ayurveda and my stay on this beautiful island left me with an explosion of tastes, feelings, new recipes, and more. Many years later and still living my humanitarian life, still practicing and teaching yoga wherever I went, I traveled to Kerala in India to learn to cook dhal (lentil preparation) in a bazillion ways. I returned to Sri Lanka and dove back into Ayurveda, yoga, and more, and finally, I arrived in Switzerland where I now have the chance to be back walking the planet and heading out for days of freedom and adventure, just as I did as a child growing up in Australia.

My Ayurvedic Experience Online with ASHA – The Ayurvedic Healing Platform

One thing nature has taught me is that life arrives over and over again in cycles. Sometimes you’re in the dip and sometimes you’re riding the high but nothing ever stays the same. And it’s often in those highs that incredible people and wonderful experiences surprise us in the most beautiful ways. And it was on one of those highs in the middle of a global pandemic that I met Bijoya, Co-Founder of ASHA Experience, right as I was starting my studies in Ayurvedic yoga. Given my long-time fascination with Ayurveda and Yoga, both sister sciences, it seemed like a miracle connection. I began joining the ASHA Experience online wellness sessions which were such a much-needed offering when so many people were experiencing lockdown and major health challenges due to the pandemic. One of the incredible things about Ayurveda is it honors where we come from and where we are right now including both our internal and external environments and how they impact us deeply. Over the years I’d had the occasional consultation with an Ayurvedic doctor, always incredibly useful and revealing and recently I was lucky enough to consult with one of ASHA’s amazing Ayurvedic doctors. I always feel like this experience gives me two things:
1) an important acknowledgment that I’m investing in me and my own health and
2) an objective reset on my health.

I had a great connection with Dr Anoosha who I can only describe as highly experienced, deeply insightful and full of compassion. What I loved about her approach is that she really honoured my own lived experiences and built her advice and recommendations upon that. She asked a myriad of questions about my life, work, lifestyle and health but she did it in a way that just felt like we were having a conversation rather than a medical consultation. She offered me some simple ideas to integrate into my daily routine or dinacharya, things to help me relax more and calm down the vivid dreams I was having at night time. Ideas like bathing and / or massaging my feet before bed and tips to let stressful thoughts release at night time.

Ayurvedic Doctor at ASHAexperience

Dr. Anoosha gave a sense of normalcy to my issues which gave me a feeling of confidence that things would change for the better. Because her suggestions weren’t complicated it also made it easy and fun to try them, and I felt like I was in control of myself and could take positive action for my own health. There was also an offer of different herbal prescriptions if I wanted to try them. I decided to test the non-herbal recommendations first and have found them to be really helpful.

What I like a lot about ASHA is that there is a vast array of different experts and so you can choose someone with who you feel you’ll be a good match rather than be connected randomly. And without doubt, the doctors, nutritionists, and yoga experts are all highly experienced, many having studied in India, the ancient home of Ayurveda. Bijoya who is so much the driving force behind ASHA once told me that she spent weeks visiting a multitude of Ayurvedic experiences and hotels in India only to realize that she had to create her own Ayurvedic experiences to really be able to offer something deeply meaningful to people. That level of commitment and research gives me huge confidence in ASHA and everything it offers. Before the pandemic, I had planned to head to India to really immerse myself in one of ASHA’s multi-week Ayurvedic retreats so I’m very much hoping that 2022 will be the year I’m able to dive deep into my own health and wellbeing in this way and learn first-hand some of the more traditional aspects of Ayurveda. For me, I feel like Ayurveda offers me a way to be the absolute truest version of myself, physically, mentally, and spiritually. I call it being the ‘Youest version of You’. And when we strip off all the layers and are just ourselves, well this is when we find freedom, and who doesn’t want some of that?

We believe in collaborative relationship-based care where our Ayurvedic Doctors, Ayurvedic Practitioner, Ayurvedic Supplement Brands, Ayurvedic Nutritionists & Chefs, Yoga, and Meditation Trainers are in sync. Contact the team who passionately works together to hold your hand in this healing journey.