Daily Ayurveda, the art of living. – Blog

Daily Ayurveda, the art of living. - Blog

On Being Sensitive.

Aug 082017

You feel everything. You always have.

From the itchy tag on the back of your shirt to the emotional state of the stranger sitting next to you on the train. Taking it all in like a giant porous sponge.
You notice the tiny cracks in the paint that resemble the shape of an alien’s head. Nobody else seems to notice the sound of the refrigerator’s hum, or the ticking of your friends watch. Your left palm is often itchy and there is a mild achy pain in your upper left abdomen. When you walk by the smelly sewer spots in the city, it hits you harder than most. The almonds that were stored in the cooler with cheese now have a slightly cheesy taste that nobody else seems to notice.
It’s not easy feeling it all. In fact it can be incredibly isolating. You may have been told that you were “too much” more than a few times in your life. Feeling like nobody can hold you is scary. It can get exhausting to live life with the belief that you have to hold it all. Processing the emotions of every person in the room and filtering them through your fragile system is rough. It especially hurts when you feel other people’s negative emotions towards you.
I have spent countless nights wondering why I was different. Wishing I could just be like one of the “cool girls” who could sit bare-legged in the grass and not be bothered by the pokey blades. Praying that I could somehow shut down the part of my brain that was constantly analyzing what everyone was thinking.
Being sensitive can be challenging on so many levels… but what we often forget, is that it is also a gift.
Because we feel so much, so deeply we are able to experience life in all its vibrancy. We get to appreciate the full range of complexity that this world has to offer. From being the first to notice the subtle smell of the night blooming Jasmine that grows in summer to detecting the boysenberry undertones in your glass of Pinot Noir, we are able to detect life’s delicate nuances that may have otherwise been overlooked.
We have the capacity to experience deep empathy and compassion for those in pain and allow others to feel seen and heard in their suffering. Because we feel so much ourselves, we are able to feel for others, and are able to offer them the most beautiful gift of all… our loving presence.

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Camping Ayurveda Style

Ayurvedic

Jun 012017

6/1/2017

10 Comments

Who doesn’t love fancy camping hacks? These are my top 3 favorite Ayurvedic tricks that you can use on your next weekend getaway!

1. Make your own mosquito repellent that actually smells good!
Directions: Just add the following ingredients to a small jar, cover with a lid and shake well.

2 tablespoons of sweet almond oil
1 tablespoon of Aloe Vera gel
10 drops of rosemary essential oil
10 drops of lavender oil
10 drops of lemon balm oil (citronella)

Application: Just dab it onto your skin and watch those mosquito’s run (or fly) for the hills!

2. Quick and Easy 10 minute Coconut Chai (serves 4)
Ingredients: cinnamon powder, cardamom powder, fine ground black pepper, fresh ginger, black tea bags, optional: maple syrup or natural sweetener of choice

Before you leave for your trip, mix equal parts cinnamon, cardamom, black pepper in a small jar.
Add 2 cups of water and 1 tablespoon of the pre-made spice blend, and 1 tablespoon of freshly grated ginger to a medium size pot. Boil for 3 minutes.
Add 4 tea bags and boil for 2-3 minutes.
Remove tea bags with a spoon and add 1 can of coconut milk. Heat until it starts to boil stirring occasionally.
Sweeten to taste and ENJOY!

3. Skip the S’mores and Try making these delectable Stuffed Dates instead!

Coconut Cardamom Stuffed Dates

Ingredients:

Medjool Dates (10)

Coconut Butter (sometimes it’s called “coconut manna” NOT coconut OIL… You can find it at your natural foods store) (1/2 cup)

Unsweetened shredded coconut (1 cup)
Ghee (1 tablespoon)
Lime (1)
Cardamom Powder (1 teaspoon)
Cinnamon (1/2 teaspoon)
Himalayan Pink Salt (a pinch)

Directions:

On low heat- Warm up 1/2 cup of coconut butter with1 tablespoon of ghee. Only warm until soft. Just needs to warm up enough to melt… then let it cool to room temp in a separate bowl
Squeeze the lime juice into a separate bowl and strain pulp/seeds if there are any.
Add the cardamom, cinnamon, salt, and lime
Dry toast about a half cup of unsweetened coconut shreds on medium heat until golden brown (this happens fast, so keep a close eye!) Then remove from heat and put in a separate bowl so they don’t continue to cook.
Open dates and remove pits- split in half with your fingers and make little boats.
Slowly add the coconut shreds to the coconut butter mixture until you have reached desired firm “stuffable” consistency.
Stuff the mixture into the date boats and sprinkle with a bit of cinnamon if desired.

Please like and share if you enjoyed this post!
All the best,
Britt

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Green Mung Soup- Natures Cold Medicine

Ayurvedic

Feb 092017

What do you do when you start to feel that scratchy throat and stuffy nose? Everyone has their own cold prevention remedies and recipes, but in my humble opinion, green mung bean soup is the winner!

First thing first, it’s incredibly delicious! It may look a little funny if you aren’t used to it…but it tastes amazing. The caramelized onions and garlic and cumin seeds give it a rustic and comforting and appetizing aroma and the mung beans have a very pleasant creamy texture.

Not only does it taste like heaven, each ingredient is incredibly healing. When I was healing from Ulcerative Colitis, green mung bean soup was one of my staples because each ingredient is so medicinal. Now I just cook it when I want something that I know will digest well, or if I would like to do a little cleansing. If I feel like I am getting sick, I just make a pot of green mung soup and eat it throughout the day. Works like a charm!

The key is that it’s warming and nourishing, but not too heating and also light and easy to digest which makes it ideal for people who have compromised immunity. The green mung beans are high in protein, but they are very light and also have a mild scraping action to help pull out impurities from the body. Turmeric is an anti-inflammatory and helps to purify the blood. Cumin seeds, mustard seeds, garlic and onion all help to stoke your digestive fire.

The best part about this soup is that you can keep all of the ingredients on hand at all times so you don’t have to make a special trip to the store if you feel like you are getting sick. You even add any vegetables that are in your fridge and make it even more delicious. I like adding greens and carrots to mine, but you can add any kind of vegetable that suits your fancy!

Ingredients:
1 cup whole green mung beans (must soak at least 5 hours)
3 1/2 cups water
1 Tbsp Ghee11/2 tsp ginger – chopped
1/2 tsp garlic – chopped
1/2 tsp cumin seeds
1/2 tsp mustard seeds
1/2 tsp Turmeric
1 small pinch of hing (asafoetida- available for purchase at the Indian Store) 1 tsp Himalayan Pink Rock Salt or to taste (available at Trader Joes or Whole Foods)

Directions:
1. Soak the mung beans overnight in water.
2. Finely chop ginger and garlic.
3. Drain the mung beans, rinse them and put them in pot with 3 1/2 cups of water.
4. Add salt and turmeric and bring to a boil.
5. Cook Mung beans fully stirring occasionally. (they are not fully cooked until they are breaking apart. Will take approx. 45 min unless you use a pressure cooker in which case it will only take about 20 minutes)
6. Heat ghee in a separate pan. Add hing, mustard seeds and cumin seeds. Wait until you hear the cumin seeds pop. Then add garlic and ginger and let simmer for a few minutes until garlic becomes golden brown.
7. Add ghee mixture to cooked mung beans and stir.
8. You can add greens like kale or spinach to this for some added texture. If you want to add other harder veggies like carrots or potatoes, add them after the mung beans have been cooking for 10 minutes, always add greens at the very end.
9. Enjoy 🙂

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Up Your Sleep Game: Ayurveda Style

Ayurvedic

Nov 032016

I am here to spark an honest check in with yourself.How are you sleeping?

Cultivating solid and satisfying sleep is something we are all craving. We all try to get more. We all want more. And we all have had those days in the middle of the week we wish we could stay in bed for just a few more hours, if not all day. As we transition into fall, the nights are getting darker, the air is getting cooler, and it is a natural time for us to all hunker down and get cozy. Yet, we still struggle with sleep.

Sleep is when all the good stuff happens in our bodies. Sleep is the time for the body and mind reset, detoxify, and rejuvenate. Sleep allows for our memory and creativity to grow and restore.

After, we are bombarded with a full day getting input from all directions, going to work, caring for our families, running errands, feeding ourselves, trying to get in a working out, checking our Instagram account, refreshing our Facebook feeds, watching the most recent presidential uproar video, trying to keep up with what is happening around the world, staying connected and on the ground to the efforts of so many people doing good in this world in a time of so much inhumanity…we can be left feeling burnt, exhausted, depleted, raw, done.

So where is the respite? We always have sleep to reboot us and refresh us. But what happens when it is not? What happens we stay awake staring at the ceiling for hours, wake up at 3am and can’t go back to sleep, get woken up by sirens just after dozing off, or simply stay up on the computer or phone to get “caught up” and our racing mind keeps going long after the lights are out?

I am here to offer you some inspiration and reminders on nightly self-care. Perhaps some you know, perhaps some you forgot, and perhaps one will inspire you.

Before going to bed tonight, try one of these, two or even all four...

Warm Water
Let a warm shower or hot bath calm your nervous system, release tension in your body, and quiet the mind.

Golden Spiced Milk
Over a flame steam ½ cup whole milk (can start by replacing with nut milk if you are not a drinking dairy), ¼ cup water, and a pinch of turmeric, couple saffron threads, fennel, cardamom, black pepper, and NUTMEG (induces sleep), with a bit of raw sugar or maple syrup to taste. A little night cap, if you will.

Massage Feet and Scalp
Warm the massage oil to a comfortable temperature either on an electric cup heater, or over a candle flame. Take a spoonful of oil, and rub it into the soles of your feed, and then cover with socks. Pour a tablespoon of oil onto the crown of your head and lightly massage the oil in a circular motion. Put a cap on your head, or a towel on your pillow to protect your linens. Perhaps offer this sweet treatment to your partner, child or family member.

Screen-less hour before bed
Just put them away. It feels awesome. If you must hold your phone, for fear of detachment, try downloading a calming meditation app and practice a 10-minute guided breathing meditation on HeadSpace, which offers a 10-day complimentary trial.

_________________

Molly Russell: Molly has joyfully practiced Ayurveda for past 6 years and offers individual counseling, group classes and cooking workshops around the Bay Area. She graduated from a 3-year intensive Ayurveda Health Counseling program from Vedika Gurukula in Emeryville. After changing her diet and lifestyle, and seeing the effects of cooking with foods that were balancing to her body and mind in changing seasons, she is inspired to share this awesome toolkit of Ayurveda with her community.

Want to learn more? Stay connected for more information about personal consultations with Molly.

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Ice Water V. Hot Water

Ayurvedic

May 192016

Do you ever feel dull, heavy or lethargic after you eat?
This may happen because you are eating foods that are too heavy for you to digest or perhaps you are eating too much food at one sitting. There are many reasons this could be happening, however, there is one cause for this post-digestion heavy feeling that is often overlooked. It is not connected to the food that is on our plate, but rather what is in our drinking glass. The first thing they give you when you sit down at a meal in most restaurants in the US is a large glass of ice water. By the time our food comes we have already consumed one or two glasses of cold water. According to Ayurveda the 5,000 year old holistic system of medicine, when we drink cold water we weaken our digestion by dousing out our digestive fire (agni). Imagine that you are sitting around a campfire roasting marshmallows and someone comes by and dumps a bunch of wet logs over the flame. The fire would get smothered and become very weak or disappear. The same thing happens to our internal digestive fire when we drink a lot of cold water.

I used to think I needed to drink 8-10 glasses of water a day. I would carry around an enormous bottle of cold water with me and chug it throughout the day. Of course, I was just trying to do what I thought was best for my body. I thought I was flushing out the toxins in my body with every glass. I had no concept of Ayurveda at this time in my life, however, now I can see why the digestive disease I had suffered from for so many years was just being aggravated by my excessive water intake. I was literally drowning in all of the water I was drinking. Now I understand that in order to destroy ama (toxicity), one must kindle the agni (digestive fire). Toxicity cannot be "flushed out", it needs to burn.

It can help to think about it like water flowing through a metal pipe. Cold water will cause the pipes to contract, and hot water will cause the pipes to expand. If we want to keep all of the channels (srotas) in our body open and flowing, it is important to not constrict them by drinking ice cold water.

I never imagined that changing the way I drink my water could have such an impact on my physical health, but over time I have witnessed the effects first-hand. Try sipping a small amount of warm or room temperature water during your meal instead of drinking excessively before or after. According to Ayurveda, it is best to sip water throughout the day as you are thirsty as opposed to drinking a lot at one time. Its helpful to carry around a thermos with you, so you can enjoy hot water throughout the day. I also ask for room temperature water or order hot water with a lemon when I go out to eat. Be your own judge, try changing the way you drink water for a week and see how it makes you feel. You may be surprised at how amazing you feel after making this simple change.

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