Food not only nourishes the body – it determines the quality of your consciousness. How you cook, what you eat and when and in what company you eat are all important.
Use plenty of spices and herbs in cooking. These not only enhance taste but are also great healers. Sprinkle some freshly milled black pepper on your food and add a pinch of turmeric to your soup to harness the excellent anti-oxidant properties of these spices.
To derive maximum benefit from spices, sauté them in ghee (clarified butter) before adding them to prepared dishes. Ghee helps the body absorb the lipid-soluble part of spices.
Sleep your way to a longer life!
Disease and disorders develop as the result of accumulated Ama, or toxins, in the body. While physical Ama leads to disturbed digestion, mental Ama can reduce resistance to day-to-day stress. When sleep does not come easily or is disturbed, the day’s stresses, or Ama, fail to be cleansed. A good night’s sleep, on the other hand, increases Ojas, the vital life force.
For disturbed sleep, drink a glass of warm milk with a little cardamom and cinnamon before bedtime. Maharishi Ayurveda’s Blissful Sleep can help correct specific sleep imbalances naturally and gently.
Routine matters!
A good routine is paramount, be it rest, work or play. Go with the rhythms of nature. Go to bed on time, by 10 pm, and wake up early. Do a daily morning self-massage, or Abhyanga. Eat a good, fibrous breakfast and have lunch at noon, when the body’s Agni, or digestive fires, are at their peak. Practise Transcendental Meditation twice a day. Spend time with your family.
Keep in tune with the seasons
Change of season is a good time to cleanse your body. Maharishi Panchakarma, especially when done at this time, is a wonderful way to cleanse and detoxify the body through healing massages and baths.
Give preference in your diet to foods that are in season.
Herbs to help you along
Nature has a healing pharmacy, and each herb it creates has its own synergy and intelligence. Maharishi Ayurveda sources the best and the ripest of herbs, fruits and spices, then combines and processes them to ensure maximum benefit.
Of particular benefit, Maharishi Amrit Kalash strengthens the immune system and refines the functioning of the physiology. It promotes Bala or vital energy. Scientific studies have now established that Amrit Kalash fights free radical damage 1,000 times more effectively than any other anti-oxidant.
Detox naturally
Maharishi Ayurveda has a complete detoxification system that is a highly effective support for good digestive health. It helps purify the liver and other organs, supports balanced fat metabolism and reduces digestive impurities. Along with dietary and lifestyle recommendations such as those listed above, it includes herbal preparations like Herbal Cleanse, to aid elimination and intestinal cleansing, Genitrac, to help the functioning of the genitourinary system, and Radiant Skin, for healthy, glowing skin. Consult your Maharishi Ayurveda Practitioner to find the best products for you.
Sue Lincoln is a Maharishi Ayurveda Practitioner living at Maharishi Garden Village, Suffolk. To book a consultation: 07980 335757
