Continued from page 1
Kapha Skin. * Description: Kapha dosha is composed of
elements of earth and water. If you have a kapha skin type your skin is thick, oily, soft and cool to touch. Your complexion is a glowing porcelain whitish color, like moon, and hair characteristically thick, wavy, oily and dark. Kapha skin types, with their more generous collagen and connective tissue, are fortunate to develop wrinkles much later in life than vata or pitta types.
*Potential problems If your skin becomes imbalanced, it can show up as enlarged pores, excessively oily skin, moist types of eczema, blackheads, acne or pimples, and water retention. Kapha skin is also more prone to fungal infections.
* Recommendations for care Kapha skin is more prone to clogging and needs more cleansing than other skin types. Be careful to avoid greasy, clogging creams. Likewise, avoid heavy, hard to digest foods like fried foods, fatty meats, cheeses and rich desserts. Eat more light, easy to digest, astringent, bitter and pungent (well-spiced) foods as they balance kapha. Olive oil is best cooking oil and a little ginger and lime juice can be taken before meals to increase your characteristically sluggish digestive fire. Take warm baths often and use gentle cleansers to open skin pores. Avoid getting constipated and try to get some exercise every day to increase circulation and help purify skin through sweating process.
Inner Beauty: Gunam.
Happy, positive, loving, caring individuals have a special beauty that is far more than skin deep. Conversely we all experience quick and deleterious effect on our skin from fatigue and stress.
Inner beauty is authentic beauty, not kind that shows on a made-up face, but kind that shines through from your soul, your consciousness or inner state of being. Inner beauty comes from a mind and heart that are in harmony, not at odds with each other, causing emotional confusion, loss of confidence, stress and worry. Inner peace is foundation of outer beauty.
Maintain your self-confidence and a warm, loving personality by paying attention to your lifestyle and daily routine and effective management of stress (I highly recommend TM technique for its scientifically-verified benefits on mental and physical health and reduced aging.) You will also be healthier and feel better through day if you eat your main meal at midday and make a habit of going to bed early (by 10 PM is ideal.)
Remember, kindness, friendliness and sincerity naturally attract people to you. On other hand, being uptight or tense makes people want to walk other way, regardless of your facial structure, body weight, or other outer signs we associate with attractiveness.
Lasting Beauty: Yayastyag
In order to slow aging process and gain lasting beauty there are two additional key considerations beyond those already discussed,
1. Eliminate toxins and free radicals in body: The main deteriorating effects of aging come as toxins and impurities (called ama in Ayurveda) accumulate throughout body. These toxins may begin as free radicals in body, or over time may become oxidized into free radicals, all of which contribute to premature aging in body. For lasting health and beauty it is essential to avoid and neutralize free radicals, to prevent impurities of all kinds from accumulating and to remove those that have already become lodged in body.
The most powerful cleansing therapy in Maharishi Ayurveda is "panchakarma" therapy, a series of natural treatments ideally performed twice yearly, that involves 5-7 days in a row of massage, heat treatments and mild herbal enemas. Ayurveda emphasizes importance of undergoing this cleansing program once or twice a year to prevent impurities from accumulating, localizing and hardening in tissues. Just as we change oil in our cars regularly for optimal performance and lifespan, Ayurveda recommends that we cleanse “sludge” from our tissues on a regular basis through panchakarma treatments.
Best of all, panchakarma treatments are luxurious, blissful, and make you feel (and look) completely rejuvenated in just a few days time. I have had many a patient who told me that friends asked them afterwards if they had gotten a facelift, they looked so fresh and youthful!
Other free radical busters include: reducing mental stress, eating antioxidant foods like leafy green vegetables, sweet, juicy fruits and cooking on a daily basis with antioxidant, detoxifying spices like turmeric and coriander.
2. Add rejuvenative techniques to daily living:
The daily activities of life in modern world systematically wear us down and speed up aging process. Ayurveda maintains it is crucial to practice daily rejuvenative regimens to counteract stressful wear and tear of everyday life. According to Ayurveda most important rejuvenative routines for your life are:
a) Going to bed by 10:00 PM. This simple habit is one of most powerful techniques for health and longevity, according to MAV. b) Meditate daily. Any meditation that does not involve concentration (which has been shown to increase anxiety) can be very helpful. I highly recommend twice-daily deep rest and enlivenment of Transcendental Meditation (TM) technique, whose benefits have been verified by over 700 published research studies. c) Eat organic, whole fresh food that is freshly prepared. There is an Ayurvedic saying: "Without proper diet. medicine is of no use. With proper diet, medicine is of no need." Be sure to avoid those leftovers, processed and microwaved foods for better nutrition and vitality. d) Perform Ayurvedic oil massage in morning (abhyanga). Morning oil massage purifies entire body, reduces anxiety and stress, helps prevent and heal injuries and supports circulation. It is especially helpful in creating a radiant complexion and keeping your skin youthful. Research shows it may also help prevent skin cancers. e) Practice yoga asanas. Maintaining flexibility and circulation is key to health. f) Practice pranayama (yoga breathing) techniques. Pranayama enlivens mind and body. Ideally practice following sequence twice a day. Asanas, pranayama and meditation.
Summary
Everyone's unique beauty shines forth when they have radiant health and personal happiness. Beauty is a side effect of a balanced, fulfilled life. Supreme personal beauty is accessible to everyone who is willing to take more control of their health in their day-to-day life through time-tested principles of natural living.
For most of us, beauty is not a gift but a choice. Every woman can be radiantly beautiful simply by beginning to lead a healthier life. You will be rewarded by glowing effects you will see in your mirror each day and powerful, bliss-producing effect your special beauty has on everyone in your life.
Nancy Lonsdorf M.D. received her M.D. from Johns Hopkins and did her postgraduate training at Stanford. She is currently the Medical Director of The Raj Ayurveda Health Center in Vedic City Iowa
http://www.ayurveda-ayurvedic.com
