6 Ayurvedic sacred self-care rituals you need to try in your beauty regime now.

 

Do you have a knack for natural beauty care? Are you tired of chemical-loaded skin products? Are you curious about learning the beauty secrets of ancient India? Are you the type who stays in on the weekends to drench your hair in coconut oil and slather your face with turmeric and lemon? Well, good thing we’ve found each other! 

 

Welcome to the world of Ayurveda. Don’t let the name intimidate you. You will be surprised to know that you have been practicing Ayurveda in your daily lifestyle, unknowingly. In fact, Ayurveda has been around for more than 5000 years now, so those tips and tricks that you would have learnt from your grandmother- like using a paste of tulsi (holy basil) and lemon juice to treat acne, swallow a neem leaf for glowing complexion, sounds familiar? - are all Ayurvedic in nature.

Why you'll love Ayurvedic self-care rituals

Beauty is no longer perceived as a mere indulgence overloaded with skincare and makeup products. Rather, it is a form of self-care routine (dinacharya). This is the knowledge learnt from Ayurveda. Nourishing, supporting, and loving yourself is what makes you truly beautiful. An ancient practice that feels more relevant (and necessary) today than ever before, Ayurveda is all about balancing your life to suit you. And handily it works in your beauty routine as well. 

What is Ayurveda

First things first, if you're an Ayurveda novice, it's time to work out exactly what's going on and why everyone's so obsessed. Ayurveda means the knowledge of life and it postulates that beauty encompasses a holistic, whole or 360 approach to your unique mind-body type. Natural and radiant beauty shines through when your mind-body is perfectly in balance through wholesome diet, self-care and exercise. Ayurveda heavily relies on the notion that one size does not fits all and that every individual’s dosha (energy) type requires a customized approach for optimal health, hence beauty. Ayurveda gives you the knowledge of how to live in harmony and in-sync with your truest nature. Get that? Now, without further ado, let’s learn the 6 Ayurvedic self-care rituals that are a must in your beauty regime (dinacharya).

1. Practice breathing exercise (Pranayama) for glowing skin

Have you heard of oxygen facial? It is an expensive facial that adds a temporary glow on your face. With Ayurveda and her sister science, yoga, you can learn to breathe your way to beautiful skin that will give you a non-stop,100 watt glow without breaking your pocket. Just breathe. “People often ask me what I use on my skin, and the answer is nothing—it’s simply a product of the breath work,” says Ashley Neese, a Los Angeles based self-care practitioner. The best part? You can do it anytime, anywhere. If your objective is better skin, Neese advises incorporating the practice into your skin-care routine every morning and night. Pranayama works on the respiratory system and removes any energy blocks such as fatigues. It helps purify the blood and also boosts the supply of oxygen, all of which leads to great skin. Kapalabhati, a type of pranayama, benefits the the body so much that, when practiced regularly, the face shines. Get your breathe on!

2. Try dry body brushing (gharshana)

Dry brushing is so great because we loose so much dead skin every single day and we don’t do anything about it. From an internal level, body brushing is excellent for stimulating circulation and is believed to stimulate the lymphatic system which is important for developing a strong immune system. Use a natural-bristle brush, loofah or  spa gloves (preferable gharshana silk gloves) and brush upwards towards your heart - this will increase blood flow or circulation and rejuvenation - so many incredible benefits. 

3. Slather yourself in oil and learn the art of self-massage (Abhyanga)

We follow Abhyanga right after dry brushing. If you are Indian then you know the drill with massages. In fact, Indians are devoted to massage therapy so much that it is added to their beauty routines since as new borns. As Deepak Chopra, Ayurvedic author of Grow Younger, Live Longer,  beautifully puts it, “A massage gives you access to your inner pharmacy. Your skin is a rich source of age-reversing hormones that can be released through massage. We recommend self-massage as a valuable age-reversing component of your daily routine.” An invigorating self-massage release natural energizing chemicals and is highly referred in your morning routine to help you get going.

4. Oil Pulling

Oil pulling not only rids bacteria in your mouth but it also moisturizes and soothes your gums. This is squishing a spoonful of oil, preferably coconut oil or one that is recommended on accord of your dosha type. It has a very sensual sensation as opposed to chemical loaded mouth wash. The use of coconut oil leaves a taste of sweet coco in your breath. 

5. Practice tongue Scraping

Tongue scraping is one of those practices that are super trendy right but has existed for 5000 years in Ayurveda. Why is tongue scraping popular? Well, tongue scraping has a lot more to do with cleaning your mouth from bacteria but actually it tells you what is going on with your digestion. In Ayurveda, digestion is the basis of your body’s balance and imbalances; the cornerstone to your health. In Ayurveda, you are not what you eat but you are what you digest. A copper tongue scraper is used to gently remove that unattractive white coating that sits on your tongue even after brushing with a tooth brush. That white coating means that your gastrointestinal tract is over loaded with toxins (ama) due to your poor digestive fire (Agni). The ama drives upwards and parks on your tongue, signaling to you that it’s time for a tongue scrape and that your digestion is weak. 

6. Perform daily Meditation 

Meditation is the retreat that you need to disconnect from the the hustle and bustle life that you live and reconnect with your truest nature in your cosmic life. Do you know that glow that  you get after spending a week overseas on vacation? This is so because of the soothing, relaxing and calming vibrational effects on your mind-body. Well, you can simple relive those sensations through meditation. Meditation has a soothing effect on the mind, body and spirit that results in a happier and healthier you. Immerse yourself  in anything that you find calming. It could be music, a happy memory, dancing, focusing on your highest self or what ever is your life’s mantra. This alone can makeup for all the above routines. 

Takeaways

Ayurveda is the knowledge of life that teaches that the mind, body and spirit can be balanced holistically through proper diet, self-care and exercise. The six sacred self-care rituals are breathing exercises, dry body brushing, self-massage, oil pulling, tongue scraping and meditation.