Holiday Ayurveda from Light & Bryan Miller, Florida

[Guest guest]

Dear Group Members -

As this is the season for many of us to be very focused with Christmas

or Hanuka and family celebrations, I would like to wish everyone a

very warm, joyful, vital, and deeply peaceful holiday season! Today I

received this wonderful newsletter from Dr.s Light and Bryan Miller,

ayurvedic practitioners and founding faculty of the Florida Ayurvedic

College.

 

The winter advice for use of essential oils and foods here in the

northern hemisphere is clearly written by a woman who embraces the

spices and essential oils for daily life similarly to my own practice.

Light is (eastern) Indian descent, and practices from family lineage

in addition to her and her husband having naturopathic and

chiropractic physician's training and experience of many years.

Light's advice for aromatherapy uses offers a more safe perspective

for those using oils which they may have bought which are not organic,

in terms of more dilution.

 

Enjoy!

Ysha

 

December 22nd, 2006

Dear Friends,

 

First of all, we'd like to catch you up on some recent news, then

announce some wonderful Ayurvedic Education and Healing Vacations, and

finally wish you all a happy season with our tips for taking care of

yourself in Kapha Season.

 

As many of you already know, last May we sold the building that housed

the Ayurvedic Center for Well Being. We have downsized and simplified

our lives, yet we continue to operate the college and provide all the

Ayurvedic treatments at our new location. Our new address is 3023

Proctor, Sarasota Florida. It is next to the Unity Church on the same

property, in the small gray building north of the Church. As always

our website is http://ayurvedichealers.com - look for big changes in

that over the next few weeks.

 

We are so pleased to announce that one of our prized students, Mindy

Reser, has opened an Ayurvedic Center in Punta Mita, Mexico, in the

state of Nayarit, which is 45 minutes from Puerto Vallerto. It is a

luxurious Spa and Yoga Center on the bay of Bahia Bandera with a

secluded private beach. Check the website http://villaananda.com.

 

For those who want to make Pancha karma a special occasion event or a

vacation, we are providing treatments in Hawaii, Mexico, and Puerto

Rico as well as Sarasota, Florida. Call early for availability

941-929-0999. We have also scheduled our first Pancha Karma Training

of the new year for February 10th.

 

If you would like to receive 10% off of any Pancha Karma reservations

or Vacation trips between now and January 31st, just mention this

newsletter when calling.

 

Studying Ayurveda & Practicing Yoga - Earn College Credits While on

Vacation in Italy and the French Alps. (see website link above).

 

Taking Care of Yourself During Kapha Season

 

The Seasons & Doshic Balance

As the earth tilts on its axis, we move through the four seasons, and

Dosha forces express themselves. Summer brings heat and Pitta forces.

This is when all Doshic types should eat lighter diets, more fruits

and vegetables (raw), cool drinks, and wear less clothes. Pittas need

to guard themselves during summer from excess sun and heat. Fall

brings dry, cold winds in many areas of the country (i.e., the Santa

Anna winds in Los Angeles) which carry with them Vata forces. All

types, but especially Vatas, need to bundle up and wear hats. Diet

shifts to warmer cooked foods and soups are appropriate. The cold

winter is split between Vata and Kapha, but Spring is definitely a

Kapha season with the rains and cool weather. This is a time of colds

and flu. Staying warm and dry is important. As the weather warms,

the leafy greens appear, and consuming them cleans your thick, winter

blood. Spring cleaning, Swedish bitters, and wearing lighter clothes

are appropriate.

 

Nature brings us food for each season to counter the attributes of

each. Summer's fruits and vegetables become ripe in time to enjoy

their coolness. Fall's grains, potatoes, nuts, and salmon runs all

happen when storage of rich concentrated foods is important for the

coming cold. Spring's greens will thin and clean our winter

metabolism in time for the heat of summer. Eat seasonally, what is

being harvested locally. That is Ayurveda. Watermelon in the winter

- insanity.

 

As we leave the winds of the Vata season (Fall) behind, we move into

the Kapha season here in Florida, our winter season. The Holiday

season. And the season of lingering flu, colds, and bronchitis.

Keeping the immune system strong is very important during this time of

cold, changeable weather.

 

Bryan and I just returned from Mexico's 85-95 degree weather where we

were visiting one of our students who is preparing for the grand

opening of her magnificent Ayurvedic Center called Villa Ananda. It

is going to be as beautiful as the Raj, utilizing vastu (fung shui)

principles and providing the most elegant and luxurious Ayurvedic and

Pancha Karma treatments.

 

After 28 hours in delayed flights and cold airports, we then arrived

home to find a cold front in Sarasota, Florida, where many people had

the flu, including my beautiful grandchildren. One of my greatest

joys in life is being with my grandchildren, Nina who is 2 years old

and Noah, 10 years old. Being exhausted myself from the long cold

journey, I now had the pleasure of taking care of my grandchildren who

would be staying with us for the weekend.

 

What to do for the flu?

 

Immediately, Bryan and I created an essential oil flu recipe blending

50 drops of Ravensara, 25 drops of Rosemary, 50 drops of Eucalyptus

radiata, 25 drops of Eucalyptus smithi, 25 drops camphor, and 25 drops

of Gold Chamomile, in base of 50/50 dilution with coconut oil because

it is a cooling oil (can also use olive oil or sunflower oil if there

is a fever). If no fever, use sesame oil, almond oil, or any

vegetable oil of your choice.

 

At one point the baby awoke in the middle of the night with a

screaming earache so I prepared an essential oil blend using 1 drop

Lavender, 1 drop Helichrysum, and 1 drop Blue Chamomile in one-half

ounce of olive oil. I placed 3 drops of this blend in her ear during

the night and again in the morning, covering with a cotton ball. I

also massaged her feet and back throughout the night, massaging my

feet and shoulders as well as a preventive measure so that I would not

get sick.

 

Due to the long, cold traveling conditions, and being exposed to

people with the flu, both Bryan and I began to experience flu symptoms

shortly after we got the grandchildren well. I even developed an

earache, so during the night I used the eardrops 4 times. I also

gargled with 1 drop Sandalwood, 1 drop Cajeput, and 1 drop Manuka in 8

ounces of water & #65533; gargling as often as needed depending upon severity.

 

As I shared my story with friends, one of my students, who is a nurse

in a hospital, also got the flu and said that there were more than 500

people who have it. Using the traditional medical system, people were

experiencing a lingering flu for 1-3 weeks. With Ayurveda, Nina and

Noah came back to normal by the next day. So did Bryan and I and we

were able to enjoy the Thanksgiving Holiday.

 

Some of you know that essential oils are normally used in small doses

but with an acute condition, the feet and hands can be rubbed with a

50% dilution, keeping warm and drinking lots of fluids until the

condition improves. The method of rubbing the hands and feet is

particularly good for people with sensitive skin. For normal skin,

you can rub the concentrated 50/50 blend onto chest, around neck, and

abdomen as well as on the hands and feet.

 

One of my students made a wonderful blend that is excellent for

purifying the air called the Holiday Thanksgiving Blend.

 

The holiday season is a very special time of year when the Christ

consciousness and spirit of love awakens, and people share gifts with

friends and loved ones. It is also a time when it is easy to

overindulge in delicious foods and sweets and stay up late & #65533; all of

which burden the immune system unless done in moderation. And a

strong immune system is our defense during the season of colds and flu.

 

During times of festivity, it is more difficult to practice the

Ayurvedic lifestyle that we normally keep. Many of our western yogis

go home to families where moms and grandmothers have prepared

wonderful foods and they enjoy the Holiday Season by using a few

simple measures. When visiting friends and relatives make sure to

take along digestive herbs: for Pitta, you will need Digest-Ease

(from Banyan), for Vata & Kapha you will need Trikatu (from Bazaar of

India or Banyan), and for Vata, Pitta, or Kapha you can use Drashka

digestive wine, as well as doing abyanga self-massage often.

 

Enjoy family, friends, celebration, and food this holiday season and

do not feel guilty about breaking your Ayurvedic regime. Remember, it

is what you do most of the year that counts. Judging yourself could

be more toxic than eating grandmas apple pie with condensed milk and

white sugar. As a safeguard, when the seasons change, you can prepare

yourself with the home Pancha Karma or go to your favorite pancha

karma center for a few days.

 

Foods and herbs to remember for good health during this season:

 

Churnas - the term & #65533;churna & #65533; means a group of spices, or herbs,

that

promote health and rejuvenation through a particular body system.

 

Sweet churnas to use for pies, pastries & sweets - the following herbs

are used:

 

Cardamom - good for digestion, circulation and the heart; an antidote

to caffeine; brings joy.

 

Cinnamon - digestive aid, anti-yeast, diaphoretic, especially good

for those with weak constitution, warms kidneys; promotes agni

(digestive fire).

 

Clove - useful for colds, lungs, stomach, lymphatic congestion;

mildly aphrodisiac.

 

Nutmeg - excellent for absorption of carbohydrates in the small

intestine, reduces high Vata, and clears the mind. A glass of (warm)

milk at night with & #65533; tsp. of nutmeg will bring pleasant dreams.

 

Ginger - probably the best and most sattvic of all spices. Stimulant

and expectorant. Increases agni. Relieves cramps and flatulence.

 

Fennel - stimulates assimilation of calcium and magnesium from

foods, stops cramping and bloating. A great aid to digestion for

children and the elderly bringing ease to the nervous system and

promoting mental alertness.

 

Coriander (the seed of cilantro) & #65533; excellent for urinary tract

disorders and digestive upsets. The fresh juice can help hay fever

and rashes. An antidote to tomatoes and hot chilis & #65533; this is why it

is used in salsa.

 

Grains- Proteins & Starches:

 

Rosemary - mental alertness, digestive aid, expectorant, rejuvenative.

 

Thyme - pain reliever, warming to the digestive tract.

 

Ginger - probably the best and most sattvic of all spices. Stimulant

and expectorant. Increases agni (digestive fire). Relieves cramps

and flatulence..

 

For soups, salads, and sauces - use as many fresh spices as you can & #65533;

 

Basil & #65533; good for lungs, excellent ingredient for salad dressing, opens

heart & mind; bestows love and devotion, clears aura and strengthens

immune system.

 

Tulsi & #65533; the Indian variety of Basit and, next to Lotus, is perhaps the

most sacred plant of India. It has a strong purifying influence to

the nervous system and absorbs negative ions and liberates the ozone

from the suns rays. Both basis are diaphoretic, release fevers,

decongests the lungs relieving flue and respiratory conditions. The

Indian variety is more pungent than the western variety that we have

in our markets.

 

Sage - known for reducing excess water weight in the body, has

astringent quality, good for night sweats, dries mucous membrane,

suppresses mammary secretions, stops bleeding and is very good for

ulcers. A great expectorant for the winter months.

 

Rosemary - mental alertness, digestive aid, expectorant, rejuvenative

 

Thyme - pain reliever, warming to the digestive tract

 

General Cooking & #65533;

 

Ajwan herb for digestion of meats and starches.

 

Cumin & #65533; great digestive aid, supports immune system, carminative,

stimulant. Alters the state of digestive tract.

 

Sesame seeds - for building immunity and is a bone strengthener. The

black seeds are best as they contain higher amounts of solar energy.

The seeds can be added to confections, pastries, and candies for the

holidays.

 

Soups & #65533;

 

Pippali herb - for digestion. It is closely related to the spice of

black pepper and is a powerful stimulant to the respiratory and

digestive systems. Assists in relieving congestion of toxicity (ama)

in the body. An aphrodisiac and strengthener of the reproductive

organs. Pippali, black pepper, and ginger are the ingredients of an

ancient Ayurvedic recipe for sinus congestion and is a rejuvenation of

the digestive tract, supporting assimilation of other herbs.

 

Use Amalaki - has a very high content of Vitamin C. Considered one

of the most rejuvenative herbs in Ayurvedic medicine for the blood,

bones, and liver. Assists in building new tissues and increasing red

blood cell count. Supports hair & nail growth, good eyesight;

assists in reducing inflammation of the stomach and colon. Amalaki is

a gooseberry of India and each fruit contains 3,000 mg of vitamin C.

 

Use Chavayanprash for building a healthy immune system due to its high

content of Vitamin C and Vitamin E. It is an excellent Ayurvedic tonic.

 

Drink lots of hot chai whenever possible as it contains the digestive

herbs of cardamom, clove, cinnamon, and organic ginger. Use tulsi

herb as a substitute for black tea. At night drink warm milk with

saffron, ghee, and nutmeg for a pleasant sleep.

 

Abyangha Self-Massage

 

Abyangha is a therapy that we should do for ourselves every day as a

form a form of self-love and bringing balance to the systems of our body.

 

During the Holiday Season it is a must.

 

Abyangha is an ancient Ayurvedic technique of daily self-massage. It

seals and protects the skin, calms and tones the muscles, centers the

mind and provides a barrier to outside influence. You will need to

purchase a good natural bristle brush available at most health food

stores. Begin massaging at the extremeties; feet moving upwards on

the front & back of legs. Then do hands, moving upwards to the

shoulders. Next, massage the abdomen, chest, shoulders, upper & lower

back, and buttocks.

 

The skin is a very elaborate defense mechanism to protect us from

invading bacteria and virus and loss of moisture. Sebaceous glands

deep in the skin secrete an acidic, oily mantel called sebum, which

forms a protective layer. This layer can be stripped off if you use

ordinary soap, which is alkaline. Abyangha adds vegetable oils and

essential oils to the skin mantel supporting, not disrupting, the

protection.

 

Additionally, this mantel is part of our etheric energy field.

Keeping it strong can protect us from being unduly influenced by

outside emotions, negativity or control. It strengthens your energy

centers and prevents you from being diverted from your purpose.

 

It is traditional to do Abyangha in the morning before you shower or

bathe. It can also be helpful for insomnia or very dry skin to

perform it at night. I have found that because I take & #65533;hot & #65533;

baths, it

is better for me to do my Abyangha after bathing.

 

Personal Blends:

 

It is important to make your own personal blend using a vegetable oil

appropriate for your body type and essential oils chosen for your

specific health concerns. In 8 oz. of vegetable oil use 100 to 150

drops of various essential oils.

 

Thank you all for joining us in spirit this season,

 

Our Family Picture

 

We wish to express our deepest gratitude to all those who supported

the Ayurvedic Center of Well Being since 2002 and to those who

continue to support our work by learning, healing, and growing with

us. We bless you this Holiday Season, wishing you wellness, healing,

and abundance for the New Year.

 

Light, Bryan, Bodhi, and Cedar Miller

____________

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[Guest guest]

thank you so much dr. miller for all this wonderful information. I am still

learning which spices are good for what, and with no medical insurance, I'm

invested in learning how to take care of myself. All your work on this paper is

much appreciated and very useful.

Vicky York

 

vicky york

Lactation consultant, postpartum doula

postpartum care services

Eugene and Portland, Oregon

 

Hi Vicky;

Light and Bryan are not members of this group, but I will pass on your

appreciations!

Ysha