Yoga, training and health inspiration for you

Since the start of civilization we have emphasized the active life (yang) in some cultures and the contemplative life (yin) in others. Now we have the opportunity to explore both and find the appropriate balance between the two. But how do we find time to figure out what we need when everything around us is spinning so fast?  What does mindful living mean in a modern world? 

Find a balance between yin and yang

For most of us life today doesn’t offer any natural breaks. We eat lunch on the go and we are constantly online or communicating on phones, laptops and iPads. We may even try to do yoga while doing these other things. But to achieve deep relaxation and mental ease, we need a practice where we can turn our senses inward and quiet the mind. We can stately claim that the need for a more inquiry based, contemplative, complementary practice, is well needed in the life of the modern human and yogi.

Yin and yang can be described as two variables; they are either on the opposite ends of a cycle, like the seasons of the year, or opposites on a continuum of energy or matter. The opposition is relative and can only be understood through relationships between the two. For example: Water is yin relative to steam but yang relative to ice. Nothing is totally yin or yang. Just as a state of total yin is reached, yang starts to grow.

This is evident in the yin yoga practice, since after you have gotten deep into relaxation and mental stillness in a yin yoga pose, the blood circulation increases and you can start to feel heat inside. You are ready to mobilize energy into movement and weight bearing.

They constantly transform into each other, just as there can be no energy without matter and no day without light. The classic energy philosophy state that yin creates yang and yang activates yin. This falls true in one's yoga practice when your breath brings stillness to the mind and you start to flow through the poses. You experience inner heat rather than extensive sweat (that cools your body). This way the metabolism and circulation increases, and your body is enable to burn toxins and impurities better.

Different types of yoga
Yoga means “to yoke” together opposites. That is also what hatha yoga, the platform for all physical yoga practice. To balance the ha (yang) and the tha (yin); the solar (doing) with the lunar (being) aspects of the practice. In this sense, our yoga practice should be a blend of yang/out/action/contraction and yin/in/observation/extension to make the whole balanced and to affect our entire health to move towards homeostatis (the maintenance of equilibrium). Yang yoga is a more vigorous yoga practice that targets the muscular tissue and through movement creates heat. Examples of yang based yoga is ashtanga vinyasa, power yoga and anusara yoga.

Through the practice of yin yoga, one targets the fascia/connective tissue in the body, which makes it a marvellous therapeutic tool for healing bodily, mental, and emotional imbalances. Yin yoga is most effective when more active forms of yoga or exercise are also practiced regularly.

Let go of your own limitations and your preconceptions when it comes to yoga
The demands of Western culture can easily lead to low self-esteem. While there is usually room for improvement, we are all amazing beings just as we are. In a yoga practice we should just get to the mat, work within our limitations, and feel how we detach from all of what inhibits us, rather than get caught up in competitiveness without looking for some specific results.

There is a misperception that an “enlightened yogi” is passively accepting of all circumstances and will not care how she or he is treated or what her circumstances may be. Study and application of your practice will erase many of those misperceptions.

For example, there is no sutra stating that the true yogi never says “no.” Sometimes practicing truthfulness and respect for yourself, others, and a given situation may result in more action as you develop clearer boundaries and integrity. This has been my experience. Before yoga and meditation, I had little awareness of my own boundaries and I had never been showed to move inwards for answers. I searched on the outside instead and I had such a need for affirmation and acceptance that I never said “no.”

For me it took many years of practice and life lived in order to move more into sattva guna; to a more centered positioning in myself where I could speak of my needs. This spiritual maturity gave me the ability to better accept different situations and of letting go of things that doesn´t give themselves automatically.

To be a yogi, you just have to practice yoga regularly. The yoga will do the rest. Becoming a yogi doesn’t mean giving up the old you and becoming someone else. However, things that are not serving you well may fall away. As you practice yoga, you move toward the more intuitive, less fragile you.

The yogi way
On the other hand, being a yogi doesn’t mean you don’t have problems; you just have more tools for dealing with them. Yoga provides kaivalya, or space around your experience that allows you to have perspective regarding your problems and what to do about them.

In yoga, we work with tension and through different techniques we wish to move deeper into it, step by step, day by day, practicing again and again, until we reach its core. Then we stay with it and use releasing techniques like slow poses, visualization, breath, and silence in order for the tension to resolve. We need to slow things down in the core of tension so the bodily systems that have perhaps been drained of energy can take some time to recover new energy, and slowly the stress and tension release their grip.

Take a sponge as an example. We leave it close to water and it will slowly start to move toward the liquid in order to absorb it. That is the code, the programming of that texture. We can look at our own systems in a similar way. The more we use them the wrong way, the more we take away from their binary code intelligence.

This idea is shared in general in medicine and, similar to yoga (though carried out in different ways), its aim is to lower the thresholds so the obstruction of flow can be reduced in order to get the blood pumping and nerves to speak with each other again. Here they use medicines, surgery, and other techniques but with the same aim, in general.

The present moment is filled with joy and happiness. If you are attentive, you will see it.

—Thich Nhat Hanh

So on the question regarding if it is possible to live more mindfully in the society of today I would say yes. And the first step is to start adding more slow style practices into your life. Add the natural breaks that your life is not handing to you. Otherwise life will runa away with you.

If you wish to read more on behalf of this topic, I have written a book on yin yoga called YINYOGA – An Individualized approach to balance, health and Self wellbeing available on www.amazon.com.

This weeks yoga and contemplation

Pick one of the two yin yoga classes below and practice this twice this week. Follow up with the recommended meditation right after. The other days work on balancing this class with some stability, flowing or strengthening classes.

I also invite you to ask yourself and inquire around the following questions during the week when you have a moment before, during or after your practice:

• Is there anything I can remove from my schedule that is not that important?
• Where do I experience stress in my body right now?
• Does my thoughts move around a theme? Are they pulling me towards validation? Negative criticism?

Give yourself this month of recurring stillness. Let go "yinside"! 

This weeks videos

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Are you running to fast and tend a bit lost? You are not alone! This is why I would like to invite you to a month filled with yin and restorative. To find inner peace in Christmas time, and a harmonious ending to this year. We'll start these four weeks tomorrow, but get a sneak peak here! 

Find the balance between yin and yang

December is a month where we try to desperately unwind all the stress and tension created by high expectations, a massive workload, managing several social events, endning the year in grace and prepare and enjoy Chistmas time. Yet, why do we run so fast? It is not like time will stop at New Years. It is not like you do not get more chances to improve or work.

My advice to you is to practice adding pauses. Say no to events you do not have to participate in and don't start any new projects on this side of the year. Plan for them instead. Focus on closure. On pausing. On spending time with yourself everyday. Both on and off the mat. Mix your social life with solitude. Time with YOU and those you care strongly for. Stop running. This month is a fantastic month to practice pausing, rebooting and restoring. Welcome to this month's theme: Slow Down – GoYin

Many of us strive to maintain a balance between yin and yang, the active and the passive, the hard and the soft. Both on and off the yoga mat. This month I will share some thoughts around ways to unwind tension, seek clarity, release stress and boost inner peace. 

This month will consist of four parts broken into four weeks.

Starting tomorrow I will guide you here on the blog and in our Facebook community BEYOGA365 with inspirational reading and video recommendations on Yogobe. Welcome to a month of going more yin.

Start december right...

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Vähennä stressiä ja tuo tasapainoa arkeesi Yogoben joulukalenterin avulla! Tarjoamme joka päivä jouluun asti yhden ilmaisen jooga- tai treenivideon ja jaamme sen Facebooksivullamme. Nyt jos koskaan on täydellinen hetki kokeilla joogaharjoittelua tai löytää uusi inspiroiva tapa treenata. Lue lisää tämän vuoden joulukalenterista alta.

Näin joulukalenteri toimii

1.-24.12. julkaisemme jokaisena aamuna uuden videon Facebooksivullamme Yogobe Suomi. Suosittelemme tykkäämään sivusta, jolloin löydät päivän videon helpommin! Video on katsottavista aamulla klo 6.00 alkaen aina saman päivän keskiyöhön asti.

Anna itsellesi joululahjaksi lisää Yogobea

• Kokeile ilmaiseksi 7 päivää
  Mitä enemmän harjoittelet videoiden mukana sitä helpompaa se on. Tarjoammekin uusille jäsenille 7 päivän ilmaisen kokeilujakson, jotta voit tutustua videokirjaston sisältöön rauhassa. Kirjautuneena voit lisäksi merkata suosikkivideosi muistiin ja toistaa niitä myös offline-tilassa ollessasi Yogoben IOS-appin kautta. Rekisteröidy uudeksi käyttäjäksi täällä.

• Kutsu ystäväsi Yogobeen – saat ilmaisen jäsenyyden
  Yogoben jäsenenä voit kannustaa ystäviäsi huolehtimaan hyvinvoinnistaan tarjoamalla heille mahdollisuuden kokeilla palveluamme. Jaa henkilökohtaista ystäväkoodiasi, jonka löydät Omalta Sivultasi! Kaikki ystäväsi, jotka eivät ole vielä kokeilleet Yogobea, saavat koodin avulla ilmaisen 14 päivän jooga- ja treenijakson videokirjastoomme. Jos ystäväsi aloittaa kokeilujakson jälkeen maksullisen tilauksen (väh. 19,90e) tilillesi lisätään automaattisesti ilmainen kuukausi. Kuinka kätevää! Lue lisää täältä tai siirry Omalle Sivullesi ja aloita koodisi jakaminen.

Kysymyksiä tai mietteitä?
Jos sinulla on jotakin kysyttävää tai haluat esittää toiveita, voit aina ottaa meihin yhteyttä: [email protected].

Yoga teacher Frida Starvid (fd Boström) asks her self if there really are some yoga forms that are better than others or more true? And does it really matter as long as you find the yoga form that suits you and your needs?

Exercise as such has never interested me

I´ve known for a while that this piece was going to center around a book by Haruki Murakami called What I Talk About When I Talk About Running. This month´s blog theme is “pulse, heat and exercise”, and I had picked this book in lieu of having to write anything personal. It´s a good read, which you might expect from a writer of his caliber. Murakami writes about running, basically, in a very straightforward fashion, but uses the subject as a cover-up for what is really an autobiography.

It wasn´t obvious, however, what my take on the subject would be, even through the lens of Murakami. Not until I found myself in a locker room with one of my students after a challenging Rocket class, and the opening appeared as if by magic. While changing, we were leisurely talking about different styles of yoga, and my student made the observation that it seemed like yoga was gaining popularity because people see it as a form of physical exercise. “I don´t know much about that”, I said, pulling on my jeans. She looked at me, confounded.

A long conversation followed, in which I talked about the background of Rocket yoga - that while it is up-tempo and physically challenging, it is derived from the disciplined Ashtanga tradition, firmly grounded in yoga philosophy and that it has mantras, bandhas and breath work at its core. I talked about the fact that exercise as such has never interested me. That only insofar as my mind can be absorbed into something more meaningful while moving, my body is willing to work. The girl nodded thoughtfully. “I guess I´ve never looked at it that way,” she concluded, just before we said goodbye.

Is there only one true yoga form?
While I sat on the bus, I thought about things I´ve heard people sometimes claim over the last couple of years - that physically demanding yoga in some way should be less profound and require less awareness than slower forms of practice - and therefore is shallower and more about performance. I´ve heard someone say, for example, that sitting in Lotus and meditating is harder than doing Pincha Mayurasana. And that is perhaps true, depending on who you are. But perhaps not. Or maybe on some days, and not others. The question is, does it matter? Isn´t the comparison futile? To me, doing advanced asanas is not about snapping fancy pictures, but about a natural will to progress. Being spurred on by gradual development, having positive mental and physical feedback from trying new things and achieving postures one never thought possible, is a good thing in my book. That does not, however, make me opposed to any other type of yoga, which is the main important point I want to drive home. Everyone should not have to prefer the same things.

Absorbed in the physical concentration
I think one´s preference when it comes to style has a lot to do with one´s personality. In his book, Murakami reflects that to a certain extent we can change our physical and mental setup, but we all have slightly different constitutions, and in the end, you have to make the best of what you have. Murakami is a proven long-distance runner; I would not choose that term to describe myself. Both in yoga and in life I am good at dynamic and creative aspects, good at initiating stuff, happy when I reach fast results, but with a sad tendency to burn out because of it.

I am at the core a fast, driven, restless person without much patience, so when I started doing yoga, there was no chance I would have been able to continue with something like Hatha or Yin. I tried, so I know. Then one evening, without the slightest idea of what to expect, I tried a Rocket yoga class. And when I came out of the studio 90 minutes later, it was the first time in my life I experienced my mind quiet. I had been so absorbed in the physical concentration, that I´d had no time to notice that something had miraculously shifted. A mediation class would never have done the same job. Not for me, not ten years ago.

The physically challenging yoga was my entrance to mental stillness
What I can say, is that dynamic yoga has helped me work with some of the negative aspects of my constitution. Physical challenges make my mind one-pointed, as I need to concentrate my whole being, be one with my breath and my body and feel what´s going on in each single body part. While naturally I want to succeed the first time I try something new, practicing this way has taught me patience to a degree I never thought possible. It has been my entrance to mental stillness, to concentration, and in its wake, to meditation. Also, when I practice I need to stay focused solely on myself. I sometimes go through large parts of a class with my eyes closed. And whether that´s the case or not, after class I never have an idea of what the person next to me has been up to. I am so focused that there is no room for comparison. To me that´s a big part of what yoga is about. What style one chooses in order to achieve this is superfluous to the equation.

Murakami´s autobiography is one long contemplation on running, and on life. He talks about ageing, the way the body and the mind changes, and that his preferences change with it. And he manages to squeeze in lines as beautiful as “The most important thing we ever learn at school is the fact that the most important things can´t be learned at school.” In fact, he writes, most of what he knows about writing fiction he learned by running every day. I guess I could say something similar about life and yoga.

Videos you might like

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Read more

• On the Pursuit of Slackness, by Frida Starvid (fd Boström)
• Living Healthier with Ayurveda, by July Huang

About Frida

Frida Starvid (fd Boström) is a Vinyasa, Ashtanga, Rocket and Yin teacher (200+140 hr), educated in India, Sweden and Spain. She started off as an architect but after a burnout she decided to shift careers. Her first trip to an ashram in India in 2015 led to many more, and evoked her already existing curiosity about philosophy and meditation, as well as fun and physically challenging yoga. Frida gives regular classes and assists at yoga teacher educations in Sweden and abroad. Read more about Frida at her website or follow her at Instagram: @fridastarvid

What if you should just leave your job and go to the other side of the world to live your dream? That is what Maria Paulsson Rönnbäck did. Here she shares her story about her yoga- and surf adventure in Sri Lanka. 

Adventure awaits

About a year ago I did something that at the time felt like the most stupid thing I could ever do for my career. I quit a job I had thought of as a dream job. It was a well paid founder role at a hyped social impact tech start-up. On the paper it looked perfect, but I couldn’t shake off the feeling that I was in the wrong place, doing the wrong thing. I’ve always had a constant longing to be close to nature and the one thing I knew was that I wanted to live by the ocean and to surf. A couple of months later I left Sweden for a six month employment in Sri Lanka. I was going to work as Sales & Marketing Manager for Sunshinestories and Ceylon Sliders, a surf and yoga retreat and a boutique hotel, founded by two fellow Swedes, Linn and Petter. I had met the couple on a surf trip to Sri Lanka a few years back and found their lifestyle so inspiring. They seemed to live the ultimate life, combining entrepreneurship, surf and yoga. And what was more, it took place on the beach underneath the palm trees.

Let go of the excuses
Today I laugh about how difficult the decision to leave Stockholm felt at the time, and yet how easy it was to make the actual move. I understand I was in a fortunate position to get an amazing job in Sri Lanka, but still booking a flight ticket and find someone who could take care of my apartment wasn’t that difficult at all. It was just a bunch of ideas and excuses in my head that had stopped me before. Going to Sri Lanka and working with Sunshinestories and Ceylon Sliders, is probably one of the best decision I’ve made in my life. Working with two things I love, surf and yoga was of course amazing. But most importantly, I learned things about my self, that I would not have done if I had stayed in Stockholm.

When arriving in Sri Lanka I promised myself two things. First, to skip all the ”extras”, and secondly not to make any decisions about what to do when the six months came to an end. Let me explain the ”extras”. This was my endless list of to-dos and side projects, that I of course had with me to Sri Lanka. Start a travel blog, learn how to edit videos for Youtube, learn Sinhalese, start company X, start company Y, read this book, watch more surf videos, learn handstands, take an ayurvedic course. All this I'd planned to do besides my full-time job as a Sales and Marketing Manager. I realized if I were to do all this, I wouldn’t have time to enjoy life and to surf, which I had been dreaming about. So I decided my daily activities were going to be surf or yoga, work, eating curry and enjoying the sunset. Nothing more. Also, since I lived in accommodation provided by my employer, I didn’t have to worry about paying bills or thinking about how to decorate the house. I mean, how much time do Swedes spend decorating their homes? It’s ridiculous!

Basically my life was very simple. I didn’t cook and since there were no shops in the fishing village where I lived, I didn’t spend much time shopping, besides buying beer and food. Adding to that it took me two minutes to get to work and to the yoga shala, and five minutes to the local surf break. Having decided not to plan my next step in life, also meant I didn’t spend time working on my CV, contacting companies and applying for jobs. As a result I had time to just think and my mind wandered without any specific direction. It was like I had a playground to explore the ideas and I had the time to do it. I had so much time, and I felt so free.

Trust me, I’m the queen of planning and being one step ahead. When coming home to Sweden after the six months in Sri Lanka, it was the first time since leaving highschool 15 years ago that I didn’t have a plan and a next step already figured out.

Letting go of the extras and taking a break from planning my life was that big deep clean I really needed. Without really trying to find myself (I just worked and surfed) I gained insight into how I want to live my life. I think I also defined what happiness means to me. It is being perfectly content with where you are without wanting to be anywhere else than in a smelly little fishing village called Weligama right by the Indian Ocean.

Let yourself just be
I can truly recommend everyone to give yourself a gap year. I mean, really give your self a year of NOT thinking so much about who you are, the meaning of life, maybe not digging so much. Just be. Do things you like together with people you like. And it will come to you.

If you feel like going abroad for work, I can definitely recommend Sunshinestories and Ceylon Sliders as a employer, and Sri Lanka as your playground. Sunshinestories has recently opened up for the opportunity to host your own yoga retreat at their venue, a beautiful Dutch colonial villa in a buddhist little village in South Sri Lanka. The villa has a newly build lush yoga shala feeling like you’re in the jungle and has high quality props and mats. The delicious home cooked food is made with organic veggies and fruits from the local market. If you fancy a Sri Lanka yoga adventure for your retreat or teacher training program, send a message at [email protected] .

Hope reading this has given you some food for thoughts, I you want to follow my next adventure or ask any questions, you’ll find me on Instagram @mariaelvirapr.

Video tips

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Read more about yoga and health

• On the Pursuit of Slackness, by Frida Boström
• What is my path cultivating?, by Luke Bache
• Going outside, being lost, and staying found, by Frida Boström

More about Maria

Maria Paulsson Rönnbäck is a yogi and entrepreneur. Maria found yoga when she was working in India. She immediately realized what a powerful tool it is was for increased well-being in a stressful everyday life.  After this first trip to India Maria has been to a number of yoga retreat around the world, often combining yoga with surf, which is her other great passion in life. Her passion brought her to Sri Lanka in 2017 where she lived and worked to grow local companies and started a technology project for Sri Lankan children, Lankan Tech Kids.

Contact or read more about Maria on Instagram.

Yogoben lokakuun teemakuukausi käsittelee luovaa taukoa ja sitä, miten luovaa intuitiota voi herätellä eri aistien kautta. Luova tauko -teoksen kirjoittajan, Maaretta Tukiaisen, mielestä meissä kaikissa on luovuutta, jota voi toteuttaa pienin teoin joka päiväisessä elämässä. Sarjassa keskitytään yksinkertaisiin harjoituksiin joiden avulla voit lisätä luovuutta omassa arjessa. Vinkkejä saadaan eri alojen taiteilijoilta. Neljännessä osassa keskitytään liikeaistiin ja keskustellaan kirjailijan ja taiteilijan, Meiju Niskalan, kanssa.

Vie kehosi eri paikkoihin

Kokemuksellisista teoksistaan palkittu Meiju Niskala luo moniosaista taidetta. Käytännössä se tarkoittaa, että teos voi koostua vaikkapa kirjasta, esityksestä ja installaatiosta.

Teoksen suunnittelu lähtee usein liikkeelle siitä, että Meiju vie itsensä seikkailulle johonkin paikkaan. "Se on minulle tyypillistä. Kun saan johtolangasta kiinni, on minun vietävä itseni kehollisesti vielä pidemmälle, että ymmärtäisin paremmin."

Tämä periaate on vienyt Meijun makaamaan arkkuun ja vierailulle krematorioon. Syntymässä on parhaillaan kokonaisuus, joka käsittelee kuolemaa. Sytykkeenä tälle oli Meijun äidin muistisairaus, joka pari vuotta sitten johti äidin kuolemaan.

Maailmalla reissatessaan Meiju tuo aina aarteita tuliaisiksi itselleen."Tasmaniasta toin ison ravunjalan ja hiekkaa. Se narskui niin eri tavalla" Meiju hymyilee.

Miten voimme soveltaa Meijun ajatuksia oman luovuutemme herättelyyn?

Pohdi, mitä asiaa haluaisit tutkia syvemmin. Kirjoita asia vihkoon.

Mieti, mihin paikkaan voisit viedä itsesi, jotta saisit lisätietoa aiheesta.

Vie itsesi seikkailulle tuohon paikkaan. Pysähdy aistimaan koko kehollasi ja kirjoita havainnot muistiin.

Ota paikasta muistoksi jokin esine tai materiaali. Se voi olla pienikin, esimerkiksi ruohonkorsi, höyhen tai kivi.

Palaa kotiin ja kirjoita kokemuksestasi lyhyt tarina. Mitä uutta oivalsit? Mitä haluat tutkia lisää?

Lisää vinkkejä luovuuden herättelyyn Maaretta Tukiaisen ja Krista Keltasen kirjasta Luova tauko – Löydä oma tapasi elää. 2018. Cozy Publishing. Kuva: Krista Keltanen.

Lisää luettavaa

• Arjen luovuutta on utelias ja avoin mieli
• Luova tauko: näköaisti
• Luova tauko: kuuloaisti
• Luova tauko: tuntoaisti

Maaretta muualla netissä:

• maaretta.com
• instagram.com/maaretta.tukiainen
• facebook.com/MaarettaTukiainenOfficial/
• twitter.com/Maaretta

Videovinkit

Yogobe Video: 3r4k

Yogoben lokakuun teemakuukausi käsittelee luovaa taukoa ja sitä, miten luovaa intuitiota voi herätellä eri aistien kautta. Luova tauko -teoksen kirjoittajan, Maaretta Tukiaisen, mielestä meissä kaikissa on luovuutta, jota voi toteuttaa pienin teoin joka päiväisessä elämässä. Sarjassa keskitytään yksinkertaisiin harjoituksiin joiden avulla voit lisätä luovuutta omassa arjessa. Vinkkejä saadaan eri alojen taiteilijoilta. Kolmannessa osassa keskitytään tuntoaistiin kuvanveistäjä Kim Simonssonin kanssa.

Tutki miten asia toimii

Kuvanveistäjä Kim Simonsson luo käsillään. "Kun teen veistoksia, luon savipötköstä hahmon, ja kun katson sitä silmiin, se ikään kuin puhuu minulle", kuvanveistäjä Kim Simonsson kiteyttää oman luovan prosessinsa.

Palkitun taitelijan mielestä veistäminen on pohjimmiltaan alkemiaa. Saviklöntistä tulee kaunis objekti, jonka joku haluaa ostaa. Jotta näin tapahtuisi, tarvitaan taitoa.

"Minun instrumenttini ovat kädet. Muotoilen niillä, se lahja minulla on. Käytännössä teen samanlaista työtä kuin keraamikot, vaikka olenkin taiteilija. Minulle on nykyään sama, kutsutaanko minua kuvanveistäjäksi vai käsityöläiseksi".

Taidon lisäksi veistämisessä tarvitaan ymmärrystä siitä, miten jokin asia visuaalisesti toimii. Siinä tärkeintä on oivallus. "Se ymmärrys, kun tajuat, miten jokin toimii. Se on itselleni heureka-hetki."

Miten voimme soveltaa Kimin ajatuksia oman luovuutemme herättelyyn?

Osta pala savea.

Kävele 50 metriä summassa johonkin suuntaan.

Pysähdy ja ota jostain kiinnostavasta esineestä tai objektista valokuva.

Mene kotiin ja tutki kuvasta, miten tuo esine käytännössä rakentuu. Millaisista osista ja palasista kokonaisuus muodostuu?

Laita kädet saveen ja muotoile savesta tuo esine.

Lisää vinkkejä luovuuden herättelyyn Maaretta Tukiaisen ja Krista Keltasen kirjasta Luova tauko – Löydä oma tapasi elää. 2018. Cozy Publishing. Kuva: Krista Keltanen.

Voit tilata Luova tauko -kirjan täältä

Lisää luettavaa

• Arjen luovuutta on utelias ja avoin mieli
• Luova tauko: näköaisti
• Luova tauko: kuuloaisti

Maaretta muualla netissä

• maaretta.com
• instagram.com/maaretta.tukiainen
• facebook.com/MaarettaTukiainenOfficial/
• linkedin.com/in/maaretta-tukiainen
• twitter.com/Maaretta

Videovinkit

Yogobe Video: z47a

Do you long for a more natural skin care? With the ancient wisdom of ayurveda as a pillar stone, Dr. Venu Sasikumar, skin specialist, here shares with you some of his best remedies and tips for a healthy skin. 

How to get a healthy skin according to ayurveda

• Go early to bed and rise up early
• Do not mix incompatible foods (read more below)
• Consume vegetables with high water content as they can be digested more easily
• Vegetables such as carrots, radishes, lettuce, asparagus, fennel tips and cucumber are all beneficial fo the skin
• Exercise
• Do breathing exercises
• Meditate
• Moisturize your skin
• Consume seeds and nuts
• Cut down on your sugar and salt intake
• Protect your skin from excessive sun exposure

These incompatible foods can cause skin disease

In ayurveda there is a belief that some foods can cause skin diseases and that there are some foods that don't go well together when it comes to your skin health.

• Milk And Fruit: Yes. Even if you love your bowl of yogurt mixed with fruits, avoid it. Fruits are digested quickly, and milk takes time to digest. So, during the processing time, the fruit curdles the milk and creates acidity.

• Milk And Meat: Avoid consuming milk products (including desserts) if you have fish and meat. Fish heats up your body while milk cools it down. Combining these contrasting foods obstructs the vital body channels.

• Cold Drinks After A Meal: Avoid having iced or cold drinks after meals. This is because cold suppresses the digestive juices and causes stomach issues. This is also applicable for frozen yogurt and ice cream after (or before) meals.

• Ghee And Honey: Both produce opposite reactions in your body. While ghee cools down your body, honey heats it up, and this can cause imbalance.

Here are some tips on ayurvedic facial treatment that you can do at home:

Orange peel for enhancing Complexion

The peel of orange contains vitamin C and antioxidants that keep the skin clear and bright. It helps with oil control and minimizes acne outbreaks. Dry orange peels (preferably in the sun) and then mix to a powder.

What you need

• 1 tablespoon orange peel powder
• 1 tablespoon yogurt
• 1 tablespoon honey

Method

• Mix the powder, honey and yogurt
• Apply it evenly on your face and neck
• Keep it on for 20 minutes
• Wash it off

Sandalwood, Turmeric and neem For Controlling Acne

Both sandalwood, turmeric, neem and honey have antibacterial properties according to ayurveda.

What you need

• 1 tablespoon sandalwood powder
• ½ tablespoon turmeric
• 1 tablespoon neem powder
• 2-3 tablespoons honey (adjust as per the consistency)

Method

• Mix all the ingredients to a paste in a glass bowl
• Apply all over your face and keep it on until it dries
• Wash off with cold water

Raw Potato and curd For Pigmentation

Potato contains starch and has mild bleaching properties that help in fading pigmentation, dark spots, and scars naturally. Moreover, it also contains helpful enzymes that prevent premature aging.

What you need

• 1 potato
• 1 tablespoon curd*
• Some honey

Method

• Make potato paste
• Mix with honey and apply it to the affected area
• Keep it for 30 minutes
• Wash it with cold water

*Curd is a dairy product obtained by coagulating milk in a process called curdling.

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More about Dr. Venu Sasikumar

Dr. Venu Sasikumar is a much appreciated skin specialists in India. He has made intensive studies and researches in the sphere of skin diseases and their treatment. He relies upon medicines extracted from pristine nature and precise treatment modalities to get skin diseases like eczema and psoriasis under control. Read more about Dr. Venu Sasikumar on his web site. You can also contact him via e-mail at [email protected].