Ayurvedic Tips

Ok, guys!! So, today morning I was going through my regular list of e-mails and other blog feeds and I came across an amazing article on "Ayurvedic Beauty Regimen" posted in IMBB. You gotta check it out. Its very informative and opens a vista of lifestyle habits which are extremely healthy and will keep your beautiful and happy. Among those things, I have already talked about head massage and body massage and their benefits for the body. I would also try to inculcate the other things and would share my experiences with you.

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Daily Body Massage to cleanse your body

Body Massage is one of the oldest ways to detoxify your body. It has been recommended in Ayurveda as one of the best ways to keep your body and skin soft and radiant. It is touted that one should make body massage a daily habit. It helps relieve stress, muscle pains, improves blood circulation, nourishes skin, lose weight and detoxifies your body. A daily massage also helps your body become immune to muscle spasms and sprains and all other kinds of injuries. A warm oil body massage is even better. It helps prevent wrinkles and fine lines and blemishes, not only on your face but also on your body, and helps you take years off your body. It helps make your skin more elastic, firm and flexible preventing any aging signs for a longer time. Oh, the best benefit of daily body massage is that it helps you sleep and also helps get rid of insomnia.

We might want to indulge in spa massage luxuries as frequently as possible but the main hitch comes  as lack of time and money. So, the simplest way is to include a 5 minute daily massage into your daily routine. Of course, the relaxation and soothing effect of a masseuse would be missing but at least you can gain a little benefit than nothing at all. And, you can always ask your spouse or friends to help with it. Making kids walk all over your back is another great way of providing acupressure relief.. Just make sure your kid is below 5  and you can handle the weight otherwise you might end up breaking your back. I have been trying to make the body massage a daily routine for a week and would say that I have found many differences in my body in a week only. My skin has become more radiant, luxuriant and soft. And, it does not get dry skin bouts which I used to get from time to time. The fine lines under my eyes and on my neck have started diminishing. And, I have also done a little experiment by leaving the massage after a week. And, I have also noticed the effects of leaving the daily body massage. The skin is not so soft and smooth and luxuriant and of course, the fine lines and other aging signs are not any more vanishing. So, I have decided to stick on to the daily body massage regime.

In case pampering yourself with massage daily seems too much difficult due to reservations on your time, you might consider going for a professional body massage once in a month.  Find out a spa which has professional and trained masseurs. Kerela massage therapists are one of the best available in India so in case you re going for vacation there, reserve a day for their massages. I have heard that it costs anywhere between 15,000 - 30,000 for one sitting. And, a sitting is for around 3-5 hours.

Now, how to massage your body?

• First dilemma I faced with massaging my body was the time of massage. I, first, thought that body massage after a long day would be the best as it would help me relax. But, soon, I realized that the skin is not clean after all the exposure to sun and dust and pollution in the day. So, I figured a shower at night and massage in the morning would be a better routine. 
• Warm a bowl full of your favorite oil in the morning. Close all the windows and the doors to prevent exposure to cold wind. 
• Divide your body into 6 parts: chest and stomach, back, arms, legs, feet and face and neck. Now, start massaging your body starting from legs and arms. Use long single upward strokes on your arms and legs. Work towards the middle of your body or towards your heart. Use circular motions on your chest and back. You could ask anyone else to massage your back for you because it is not easy to reach your back. 
• Do not forget to massage your feet. This would relax your feet and prevent the skin to turn hard and crack in the heels.
• While massaging your face and neck, use the facial massage techniques.
• Keep massaging your body with your palms with even pressure applied from whole of your palm. I know that finger pads provide better results but you might get tired easily while doing self-massages so your might want to stick to using palms. You can spend two to five minutes on each of your body parts and you would get finished in fifteen minutes at max. 
• Wait for half an hour or so before you go for a shower. You can take a sauna or lie in a bath tub full of warm water to help your body absorb oil. 
• After the waiting period, you can take a shower. Just make sure you do not slip on the bathroom floor. You might want to wash your feet before entering the shower. 
• Use a mild soap to wash off the oil. You need not moisturize your body afterward. Or, you can, if you wish.

A tip: Sesame Oil is the best for an oil massage. Sesame oil is the only oil which can get absorbed in the blood stream and removes the toxins from inside. You can also infuse your massage oil with herbs like lavender, jasmine, rose, sage or other herbs. Read this post to know how to infuse oils with herbs.

Update: After a hot shower at night, you can devote 10-15 minutes to massage your body. Do not be generous with your oil. Instead use 5 drops of oil for each part of the body.

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Do you take care of your body?

Everyone wants to look beautiful and young. But, have you thought that how other people perceive your skin? I am not talking about your face or your looks. I am talking about the quality of skin. Everyone takes a lot of pains to keep their face skin young and youthful. But, what about the skin on your body like your neck, arms, legs or tummy. Do you take the same care of your body as your face. If you have noticed yourself closely in the mirror, you will find that your face looks younger than your body and gives your age away or makes you look much more older than what your age actually is. The thing I want to convey is that anti-aging skin care is not just for your face but also for your body. 

Your arms or your neck give your age easily away as they are more neglected during skin care and do a lot of our daily work too. So, the skin on these areas get thin and flabby. Have you ever thought of taking care of your these parts of the body? Have you ever bothered to get rid of the extra fat and flabbiness on your thighs or midsection because it makes you look many years older probably add a ten at least. If you take care of your body as well as you take care of your face, you would look younger and natural. And, then you can take easily 10 years away from your actual age and stay that way forever. So, next time you think of a facial, give your whole body a facial and do not forget to get an hour exercise everyday or ever alternate day. That will keep your body in check. 

A great tip to keep your body young forever: Give yourself massage at least every week with natural oils like coconut, almond or olive oil.

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