A Hearty Happy And Healthy Christmas With Ayurveda

It’s time to sing and ring the magic of Jingle bells, jingle bells, jingle all the way. Yes! Christmas has come and most of us are keeping our fingers crossed to experience the adventure, joy, admiration, surprise, kids’ gala, cakes, gifts, partying and all the great things that are an exclusive part of this great festival. By now you must have bought the finest gifts for your near and dear ones following the best gift ideas from various sources.

While this energy demanding eve has thousands of reasons to enchant you, it also has at least a hundred reasons to test your healthiness. The most prominent among them are tiredness, overeating, excessive drinking, rundown, stress, fatigue and running around busily as if you are about to bring home the moon for this Christmas even after buying all that you need. The perfect health of our friends and family is like an icing on the cake along with their delight and happiness heaped for Christmas. Ayurveda, the ancient science of healing for over 5000 years has the best in its kitty for everyone to enjoy the bliss of good health this Christmas.

Ayurvedic tips for healthy Christmas: Follow these simple Ayurvedic tips to stay energetic and full of life, this Christmas Eve.

1. Eat right: Ayurveda strongly states that the root cause of all illnesses is improper digestion. This is mainly because the partially digested particles remain in the system as toxic substances known as ama, which clogs our physical and mental channels functioning in the body. The most trusted Ayurvedic text, Charaka Samhita says that eating the right food at the right time in the right way can keep you hale and healthy. Avoid food items that are heavy with excessive oil, fat and cholesterol. Think before over-indulging yourselves in the lip-smacking dishes in the Christmas party. According to Ayurveda, drinking hot water can help you in quick digestion. Plan and choose your cup of tea to stay hale and hearty this Christmas.

2. Think positive: ‘The Science of life’ or Ayurveda is a realistic science that recommends positive thinking for harmonious and vivacious living. Negative thinking or pessimism can suppress your peace of mind and a busy season like Christmas will have its own ways to bring in mood fluctuations that may force in negative feelings. Keep your mind relaxed, calm and collective while attracting enough of positive energy to enjoy the real ecstasy of this season. Using essential oils like Ylang Ylang, Lavender, Sandalwood, Lemon, Marjoram, Thyme and Peppermint can instill the real confidence and uplift your mood with its energizing, stimulating, revitalizing and soothing properties.

3. Speak with your mind: Spending some quality time for YOU is more important than anything else as you can share the sense of real happiness and celebration only when your mind is stable and serene. Practicing the art of meditation along with the pure aroma of healing essential oils can grant you mental wellness and the power to beat the heat of this Christmas season. Make it a habit to practice Pranayama, the art of balanced breathing for enhancing the quality of your life, strengthening the mental power and enjoying the freedom of a healthy heart. According to Ayurveda, the healing force is within us and only when your mind is ready to get rid of an illness, your physique adapts to it.

4. Drink sufficient water: Water is the elixir of life and enough of water will help you stay active and hydrated. Drinking hot water is the classic Ayurvedic remedy for eliminating the toxic substances in your body and can make you feel light on the go. Try avoiding alcoholic beverages and even if you are forced to have it, know your limits to evade any problems.

5. Sleep tight: Early to bed and early to rise is the principle behind a successful life as a good night’s sleep promises a refreshing start to the following day. The best way to blow away your fatigue, stress and tiredness due to your busy Christmas schedule is to sleep tight throughout the night. Ayurveda suggests the intake of dinner before 7:00 PM and go to bed before 10 PM, helping you to relax your muscles, soothe your senses and assist other vital functions of the body.

Take a refreshing walk with your near ones especially in the morning to drive the dynamism and heartiness of nature. Wish you a hearty, happy and healthy Christmas.

Thought for the day:

He who has not Christmas in his heart will never find it under a tree. -Roy L. Smith

Suggested Reading:

  1. 21 Ways to Enjoy a Stress-Free Holiday Season (21 Ways Books) By Daisy Sutherland
  2. One Trip Around the Sun: A Guide to Using Diet, Herbs, Exercise and Meditation to Harmonize with the Seasons by Rory Lipsky
  3. Daily Aromatherapy: Transforming the Seasons of Your Life with Essential Oils by Joni Keim, Ruah Bull

Reference Links:

  1. Tips to stay healthy this Christmas by The Co-operative Magazine
  2. The Healing Force Is Within Ourselves by Ayurveda France
  3. The Root Cause Of All Disease According To Ayurveda by Bodhimed

Cubeb Oil

Cubeb-bannerCubeb, the tailed-pepper is an exceptional fertility aid for both the Kings and Queens out there, with its significant aphrodisiac properties. “It stimulates the parathyroid, and so it would be an excellent addition to menopausal formulas, helping with problems of osteoporosis”, says Jenny Rose in her Aromatherapy Book.

Cubeb essential oil is extracted from the dried Cubeb berries through steam distillation method. This plant is botanically called as Piper cubeba and is a limb of the pepper family Piperaceae.

Cubeb was recommended by Charaka and Sushruta, the legendary Ayurvedic philosophers for treating halitosis, cough, loss of voice, fever, gonorrhea and certain other oral problems. Cubeb is known in Sanskrit as kankol and in Hindi as kabab chini and is a part of the Ayurvedic family Pippali kul. It is also used in Ayurvedic formulations for treating impotence, tastelessness, asthma, inflammation, piles, indigestion and menstrual problems.

Purchase Cubeb Oil – 4oz – CLICK HERE

Historical uses and importance of Cubeb:

Native to the Java and Sumatra islands of Indonesia, Cubeb is often called as Java pepper and is also grown widely in India and Malaysia. It’s taste is often compared to allspice or pepper like. Cubeb is said to have reached the European subcontinent through the ancient trades by the Arabs through India and Arabians call it as Kababa and is also talked about in the writings of Alchemy.

The use of Cubeb dates back to 4th century BC in various parts of the world. It was brought to China during the Tang dynasty and was called by the Sanskrit names vidanga and vilenga.

The most interesting uses of Cubeb by the Tang physicians are to darken hair, treat demon vapors, loss of appetite and as a natural perfume for the body. Cubeb was also used in the Tibetan Medicine for treating problems associated with the spleen.

Hildegard of Bingen prescribed the use of Cubeb as an antiseptic and as a good tonic for the nervous system. The London Dispensatorie written by Nicholas Culpeper in 1654 says “Cubebs were hot and dry in the third degree… (snip) they cleanse the head of flegm and strengthen the brain, they heat the stomach and provoke lust“. Theophrastus has stated the use of Cubeb as an important ingredient in making sweet-smelling confections along with cassia and cinnamon.

Chemical constituents and therapeutic properties of Cubeb oil:

The chemical constituents of Cubeb essential oil are sesquiterpenes (namely α- and β-cubebene, caryophyllene, germacrene, δ-cadinene and copaene) and monoterpenes (including carene, 50% sabinene and α-thujene) along with camphor, pinene, azulene, lineal, alcohol cubebol and other oxides like 1,4- and 1,8-cineole.

The remedial attributes of Cubeb essential oil are carminative, diuretic, antiseptic, aphrodisiac, expectorant, antioxidant, antimicrobial, antipyretic, hepatoprotective, analgesic, disinfectant, astringent, gastro-protective and stimulant.

Ayurvedic health benefits of Cubeb essential oil:

Ayurveda implanted strong roots of health through prevention of illnesses, disciplined lifestyle and absolute balance with nature leading to aging in the pink and extended life-span even beyond a hundred years. This 5,000 years old ancient healing methodology strongly insists to be on par with nature for leading a hale and harmonious living.

According to Ayurveda, everything on Earth is a combination of the 5 vital elements of nature and they are earth, fire, water, air and space.

It says that the only difference between a living thing and a non-living thing is the element of space that rests within living organisms as the soul. Bones and muscles represent earth, fire stands for the metabolic processes and body temperature, blood is a symbol of water, air assists in breathing and space is the soul, which indicates that we are alive.

Ayurvedic philosophy states that each human being is created with a unique individual constitution that comprises of three bio-energies known as doshas, namely vata, kapha and pitta types. Vata is a combination of air and space, pitta stands for fire and water and kapha represents water and earth.

Ayurveda denotes that every individual has a predominance of any one these doshas and that determines their physical set up, mental makeup and their personality. Balance between these doshas is a symbol of good health and imbalances of these biological energies due to food and lifestyle changes causes illnesses.

Treatments in Ayurveda vary from person to person even if it is for the same illness because this common sense science examines the individual constitution, patient history and the root cause of an illness before prescribing the suitable medication.

The most prevalent Ayurvedic remedies are herbs, plant essential oils, Abhyanga (the art of Ayurvedic massaging), yoga, Ayurvedic routine, prayer, simple physical exercises and mediation depending upon the unique individual constitution for correcting the doshic imbalances.

Cubeb oil is an effective Ayurvedic remedy for treating excess of kapha and vata energies and regularizing the pitta deficit.

The Ayurvedic health benefits of Cubeb essential oil are:

Cubeb-broucher1. Natural aid to fertility problems:

Cubeb essential oil has natural aphrodisiac properties for which it was used by ancient Arabians and in the Unani medicinal system in the treatment of fertility problems like infertility, loss of sexual interest, impotence, erectile dysfunction, all stages of gonorrhea and other STD (Sexually Transmitted Diseases).

In Ayurvedic terms, Cubeb oil contains Ushan as its Virya means hotness as its main potency. Warmth and increased body temperature influence better intimacy in a sexual relationship. Excess of vata dosha can also be a reason for lack of sexual interest and impotency. Cubeb essential oil is known for reducing increased vata dosha and helps treat various sexual problems.

Unani medicinal system suggests the use of Cubeb corns for increased sexual contentment and is it because of this attribute Cubebs were initially called in Arabic language as ‘Habb-ul-Uruus. It has also been noted in the book ‘One Thousand and One Nights’ as a key ingredient in the preparation of an aphrodisiac cure for infertility.

Cubeb oil has a warm, pungent and slightly camphoraceous fragrance with a feel of Nutmeg aroma. Add 3 drops of Cubeb oil in 3 ml of olive oil and massage your body for arousing intimate sexual feelings naturally. You can also add 2 drops of this oil in warm bathing water before going to bed and add 1 drop of Cubeb oil along with 1 drop of Lavender or Ylang Ylang oil in your diffuser to set the right mood perfectly.

2. Alleviates dental and oral infections:

Cubeb gets a special mention in both the highly-held Ayurvedic encyclopedias, the Charaka Samhita and the Sushruta Samhita as an oral cleanser and as an aid for treating dental problems.

The essential oil of Cubeb has natural antiseptic, antimicrobial and astringent properties that assist in killing the harmful organisms in the mouth causing halitosis or bad breath, bleeding gums, plaque and cavities. Mix 1 drop of Cubeb oil in a cup of warm water and use it as a gargle for relieving all kinds of dental and oral infections.

3. Relieves congestion and other respiratory illnesses:

Vitiated kapha dosha is responsible for water retention, excess deposits of phlegm and mucous, thus leading to respiratory problems like nasal congestion, chest congestion, cold and other pulmonary infections including bronchitis. The ability to reduce increased kapha energy is the major reason for Cubeb oil being used as a promising remedy in treating respiratory illnesses.

Many popular Physicians and Herbalists like Nicholas Culpeper have said that Cubeb is an excellent remedy for clearing phlegm deposits, strengthening the brain, alleviating bronchitis; asthma, relieving congestion and treating cough and throat infections. Add 2 to 3 drops of Cubeb oil in steam inhalation or to your vaporub and massage it gently on your throat, back and chest to experience quick relief from respiratory infections with its expectorant and antimicrobial properties.

4. Discards toxic substances in the body:

Cubeb essential oil has diuretic properties that help in discharging the toxic substances in the body known as ama, which is nothing but the remains of improper digestion which slowly turns toxic. These toxic remains along with salt deposits, uric acid, cholesterol and fat can lead to numerous medical conditions including kidney problems and heart diseases.

Light Miller and Bryan Miller in their book ‘Ayurveda and Aromatherapy’ say about Cubeb as “This herb has a light peppery smell. On occasion, when substituted into a formula for weight loss instead of black pepper, patients reported greater effectiveness .”

Cubeb oil acts as a stimulant in the body and promotes the proper functioning of the system. Its diuretic properties increase the quantity and frequency of urination and helps in cleansing the system.

Adding 2 drops of Cubeb oil in warm bathing water or in an Ayurvedic massage blend with 2 drops of peppermint oil, 2 drops of Cubeb oil along with 5 ml sesame oil assists in excreting toxic substances in the body, thus treating urinary infections, obesity, inflammatory conditions and other genito-urinary problems.

5. Assists in proper digestion and bowel movements:

Just like Pepper, Cubeb also has hot, spicy and pungent flavor. It’s potent to increase pitta energy is of great value in dealing with digestive problems like tastelessness, loss of appetite, indigestion, constipation, flatulence, intestinal worms etc., where Pitta dosha represents fire and water and is in charge of the metabolic functions. Massage your abdomen with 2 drops of Cubeb oil mixed with 2 ml of coconut oil for effective relief from digestive disorders.

A 2012 study on ‘In vitro efficacy of the essential oil of Piper cubeba L. (Piperaceae) against Schistosoma mansoni by Universidade de Franca published in Pubmed’ suggests that, “Piper cubeba essential oil possesses an effect against cercariae, schistosomula, and adult worms of the S. mansoni.” Schistosoma mansoni are adult worms that cause intestinal schistosomiasis (combined name for parasitic diseases).

Other uses:

Cubeb oil is also used as an important ingredient in lozenges, spirits, chewing gum, oral cleansers, toothpastes, cough drops, cigarettes for hay fever, asthma and chronic pharyngitis. It is also used in Ayurvedic healing for treating joint and bone problems.

Disclaimer:

This article is meant only for the purpose of education and information. Using it as a substitute for prescribed medicines or professional medical advice is not recommended. Always use essential oils for topical application in a diluted form only as organic essential oils are highly concentrated liquids and can cause allergic reactions.

Cubeb oil is a possible skin irritant and it is good to be avoided during pregnancy and nursing. Always consult your Ayurvedic expert before making the right choice of essential oils that suit your medical condition and unique individual constitution.

Thought for the day:

In wilderness I sense the miracle of life, and behind it our scientific accomplishments fade to trivia.  -Charles Lindbergh

Suggested Reading:

  1. ISO 3756:1976, Oil of Cubeb by ISO TC 54
  2. The Master Book of Herbalism by Paul Beyerl
  3. Ayurveda & Aromatherapy: The Earth Essential Guide to Ancient Wisdom and Modern Healing by Dr. Light Miller, Dr. Bryan Miller
  4. All About Spices: Pepper, Cubebs, Nutmegs, Cloves, Ginger, Vanilla, Pimento, Cinnamon (1889) by Alastair Mackenzie Ferguson, John Ferguson
  5. The Encyclopedia of Essential Oils: The Complete Guide to the Use of Aromatic Oils In Aromatherapy, Herbalism, Health, and Well Being by Julia Lawless

Reference Links:

  1. Cubeb by Wikipedia
  2. Piper cubeba by Ayushveda
  3. Cubeb published in Aromatherapy Bible by Daniele Ryman
  4. Essential Oil Constituents of Piper cubeba L. fils. From Indonesia by Rein Bos, Herman J. Woerdenbag, Oliver Kayser, Wim J. Quax, Komar Ruslan & Elfami
  5. In vitro efficacy of the essential oil of Piper cubeba L. (Piperaceae) against Schistosoma mansoni by Universidade de Franca published in Pubmed

Ayurvedic Fragrance Oils To Back Your System This Summer

Ayurveda is steadily spreading in the Western countries and has its roots deeply vested with India, which has the oldest traditional history in the world. There is some or the other treatment in Ayurveda for all kinds of ailments and it has something for every individual. Be it winter or summer, the remedial measures of Ayurveda is ready to lend its hands in spur-of-the-moment.

Summer has its own joyous occasions blended with excess loss of energy. It is the most suitable season for numerous tourist spots, allowing the visitors to enjoy their fullest at this peak time of year. Your prickly heat powders, sunscreen lotions and other skin care products for summer might fail to withstand the heat at it is applied externally. Taking prescription drugs during this burning heat might harm your intestinal and digestive systems causing other side effects like allergy and other kinds of skin infections.

Then how to play it safe with your health during this sizzling summer? The aromatic and amusing way to give sun the slip is to use the harmless fragrance oils extracted through the Ayurvedic formula. Ayurvedic Fragrance oils can be defined as innate essential oils extracted from plants and being diluted with a carrier including vegetable oils, mineral oils, propylene glycol and many others. These oils are a blend of aroma compounds that make it prominent in the thriving industries like aromatherapy, cosmetic and perfumery.

According to the Ayurvedic science of healing illness, aroma plays a vital role in treating your senses and enhances your emotional and mental stability for improved living. Ayurvedic fragrance oils can assist you throughout the summer season and can stay along forever in your wits. Get ready to relive your moment this summer with these fragrance oils.

Citrus Mist Fragrance oil: A heavenly blend of bracing citrus oils like lime, lemon and orange with the touch of eucalyptus, rose, jasmine, violet and camphor can show you the door to health and harmony during this fiery summer season. Use it in your diffuser and enjoy the difference that it spells in your life.

Frankincense fragrance oil: When the weather is extremely dry and extracts all your energy and makes you feel sultry, think of the fresh and feather-touch Frankincense fragrance oil that can take you to a moist, earthy, woody and a rich environment filled with the newness of just dropped dews.  That’s the exact magical feeling that this sweet-smelling oil brings in to fulfill your days.

Ylang Ylang oil: Ylang Ylang is the angelic oil celebrated for its divine fragrance. It has myriad mesmerizing and cooling properties. The literal meaning of this fragrance oil’s name is ‘flower of flowers’. The sweet, spicy, exotic, fresh and floral aroma kindles your senses and calms your nerves. It aids in putting an end to rage, fury, frustration, insomnia, intestinal infectivity, high blood pressure, anxiety, nervous disorders, rapid heartbeat and breathing imbalances. Adding few drops to your diffuser or to your bath tub can bring all the tranquility in the world within your room, forcing you to forget the summer blues.

You can also try fragrance oils of sandalwood, the base fruits, violet, melon, honey and flowers. Everything can come in your kitty without biting your pocket.

Reference Links:

  1. Fragrance Oil by Wikipedia
  2. Citrus Mist Fragrance Oil by Essential Depot
  3. Ylang Ylang Essential Oil by Your-Aromatherapy-Guide.com
  4. Reducing Rapid Breathing and Rapid Heart Beat by Ylang Ylang Essential Oil