In the centuries-old Indian Ayurvedic philosophy, authentic beauty is achieved through lifestyle choices that nourish the body and fulfill the mind. This healing system addresses all factors that influence the quality of life, such as maintaining a consistent daily routine, engaging in meditation and regular exercise, sustaining a healthy diet, and being in harmony with nature. In the professional environment authentically radiant skin is achieved by engaging all five senses through customized Ayurvedic Facial Services provided by DoshaCare and the new DoshaVibes. 

The DoshaVibes CD that was composed to complement DoshaCare Facial Services, specifically addressing each of the doshas: Vata, Pitta and Kapha.  Ayurveda combines the five elements in nature (water, earth, wind, fire and space) into three distinctive categories.  
-Vata, the air principal, is comprised of space and air. When we have too much Vata in our body, our skin is dry.  
-Pitta, the fire principal, is comprised of fire and water. Too much Pitta in our system will result in skin that can be sensitive.
-Kapha, the earth principal, is comprised of earth and water. Too much Kapha can result in oily, congested skin conditions.

Each DoshaVibe CD meets the unique needs of each dosha, resonating with the individual’s nervous system to bring them into the deepest level of relaxation possible. For the esthetician giving the service, each music composition provides cues to move to the next segment of the treatment. This allows the esthetician to perform the most relaxing manipulation in concert with the deepest relaxation of the nervous system, giving the client a meditative and restorative service that supports authentically radiant skin. The last segments of each CD are designed to gently guide the client out of the supremely relaxed state to a balanced consciousness of rejuvenated clarity.

The Vata Service is designed for dehydrated skin that requires nourishment to bring the natural function of sebum and moisture into balance. Skin is returned to balance with a breathing ritual and head massage inspired from India’s ancient traditions incorporated with deep cleansing and hydration treatment.

The Pitta Service is designed for sensitive skin that requires nourishment to soothe the over-heated system,  reducing inflammation, the biggest sources of premature aging, by incorporating gem stones and single note essential oils for the Pitta mind, body and spirit. Balance is restored by decreasing inflammation and increasing hydration.

The Kapha Service is designed for skin that is congested due to overactive sebaceous glands. Skin becomes nourished by decongesting pores, stimulating healthy circulation and strengthening the immune system. The rich tradition of Ayurveda incorporates Marma therapy (Ayurvedic version of acupressure) to balance Kapha mind, body and spirit.

Each of the three DoshaCare protocols have unique add-on features that can be performed in 55 or 75 minute format.

With DoshaCare Customized Ayurvedic Facial Services estheticians move from beauty services to wellness services providing clients the benefit of inner peace, outer radiance and ageless living.   DoshaCare is seeking professionals who are looking to offer a deeper level of customizable service by believing and practicing the following core concepts:
*True health is more than the absence of illness; it is a balanced state of physical, emotional, and spiritual well-being.
*Balance is achieved by following a lifestyle that nourishes our body and fulfills our mind.
*Quiet introspection, or meditation, can be one of the most powerful tools for relaxing the mind and igniting our internal pharmacy.
*Our business thrives upon creating an experience that indulges the five senses – sound, sight, taste, touch, and smell. 
*Indulging the five senses allows us to reach a deeper level of being which is therapeutic, holistic and health supporting.
*By thoroughly educating and training our staff, we can provide a haven for health that supports inner and outer radiance.
*We don’t simply sell products; we take care of people.

 
If you are a beauty industry professional contact us for a meeting at Cosmoprof North America July 18th-21st in Las Vegas to become a DoshaCare Wellness center.  If you are a not in the professional beauty industry and would like to experience a DoshaCare service, visit your favorite salon or spa and tell them about DoshaCare and your desire to have one of our wellness services.  You can make a difference by letting your local beauty professional know that you are no longer interested in getting just a facial.  Times have changes and now you can have a treatment that restores your inner, outer and ageless health.

What worries me, personally, is that I feel like I can’t fully start my day or that I’m not as efficient and effective without my morning coffee. So I guess that makes me an addict.  While, I have gotten into tea and hot water with lemon a lot more in the last year, it would behoove me to add some decaffeinated coffee to that repertoire.  Maybe if it tastes like my regular morning coffee, than I can trick my brain into jumping to alertness after a cup or two, as it would if I were to drink my normal coffee.  I already know that there are negative effects of caffeine in my personal use such as: 

It is very dehyrdrating; I always have to play catch up with my water intake to rehydrate after my coffee in the morning.                                                         

It stains my teeth, therefore I have to whiten them to counter that side effect.

I get an energy letdown around 1pm that I’m sure is connected to the coffee I had at 7am, and I get the urge to go to Starbucks and refuel. Not healthy or economic.

These facts from www.myaddiction.com shed a sobering light on my and many other people’s addiction to caffeine. “Caffeine addiction is for real and to make matters more disheartening for the avid coffee drinker or cola fan, caffeine employs the same effects as alcohol, LSD, cocaine, crystal methamphetamine, nicotine, opioids, benzodiazepines, and other major drugs. This makes caffeine the widest used psychoactive drug in the world.”

From www.mycaffeineaddiction.com:  

So what are the negative effects of caffeine? Here are just a few of the more common health problems that you may experience.

1. Too much caffeine can lead to cardiovascular problems.
   When you consume caffeine, your blood pressure and heart rate will rise. Additionally, over time, an overuse of caffeine has been connected in some cases to heart disease.
2. Caffeine can lead to the increased risk of gastrointestinal problems such as ulcers. Additionally, problems with the esophagus can come about due to extended, regular consumption of caffeine.
3. Since caffeine stimulates stress hormones, this can lead to increased anxiety, insomnia, and tension. If you are like most people, increasing the amount of stress and anxiety in your life is not a good thing. There is enough of that to go around already!
4. If you become addicted to caffeine, it will be difficult to cut this out of your diet. When you finally decide to do so, you may experience symptoms associated with withdrawal. This includes irritability, headaches, and more.

Top Ten Coffee Alternatives:

1. Teeccino is the number one coffee alternative sold in the United States. This “herbal coffee” is meant to act as a replacement for anybody who is addicted to caffeine. With a great taste and none of the harmful side effects, Teeccino has quickly been taken to by tens of thousands of Americans. If you are looking for a coffee alternative, there is no better option.
2. While green tea contains some caffeine, it is nowhere near as much as coffee. This drink is full of antioxidants, and is much healthier than coffee. For many, this is a natural change that makes it easy to stop drinking so much coffee.
3. Much like green tea, black tea is also an effective coffee alternative. Many people love this option because of its strong flavor, as well as its great taste when mixed with milk. Additionally, black tea has half as much caffeine content as coffee.
4. Licorice tea contains no caffeine, and offers a sweet flavor that is sure to wake you up.
5. Yerba mate may not be a commonly known coffee alternative, but it offers many benefits. Not only is it caffeine free, but Yerba mate still offers a stimulating effect on the body.
6. Rooibos tea is very similar to black tea. The main difference is that this option is caffeine free. Just like black yea, this drink is full of antioxidants and other health benefits.
7. Chocolate powder may not be the best coffee alternative, but it is an option. While this powder does contain some caffeine, it is not nearly as much as a cup of coffee.
8. Siberian Ginseng tea contains no caffeine, and is known to have positive effects on the human body.
9. Chai consists of red, black, and green tea. While the black and green portions contain caffeine, the red does not. When compared to coffee, Chai has much less caffeine content.
10. Carob powder is similar to cocoa, but does not contain caffeine. Additionally, carob powder is known to have a positive effect on the digestive system.

I thought I’d start out at home, so I don’t embarras myself in front of anyone until I get the hang of it. I found this hatha yoga video by www.myyogaonline.com on YouTube that looks just challenging enough and also has a sensual element to it.  Fun, right?

I’ll keep you all posted on my progress. In no time I’ll be a much calmer, much more limber person. Namaste.

The major philosophy behind Ayurveda is balance. Balance in life, health, relationships, career, etc. Somehow during the holidays between parties, marathon gift shopping, and four course meals, many of us get a case of Holiday Fatigue, and by January 1st, we are more than eager to regain the balance and ritual of life that we enjoy the other 11 months of the year. Here are a few ways in which I’m planning to detoxify and cleanse this month.

www.elephantjournal.com has listed DoshaCare among its recommendations for detoxing after the holiday season both internally and externally.http://www.elephantjournal.com/2009/01/holiday-detox-adriane-little-organic-india-tulsi-tea-blackwells-organic-desserts-simply-boulder-doshacare/

 I consider myself a pretty healthy person, working out, hydrating and eating a variety of organic foods on a daily basis, but I too am feeling the need for a jumpstart cleansing after a champagne soaked holiday. Here, I’ve gathered a few recipes for some purifying concoctions from Healthy Healing by Linda Rector Page. You’ll notice the back to basics list of ingredients and simple methods for making them.

Rice Purifying Soup

Toast in a large pan until aromatic (about 5 minutes) the following:

2/3 cup lentils                                                                                                                                                                                                             2/3 cup split peas                                                                                                                                                                                                      2/3 cup brown rice

Add and cook over low heat for 1 hour, stirring occasionally:

2 cloves minced garlic

1 onion, chopped

3 cups water

3 cups vegetable broth

1 carrot, chopped

1 celery stalk, chopped

1 tsp. cayenne pepper

1.2 tsp. ginger powder

The perfect dish to ignite your inner furnace and what is know in Ayurveda as agni, which is responsible for digestion, metabolism,  and all over health.                                                                                                                                                                                                   

After all the excitement and overindulgence associated with the holidays, it’s easy to be sucseptible to the cold or flu bug. This recipe for a detoxifying broth is said to work miracles on these encroaching feelings of sickness and general “rundownness”.

Cold Defense Cleanser

1 1/2 cups water

1 teaspoon garlic powder

1 teaspoon ground ginger

1 tablespoon lemon juice

1 tablespoon honey

1/2 teaspon cayenne pepper

3 tablespoons brandy

I haven’t gotten sick yet (knock on wood) in order to try this, so if anyone uses this concoction, please let me know the results. Check back tomorrow when I’ll talk about some other ways to regain balance after the holidays.

By healing ourselves or simply taking genuine care of oursevles, we affect the people who we love, and even those that we casually come into contact with every day. Good health and positive emotion is contagious, so lets spread it around.

“Ayurveda tells us that diseases are generated at the junctions of the seasons, the moments when one season changes into another. Whenever our environment (internal or external) changes, our systems must change with it, and every time we adapt poorly we expose ourselves to the possibility of disease….One of the strongest determinants of intensity, both in the thing that affects you and the degree to which you are affected by it, will be the season in which it occurs…. Plants and animals, which have no conscious time sense, have Nature to keep them “in sync” with the seasons…. Ayurveda recognizes four main “seasonal” cycles that apply to men and women alike. Establishing a rhythm in each of these cycles is essential to continued physical health, for it helps you to flow in the direction that is most appropriate for you”.

 ”Vata which waxes during the summer, climaxes in the autumn…”  therefore Autumn is the season in which people should be reducing Vata in their system.

Signs of Vata Imbalance courtesy of www.holisticonline.com/ayurveda:

It’s important to create or stick to a routine in times of imbalance. Try to wake up and go to sleep at the same times every day.

Also schedule your workouts and meals for the sames times every day, if possible. This creates a consistent rhythm that the body and mind respond well to, especially in times of change. The Vatas find it very difficult to maintain regular habits, that is, to eat and sleep at regular times. But this is the most important thing for them to do. When Vata is out of balance this may feel almost impossible, but an effort to establish a regular routine is very important for all people with a Vata body type. Rest sufficiently, and choose foods, behaviors, personal relationships, and environmental circumstances which can be instrumental in balancing vata characteristics. It is also important to regulate mental and physical impulses and to modify mental attitudes, emotional states, and behaviors in supportive ways.

Sweet, sour, and salty tastes decrease vata influences, so include these tastes if vata influences need to be diminished. Milk, wheat, rice, and some fruits and berries can provide sweet and sour tastes.

Regular exercise should be relaxed and moderate. Hatha yoga practice in a meditative mood is good, as are t’ai chi, walking, and swimming. Avoid strenuous, competitive, frantic activities.

When possible, associate with people who are calmly purposeful. Meditate every day for deep relaxation.

With these tips, hopefully we can all avoid the seasonal cold or flu and maintain balance.

For more information on these and other ways to balance your dosha, check out www.holisticonline.com/ayurveda.

For more tips on meditation, please check out Max SImon, a member of our Advisory Board, on www.getselfcentered.com.