Today I am super excited to talk Ayurveda with Uma oils. Keep reading for the Top 5 Ayurvedic practices for your natural beauty.
In Ayurveda, India’s 5,000-year-old system of health and well-being, it is common knowledge that outer beauty is a reflection of our overall health. It teaches us that glowing skin truly comes from within and is a result of the way we care for ourselves rather than the potions we choose to use. Of course our favourite products can help to enhance our natural beauty, but the root of true beauty goes much deeper.
Like most concepts in Ayurveda, it all starts with bringing balance to any out-of-whack doshas. What you consume either nourishes or depletes your cells and can cause vata, pitta, or kapha imbalances that manifest in common skin issues, such as dry, rough skin for vata imbalances, heat rashes and pimples for pitta imbalances, or acne and congested pores for kapha imbalances.
So how do you get that coveted glow from within and maintain your optimal state of natural beauty? Ayurveda has a few ideas.
- Eat for Your Dosha Type
Knowing your dosha type is vital in determining what you should eat to nourish and balance your skin. If you’re unsure of your type, find out with this quick and easy quiz.
For those with vata skin, you won’t retain as much moisture as other skin types, so it’s best to keep hydrated with plenty of water and herbal tea, sweet, juicy fruits, and warming foods. Soups and stews, olives, avocados, berries, and zucchini are all great options for this skin type.
If you have pitta skin, avoid hot, spicy foods and steer towards cooling variations with sweet, bitter, and astringent tastes. Think cucumbers, asparagus, sweet potatoes, cherries, mango, white rice, and oats.
Kapha skin types must prioritize detoxing to avoid breakouts from toxin build-up. Stick to whole foods and incorporate light, astringent, and bitter foods as much as possible. This includes: apples, pears, seafood, buckwheat, corn, and sunflower and pumpkin seeds. Try using clarified butter (ghee) rather than using oil to cook with.
When the doshas are balanced and you’re properly nourishing yourself, watch as your skin starts to glow.
- Give Yourself Abhyanga for a Flawless Complexion
Abhyanga is an Ayurvedic oil massage that’s crucial for glowing skin. Did you know you could get rid of accumulated stress and toxins just by massaging them out? Massages increase circulation and calm the nerves, while warm oil warms the joints and lubricates the skin, making it smoother and softer. If getting massaged by a stranger isn’t your thing, perform Abhyanga on yourself! It only takes a few minutes to make a huge difference. I’m loving UMA’s Absolute Anti-Aging Body Oil for post shower self-love.
- Practice Pranayama
We all know yoga is excellent for your skin, but it’s the concentration on breath that truly boosts the benefits. Pranayama is the practice of controlling the breath, which works on the respiratory system to clear energy blocks, purify the blood, and increase your supply of oxygen. All of these lead to great skin.
There are a variety of different pranayama techniques to choose from, but I recommend starting simple. Kapalbhati is a great introduction. All you need to do is sit with your legs folded and forcefully draw your breath in and out. This will really help in the development of glowing skin.
- Stress Less
Stress wreaks havoc on the skin, so take stress management head on to put your best face forward. Ayurveda offers one meditation type especially helpful for anxiety: alternate nostril breathing. This technique is performed by covering one nostril with the thumb while you breathe from the other nostril, switching sides after each breath. Incorporate this into your pranayama practice to wave anxiety – and blemishes! – goodbye. Take it to the next level with UMA’s Pure Calm Wellness Oil. - Sleep More
Sleep remains the most powerful enabler of great skin, fighting infection, and overall wellness. Ayurveda suggests that the most restful sleep occurs when you go to bed at 10pm and rise with the sun. While that may be less practical for some (I live in Norway where there is the “midnight sun”), here are a few suggestions that work easily for all: drink a cup of warm mylk with honey, turmeric, and powdered pistachio before bedtime, or, go with chamomile tea. Massaging the soles of your feet with sesame oil will also help get the body ready for rest.
If Ayurveda has taught us anything, it’s that natural beauty starts from within.
These techniques will not only make you more beautiful on the outside, but will have you radiating beauty from the inside as well!
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K
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