— HeyMonicaB

I got a great question about how much Ayurveda uses aromatherapy. Thanks for the question!!

So, our nose is responsible for conducting one of the 5 senses, smell. In Ayurveda, we use the 5 senses as the sole vehicles for healing. Specifically, the nostrils consist of two channels (ida and pingala) which send messages directly to [...]

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A new-comer to HeyMonicaB had a great question about a neti pot and allergies and I thought, “Really? Did I ‘blah blah’ about allergy tips and forgot to mention the infamous neti pot!?” Yep, I totally forgot. Well, let me fill you IN! Really important for colds, hay fever, seasonal allergies, along with other kapha [...]

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Tasty!! Taste is the 4th sense. For some background before delving into the 4th sense, see the overview. You may also want to check out hear, see, and touch.
Ah, so taste! Why is it important? Digestion starts in the mouth with the saliva and teeth, so what we taste has a direct effect on our [...]

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Computer eyes get really strained during the day. Try to take a break every couple hours, just for like 2 minutes, and focus on the blue sky or trees outside (even snow on trees!) The natural surroundings will bring eyes back to their natural focus and help them relax a bit. Eyes need a [...]

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The 3rd of the five senses is the sense of touch. If you haven’t read the first or the second senses, you may want to check those out first.
Our skin is our largest organ. It is both our buffer, our receptor and our absorber of the outside world. Whatever touches it, touches our heart, our [...]

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One thing I learned in a seminar at the NAMA conference is that we have way too much salt in our diet. Basically salt’s job is to compel us to take in more nutrients by making food tasty. But we have to be careful because that can easily result in overeating and weight gain.
Here’s what [...]

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Hey, this is part 3 ofThe Five Senses. If you haven’t already, you may want to check out the senses and part 1 first.
We see. Our eyes are the observers of the world around us. We see colors, movement, pretty things and ugly things. The eyes are governed by light which relates to [...]

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I had NO idea the effects of garlic on a kapha until I witnessed it with my own tiny eyes tonight. They dance!! The kaphas, they dance for garlic!
My boyfriend (kapha-pitta) and I were making veggies stir-fry-like on the stove and I threw in some roasted garlic. His eyes opened up wide. Then he quickly [...]

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This is the 2nd part of The Five Senses. If you haven’t already, you may want to check out part 1 first.

We hear. Our delicate ears. Our ears are just one of the 5 senses that brings us information and if used as intended, keeps us balanced and healthy. The elements that govern our ears [...]

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(photo courtesy of Eric Lon)
Alternate nostril breathing or Nadi Shodhanam is what I like to call “instant calm.” Our nose is the quickest passage to our mind, so the prana reaches our brain immediately and gives a calming effect.
There are two channels that go through our nose. One is female and it’s cooling. The other [...]

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To keep agni strong, Indian lemonade is a great appetizer to make before meals. It’s not quite lemonade as us Americans know it. It is much smaller in quantity and it is used as a medicine to aid in digestion.
The ginger and salt are heating to the body which “stokes” our internal fire (agni). That [...]

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We hear. We see. We touch. We smell. We taste.
When I hear Waltz of the Flowers from the Nutcracker (reminds me of the Disney movie Fantasia I saw when I was about eight) it makes me want to cry, I feel like I can fly and I get goosebumps. I guarantee you have songs that [...]

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