Yoga & Ayurveda Retreat- July 5-11 2014

Join us for a one-week Yoga & Ayurveda retreat at the beautiful Kairali's Ayurvedic Healing Village in Palakkad!

The Ayurvedic Healing Village is set amid 50 acres of lush greenery in Palakkad, Kerala. It has 30 exclusive villas, each conforming to “Vastu Shastra” architecture - the Indian version of feng shui. This means that they each have a distinctive design, blending with the natural setting and surrounded by herbs and trees with immense curative and restorative powers. 

Secrets from Mother India: Home-made Indian Hair Oil

A ritual which I got used to while living in India, and learned about for the first time in my life was the Oiling of hair. This is something very common in India, and particularly Tamil Nadu, where I lived. Women would apply a small amount of coconut oil to their hair every day, and every week have a proper oil bath. Oil bath actually means oil massage, where they put a particular oil on their head and massage the scalp and hair itself. In fact, the ladies would get together and do it to each other! It's really fun and also feels amazing. They leave the oil on for some time before washing it out.

Secrets from Mother India: Natural Face Wash

It's been almost seven months that I am using natural products in my daily routine. Having found out what kind of horrible things are present in our cosmetics, I really didn't want to continue poisoning myself any longer! :-) This includes shampoo, soap, face wash, deodorant and moisturizer. 

How is it that in general we are not aware or realizing that what we put on our skin, gets absorbed and enters our bodies?

Secrets from Mother India: Tulasi

Tulasi (Also pronounced as Tulsi) is a holy plant in India. It is found in almost every household, either inside the house or by the entrance. It's a plant that is worshipped as a Goddess, and is often offered to Lord Vishnu during temple puja. 

They say:

"Every home with a Tulasi plant is a place of pilgrimage, and no diseases, no messengers of  Lord Yama (the God of Death) can enter it."- Skandapurana

This herb grows widely all over India, and is highly valuable for its medicinal properties. There are many varieties, but the most popular ones are the black (Krishna Tulasi) and white (Shiva Tulasi) variety.

Secrets from Mother India: Turmeric

Turmeric, called Haldi in Hindi, is a spice found in every Indian lady's kitchen. It is added to food, curries, vegetables, etc for its coloring properties as well as its good aroma. Turmeric in powder form is another multi-purpose spice, with many great health benefits. In fact, it's something I take quite frequently, and always bring with me when I travel- just in case. One pouch of turmeric can replace a whole lot of antiseptics and medicine-pills! Turmeric is definitely a topper on my list!

Ayurveda at Kairali

 I recently visited the Kairali Ayurvedic Healing Village  for some ayurvedic treatment. To describe it in 3 words, it was: TOTAL relaxation and rejuvenation! Kairali is located in Kerala, South India, near by a small town called Palakkad. It is an absolutely beautiful resort, nestled among many rice fields and coconut trees, away from the busy city. As you drive towards it, you can already feel the calmness and peace settling upon you by seeing the beautiful landscapes. But as soon as you enter the resort, the real tranquility takes over.

Secrets from Mother India: Sesame Oil

Sesame Oil is a tasty oil that can be used for cooking and health purposes. It plays a HUGE role in natural healing, as you will see mentioned below.

Oil pulling
This may be a complete new concept to you but I tell you, it does MIRACLES! Oil pulling is an ancient old, ayurvedic method of cleansing the mouth, teeth, and tongue by swishing oil around in the mouth. It is to be done first thing in the morning for most effective results. Swishing around the sesame oil (preferred) between the teeth for 10-20 minutes collects all the bacteria that have been accumulating there overnight, literally "pulling" them out of your system. It is a very effective detox!

Secrets from Mother India: Fenugreek

Fenugreek, called Methi in Hindi, is widely used in Indian cooking. It adds a delicious yet crispy flavor to any curry or sabji (vegetables) dish. Both the seeds and the leaves can be used, each giving their own flavor and benefits. 

Besides being used in the kitchen, methi is another miracle food that can be used for a variety of things! Being rich in vitamins, minerals and protein, methi can be applied on the skin, hair, and taken internally with medicinal properties. It's known to remove toxins, increase digestion, and provide a relief for long-term diseases.

Secrets from Mother India: Coconut Oil

Living in India, one gets exposed to a whole new world. Every day is a day of learning and new lessons. From food, to customs, to history, to language, to culture, to nature, etc etc. Besides my spiritual studies here, I have also created a profound interest in natural healing, and what better place to learn about this than India! This country is so rich in its natural resources, fertile soil, and an abundance of tropical fruits and vegetables. I will be sharing with you some personal recipes which i discovered and tried over the last three years. This is not based on any doctor's prescription, but from books, ancient folk remedies, and trial-and-error i have come to a growing database of remedies.

Having (almost) become a South Indian mami by now, it almost self explanatory that the first item i will talk about is: COCONUT OIL.