Parvati Magazine May 2014 - Feeling Alive | Page 27

BEAUTY
insomnia, irregular digestion, dehydration, and a
feeling of fatigue.
While we can do grounding, warming, and nourishing things to help with
the transition – such as
take warm baths, oiling
our skin and eating heavy,
moist foods – I think it’s always good to bolster our
resilience with some traditional tried and true remedies. One of Ayurveda’s
most common Vata-pacifying herbs is Ashwagandha. Ashwagandha is
one of the most powerful
nutritive supplements and
is what Ayurveda calls a
“rasayana”, which is a
group of remedies that
help regeneration and
rejuvenation. Rasayanas
are used after detoxification or surgery to help
restore our tissues after
invasion and to hone our
energy.
Being a rasayana, Ashwagandha is used to combat
muscle and bone wasting
as well as degeneration. I
first started taking Ashwagandha capsules when
coming off of veganism

having lost a lot of muscle
tissue. Because it helps
with tissue regeneration,
it also supports our skin tissue, decreasing dryness
and the appearance of
fine lines. It is known to be
anti-aging and also helps
those of us with Vata-excess prevent the thinning
of our skin. Part of this is
because Ashwagandha
helps calm the nervous
system and our ability to
cope with stress. This allows our bodies to rest
and strengthen so we can
self-restore.
This herb is also excellent
for supporting our kidneys,
which are often considered integral to our energetic essence in Eastern
medicine. The kidneys
have a close relationship
to our adrenals which
secrete adrenaline (influencing how our body
deals with stress), and
they also dictate watermetabolism in the body.
When the kidneys are
weak, we also feel weak.
We become prone to water retention, and our skin
and bodies dehydrate.

Ashwagandha is said to
be effective for increasing virility, aiding male impotence and premature
ejaculation (Vata-excess
symptoms). It is also known
to be a good supplement
for seniors and the elderly
for its fortifying properties. While the premature
ejaculation benefits don’t
apply to me much, every
so often I feel I could use
a bit of help on the fortifying front! This season is a
bridging season – a joint
in time if you may. While
our skin and bodies cope
with the stress of adjusting
to this change, we can
support ourselves just a little bit with rasayanas such
as Ashwagandha.

Kristen Ma is the co-owner of Pure + Simple Inc., a group of Holistic Spas with
its own line of Natural Skincare and Mineral Make-up.  She is an Ayurvedic
Practitioner who has studied in Canada, the United States and India.  She
is also a Certified Esthetician with eight years of practical experience,
having worked in Canada as well as Australia.  Most recently, Kristen has
authored “Beauty: Pure + Simple” which was published by Mc Arthur
and Company.  Kristen has written on the subject of Holistic Beauty for
Vitality Magazine, Blink and Jasmine.  She is also a regular contributor to B
Magazine, Tonic and Sweat Equity Magazine.
For more information on Kristen, please visit www.holisticvanity.ca.