Ayurwhat?

Birth infographic

2011-03-25T14:51:00.000+11:00

Part time nappy free

2011-03-15T17:22:00.001+11:00

I'm very excited by the prospect of using less nappies. Whilst cloth nappies are infinately more appealing to me then disposables, I'd still like to buy and wash less nappies. But it seems that with the advent of disposables we've forgotten how to use less, because in our consumer culture Huggies is constantly convincing us that we need to use more.

When I came across the website Part Time Nappy Free it instantly made sense. Imagine babies in tribes, baby's in the bush, baby's in India, baby's in villages, do you picture a nappy? So how do they contain the mess? They offer their baby's the opportunity to go to the toilet, just like the rest of us.

It's now got fancy names like infant potty training or elimination communication, but it's basically what our great grandmothers would have done. Imagine life before dispoables AND before washing machines, you'd want to avoid nappies too!

We've been putting Harriet on the potty since she was about 6 months old. It's easy to catch poo's cause it's so obvious that she's doing one. Wee's are a bit trickier, and are more about timing than training at this stage. We started offering her a wee on the potty (accompanied by a 'psssss' sound) about every fifteen minutes. She was quickly able to hold on for half an hour and now it's more like 45 minutes, depending on how much water she's drank or how recently she's had a breastfeed. Now she only wears nappies for sleeps and outings and wears training pants at home for when I'm not paying enough attention and we miss one. If she's sick or cranky or having a wonder week then the nappy goes back on so it doesn't get stressful.

About a week before her first birthday we had a really big breakthrough. She's learning sign language really fast now, picking up a new sign every few days. She came for a cuddle in our bed in the morning and then suddenly sat up and did the poo sign, which is waving your hand in front of your nose like you can smell something, well, pooey. I didn't respond quick enough cause I couldn't quite believe it, so she signed more urgently and then lifted her hands in the air which means 'pick me up.' So I carried her to potty and she did a big poo. I was so proud!!!

One thing I really love about EC is that the parent and baby do it together. I have to remember to put her on the potty and pay attention to her signs and facial expressions. I'd highly recommend checking out this website and signing up for the free seven secrets. Then buy yourself a few cloth nappies as backup and look forward to beautiful, respectful and honest communication with your baby.

Real Nappies review and WIN A FREE CLOTH NAPPY

2011-03-15T12:15:00.017+11:00

To win an intro pack visit the new website and leave a comment below saying which snugwrap colour is your favourite.

Real Nappies have invited me to review their products on my blog in return for some free stuff. I promise I will tell you the truth though!

Disclosure aside, I have been using Real Nappies for Harriet since she was born. I wrote about my choice here, and now after a year of using them I want to share a bit about my experience.

Real Nappies are a cotton prefold system with a PUL waterproof cover with velcro tabs. You can fold the nappy differently for boys, girls or runny poos.

Feature: Cotton

Pro: I chose them because I wanted to cotton against my babies skin. Personally I hate wearing anything other than cotton, especially underwear, so I'd expect the same for my daughter.

Con: I found that overnight Harriet got nappy rash in cotton, so we used to put her in a disposable overnight until we discovered stay-dry microfibre. I noticed Real Nappies have micro-fibre night time boosters but I haven't tried them. Also cotton can be a bit bulky, especially when baby moves into the next size up.

Feature: Velcro
Pro: Velcro is easier then press studs to open and close.
Con: By the time Harriet was about 9 months she could undo the velcro herself, but my daughter is a genius ;) so I don't know if all babies could do that. Now, so her little hands can't get to the velcro, she always wears frilly knickers over her nappy, which are pretty cute, but a bit annoying to add an extra step to every nappy change.

Feature: Fold
Pro: The unique folding system means you can adjust the absorbancy to suit boys or girls or runny poos or tummy sleepers. I love that you can fold them flat to wash and they dry really quick.
Con: Some of my friends are using all in ones for their older babies cause they won't stay still enough to fold everything in place. I haven't really had this problem with Harriet, I just give her a toy or a book whilst I change her and she's happy to lie there for a minute. Unless it's a wonderweek, but that's another post.

Feature: Price
Pro: They are one fo the cheaper cloth nappy options, the only other cheap one I can find is Bumgenius econobums, which you can get great deals on especially if you live in America.
Con: No complaints here!

Feature: Sizes

Pro: Harriet was in cloth from the moment we got home from the hospital, some one size nappies are far too bulky on newborns and they can't wear them till they grow a bit.

Con: I suppose we had to buy more nappies to cover each size but they are cheap enough so I don't mind.

Overall I am very happy with my Real Nappies. There are easier modern cloth nappy options, like all in ones, but they are more expensive, you need to buy a lot of them and they take longer to dry since you can't unfold them. Real Nappies are cheap and easy to use. Something about the cotton squares and plain white covers appeals to me, as they seem quite classic and timeless, with the ease of being a modern cloth nappy.

However I did need to use microfibre nappies for overnight and knickers to cover the velcro. I actually bought a couple of Bumgenius flips with press studs (they have a clever one size fits all PUL cover) to complement my Real Nappy stash, they come with microfibre nappies as well. If Real Nappies had press studs instead of velcro (especially on the larger sizes) I wouldn't have any complaints.

Real Nappies have a new website with great videos and instructions and information. And you can find them on facebook too.

To win an intro pack visit the new website and leave a comment below saying which snugwrap colour is your favourite. Competition is open to Australian residents only and winner will be drawn 29 April 2011. Leave your email in the comment.

Little update

2010-10-14T23:32:00.005+11:00

Well my little girl is keeping me busy-crawling at six months! I'm moving house and my husbands way too busy at work. Plus my meditation teacher Baba ji is visiting Perth. My daughter loved sitting on his lap and tugging his beard!

I wish I had time to write cause I am learning so much that I would love to share with you all but where does the day go??? A few things I love:

Elimination Communication (also known as infant toilet training)

Visit Charndra's great website to learn more. We're only using three cloth nappies a day now and my clever, clever girl can sit up on the potty all by herself.

Baby led weaning

There's a book but personally I found this blog much more inspiring. Watching my seven month old eat her dahl and rice with her own hands is brilliant. I don't have to prepare special food-she just eats what I eat- and my hands are free to eat my own food! I love it. Very messy but very fun. If you take it on I'd recommend a shower curtain on the floor and a stack of long sleeved bibs from IKEA.

Aware Parenting

After a traumatic birth experience and very difficult and prolonged recovery our little family needed some serious emotional rejuvenation. We chose something called Aware parenting which is basically a form of attachment parenting, but with the addition of something called release crying. Release crying is supposed to help babies release stress and tension and we have seen such a difference in our little darling since doing it. She is more relaxed and confident, she sleeps better, she is less clingy and sensitive. We feel we have really benefited from it. Read the book Aware Baby or google it, there's lots of good websites out there. We had a few sessions with psychologist called the baby calmer to get us started.

Finally some pics of our darling.

Harriet's arrival

2010-03-23T17:49:00.004+11:00

Phew! It's been a big week for us, but we finally have a moment to announce the arrival of our little girl, Harriet Tully Jones Smith on Monday 15th March at 1.09am. She was 7 pounds 2 ounces and 55 cm long.

It was a very, very fast and easy birth. The homebirth midwife only arrived ten minutes before I was pushing. While in the birth pool the baby descended and I reached down and felt what should have been her head and it was soft. We realised it was a bum! Marilyn (our midwife) called the ambulance just in case (as it is protocol not to birth breech babies at home) and I ended up pushing her out just minutes after arriving at the hospital.

The whole labour, including mild contractions in the restaurant to the birth of the placenta was only 6 hours, the midwives only counted it as 3.5 hours! Harriet is perfect and the birth was unassisted.

About an hour later however I began to bleed alot. I lost 2.2 litres of blood which is a very frightening thing. I needed surgery to stop the bleeding and two blood tranfusions. I am recovering surprisingly quickly, and gathering strength every day.

I feel very happy that I got the best of both worlds. If I'd planned a hospital birth then Harriet would have been almost definitely born by ceasarian, as vaginal breeches are rarely attempted these days, mainly due to a lack of experienced doctors. But the care I recieved for my bleeding was excellent and I am incredibly grateful to the hospital and modern medicine. If I had not had access to a hospital I'm not sure I would have survived, and even if I were at a smaller, less specialised hospital I may have ended up with a hysterectomy.

As it is I had a beautiful, natural, drug free birth, followed by the best medical care on offer. I feel very fortunate, although it was more dramatic than I had hoped!

You can see for yourself how beautiful she is! Her head wasn't squashed like head first bubs, though her bottom is a bit bruised and pointy! We're enjoying falling in love with her and spending those first precious weeks together drenched in Newborn Baby Smell, but having to fight off family for cuddles.

39 - Due Dates

2010-03-10T16:29:00.004+11:00

Some people talk about due dates these days as though they were set in stone. Indeed for many people they are. They book in for an induction or a ceasarian at a convenient time for themselves and for the hospital and can plan for the exact moment their little one arrives.

I'm on the other end of the spectrum. A home birth is considered safe between 37 and 43 weeks provided there are no other complications. I'm now sitting at 39 weeks and willing my baby to come. I really don't want to go over, I was born three weeks late and caused no end of trouble to my poor mother! After 41 weeks the hospital like to see pregnant women to observe the baby and the placenta every couple of days, and as long as all is well and healthy then I can just wait as long as I am comfortable.

Who you choose as your primary carer (ie midwife or obstetrician) largely indicates when it is acceptable for your baby to arrive, but the other strange thing is how due dates are actually calculated. It is assumed by those little wheels they use that every woman has a 28 day cycle and ovulates on day 14. Any woman reading this is probably laughing out loud, My cycle for example is 23 days and I ovulate on day 8. How do I know? I can feel it, a little twinge in one ovary, alternating sides around the 8th day after my period. But most women can't tell when they are ovulating so they have to make some assumptions. So if ovulate 6 days earlier than most women then it follows that my baby will be due 6 days earlier. This works in my favour because I can tell everyone the later due date and hope that the baby comes by then. Most first babies are born about one week late, which puts me back to the later date.

To prepare my body and my baby for birth I have been doing a few different things. None of these are directly to induce labour, more just to encourage things in the right direction.

Many herbal teas ncourage contractions. Choose what feels appropriate for your dosha. I found raspberry leaf too astringent, and have preferred dandelion made into chai, or tea made from two parts fennel and one part fennugreek, brewed fairly weak, about 1 tspn to 500 mls water.
Walking, squatting, lunging, belly dancing, hula hooping and cat and cow all help to open the pelvis and encourage baby to head South.
Talking to baby, telling stories about how wonderful the world is and how much love is here waiting, as well as visualing the birth positively surely can't do any harm at all!

If your caregiver wants to induce your labour find out if their is a good reason. Just being late is not reason enough, because it could be that your due date is inaccurate to begin with.

39 weeks - my birth plan

2010-03-10T12:47:00.000+11:00

I've been leaving this for last because I keep changing my plan as I learn more. Some people like planning, some don't. I love it. I love plans and lists because they help me to clear my mind, make decisions and have positive expectations of the world. I don't expect everything to go to plan, I don't think I'm in control and I am happy to accept whatever comes my way. But I always think it's worth asking for what I want and putting in efforts, without being to attached to the outcome.

My latest favourite preparation for birth technique comes from the book Birthing from Within. The author doesn't believe in birth plans as such, but she really encourages pregnant women to positively picture birth. (which I think is just a matter of semantics, cause it all depends on how you define a birth plan.) Many women in our culture can't actually picture birth, and go straight for the ending, the happy family snapshot.

But here are the four images I use to picture my own birth:

Walking along the swan river with my sister and two of my oldest girl friends, picking some flowers to decorate the birthing room with. Being infused with their girl power, walking to get the contractions going, and being in nature, by the water in one of my favourite places in the world.
At home, sitting on the fit ball at the my kitchen table, blanching and peeling almonds. I'm making a birthday cake for my baby, and stop every now and then to rest my head on the table as the contractions get more intense.
Kneeling on the floor in the birthing room resting over the fit ball. The contractions are very powerful know and I need to go inside myself to get through the next stage. It's dark and cave like.
Finally the actaul birth. I am squatting in the warm water pushing my baby out. My husband is in the water behind me. He catches our baby and pushes it through my legs, I pull our baby up to my breast and lean back on my husband, where we cuddle and gaze at each other in love and amazement.

I'll post my more practical birth plan shortly...

38 weeks: positive thinking

2010-03-05T12:15:00.003+11:00

As my babies birth day approaches I feel very open and vulnerable and exposed. I feel like every little comment that people make has a disproportionately strong affect on me. Like I saw a trashy magazine headline about a celebrities 2 day pre-labour ending in a ceasarian, and I had a friend comment that home birth for first time mums was a bad idea, and one man started telling me about all the doom and gloom in the world and questioning whether I should be bringing another child into such a hopeless world...

It's so surprising to me that people can behave so unhelpfully, but humans love drama, we are addicted to it. That's why you never see natural, normal, healthy birth on prime time television. It's not as interesting as wailing sirens, emergencies and life saving surgery.

I feel that giving birth requires me to totally open up my body to the universe. I need to be exposed and vulnerable. I need to let go and stop thinking with my head and let nature take it's course.

Anyway, all of this requires some really positive thoughts, and here are some concepts which make me look forward to the birth being a positive experience:

Voltaire said "The role of the doctor is to distract the patient while Nature is curing the disease." Whilst I don't consider birth an illness the idea of distracting my head whilst my body gets on with it is very appealing.
I Ching says "Rain, after all is only rain; it is not bad weather. So also, pain is only pain; unless we resist it, then it becomes torment." It's like a birth story I read where the woman was totally calm, and she said she was still in pain, except the pain didn't "hurt". It was just pain with a purpose.
There are 270,000 babies born in the world every day! I like the feeling that I am not alone. I like knowing that most of those women are doing it safely at home without drugs and intervention. Talk about girl power! If they can do it, so can I.
I will gratefully accept the birth I am given. It's not all about control, it's about positive thinking.
A quote form the book Birthing from Within: "Labour is hard work, it hurts and I can do it." Very practical.
Ina May, my birth hero, relates a birth story where the woman's mantra is "I'm gonna get huge." I love this cause it makes me laugh, and reminds of what Ina May calls the forgotten powers of the vagina.

Home birth

2010-03-02T16:01:00.004+11:00

I get mixed reactions when I tell people I am having my baby at home. People have experienced homebirth are really thrilled for me, and people who are ignorant or misinformed can be quite dismissive. I was a planned homebirth and many of my friends had their babies at home too. For me it just felt like the normal thing to do.

Of course the safety of my baby is my highest priority, so I did research home births before going ahead. Many studies the world over prove that home birth is as safe as hospital births for low risk women who birth full term babies with experienced and trained midwives within a half hour drive of a back up hospital. My pregnancy is low risk, my baby is now full term, my midwife has 5 years education and 15 years experience and one of the best maternity hospitals in Asutralia is about a ten minute drive away. So the answer is simple.

Unfortunately the personal becomes political and what felt like a very natural decision to me happens to have come at a turbulent time for home birth in Australia. New legislation will make it illegal for an independant home birth midwife to practise after June this year. The new laws state that midwives must practise under hospital based obstetricians in order to be covered by their insurance, but obstetricians do not support home birth so the midwives can no longer practise. No insurance is available directly to these midwives. If you ask me it's all about control and money and fear of litigation, but let's not get into that. The fact is home birth is safe under the right conditions, and the new legislation is expanding on the culture of fear that already surrounds birth.

Fortunately I am birthing on a government home birth program which will not be affected by the new legislation, but this is not available in all states Australia.

If you read any articles or studies about home birth please use your best media analysis skills. Studies that prove home birth is dangerous usually include in their statistics one or more of the following:

unplanned home births
preterm babies born at home
birth of twins or more
unassisted births at home (also known as free birth)
breech babies
babies known to have died in utero, but the mother, in order to grieve and let go, would like to labour and birth at home anyway

One study I read even included miscarriage amongst it's home birth statistics!

Today we can have the best of both worlds, a peaceful and private birth at home, with the best technology on offer in nearby hospitals for the 8% of women who need intervention. I want to share this with you because I strongly believe in every womans right to birth in a place where she is safe, comfortable and supported. For many women that is in a hospital. For me it is at home.

Final month of pregnancy

2010-02-20T17:22:00.000+11:00

Basically by now you have a minature human inside you, all it will do in the last month is grow good and fat. During this time expectant mothers are advised to reduce fat, salt and water from their diet.

Traditionally pregnant women move to the birthing house during the last month of their pregnancy, and remain there until the baby is six weeks old. During this time the mother and baby and both mothered, with twice-daily oil massages and specially prepared foods. This is a time of re-birth for the mother, and great physical, spiritual and emotional healing

Fenugreek and pippali are good for stimulating the uterus so you may want to gradually add these into you diet leading up to the baby's due date. Clary sage, dandelion root and raspberry leaf are all easily available herbs for gently preparing the body for labour.

Sex is fun way to stimulate labour, but don't over do it. During the last month the baby is gathering ojas from you, and sex uses a lot of ojas.

Rice porridge is an excellent light and nourishing food for the last month or two of pregnancy, as well as being the first food a mother should have after the baby is born. Cook rice in milk with a little ginger and cardamom and serve warm and soupy with some jaggary.

Week 36 - Post-natal plan

2010-02-17T11:41:00.007+11:00

If you've ever had a baby you've probably heard of a birth plan, even if you chose not to write one, however most people have never heard of a post-natal plan. In our culture we wouldn't even know why one is needed. With breastfeeding rates so low and post-natal depression rates so high it seems obvious that we need to provide new mothers with extra support during those early months.

I study Ayurvedic post-natal care for mothers with Ysha Oakes. She has 16 years experience in this highly specialised and valuable field, and has a wonderful website called Sacred Window which I highly suggest you visit. You may like to read through the free articles or even sign up for some distance study.

I'll write more about my post-natal experiences, care and learnings after my baby is born, but for now I want to emphasise the importance of considering your post-natal needs before your baby is born, because chances are you won't have a spare second to think about your needs afterwards if your support mechanisms aren't already in place.

Here are some things you may want to include in your post-natal plan:

Phone numbers

Make a list of phone numbers of people who can support you. I suggest you have ready:

24 hour breastfeeding helpline (1800 686 2 686 in Australia)
Lactation consultant for one on one support if needed (you'll need someone local, and don't just depend on your hospital, they sometimes aren't that well qualified)
24 hour health advice helpline (1800 022 222 in Australia)
Three like-minded friends who have had babies within the last year
Professional supports (maybe your midwife, obstetrician, doula, pediatrician or childbirth educator)
Depression helpline (1300 22 4636 in Australia)
Phone numbers of friends who have offered to be part of your village

Village

We seem to have forgotten that it takes a village to raise a child and even mum's often think they should be able to do it on their own. If you look at childbirth anthropologically most traditional cultures offer new mothers a 'sacred window' for healing and bonding and becoming a mother. This time is usually about 4-6 weeks, but may be longer after a difficult birth or shorter if poverty requires.

During this 4-6 weeks the new mother should be excused from cooking, cleaning and shopping, so she can focus all her energy on her own rejuvenation and caring for her baby. A stressed, exhausted or unhappy mother can't be the best for her baby.

Before your baby is born is the time get to know your neighbours, and have a baby shower where friends give you meal vouchers, shopping vouchers or cleaning vouchers instead of more and more baby clothes. If you have older children try and arrange a village for them too. Someone to bring them a gift or take them to the park or help you out at difficult times of day like getting them to school or into the bath.

Visitors

It often helps to set some guidelines about visitors before they turn up on your door step expecting your hospitality. Choose a time of day when you would most like to see people and set up "visiting hours" like a hospital. Some mothers like company during the day so they don't get lonely when their partners are at work, others prefer visitors when their partner is home so there is less pressure on the mother to play good host.

It often helps if mums make it clear they are resting by wearing pyjama's even when visitors come. I have bought and been given a few lovely sets of pyjama's to wear during my first two weeks after the baby is born. That way I immediately set up my visitors with realistic expectations of my ability or willingness to look after them. Hopefully visitors will be more inclined to make the tea or bring a casserole without having to be directly asked. We've got to put an end to this super woman image and admit that our babies would be much better off if us mums accept a bit more support.

Stability

Post-natal is all about CHANGES. It's take nine months for your uterus to grow a baby, then just 6 weeks to return to it's original size. Mothers lose litres of blood and fluid and kilo's of baby giving birth. Not to mention the emotional, spiritual and mental changes that accompany becoming a family.

What most mums really enjoy now is a bit of routine. Try to have regular meal times, go to bed and get up at reasonable times (even if you nap during the day) and allocate a time so that you can shower/brush teeth/get dressed/put contact lenses in... at the same time every day. Some families really enjoy it when dad gets up early to have a long bath with the baby before work so that mum has time to attend to her own basic needs.

Dietary needs

See Ysha's website for full details on an Ayurvedic post-natal diet, but here are the basics. Food should be warm, soupy and easy to digest. Naturally sweet foods are most important for the first few days like rice pudding, jaggary, porridge and dates. As appetite dictates start having more soups building up to stews and when really hunry introduce more solids like unleavened breads, blanched almonds and dhal. Key spices include warm sweet spices like fennel, fennugreek, cardomom, cinnamon and cloves. Ghee and well cooked garlic are a very important part of your staple diet - eat them every day. Ayurveda considers warm, spiced, organic, unhomogonised milk to be an ideal food for new mothers.

Social needs

I will be staying at home with my baby for a minimum of two weeks after the birth. If I feel the baby or I need more time or the weather is bad I will extend that time. After six weeks most new mums are ready to get out and about a bit more, but often don't know where to start, as most of the social things that we do before we have babies are no longer relevant or possible in our culture. Don't wait until you feel lonely or isolated to set up social networks, do it before the baby is born:

Ring your local government, PCYC, library or community centre and ask them what services they offer for parents of young children
Find out about local playgroups and mums groups and attend them whilst you are pregnant to meet a few other mums
Consider post-natal exercise classes like yoga, physio or hydro-therapy, particularly ones that let you bring your baby
Cinema's often have cry baby sessions during the day to take baby's to and some cafe's seem to attract new mothers

This is such an important and neglected area of women's health that I feel I could write many pages more. I'll write more over time, but this is enough for a start. For more specific Ayurveda information I can't rave about Sacred Window enough, please visit this website if you or someone you love is expecting a baby!

Meditation during pregnancy

2010-02-11T12:40:00.003+11:00

Meditation is a wonderful practice during pregnancy. Meditation can help ease the hormone induced anxiety of pregnancy, it's great practice for managing labour pain and good for your physical health too. And if it's good for mum it's good for baby.

I've practiced meditation for many years, I aim to do one hour every morning. In reality an hour is a struggle for me, and I often miss one or two days a week. But I figure as long as my practice is regular and I put in effort then I will get better over time.

I practice a technique called Dhyana meditation, as taught by Shivarudra Balayogi. He says

Sit comfortably with the back and neck straight,
Close your eyes. Concentrate the mind and sight in between eyebrows.
Keep watching there by focusing the attention.
Do not repeat any mantra or name. Do not imagine anything.
Do not open your eyes until the duration of meditation is over.

For more on this technique visit this website. There are many, many techniques and if you are interested in starting meditation experiment until you find one that suits you. This style of meditation is about thoughtless awareness, I also do some guided relaxations in my pre-natal yoga class which involve sending love to the baby and thanks to the world for support and lovely things like that. These are only for five or ten minutes at a time.

So back to pregnancy. Before I was pregnant I had heard that being pregnant is very grounding and that people find meditation easier during pregnancy. Prior to my pregnancy was one of the easiest and most regular periods of meditation I've been able to do. But since then it's been a very different story!

Between nausea, constant hunger and sleepiness I've found early mornings on an empty stomach difficult, which is the time of day I usually meditate. I gave up meditation completely for a few weeks when morning sickness was at it's peak, and have since found mornings a bit easier if I have some milk or fruit or some other simple food before sitting.

Then actually sitting has been difficult too. My back and hips ache, and I've found sitting in my regular half lotus far too much work for my stomach muscles. There was a stage where the only position I could stay still in for long periods was on my back supported on two bolsters, like this. This is a lovely stretch during pregnancy anyway as it opens the lungs, ribs and shoulders. Now I'm too big to lie on my back at all, no matter how well supported! These days I'm comfortable sitting in half lotus with my back against the wall, which is great.

And there's my mind. Anxious, hormone fueled, excited...it's really hard to keep it from wandering. When I finally get comfy the baby gets the hiccoughs or decides to have a kicking frenzy against my ribs, so really, I can't win.

So in short, I feel meditation has really been very beneficial to my pregnancy, but it certainly hasn't been easy. If you are struggling with meditation don't worry, you are not alone. It's called practicing for a reason, and you'll probably find that even the most seasoned meditators have to put in effort. We have this idea in the west that some people can just close their eyes and enter heightened states of awareness. But for most of us it's about dedication, discipline and patience, as my guru says. And like pregnancy, birth and parenting, it really is worth it!

34 weeks - Count down begins

2010-02-03T19:27:00.004+11:00

I've finished work which is wonderful! I'm keeping active with yoga, swimming and walking, as well as all the home improvements and general sorting and cleaning I'm doing whilst in nesting mode. I have birth preparation classes to go to, books to read and baby stuff to buy. I thought I might get bored but now I'm not even sure six weeks will be long enough!

I'm making an effort to do self massage with dhawantharam oil, drink raspberry leaf tea and do perenial massage. I have weekly pre-natal check ups with my midwife and the good news is the baby is head down and engaged. The surprising news is the baby is big, even though I am small, but I always suspected that I could grow a big baby!

We have the birth pool, but I'm still gathering enough old sheets and towels to contain the mess of a home birth. We have a wonderful rocking chair (after searching for months IKEA has done it again!) but are still searching for a light weight stroller. We've got cloth nappies and I figure that a newborn really only needs nappies and a couple of boobs, so really we're set.

I've got a few birth videos to watch with my friends and family who will support me through the birth, and my birth plan is pretty much ready for action.

So now it's time for rest, exercise, good food and positive thoughts. And spending some time with my darling husband whilst we are still only two.

If you read nothing else...

2010-02-03T17:14:00.002+11:00

READ THIS BOOK. Ina May's Guide to Childbirth should be read and re-read by every pregnant women and her support people. It contains such ancient and subtle wisdom on the process of giving birth. What sometimes sounds a bit hippy and airy fairy is backed up by solid scientific evidence.

Ina May has amongst the best maternal and infant outcomes in the world, with the lowest rates of intervention. She has learned through observing childbirth in a natural environment without interference how this miracle of nature actually works, and why it goes wrong so often in our modern culture.

She has a lovely website, but seriously, buy this book and lend to every pregnant woman you know!

A-Z of cloth nappies

2010-02-01T12:06:00.004+11:00

Cloth nappies, or diapers, have been a big area of research during my pregnancy. I went to a baby expo which was horrible (think fast food and Bob the Builder) but had a great range of cloth nappies being demonstrated so I could see them all side by side. It's hard to work out what's going on, especially from websites, so here's my little guide.

You've basically got the following choices, and loads of variation in between.

Flat squares

Old fashioned flat square nappies are what our grandparents probably used. You need something to hold them in place, like safety pins, snappi fasteners or a elastic band around the waist. You also need to buy pilchers, or waterproof covers. This is the cheapest nappy option out, but you have to learn to fold them properly or they leak.

Prefolds

Prefolds are still similiar to the old system in that you have nappy inserts and waterproof covers. They are fitted covers like disposables, but flat square inserts like old fashioned nappies. The advantage is that you don't need to learn any folding techniques and you don't need to use pins or other fasteners.

All in ones

All in ones are the most like disposables because the nappy lining and waterproof cover are all sewn in together. This means they are the easiest to put on the baby. The disadvantage is that you have to change the whole nappy each time, unlike pre-folds or squares where you usually only change the nappy or liner and use the pilcher or cover all day. All in ones also take the longest to dry as you can't unfold them out flat. They are the most expensive option (other than disposables) becuase you need to buy a lot more of them.

One size fits all or sized nappies

Of course you don't need to buy as many nappies if they are one size fits all, but you do risk leakage on newborns and bigger toddlers. You have to buy more sized nappies, but they will fit better.

So that's the pro's and cons, and here's my choice:

Real Nappies

This is a sized, pre fold system invented by a mother in New Zealand. The website, as usual is totally confusing, but read through the topics under Advice to get the gist of it.

The reasons I chose this system is because the folding is very simple and their are videos on the website if you need help. The nappies are very cheap ($3.50 each) and the covers are a reasonable price at $15. The nappies are square so they will dry quickly.

I also bought a pack of flat square nappies, I'll use these round the house without covers, and generally for mopping up spills and "catching possets" and for all the other messes that baby's make.

Finally (I'll write a whole post on this later cause I'm obsessed) I want to practice EC with my baby. Which is basically a fancy modern name for what humans have been doing for years, offering their babies the use of the toilet instead of letting them sit in wet nappies. Check out this great website for more info. And in my opinion prefolds will work best with EC.

Make your own baby wipes

2010-01-19T07:33:00.000+11:00

It's so easy! It's cheap and involves less chemicals, processing and packaging and is therefore gentler on baby's bum and on the earth. I'm hooked. Google it and you'll find plenty of variations on the theme, here's what works for me.

What you need:

1 roll of kitchen towel (recycled paper if they exist)
2 plastic containers with lids (big enough to fit half a roll of kitchen wipes, mine are 1.25 litres)
3 cups water
2 Tbs baby and earth friendly soap ( I use envirocare body and hair cleanser, which is cheap, locally made, available online and can be used as shampoo and soap for the whole family)
4 Tbsp oil (I use sesame, but for nappy rash I'd switch to coconut)
4 drops of lavender oil (for it's antibacterial qualities)

What to do:

Cut the paper towel in half with a knifes (not a serated knife as this will leave jaggedy edges) and remove the cardboard roll inside.
Boil and cool the water and then mix with soap and oils.
Put half the kitchen towel in each container and cover with half the liquid each.
Close the lids tightly and leave on container of wipes at your change station and the other in the fridge for later.

You can pull a few wipes off the roll and store them in a small snap lock bag to take them in your nappy bag with you.

My main concern at the moment is that I can't find recycled paper kitchen towels, but I'll keep looking. One alternative if your really keen to be green is the keep the solution in a spray bottle and spray it onto reusable cloth wipes.

Third trimester

2010-01-05T19:08:00.004+11:00

I missed a post over the silly season. I hope you all had a wonderful Christmas and New Year. I had a lovely time in Melbourne with my husbands family.

Week 30 and I've finally cracked the 60 kg mark. Neither my midwife nor my Ayurvedic doctor are worried about my low weight. I am healthy and strong and energetic and my rate of gain is steady. Low weight in pregnancy only seems to be a problem if you are malnutritioned or if you suddenly stop putting on weight.

I had a few sleepless nights due to intense calf cramps and hip ache. I woke D up crying out in pain. I spent the next day doing down dog at every spare opportunity and much as it hurt at the time it really, really helps me get through the night. Can't recommend it highly enough.

My milestone of this week is colostrum. I woke up D in the night (again poor thing!) cause I was so excited. My colostrum actually let down and squirted on the bed. Only a few drops, but it makes me feel like a woman, like a mother. I had let down for a few nights in a row and now it's calmed down again, so I think my body must have just been doing a test run.

I really am feeling great, I suspect that for thin women (Vata) early pregnancy is the hardest bit, where as bigger women (Kapha) struggle later on. But maybe I am speaking too soon!

My poor sore legs!

2009-12-15T11:59:00.006+11:00

Many women have general aches and pains in their legs and hips during pregnancy. The two affecting me the most are calf cramps and hip ache, both at night, but I have found some simple ways to ease the pain.

Calf cramps

Ayurveda attributes most cramps to Vata, and Vata imbalance is very common throughout pregnancy as your body tries to keep up with all the rapid changes. If you get a calf cramp here are a few things you can do:

Stretch it out, even if this hurts a little. Down dog is the best way to stretch into your calves and is safe during pregnancy until 36 weeks, unless you find it uncomfortable.
Massage it. Grab the part that is cramping, this can help stimulate the marma point.
Warm sesame oil rubbed into your calves every day can really help.
Hot water bottles on the site of the cramp are soothing too.

But the winner is:

Epsom salt baths. I have one bath a week with 6 handfuls of epsom salts and that prevents cramps all week. Salt balances Vata.

Hip ache

My other main complaint at this point (it changes every week!) is that my hips ache at night. They feel really loose and open and sometimes it feels like my legs are going to fall out. Strange but true: apparently this is more common in women of Scandinavian descent. During the day my hips are fine so I suspect it is related to my posture when I sleep. Here's what I find helps:

Give thanks to your body for opening for your baby.
Sleep on your side with a bolster under you top knee and your bottom knee straight. The bolster should be high enough to keep your knees aligned with your hips.
Slip a thin pillow or a fold of blanket under your tummy. This will prevent the weight of you expanding stomach dragging down through your hip ligaments.
If you wake up sore roll over on to the other side and rearrange all your pillows-bummer!
A yoga posture that may help is to sit with one knee straight and one knee bent and push your bent knee down to the side and back up to your chest (keeping your foot on the floor). Resist your pushing hand with your leg to build up strength.
Avoid doing a large amount of hip opening yoga postures like butterfly.

These things do come and go so be patient. Sweet dreams!

General update and baby's first pictures

2009-12-02T12:02:00.005+11:00

The baby hammock's going great! It still needs some finishing touches and then I'll post some pitures and how I made it, but seriously if you know how to use a sewing machine you can make one, it's dead easy.

I never posted the pictures from my 18 week scan and there are some cuties, so here they are, it's tiny little feet, a big yawn and a wave for the camera!

DIY Baby hammock

2009-11-29T12:42:00.005+11:00

I'm in serious nesting mode, and nesting for me involves sping cleaning (ie chucking stuff out) and creating (ie making stuff). Since chucking staff out is pretty boring, unless you shop at the op-shop I donate to, I thought I write about my latest craft project.

I keep hearing about how wonderful baby hammocks are. They rock and support babies beautifully and are said to transform even the most colicy or refluxy baby. Plus they are really beautiful.

My kitchen has a cathedral style ceiling with big beams running across which makes it perfect for hanging a baby hammock from. We plan on co-cleeping but I love the idea of having the baby near me where ever I am in the house

One thing that really appeals to my au naturale baby tastes is the idea that women around the world would have just tied a piece of cloth from a tree and let there baby's hang out in there whilst they work in the fields. It just doesn't seem right to spend hundreds of dollars on something so simple.

I typed "make your own baby hammock" into google and it pumps out this blog post. God I love google! I've got a day off work this week dedicated to making stuff, so I'll let you know how I go.

22 weeks - Maternity clothes-belly bands review

2009-11-11T11:57:00.003+11:00

After a slow start I've caught up with dates and now there is no pretending I can squeeze into my old clothes anymore. Every other day I try something on and relegate it to the drawer I've allocated for clothes I won't be wearing for a long while. First it was high waisted skirts, now it's some jeans and trousers that I'm saying goodbye to too.

But I've been learning some handy tips.

First is just to cut the elastic out of old tracky pants. Not exactly work wear but certainly comfy for round the house. You can do this properly by stitching the elastic to the waistband in two places and snipping it in between. This means there is still some stretch to them.

Next I've been extending some of my buttons by looping an elastic band around the button, through the botton hole and around the button again. This just gives a few more centimetres, but you'll need to wear a long top to cover up the open fly.

But the best maternity tip of all has to be belly bands, a thick stretchy strip of fabric to wear over jeans or skirts. I bought two kinds of belly bands, both on e-bay and was happy was both, they each have advatages and disadvantages. You can buy them at maternity shops or department stores but they cost a lot more, and I'd rather support small business.

4MUMSTUMS are only single layer thick. Single layer may be better for summer to avoid too many layers in the heat. It also means that it's not too bulky, which is good if your tummy's not that big yet or if you are wearing it with a light cotton shirt.

Davine-babies belly bands are double thickness. This means they are better for holding up heavy things like jeans. They also feel more supportive. The colours of mine leaked in the wash though so maybe soak them in salt and wash seperately first time.

They are both handmade, both cotton, and both cost about the same. You might like to have a look at the range of colours to see what you prefer. I bought two belly bands from each and use them for slightly different things. I love the colourful ones to add a splash of colour to otherwise boring black or white outfits.

A couple of friends have just had babies so I'm hoping to inherit some maternity clothes. I'd really like to avoid buying clothes to wear just for a few months. Work is really the only hard occasion to dress for, so if need be I'll buy a pair of maternity trousers and one maternity skirt to go with all the big flowing blouses I already own.

21 weeks - sleepless nights

2009-11-04T17:54:00.005+11:00

Lying on my back is certainly the thing I missed the most. I don't sleep well on my side, with my rapidly expanding stomach all propped up on pillows. Rolling over pulls on my stretched tummy ligaments and I have the craziest dreams. I wake up to pee and then the baby starts kicking so I can't go back to sleep. It usually doesn't hurt me, it's more that is so exciting that I want to lie awake feeling my little baby rolling around for ages.

But seriously, this is easily the most enjoyable part of my pregnancy so far. The living-on-a-boat feeling of the first few months has passed, the baby's making itself known and I'm still not too huge to enjoy most things. And I just got the full tick of health from Dr George, my trusted Ayurvedic Doctor.

And another milsetone, my baby is now regarded as a human under Australian law!

I'm just getting to work on my home birth plan, post-natal plan and what to pack in case of a hospital transfer list. I'll publish them all here eventually.

Listeria hysteria

2009-10-28T17:55:00.002+11:00

I love my soft cheeses and I'm not the kind of girl to do what I'm told without knowing why. For the first few weeks of my pregnancy I had to delve into the issue of soft cheeses to find out what we really should avoid when pregnant.

Listeria is a foodborne bacteria which can cause a disease is called listeriosis. If you eat contaminated food the bacteria may penetrate your intestines and travel throughout the blood stream. Listeriosis is a dangerous disease for pregnant women as is may infect the baby and cause misscarriage, stillbirth or blood infections.

But listeriosis is extremely rare, read this if you are interested in details.

What you need to know is that listeria can't survive high heats, so if you re heat left overs make sure they are really hot and generally fresh deep fried foods will be alright too.

Which brings me back to soft cheeses. In Australia all dairy products are pasturised, it is actually illegal to sell anything unpasturised labelled as a food product. Pasturisation involves extremely high heat, which kills listeria. Just make sure you store your soft cheeses in the fridge and buy them in a sealed packet.

There is a minor chance of cross contamination, which means the listeria bacteria contaminates a dairy product after it has been pasturised, but boiling milk or cooking soft cheese (like in canneloni) will fix that up anyway in case you are really worried.

I don't eat fish or meat anyway, which from what I can tell have a higher risk of carrying the bacteria, but I haven't looked into it much.

In the meantime, I'm going to sit back and enjoy my pasturised soft cheeses. I'm probably more likely to get hit by a car than catch listeriosis anyway. It just means I'm likely to get some dirty looks from people who think I'm a bad mum whilst I eat my cottage cheese on crackers.

Week 20- now that's kicking!

2009-10-28T15:07:00.002+11:00

I just spent a week on a tropical island for a wedding, very nice! And gave me plenty of time to loll around and feel the baby kick. I think most of the time when pregnant women don't feel their baby kick it's because they are just busy. D can feel it kicking too, it's a strong little thing

What's in a name?

2009-10-23T17:25:00.002+11:00

So much!

My husband and I have the difficult decision on choosing a surname for our babies, as well as the usual task of a first name. This is because I chose to keep my name when we married, partly because I like my name, partly for the feminist in me and partly because it's my name-I can't imagine just waking up one day with another one.

So what to do about our babies? I'm not into hyphenating, because what happens to the next generation, quadruple barreled names? I want a more sustainable option. I'm not keen on the idea that girls take the mother's name and boys take the father's name, simply because I want them all the have the same name.

So here is the idea I am currently working on. It's a bit complicated so bear with me:

Ms Jones marries Mr Smith and they both take each others name to become Jones Smith (no hyphen!)
Their children Bob and Sally take both names, Jack Jones Smith and Sally Jones Smith
When Bob gets married he keeps the patriarchal line, his dads name Smith and his wife keeps the matriarchal line, her mothers name Brown and they become Brown Smith
Their children become Brown Smith's too
Sally gets married and keeps her mother's name Jones and her husband adds his fathers name Green and they become Jones Green

...and so on...

But I'm not sure if I am willing or able to try this out without it becoming the norm in our society. It takes too much explaining.

First names are much more fun. Rosalie or Harriet are front runners if it's a girl but we need more boys names, Rupert currently tops the list.

Any suggestions for surnames or first names?

18 weeks - Ultrasound

2009-10-19T17:11:00.002+11:00

We went for our first scan, first photo's of baby, though it still looks an awful lot like an alien to me. I dutifully drank the full 1.5 litres of water in an hour despite every bone in my body telling me not too. I managed to hold it down (vomiting was a much greater threat than peeing!) until the scan an hour later.

It was pretty cool. Our bub was really sleepy though, not very active and yawning an awful lot. hey got the first all the pictures they needed in twenty minutes except for one, a profile of the baby's face. It was pretty camera shy. I peed and got back on the table for more goo but the baby still wouldn't show it's face. I went for a walk and we prodded my tummy a bit, I did some squats, but forty minutes later and the little one was still just yawning and ignoring our attempts to turn it around.

We had to go back the next morning and fortunatly the baby was just facing the right direction. We got the picture we needed in about 5 minutes.

The news is all good. The baby is healthy and big for dates, even though I've still only put on three kilo's. I think this little baby's a tease!!

15 weeks - kicking?

2009-09-29T17:20:00.002+10:00

I'm 15 weeks and 6 days and I'm sure I felt that little alien in my tummy wriggling around this morning. It's early, but I am thin and pretty sensitive so it's certainly possible.

I was sitting at my desk at work tapping away on the keyboard when I felt butterflies in my tummy, real low down. I stopped typing for a second, but then thought, no it can't be, it's too early. I kept typing but this little butterfly was insistent, the gentle tapping continued for a full minute or two so there was no mistaking it. I started giggling and emailed D straight away. I didn't tell the other girls at work, it felt like a lovely little secret between me and my baby.

Pre-natal care

2009-09-25T11:14:00.003+10:00

As usual my approach to pregnancy is very old fashioned. I'm reading a wonderful, wonderful book called Mothering the New Mother by Sally Placksin. It is one of the few books that I highly recomend you read if you or your partner/relative/friend is pregnant. Sally Placksin discusses a woman's specific needs after childbirth and how we can have them met in modern culture (which so commonly ignores them).

Sally Placksin interviews women from various trditional cultures and find rich traditions around the world that nourish pregnant women and new mothers. One of the most beautiful stories she shares is from Luz Garcia, a Colombian who is the daughter of a physician and a midwife. Here is a brief exert:

"Birth was not ever seen as an illness, but as a sign of health and a sign of beauty and life coming through...If you could bear a child you were healthy, you were alive, every good thing was coming your way...Regardless of what the family was, that infant was cared for from the moment the mother was fund to be in estado [pregnant]. The mother got fed better, first portion came to her...[there was no prenantal care.] The mother was recomended to have long walks, to see flowers, to see baby animals at play, and to hold other babies and have good thoughts..."

Wonderful news!

2009-09-09T17:33:00.003+10:00

I'm back in the land of blogging, and I have some wonderful news to share. I'm pregnant. It's one of the reasons I went all silent on you, I wasn't ready to share it with the world until it all settled in nicely.

For the next little while I'll be back-posting some of the posts I've been writing but not publishing to catch you up to speed. I'll be sharing with you what I have come to learn about pregnancy from an Ayurvedic perspective.

I'm thirteen weeks today, which makes the little one due in March. We are really, really happy about it all. Happy in a way I've never really experienced before. It's such a deep sense of satisfaction and really puts the trivial stressors of the world into perspective.

I'm really happy to be back blogging. I'm only working 4 days a week so I feel like I have clawed my life back. I was not designed for full time work. I'm far too multi faceted for that, and have much varied needs and desires which paid work alone cannot satisfy. Plus I'm growing a human, which is a pretty big job on it's own!

Great to be back and thanks to those of you wo have stuck out the long wait.

Yoga-first trimester

2009-08-26T22:50:00.006+10:00

Early pregnancy can be a pretty nerve-racking cause everyone's telling you what to do and worse still, what not to do. Some helpful things I've heard regarding unwanted advice during pregnancy:

It's about them and not about you.
It's just practice for being a parent, you'll be getting plenty of unsolicited advice from here on in!

Back to yoga, I've been sifting through the advice for the useful bits and here's what I've come up with.

In the first trimester you'll likely be feeling pretty gross and exercise won't be the top of your agenda. So if you don't want to, don't do it. You really can afford to rest now and make up for it later when you feel stronger.

If you've been doing yoga for a long time and you aren't feeling too gross then you won't need to adjust your yoga routine much in the first few months. My teacher advised me to go easy on squats. If you've been doing back bends and headstands for a long time you may feel strong enough to continue. Breath of fire or bundha's (locks) in the abdomen area are no good for pregnant women. Of course mulabundha, which is a lock of the base chakra, is the same as what we call pelvic floor exercises, so this one is great.

There are some general things pregnant women ought to know about exercise:

Be careful about over heating, this can be quite dangerous
Stay hydrated, your body is making all sorts of new fluid (amniotic fluid, new blood, the embryo itself is still fluid) so don't let yourself dry out
Your body is making a new hormone called relaxin, which allows your body to open for birth. Relaxin also makes you more flexible so you have to be extra careful not to overstretch
Lying on your back may be uncomfortable, but as long as it's comfortable it's not dangerous
You may be experiencing both low blood pressure and low blood sugar. Be careful standing or sitting up quickly. If you feel dizzy sit straight down.

I personally felt uncomfortable with positions on my stomach (like cobra) just because of the nausea. If anything makes you feel sick, just don't do it.

Foods to avoid in pregnancy

2009-08-18T15:26:00.001+10:00

I'm not too strict about this. Recent research shows that the stress and guilt women feel about drinking alcohol whilst pregnant has MORE effect on the unborn child than the alcohol itself. So chill out and enjoy your food. This is the most important thing.

However it is sensible to avoid certain foods where possible. Avoid anything that is too potent, sharp, pungent, hot or strong. Foods or herbs that cause uterine contractions, have a laxative effect or promote bleed should all be avoided.

I'm about to give you a big list of foods to avoid, but I want to start by saying it doesn't really matter. These foods are mostly fine in moderation. Turmeric in culinary quantities ( a pinch in a family meal) isn't a worry, but medicinal quantities (such as 1/2 teaspoon three times a day) is not such a good idea. My dad's rosemary potatoes are still on the menu but rosemary essential oil is not going in my bath.

I'm not trying to suggest that the foods on this list will cause you to miscarry, that is not the case at all. Actually it's more subtle, for example some of these foods will aggravate the baby and others may increase your pregnancy symptoms.

If you are early in pregnancy you may want to take more care to avoid foods on this list but once your pregnancy is well established you should be able to take them in food quantities, but still avoid medicinal quantities. Especially avoid the if your pregnancy is fragile or complicated.

laxatives including triphla and aloe vera
emmenagogues
neem
asafoetida
garlic
chilli
nutmeg
fenugreek
cloves
sage
thyme
rosemary
nigella seeds
poppy seeds
honey (this is contested, but I prefer to use jaggary which is excellent for pregnancy)
licorice root
oregano
dandelion root (leaves are fine)
dill
fennel
neem
sesame
ginger (ginger is great for morning sickness, but only in moderation, a pinch of grated fresh ginger in a cup of hot water should suffice)
turmeric
parsley

Of course if you are pregnant and you have been eating these please don't panic, everything is fine in moderation. You'd have really make an effort to eat enough poppy seeds to affect your pregnancy. It wouldn't happen by accident after eating a piece of multigrain bread. Just try and avoid making these foods your daily, staple diet.

In pregnancy your nausea and super smelling power will guide you to avoid certain foods. Garlic and vinegar both send my stomach reeling these days, your body will tell you what to do!

Week 8-telling people

2009-08-05T13:03:00.003+10:00

I've decided to tell a few more people. At first we only told our immediate families and three of my closest girl friends. Not telling has been on the hardest things and as my symptoms get worse it's not as easy to hide anymore.

I've been looking pretty green at work and getting a few questions so I decided to come clean. I'm lucky to work in a very supportive workplace in a team of all women so they are all thrilled and full of tips for coping with the sickness. Of course at 8 weeks the pregnancy still isn't that well established, but they all understand the risks.

Before I was pregnant I believed I wouldn't tell anyone until 12 weeks, but now I'm here it's a lot more complicated than I expected.

It feels so oppressive to suffer in silence, why should all these women deal with the first trimester alone, without the support of their workplace, friends, family, other mums. Sheila Kitzinger reckons that often the first trimester is the hardest, and I think we should be able to share the good times and the bad. Whilst the risk of misscarriage doesn't decline for another 4 weeks, I'd like their support if we did lose this tiny child. I'd rather not keep my grief a secret. This is real life, shit happens and I'd like to be able to talk about it.

And they are all so excited, why wouldn't I want to incude them on this wonderful journey!

I'm not ready to completely go public just yet. Whilst I told my team I'm not telling the remaining 140 people at my workplace. I'm not posting these just yet, and it's certainly not going on face book!

All day sickness or nausea during pregnancy 2

2009-08-05T13:02:00.003+10:00

If your pregnant nausea will most likely be on your mind during those early months. I posted a bit on morning sickness earlier and here's some more, cause it's a pretty big issue.

Herbs and remedies:

Pour boiling water over puffed rice, strain and drink (Seriously, this one saved me on many occasions, my Ayurvedic doctor recommended it and it has really really helped)
Chyawanprash is good general tonic during pregnancy
Roast shatavari in an iron pan with ghee, cardomom and date sugar
Soak ten fresh dates in a litre of ghee. Add 1 teaspoon of ginger, 1/8 teaspoon of cardomom and a pinch of saffron. Cover loosely. Keep this in a closed warm space for a week. Then eat one date daily in the early morning. (Thanks to Dr Vasant Lad, and this one also helps with anemia)
Hot milk with a tiny pinch of nutmeg and cardomom (nutmeg is not recomended usually in pregnancy so go easy)
Puffed rice with a little honey
The smell of rose, lemon or mint may help
Acupressure (known as marma in Ayurveda) point

Or you could simply try peacock feather ash!

All day sickness or nausea during pregnancy

2009-07-29T13:23:00.006+10:00

It's totally gross and most women feel it. Nausea is a really big topic so I will write a couple of posts about it. I've searched and searched and western medicine gives no reason for morning sickness. There are a few un-tested theories and a few emetic drugs which are no longer prescribed because they deform the baby. So here is the Ayurvedic perspective. Ayurveda offers three causes of nausea during pregnancy. I'll do my best to translate these but would love some help if any of you know more!

1. Vaatha Vaigunya
Malfunction of Vata. This is like travel sickness, Vata moves around the body in the wrong way pushing other dosha's along too.

2. Dauhidra Avamaanana
Give the woman what she wants! So long as it is not detrimental to mother or her baby all her cravings must be satisfied. Unsatisfied desires cause morning sickness.

3.Garbha Nimittha
This means the embryo/feotus is pushing upwards which is what makes the mother feel nauseous or vomit.

The first trimester diet for a pregnant women advises lots of liquids, the embryo is still in a liquid form and the mothers body is building blood, amniotic fluid and fat. An increase in water element is very helpful.

However if you are anything like me fluids are the main offender, I just can't swallow anything liquid. I find that if I eat Vata and Pitta pacifying food as soon as a I wake up and then at 8am, 10am and 12 pm then it sets me up well for the rest of the day. You'll know what your worst time of day is (and it's not always the morning) so make sure you have food ready every two hours for that time of day.

My favourite snacks:

apples, bananas, grapes, pears
rice crackers
salty crackers with cottage cheese
plain bread, scones, chapati's
Blanched almonds, walnuts
Cold milk with ANZAC biscuits (cold milk is generally recommended during early pregnancy)

The evenings do tend to be better for me so I try and catch up on some fluids then. I sip my way very slowly through a glass or two or cold water or cold peppermint tea or cold juice at my best time of day, but don't bother with drinks when I feel gross. Personally I think comfort is my primary concern right now. Water is no good if I chuck it straight up again.

Week 7-blech!

2009-07-29T13:08:00.004+10:00

Now I feel totally gross. I'm going to buy some of those acupressure wristbands to try and settle my stomach. I no longer feel queasy, it's now full blown nausea. Although I haven't thrown up I want to, almost constantly. Gross.

I don't like food much which is a new feeling for me, but I'm always hungry. And it's certainly an odd feeling wanting to stuff my face with food and throw up and the same time. Most smells are disgusting, though lemon, mint and coffee smell great!

My breasts are growing but they aren't much fun because they are too sore too touch. It feels like I have a huge bruise across my whole chest.

But it's not all such a drag. This week my little embryo is developing facial features and fingers and toes. Depending who you ask it's now the size of a peanut or a rasberry or a bean. Here's a portrait of the little one. Not exactly cute just yet, it still looks like a freaky mini alien to me.

Fear of miscarriage

2009-07-22T12:06:00.004+10:00

Miscarriage is unfortunately common in the first trimester. 1 in 8 confirmed pregnancies will result in miscarriage, but don't despair, that means 7 in 8 little embryo's will hang in there for the long haul. No matter what the odds most pregnant women will have some fear of miscarriage, especially in those tentative early months.

Here are some things that help me in my moments of anxiety:

It's totally natural to have crazy mood swings during pregnancy. Anxiety is a sure sign that pregnancy hormones are doing their work, so if you are extremely worried it's just another symptom of pregnancy.
Pregnancy is preparation for motherhood. One of the greatest lessons is to realise that I am not in control. The fact that conception and birth are not dates that can be planned in stone is a reminder that although you would love to have a spring baby it's not really your choice. The universe will do what it will. Surrender.
Try to talk to someone who normalises pregnancy. Whilst it's great to have some friends get over the top excited sometimes this can feel like pressure, I don't want to let them down. Talk to someone who works with pregnant women all the time and will understand that pregnancy is a prefectly normal stage of life, most women do it.
Highs and lows are inextricably linked. Don't get too involved with your highs and you won't get too involved with your lows.
Go and talk to your health care provider for reassurance.
If you are not having bleeding or cramping there's nothing to worry about. A change or lack of pregnancy symptoms or simply not feeling pregnant does not mean you have lost the baby.
Dr Frawley suggests that anxiety can weaken the embryo, so let your fears go for the sake of your baby.

If you are an extremely fearful person (pregnant or not) it's best to eat well, rest well, breathe well and talk about it. Avoid anything that is very stimulating like spicy food, extreme weather, unpleasant loud noises or crowds and travel. Enjoy sex and exercise in moderation so as not to exhaust your ojas.

Finally the vast majority of pregnancies result in a healthy baby so sit back and enjoy the ride.

Week 6-Emotions

2009-07-22T11:55:00.004+10:00

I'm a nervous wreck. I used to be such a cool cat but the pregnancy hormones have kicked in and I can't stop crying. Or singing.

Last week I was I was in heaven, I was so happy I was singing to my tiny baby all day long. Then a few days ago I had two full days of non-stop tears. I bawled my eyes out about everything, about nothing. My poor husband is exhausted!

Emotional rollercoatser rides are usually caused by Vata, so I'm trying to bring more earth an water into my life, as usual.

The weather at the moment is not conducive to calm. It's mid winter and whilst it doesn't get too cold in Fremantle we get gale force winds and torrential rain. My old weatherboard cottage feels as though it might just blow away to the land of oz. The storms certainly make me more nervous so I'm making sure I dress warmly when I go out and keep my head covered in the wind.

Eating lots of ghee and milk and whole grains all help to ground me too. A little back rub helps a lot and so does talking about it, particularly to other women who have been pregnant. They all know what I'm on about.

But to a certain degree I do feel like I need a good cry. Tears cleanse pitta and early pregnancy is an extremely high pitta stage of life. So I have a good cry, I watch my emotions come and go just trying not to buy into it. I imagine myself sitting by a raging river watching all my emotions floating along. I don't ignore them but I can feel that the emotions are not truly me. Truly I am an eternally peaceful soul. This is permanant whilst the emotions come and go.

Week 5-what to do?

2009-07-18T15:51:00.004+10:00

So now that I know I'm pregnant I'm wondering what to do it about it.

I believe pregnancy is a very natural and normal part of a woman's life, rather than an illness or medical emergency. I'm choosing a home birth, and I feel so grateful to know about this safe and satisfying option, but this means my midwife won't be assigned until I am twelve weeks pregnant!

In the meantime what's a girl to do? I'm going crazy trying to keep it a secret and I'm choosing not to busy myself with obstetrician appointments, ultrasounds, peeing in cups, being jabbed with needles, being weighed, measured, poked or prodded. Now that I have a baby growing inside me I can see why all these women like to have obstetricians, it makes you feel like you are doing something. All I'm doing is waiting for a baby to come out.

So I read about pregnancy and childbirth and parenting. I love to read real life stories by real life women, single mothers, teenage mothers, adoptive mothers, lesbians, radicals, all women who fiercly love their babies. I dislike the medical week by week accounts assuming there is a husband involved and that all mothers sit on rocking chairs and wear aprons and alice bands. I want to hear about the emotional and spiritual changes, the pain and pleasure, the difficult decisions, the complications, the fears and anxieties, the deep desires and most of all the rewards that accompany all dark times.

The physicality of my pregnancy is just one aspect, the spiritual and emotional components feel so much more powerful to me. So I'm just gonna let things be as they are.

Constipation in pregnancy

2009-07-11T15:42:00.005+10:00

Of course, typical to my dosha, I'm constipated before the morning sickness even hits. Read the general guidelines for constipation here, all the dot points in that post are safe for pregant women, but the informatio in this pregnancy specific post overrides any of the information in the general constipation post if you are pregnant. Ayurveda does not advise laxatives during pregnancy.

Laxatives

Never take aloe vera, triphla or castor oil during pregnancy and generally avoid any foods, herbs or medicines with a strong Apana Prana action, or downward force (Dr Sarita Shresta even advises against eating sesame for this reason)
First try drinking one cup of hot milk with a large teaspoon of ghee last thing at night, at least one hour after dinner, this is enough for a lot of pregnant women
If you need something stronger add a teaspoon of psyllium husks to your hot milk

Diet

Have a Vata and Pitta pacifying diet favouring warm soupy foods (if your nausea doesn't rebel against mush, mine did, just do what you can)
Have lightly cooked vegetables and stewed fruit, avoid raw vegetables and raw fruit
Put a tablespoon of ghee on every meal and drink a glass of warm water with every meal (large amounts of ghee such as this should be avoided in the last trimester)

Massage

Daily massage with warm sesame oil has so many wonderful benefits for pregnant women including relieving constipation
Failing a full body massage try just massaging your tummy very gently in a clockwise direction using your open palms (not fingers)
Add 30 drops of patchouli essential oil to 30ml sesame oil for a stomach massage oil that gives stronger relief

Week 4-peeing on a stick

2009-07-11T15:19:00.006+10:00

I could smell my friends vegemite toast three rooms away so I suspected I might be in the family way. But I also knew what to look for so I didn't know if my symptoms were invented because I wanted to feel them.

So a week ago I peed on a stick and I was a bit bummed when only one control line came up. Not Pregnant. But it was our first month of trying so I wasn't really surprised, I've heard so many stories of couples trying for months and even years before concieving.

Three days later when my period still hadn't come and I was feeling hungry and tired I peed on another stick and there it was. Two lines. Up the duff.

I've been looking forward to this for years, just waiting patiently to get my health and finances in order. I felt happy and a bit teary, gave D a good squeeze and off we both went to a normal day at the office.

DO YOU KNOW HOW HARD THAT IS!? I've just recieved the most exciting and significant news of my life and I had to rock up to work and act like everything's normal. The next few days were tough. I'm really bad at secrets, but I do want to wait till the pregnancy is better established before announcing it to the world.

Time for a break

2009-04-28T19:30:00.002+10:00

You may have noticed I haven't been around for a couple of weeks. I've decided to make it official, I'm taking a break from blogging.

I am working full time and studying Ayurvedic post natal care for mothers and finding it all a bit hard to manage. So in the interests of my own health and sanity I'll be taking a month or two off blogging.

Stay tuned, I will be back. In the meantime I will continue to reply to your comments and questions.

Rose jam

2009-04-11T09:20:00.001+10:00

It's coming to the end of the hot season here in Freo so it's really the wrong end of the year for me to be posting this. But I found this wonderful recipe a long time ago and have only just gotten around to it.

Rose jam is a classical remedy for high Pitta. I remember seeing pilgrims buying it in large volumes in Pushka, Rhajastan, before I really knew what rose was all about. Now I understand why this cooling jam sells so well in the middle of the desert.

Rose works especially on sadhaka pitta, the sub-dosha located in the nervous system which governs the heart and brain. People who are hot-headed, ungrateful or irritable benefit from the calming, romantic influence of rose. Rose works well for hot skin conditions, you can sprit your face with rose water in summer, this helps for pimples, heat rash and sun burn.

Make rose jam with organic rose petals to avoid any nasties and take it before bed with hot milk to promote sleep on hot nights. Thanks to Amma's special for the recipe below!

http://passionatetrials.wordpress.com/2007/07/16/rose-gulkhand/

Paid parental leave

2009-04-06T10:15:00.004+10:00

There is some talk in Australia of introducing paid parental leave in the next budget and it's about time. Australia is one of only five countries in the world that don't offer any paid maternity leave (the others are the US, Papua New Guinea, Liberia and Swaziland). The United Nations recommends 16 weeks paid at 100% for women, and 4 weeks paid at 100% for men.

There are many social, health and economic benfits to paid parental leave. Primarily bonding, breastfeeding and women in the workforce.

Getup's current campaign for paid parental leave points out that "research shows the continuous interaction between babies and parents in the baby’s first twelve months of life shapes the brain wiring – affecting how a child regulates their emotions, communicates, solves problems, thinks logically and reacts to the world." Australian women are breastfeeding their children for less than the World Health Organisation recommendation of 6 months.

Sign Getup's petition for paid parental leave here.

Gnochi all Romana

2009-03-29T12:57:00.001+11:00

Semolina is fast becoming one of my favourite ingredients for egg free cooking, and here's yet another simple impressive recipe. Gnochi alla Romana is a little different from usual gnochi because it is baked, not boiled. And it's about a hundred times easier to make!

Ingredients

1 L water
2 Tbs butter
2 1/2 cups coarse semolina
1-2 teaspoon himalayan rock salt

Method

Bring the water to boil with salt and butter in a large saucepan. Pour in the semolina slowly, whisking vigorously to avoid lumps. Keep stirring till the mixture thickens and take off the heat. Spread the mixture onto an oiled work surface about a cm thick (wet hands work well for this) and allow to cool and harden.

When firm use a small round cookie cutter to cut the semolina into rounds. Layer the off cuts on the bottom of a greased baking tray and then arrange the rounds so they overlap eachother. Drizzle with some extra melted butter and nutmeg (and choose your topping from below) and grill for a few minutes till warm an golden.

Topping

Traditionally this is topped with parmesan, butter and nutmeg, but Ayurvedically speaking parmesan is not a food to favour. Try serving with fresh herbs, pesto, ricotta, pureed roast capsicum, pinenuts...any of your favourite pasta toppings.

Sexuality and the dosha

2009-03-22T18:40:00.000+11:00

Sex is a very individual thing, and each person has completely unique thoughts, opinions, emotions and desires regarding sex. Some of this is cultural, but a lot of it can help us to understand the dosha of a person.

Vata is creative, sensual, responsive and wary. They naturally have a low interest in sex, which serves them well physically because it can be quite imbalancing for them. Sex is important to them only as an expression of love, for they love to express themselves.

Vata may take some time to commit in a relationship, but once they do they are very faithful lovers. For this reason they may be considered cold sexually, but when they meet the right person they will be a surprisingly satisfying lover.

Vata really appreciates romance, beauty and art, and their partners would be wise to indulge them here as it will help allay their anxiety and warm their desire. They may not know it but traditional values and routine are very valuable. It can be helpful to plan to have sex ahead of time and enjoy all the courtship and foreplay that precedes.

Vata is most likely to have problems concieving due to stress, dryness, low body weight and disturbed Apana Vata. Travelling and general instability won't help, so Vata's parter can really help by appealing to their romantic side, cooking regular meals (the best thing anyone can do for Vata) and encouraging them to slow down and rest. Worry is their greatest enemy, and their sex drive can be switched off all too easily.

Pitta is fiery, ambitious, attention seeking and passionate. Their competitive nature may impede on their sex life by preventing them from ever feeling satisfied. Pitta people love to think of themselves as fantastic lovers, but a lack of patience and reliability may be frustrating for their partner. They tend to prefer spontaneity and power.

Pitta types may suffer from impotence due to excess heat burning up the reproductive tissues or Pitta's natural flow of movement upwards, instead of downwards (like fire). Pitta may indulge in sex more often than Vata, but go more gently in summer.

In matters of sex Pitta should take care to channel their enormous energy through their heart, rather than their sex organs or brilliant intellect. This will lead to virility, compassion and nobility in sexual relationships.

Kapha is enduring, balanced, determined, nurturing and hard working. Kapha is naturally very sensual, and considered a very good prospect for marriage. Their partners need only watch out for feeling trapped by Kapha, as they become very attached and can be greedy.

Kapha is unlikely to suffer from reproductive issues and will usually bear many children very easily. Enlarged prostate, endometriosis or ovarian cysts may be caused by Kapha, but most commonly, Kapha need only lose a little weight if they have any trouble conceiving.

Kapha can really benefit from excercise, and sex is one kind of excercise Kapha can be more easily persuaded to partake in!

For the best possible sex life you would be wise to know your partners dosha, as this will help you to seduce and stimulate them, meet their needs and understand when things don't go exactly as you hoped.

Special thanks to Maya Tiwari for much of the information in this post.

Women in medicine

2009-03-07T09:20:00.001+11:00

For most of modern medical history female doctors were considered inadequate by the institution. Many were considered quacks and others pretended to be men.

As for the history of women in Ayurveda, I would love to know more. I do know that what we have written today is the work of men. These old texts have been tampered with over the years and some of the references to women are considered to be added later.

As far as I can tell women were particularly import in medicine relating to child bearing. Women were birth attendents and supported mothers throughout. I have also heard that women didn't write their knowledge down like men did, and much was lost or altered over the years of oppression that followed.

Modern medical history is better recorded, of course because it is much more recent. So I've included a little information about some significant women in medicine around the time things began to change.

"Lovisa Årberg (born in Uppasala in 1803, died after 1866), was a Swedish surgeon and doctor. She was the first recognised female doctor in Sweden; she was a doctor and a surgeon already in the 1820s, long before it was formally permitted for women in 1870. The only identified earlier female medical practitioner in Sweden, who may have had such an official recognition, was Kisamor, who didn't have any formal medical training."

"Dr James 'Miranda' Barry was a rather more unusual case. Graduating from the Medical School of Edinburgh in 1812 and forging a hugely successful career as an army surgeon, eventually becoming Inspector General of Hospitals – one of the most senior medical positions in the military, it was discovered upon Barry's death that this notorious dandy and flirt (who once even fought a duel over a woman) was in fact, female, and had lived a sensational deception all her life. The irony was that without taking on the vestiges of masculinity, Barry would never at that time have been accepted for medical training."

"Florence Nightingale was born in Italy on 12th May 1820. Despite opposition from her family she decided to devote her life to nursing and campaigning for better health care and sanitation for all. It was her work during the Crimean War that created the legend of the Lady with the Lamp and it was her experience here that drove her to continue, researching, writing and tirelessly campaigning.
Her greatest achievement was to make nursing a respectable profession for women. Florence's writings on hospital planning and organization had a profound effect in England and across the world, publishing over 200 books, reports and pamphlets."

And finally, today more than 60% of people studying medicine in Scotland are women, who have long led the way for women in medicine. I am so grateful to be living in a time when my skills in medicine are regarded equally as if I were a man.

Sattva and food

2009-03-02T16:14:00.004+11:00

I recently told a story about the three guna's or quality's. Sattva is the desired guna, promoting peace and harmony and satisfaction. Sattva is associated with spiritual aspirations and many ascetics choose to bring more sattva into their lives. One way to do this i through what we eat.

You can easily tell which foods promote sattva because they are fresh, juicy, light, unctuous, nourishing, sweet, and tasty. They give the body energy and nutrients without taking much effort to digest. Foods that are stimulating or exciting (like chili) and foods that are old (like frozen foods or leftovers) are not sattvic.

How you prepare your food can increas or decrease it's sattva. Any food prepared with peace and love with be more sattvic, whilst anything prepared whilst you are angry or stressed will become less sattvic. Organic and seasonal produce gives more sattva and soaking increases sattva in all foods. Foods that are well cooked are more sattvic that foods that are raw or burnt or deep fried.

There are plenty of foods and herbs that promote sattva, including:

almonds
sunflower seeds
ghee
basmati rice
fresh, ripe fruit
jaggary
shatavari
cucumber
pumpkin
cardamom
coconut
honey
mung dahl
himalayan rock salt

There are many food which are naturally high in sattva, but due to our modern processing and storage lose this quality. Milk for example is very sattvic, but only for four hours after milking! After that it is rajasic. Wheat is also sattvic, but becomes tamasic if it is not eaten immediately after being ground into flour-the whole grain, however, improves with age. Day old home made yoghurt is sattvic, but store bought yoghurt is not. Most of this is due to age or processing, and really is nearly impossible to avoid these days unless you live on a farm.

Guna do not correlate with dosha, though many people try to find a link. There are foods that are suitable for each dosha which are high in sattva. And again, sattva is not a black and white matter, some foods, like black pepper are highly stimulating and therefore rajasic, but the effect they have on the body can be sattvic because the cleanse and purfy the lungs. Different foods may be sattvic for different people.

If this all sounds a bit complicated, just go back to the very beginning, and choose foods that are fresh, juicy, light, unctuous, nourishing, sweet, and tasty.

To find out your guna and what areas you could work on you can a little quiz here.

Jaggary

2009-02-22T11:19:00.000+11:00

Jaggary, or gur, is basically boiled sugar cane juice. The longer it is boiled the more water evaporates and the final product is drier and harder. Jaggary is a totally different product to white sugar, even thought they are both made from sugar cane. For example, sugarcane juice is found to have reduced the number of teeth cavities, whilst refined white sugar is known to increase them.

Jaggary is heavy, moist and warm, whilst white sugar is light, dry and cold. Sugarcane jouice is moist and cool just to confuse things! White sugar is recommended as an antidote to make some hot medicines more tolerable for Pitta, but not as a regular food.

Jaggary balances Vata, but is too heavy and sweet for Kapha and too warm for Pitta to enjoy regularly. It is a very important source of nutrients and can be eaten daily by Vata. It is useful in cases like convalesence, pregnancy and post natal care. It has specific action on the lungs and is a very good blood builder. It is high in iron, and can be eaten daily with black sesame seeds for Vata type anemia. Jaggary also has the advantage of being sattvic, unlike white sugar (rajasic) or treacle (tamasic).

Since it naturally contains potassium and sodium jaggary doesn't cause a blood sugar spike like refined sugar does. Jaggary may be tolerated by diabetics a little better than white sugar, but raw honey is still best in this case. This mineral salt content also makes it excellent for rehydration or blood loss.

Jaggary is most typically used in India food for making sweets with sesame, coconut or milk. But Gujarati cuisine is famous for it's unique sweetness, and jaggary is used in dahl and vegetable dishes. A typical Punjabi meal is mustard greens with corn flour flat bread and a chunk of jaggary-delicious and really fun to eat!

If it looks light and dry it probably is, so most 'raw' sugar and 'brown' sugar likely shares more qualities with white sugar than jaggary. Find the most moist and gooey and dark sugar you can. In my experience gooey dark sugar made from coconut, date or palm has similiar qualities to that made from sugarcane, and may be more available.

It isn't as sweet as white sugar, and does affect the outcome of various baked goods, but I love it so much I use it in baking anyway. To use it in cooking you can dissolve it with a dash of warm water and use in place of syrups like honey (which shouldn't be cooked) and golden syrup (which is highly refined). This syrup is also delicious on pancakes. Dryer jaggary can be grated, and then blended to make a powder which can be used in place a regular sugar for a darker, heavier, less sweet result. Jaggary chunks can be easily dissolved in tea or porridge.

First Aid for Travellers

2009-02-15T12:22:00.005+11:00

I am one of those people who gets sick even just at the thought of travel. This is due to Vata, the dosha which reacts badly to change, movement and lack of routine. There are lots of things you can do to minimise these aspects of travel, like eating and sleeping at regular times, travelling more slowly and spending more time in one spot.

You can also take a few herbs and essential oils to assist you in the case of minor illnesses. What you choose depend on what illnesses you personally tend towards and the illnessess associated with the place in which you are travelling. Here are my favourites:

Nutmeg (as freshly grated as possible)
triphla
lavender oil
ginger powder
fennel seeds
1 part rock salt mixed with 8 parts grated jaggary sugar

I buy a whole bunch of little snap lock plastic bags for storage. Now here's what you can use this first aid for:

Constipation is so common when travelling due to Vata aggravation and extravagant feasting. If you are prone to constipation you could almost take triphla every day whilst travelling for a month as a general digestive aid. 1/2 -1 teaspoon in warm water before bed.

Diarrhea is especially common is less developed countries. If it is a simple case of food poisining let it run it's course. If after three days you still have diarrhea take 1-2 tspns of nutmeg in warm water before eating something soupy and go and see a doctor. See also dehydration.

Burns and bites are best treated topically with lavender oil. Take pitta reducing foods.

Travel sickness responds well to ginger. Take half a teaspoon of ginger powder in hot water before travelling. Take some more along the way for long trips. Feeling hungry or too full exacerbates travel sickness.

Dehydration often results from sun, wind, exercise, diarrhea or if water supply is not reliable. Dissolve three teaspoons of the salt/sugar mix with 2 tspns of lime juice in half a litre of hot water. Sip constantly. You can use less lime in case of high Pitta. Water that rice has been cooked in or green coconut water both make effective electrolyte drinks for rehydration too, and may better for pitta.

Headaches can be treated topically by smearing a paste of ginger powder and water on the forehead and resting in a cool dark room. Try some lavender oil on the temples. See also dehydration.

Indigestion from over eating, unusual food or bad food combining can be helped by drinking hot water with a pinch of ginger, chewing fennel seeds after meals or in stronger cases taking triphla (as for constipation).

Insomnia is common due to jetlag or lack of routine. It can be helped by taking 1/2 a teaspoon of nutmeg in hot milk before bed (not to be used in case of constipation). Try to regulate your sleeping patterns and try some deep breathing or pose of the child daily. Lavender oil is a calming scent.

Above all get adequate rest whilst you are travelling. Avoid over eating and try to keep some simple routine in you day to day life. Enjoy!

Hazelnut Shortbread

2009-02-08T14:27:00.003+11:00

A delicious, simple, rich biscuit. Perfect for Vata, alright for Pitta, and as usual no good for Kapha. To prepare the hazelnuts dry roast them in a pan stirring constantly. When a little golden let cool then rub gently in a clean tea towel to remove the brown skins. Grind to a fine powder in a blender. To prepare the jaggary grate it, or it's a bit quicker to shave it with a knife then blend it briefly to remove any lumps.

250 g butter
1/4 cup jaggary (grated)
3/4 cup roasted ground hazelnuts
1 2/3 cup atta flour

Leave the butter out to come to room temperature. Cream the butter with the jaggary (this helps dissolve the jaggary too). Mix in the ground hazelnuts and flour well.

You can now make it look pretty by piping it into small patty pans like soft serve, or if you can't be bothered, just spoon it in. They should be very small biscuits because they are so rich. Bake for 10-15 mins at 180'.

You can use blanched almonds instead of hazelnuts and regular sugar instead of jaggary for a bit more balance for Pitta.

Earache

2009-02-01T11:26:00.004+11:00

The ears are an empty cavity, with tiny hairs which vibrate to pick up sound. This air and movement show that the ears are a vata dominated part of the body. They are, however, prone to imbalance of any dosha, and surprisingly Kapha earaches are the most common. This is why children have earaches a lot, but tend to grow out of it. This is also why it is common to get an earache after swimming, when the ear becomes full of water (Kapha).

Earaches can be viral, fungal or bacterial. If an earache is cause by a cold and congestion it is most likely to be Kapha. Hot, red, swollen, itchy ear ache tends to be Pitta, and Vata ear ache is caused by exposure to wind or cold. More often than not more than one dosha is involved.

General treatment of earaches includes alterative herbs, which are blood purifying, taken internally, or administered through the ear or nose. Mint tea (infused not boiled) is excellent internally, whilst a few drops of ginger juice, or garlic infused sesame oil are best for application directly into the ears. Neti can work effectively as it actually creates a vaccuum which helps to draw out any toxins from the greater sinus cavity, not just the nose. With neti be especially careful not to blow your nose afterwards because if you block your nose and blow the water will be pushed deeper into the sinuses-aggravating the problem. Especially as we grow older daily oiling of the ears is very useful.

If you find loud noises very disturbing this indicates a low white blood cell count, commonly caused by anemia, dehydation or low blood pressure (usually Vata and Pitta).

How to be a cool cat...

2009-01-26T14:21:00.006+11:00

Ayurveda, as a science of health, encompasses more than just the physical, material aspects of health. Rejuvination, one of the categories in Ayurveda for which modern science offers no equivilant, includes food, herbal and physical therapies. It also offers a more ethereal, spiritual sort of rejuvination that comes from qualities like good thoughts, good speech and a moderate, quiet mind.

The yogi's well know that one of the most important factors for longevity is keeping a cool body temperature. This coolness is most important in the head, which is why Ayurveda always protects the head during hot treatments such as baths and saunas. This cool headedness also relates to our attitude to life. Firey, passionate thoughts are considered hot, and therefore burn up ojas- the essential glue that holds our spirit in our body. Compassion, respect and devotion are all mental qualities we can cultivate in order to live a healthier, and therefore longer life.

In our daily routine we usually allow time for external cleaning, like brushing our teeth and having a shower, and most of us allow for cleaning the channels of waste like going to the toilet or clearing our sinuses. Less of us give time for cleansing our minds of mental toxins, which is considered very important in Ayurveda. To cleanse you mind you can put aside some time every day, preferably early in the morning after cleaning the physical body and it's channels, for prayer, meditation or mantra chanting to gently and subtly rejuvinate your mind and cleanse it of ama.

This mental cleansing benefits your ojas and lifespan, and also gives a more peaceful, tolerant, detached view of life. Try it out, in whichever way works for you. I meditate for an hour every morning, but a friend of mine does 15 minutes of mantra chanting. Or you could simply take some time to give thanks for all the good things in your life, or even pray for a cool head!

Mental Constitution Chart

2009-01-18T12:54:00.007+11:00

I'm kind of doing this in backwards order, since I haven't really explained the three guna yet, but I want to share a "Mental Constitution Chart" written by Dr David Frawley (slightly shortened from his book Ayurveda and the Mind). I really like this chart because it doesn't just lock you into a box, it invites you to make changes in you life. It also gives a good idea of what each guna involves, so I guess, in a way, I am explaining them!

DIET a) Vegetarian b) Some meat c)Lots of meat
DRUGS, ALCOHOL a) Never b) Occasionally c) Frequently
NEED FOR SLEEP a) Low b) Moderate c) High
SEXUAL ACTIVITY a) Low b) Moderate c) High
SPEECH a) Calm and peaceful b) Agitated c) Dull
CLEANLINESS a) High b) Moderate c) Low
WORK a) Selfless b) Personal goals c) Lazy
ANGER a) Rarely b) Sometimes c) Frequently
FEAR a) Rarely b) Sometimes c) Frequently
DESIRE a) Little b) Some c) A lot
PRIDE a) Modest b) Some ego c) Vain
DEPRESSIONa) Never b) Sometimes c) Frequently
LOVE a) Universal b) Personal c) Lacking
VIOLENCE a) Never b) Sometimes c) Frequently
CONTENTMENT a) Always b) Sometimes c) Never
FORGIVENESS a) Easily b) With effort c) Holds grudges
CONCENTRATION a) Good b) Moderate c) Poor
MEMORY a) Good b) Moderate c) Poor
WILL POWER a) Strong b) Variable c) Weak
CREATIVITY a) High b) Moderate c) Low
SPIRITUAL STUDY a) Daily b) Occasionally c) Never
MANTRA. PRAYER a) Daily b) Occasionally c) Never
MEDITATION a) Daily b) Occasionally c) Never
SERVICE a) Daily b) Occasionally c) Never

TOTAL

a) SATTVA:
b) RAJA:
c) TAMAS:

No cheating, only enlightened beings are pure sattva, the rest of us will have to settle for Rajas moving towards Sattva, which is far preferable to tamas. If you want to build sattva, look at the a) list and see what can be improved in your day to day life. At it's essence Sattva is a peaceful mind, so don't develop rajas in the mind in you ambition to be a clean freak or super creative. Just do works for you.

Diet for pregnancy

2009-01-12T11:14:00.004+11:00

Pregnancy is such a special and important time in a woman's life. Ayurveda offers so much detailed advice on how to support your gowing baby, as well as stay strong mentally and physically yourself. Here is just a very brief overview.

Diet is, of course, of upmost importance during pregnancy. If you know a pregnant woman cook for her! She deserves to be treated like a queen at this stage. Pregnant women will need plenty of moisture; like soups, stews and teas. Iron rich foods and good quality organic fats (read: ghee) are vital. Meals should be small and regular, maybe six times a day. Vata can be kept in check with minimal travelling, high fluid intake and a good routine.

Cravings in pregnant woman are the desires of their baby. Unless they are detrimental to the health of the mother these cravings should be satisfied, so that the baby is happy!

Here are a few of the lesser known things women should avoid whilst pregnant:

Honey (use iron rich jaggary instead)
Asafoetida
Nutmeg
Fenugreek ( but excellent for lactation post partum)
Vata aggravating foods (dry, cold, raw)

Your baby will also feed of your mental disposition whilst you are pregnant, so if you want a peaceful baby meditate and spend plenty of time in beautiful, natural places like walking by the river or sitting on the grass.

A story-sattva, tamas and rajas

2009-01-04T15:21:00.005+11:00

I haven't really written about sattva, tamas and rajas, which are integral concepts to Ayurveda. They are mental qualities, which are acquired by the ego, personality, attachment, desire, imagination etc. Whilst the soul is immortal, the personality displays these different qualities, called guna. All three qualities are needed for life, but on the spiritual path we should develop sattva.

In England Babaji gave a talk explaining sattva, rajas and tamas very simply by relating the guna of characters in the Mahabhrata.

Tamas

"Those who are selfish, wicked, enjoy harming people, prone to greed, anger, jealousy, robbing others, full of false-pride are described as tamasic ... the wicked character Duryodhana would fit into this description - always acting on his own selfish imaginations, supported by his father the king."

Rajas

"The second type of ego, rajasic, is mainly concerned with personal glory, even though it might be in a noble way. Again in the epic, the characters of Bhishma who was noble and valiant, and Drona who taught all the princes the science of archery, could be described as rajasic. Even though they had many noble qualities, when it came to the famous scene when Princess Draupadi was threatened with public disrobing, they didn't protect her. They used excuses such as " I must always support the king", and comments like this. But they didn't simply do the right thing and stand up for a woman's honour in this situation, because they were more interested in their personal glory.

"...They knew what was right and what was wrong, but they didn't try to simply protect her when she was in trouble like this. Draupadi asked for Bhishma's help - he was respected by all in the court. Though he knew that this was wrong ... he didn't protect her, saying, "Without the king's order, I cannot protect you." This is rajas - acting for personal glory."

Sattva

"This is how Lord Krishna worked - not for personal glory, but for the larger cause. Just like when the war in the story of the Mahabharata was going to start, Krishna announced that each side could have either Him, or His army - whichever they chose. But if they chose Him, He would not actively fight for that side. Arjuna was noble and devoted to Krishna, so he asked Krishna to be on his side and steer his chariot - even if He didn't fight. Hearing this the wicked Duryodhana said, 'Arjuna is an idiot. Now I have Krishna's whole army fighting on my side, while he has chosen to have only Krishna on his side - and Krishna will not be fighting for him at all.'

"Krishna's satvic nature meant He was concerned with the larger cause. Thus at one point in the battle, He picked a wheel to use as a weapon to kill Duryodhana, simply for the sake of dharma (Righteousness). Seeing Krishna doing this, Arjuna told him, 'You said you wouldn't fight in this battle.' But Krishna replied, ' It is no problem. If I do this and kill Duryodhana, only my personal name and reputation will be damaged, but all the people of the kingdom will be benefited.' That is how a satvic ego behaves - for the larger cause.

Visit Babaji's website for more of his teachings.I'll write some more about the three gunas and how to develop sattva a little later.

Ideal weight or average weight?

2008-12-28T11:06:00.000+11:00

I hope you all had a really wonderful and peaceful Christmas and that none of you are worrying about the extra kilo's that may have appeared as a result!

I've been reading a little about the 'obesity epidemic'
. This is based on the inherently flawed Body Mass Index (BMI). I became interested in the BMI when my mother got onto one of those Wii computer games and was told she was overweight. I was so surprised, because she is the healthiest 50-something I know. She eats well and walks plenty and she certainly doesn't look overweight. The BMI also put my seven year old second-cousin in the overweight range, which I also thought was outrageous because he's seven! He still has all his puppy fat!

So I began looking into what the BMI actually means. It's based on a statistical tool invented by a Belgian mathmetician in the 1800's. The tool was never intended to be an indication of health.

Furthermore, in 1998 the US government adopted the World Health Organisation's BMI figures, which are actually based on world wide average weights, not ideal weights for optimum health or longevity. The world averages include significant numbers of malnourished people in Africa and Asia, who are in no way representative of the ideal weight we should all be striving for.

So, before you start that post Christmas crash diet-don't! Chances are that you are perfect the way you are. On the other hand, if you want to start eating more vegetables and wholegrains for health and vitality-by all means do it.

Let sleeping dogs die?

2008-12-22T15:07:00.005+11:00

A couple of years ago, whilst sleeping in India, at 5am there was a knock at the door. My husband answered it and there was a young Swedish man there. He explained he had found a dog who had been hit by a car and was in a very bad way, and he wanted my husband's help to put him out of his misery.

My husband did help, but after that night we decided emphatically that we didn't believe in putting animals down. Suffering is part of life, a big part, and a part we can learn from if we only take the time to go through it. I'm not really sure how much conciousness animals have of these things, but who am I to take that opportunity for growth and spiritual development away from anything or anyone?

But, as always, when I decide to believe in something emphatically, the universe throws up a situation which reminds me I'm really not sure of anything after all.

Last week, after months of agonising over the decision, we put our old family dog down. She was 18 yrs old, and had been blind and arthritic for nearly two years. We put it off for a long time, because we wanted to make sure we didn't just put her down for our own convenience, we wanted her to actually be ready. But it went on for years and she just wouldn't let go. She could barely walk by the end of it, and the final straw was a bed sore that couldn't heal due to lack of circulation. She stopped drinking and I was faced with the decision all over again.

We decided to have her killed.

Many of my friends have been saying it's not killing, it's euthanasia, but euthanasia requires consent and how on earth can we have the consent of a creature who doesn't speak? It is killing, and I'm not really sure I did make the right decision.

So I prayed that I made the right decision, and I prayed for her soul, and I prayed for some opportunity to repay my karmic debt to the animal kingdom.

Then yesterday I went to the river for a swim and found literally 70 or 80 fish beached on the sand and the rocks. They were still flapping and gasping for air. I didn't really know what to do, most of them looked long gone, and they are a kind of fish with poison in their scales so you can't touch them.

But one was just on the edge of the water and the waves were lapping up against him. My husband took of his shoe and pushed him into the water. For a moment it looked pretty sad, but once the fish caught his breath he swam off. So I took off my shoe too and we started flicking all the fish back into the water. It took us about half an hour and only about two thirds of them survived. A few more were stuck in between crevices in the rocks so we had to leave them.

I have no idea how they got there. Maybe a fisherman caught them and left them because they aren't eating fish, but I can't imagine how you could catch that many fish. My other thought is that the whole school became disorientated and somehow beached themselves, but I don't know enough about fish to know if this actually happens.

Either way I am grateful for the opportunity to offer life to some little animals. And I am sorry for the lives I have taken, whether or not it was the right thing to do.

Simplicity

2008-12-14T18:17:00.004+11:00

Of course things are always a bit hectic at this time of year. I'm struggling to get to my blog for the first time. I am very happy to be home, spending lots of time with my family and friends, and at the beach and the river. It's such a beautiful part of the world. I feel very blessed to have been born here.

I thought I would take a moment to pay homage to the simple things. Last week someone made the best comment I have ever recieved on my blog. They wrote that after years of constipation the simple Ayurvedic recommendation to drink warm water first thing in the morning has changed their life. The constipation is gone.

Another example of the simple but powerful nature of Ayurveda is a friend who has hiccoughs every day. He has attacks that last hours and finds it very upsetting. I advised him to add a pinch of asafoetida to every meal and for a week now he hasn't even hiccoughed once!

I shouldn't really be surprised by these events anymore, but even after experiencing the power of Ayurveda time and time again I am surprised all over again every time.

I just feel so blessed to have access to this knowledge, and so priviledged to be able to share it with other people. So in the silly season, take a second out for the simple things. They really are the best! And, in keeping with the season, give thanks for what we have.

What should we be teaching in schools?

2008-12-08T09:53:00.000+11:00

I've been watching Jamie Oliver's new show about teaching people how to cook. He's found a whole town called Rotheram (but don't fool yourself, it's not the only one of it's kind) who can't cook. My main criticism of his approach is that he's teaching people who live on welfare payments to cook salmon. I think he could have started with some simpler, cheaper, more accessable recipes. But he's still doing a great thing.

Meanwhile I've been reading my sister's thesis on environmental education, and how in Australian curriculum there is no room to learn about the environment. Her research shows the value of teaching children to be stewards of their environment and how naturally they want to help their environment, at least until adults intervene.

It becomes apparant that we aren't learning how to live any more. We graduate from school being able to read and write and do maths, but we don't learn how to brake bread or recycle or shop frugally or grow carrots or get stains out of the carpet. We are taught how to make money, but we aren't taught any living skills at school.

The best thing I learned at school was actually Physics. Whilst almost failing for years, I really loved learning about the world I live in and how it all interacts. If I had my time again I would study human biology too. Those subjects aside, the things I do everyday were learnt from my parents, and I've totally forgotten how to do long division!

Spiced Pumpkin Muffins

2008-12-01T08:43:00.000+11:00

As usual, Sunday is baking day. We go to a meditation group every Sunday evening, and everyone brings some food to be blessed and shared. Today I made a Deepak Chopra recipe from The Chopra Centre Cookbook, with some alterations. He uses low fat vanilla flavoured soy milk, and canola oil, neither of which are particularly well regarded in Ayurveda, so a few substitutions later and here it is...not too sweet, and pretty healthy, a good breakfast muffin.

Ingredients

One overflowing cup finely chopped pumpkin

Dry:

2 cups atta flour
1/2 cup grated jaggary (or dark brown sugar)
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp nutmeg
2 tsp baking powder
3/4 cup chopped walnuts
1/4 cup chopped dates

Wet:

1 cup unhomogonised milk
2 Tbs ghee
1/4 cup maple syrup

Method

Preheat your oven to 180' and grease a muffin tin.

Put the pumpkin into a pan with a tight fitting lid, and cover the bottom of the pan with water (just a tablespoon or two). Cook the pumpkin with the lid on till it's soft and the water has evaporated, but you may need to add a dash more if it starts sticking before it's cooked. Mash it with a fork. You should get about 3/4 cup of pumpkin mash.

Mix the pumpkin mash with all the wet ingredients while it's still hot. This will help combine everything.

Mix the dry ingredients well in a separate bowl, then mix the wet and dry together as briefly as possible. Put into muffin tins and bake for twenty to twenty five minutes. best served hot, and they won't keep very well.

Physical health and the personality

2008-11-24T08:15:00.000+11:00

Dr Robert Svoboda (whom I highly recommend) points out that people with multiple personalities can be allergic to something if they eat it when one personality is present, and not when another personality is present. This effect of the personality extends to the physical realm in such things as being right or left handed, wether the eyes squint and even the curvature of the lens.

Ther are many cases reported where if one personality is drunk, when another personality enters the body they are instantly and totally sober. Different personalities react differently to drugs and medication, and, in the case of women, can even menstruate many times in a month depending on which personality is present.

So what's this got to do with anything? It simply demonstrates the physical effect of the things that are not physical.

Unfortunately since we are not fully conscious of these things we can't fully control them. But being aware that your personality (however many of them there are!) has such a big impact on your physical body can be very useful in Ayurveda. Fear, for example, causes diarrhea, and even fear of diarrhea can cause diarrhea itself. So if we can detach ourselves a little from our fear perhaps we can become a little healthier and stronger.

I believe meditation is the key to becoming more aware of the personality and ego, our attachments, desires, karma and our emotions. Emotions are, afterall, just chemical reactions in the brain. And the brain wave patterns are triggered (as demonstrated by people with multiple personalities) by our personalities. A little awareness of this human condition of being controlled by our personality can actually improve our health.

I'm not suggesting we can all cure ourselves, because that would imply that it's your fault if you are sick, but it certainly won't do any harm to practice a little detachment.

Just what I've been thinking about. I'd love to hear your thoughts on the matter.

Nullarbor

2008-11-17T11:48:00.001+11:00

I'm safely and happily settled back home now. The Nullarbor was a great experience, made much more fun for my travelling companions, my husband, my sister and my brother-in-law. It was crazy weather, we had a dust storm and a hail storm and intense heat. But what struck me most was how isolated many Australians are. There was one roadhouse that exists in it's own time zone, which I suspect is central standard time without daylight savings. He lives a days drive from the nearest shop. And the most incredible thing is that there are much more isolated places in Northern WA and central Australia.

We were driving a massive van, with plenty of room in the back for playing...

But not enough for our dancing, so, whilst we stopped to fill up the water supplies...

But mostly we were just driving, on very long, very straight, very flat road...

I've started my new job managing community development projects, which is going very well. Just thought I'd remind you that I'll only be posting once a week on Mondays for now.

Kichadee Fast

2008-11-10T18:51:00.002+11:00

If you feel like doing an internal spring clean I thought I'd type up my own variation of a fast, which is really more like a mono-diet, cause I'm not of the weight and strength to withstand anything stronger. Whilst this is a very mild fast, make sure your blood pressure is stable, and only fast at a time when you can allow yourself to rest. Fasting should include some level of withdrawal from all wordly things, not just food, so take a break from a busy schedule too.

Kicharee (also spelled kichadi and kidgedee and... in true Indian fashion) forms the backbone of an Ayurvedic diet. I don't know of an illness that can not benefit from kichadee. Basically it's mung dahl and basmati cooked together with various seasonings. Choose seasonings to balance you dosha.

I haven't included a standard recipe for kicharee, because if you aren't familiar with Ayurvedic cooking you might find this fast difficult! If you don't know how to make kicharee, look up some recipes and get to know how to make it and how you like it before trying this out.

It begins with a watery mung dahl soup, and becomes more solid as the week progresses. Each day is the same as the last with something added or taken away. You can aid your body with cleansing by taking triphla as appropriate.

You can eat as much as you feel like, but as always, over or under eating is discouraged, your stomach should be about a third full. Small regular meals are generally advised, especially for Vata. If you need to eat alot you might need to cook a second (or even third) batch to get you through the day. If you go out take your food with you in a thermos.

To help you stay well hydrated, you can also drink:

Warm water
Rice tea (cook rice in plenty of water and drink the warm liquid only)
A little hot water with lemon, jaggary and himalayan rock salt (not for pitta)

Even for a time after you break your fast, especially avoid:

coffee, alcohol, cigarettes etc
refined sugar, refined wheat
processed foods
cold food

Day One
Eat normally, but lightly. Eat Kichadee for dinner around six and have an early night.

Day Two
Cook one cup of hulled mung dahl with eight cups of water and a teaspoon of Himalayan rock salt. When the dahl is completely disintegrated add some cumin powder, tumeric powder and coriander leaves. Add some more water if it is not soupy. Eat as frequently as you need.

Day Three
Same again, but fry the cumin in a little ghee before adding, and use a little less water.

Day Four
Use a little less water again, add a little more ghee and you can add some more spices if you like as appropriate for your dosha.

Day Five
Add 1/2 cup of white basmati rice to your dahl and cook together. You can add more rice if you need more sustenence, or less rice if you are getting a little constipated.

Day Six
Break your fast at lunchtime with a little butternut pumpkin, zucchini and one chappati. Eat your day five meal again for dinner and then slowly introduce your normal diet over the next few days.

If you want a longer fast you can sustain day four or five for a few days and then continue chronologically. I hope this isn't too vague, it's written for people with some knowledge and experience of Ayurveda and Ayurvedic cooking, rather than a total beginner. Let me know if you have any questions.

Shatavari: "she who posesses 100 husbands"

2008-11-03T11:40:00.000+11:00

I recently had a question about Shatavari and it's effect on the liver. To be honest, I don't know much of it's uses for the liver, but as you can imagine from the meaning of it's name (above) it's pretty good for the ladies!

Being sweet and bitter it has a cooling effect, making it more beneficial for Vata and Pitta, and less for Kapha. Given it's cooling nature I imagine shatavari might benefit hot liver conditions including hyperacidity and jaundice.

But Shatavari's most prized use is as a rejuvinative for the female reproductive system. It is a tonic and demulcent, meaning it is soothing, lubricating and nourishing. Shatavari actually regulates female hormones, so it is beneficial for women at all stages of life including puberty and menopause, and can regulate difficult menstrual cycles. It promotes fertility and eases PMS for Vata and Pitta.

Other conditions treated by shatavari include laryngitis, underweight, AIDS and fevers that have caused dehydration. It also promotes hair growth, and can be used externally for stiff joints. It is sattvic and cleanses the blood, it is perfectly safe for children and reduces inflammation.

Shatavari is not not recommended in cases of high ama or mucous.

ROAD TRIP!!!!!!!

2008-10-27T14:54:00.001+11:00

Super excited today cause I'm driving across the Nullarbor, the longest straight road in the world. Nullarbor means no trees, which is silly, cause there are definitely trees. My husband, his brother and my sister and I are all driving together in a big deluxe campervan. Can't wait. It's a long drive so we just bought six new CD's (there was a sale!) to keep us occupied.

We'll arrive in Fremantle on Friday or Saturday depending on if we see anything exciting on the way or not. Wish us luck!

I'm pretty scared of driving to be honest, so I pray for a safe and happy journey for us all, and most importantly peace of mind. I don't want to be a stress head.

What's milk?

2008-10-20T08:54:00.001+11:00

Not so long ago dairies were fined for "watering"their milk . These days milk is so modified that it is almost transparent, and we are brainwashed into paying MORE for it. These milks are often reconstituted from powder, with vitamins or proteins or the latest fad added.

I'm sure you've all read about the scare in china where milk was contaminated with melamine in order to make it's protein content appear higher. Which brings me to nutrition panels. I always read ingredients, never nutrition panels. If there is an ingredient listed that I don't recognise, there's a safe bet it's not really food and I won't buy it. I really worry about our modern approach to nutrition were a food is simply to sum of it's parts (ie proteins, carbohydrates, fat, fibre). I prefer to think that food, as it naturally occurs, is perfect and full of prana, in a way that cannot be replicated in a lab.

Personally I always buy full fat milk, with nothing added. It is unhomogonised, biodynamic and organic, but costs the same as brand name low fat milk. Low fat and skim milk have synthetic vitamin A and D added because the naturally occurring vitamins are removed with the fat, but Ayurveda teaches that synthetic vitamins are not as easily absorbed by the body and lack the ability to give life in the way that natural, real, whole food does.

If you are worried about fat, you can still buy full fat milk, and just mix it half and half with water. Or better still, buy your milk unhomogonised and you'll be able to skim the fat off the top yourself and feed it to the vata person in your family.

More on milk here.

Abhyanga

2008-10-13T09:28:00.003+11:00

In Sanskrit the word for oil also means love. That's how important oil massage is.

In an ideal world I would practice abhyanga daily, self massage of a very oily variety. But the truth is it happens once a week, or less in winter. Partly because of the mess it makes, and mostly because of the cold. Maybe when I move to Freo (in just a few weeks!) I will be warm enough to do it more often. Not sure what to do about the mess, except to remember it really is worth it.

Abhayanga moves quickly up my list of priorities when my body is under pressure, for example when I have a rash or my weight is low. It is especially important in times of great change, when pregnant and breastfeeding, in old age and when emotional or stressed.

Choose an oil that works for you. There are many specially formulated oils on the market with herbs and oil blends appropriate for specific conditions. I just use sesame oil because it is the simplest, unless I have a rash, in which case my doctor gives me a disgusting brown sludge with neem in it, which works a treat.

Sesame oil is warm and lubricating and has the rare quality of penetrating all seven tissues. In cases of high Pitta (acne, rash, redness, itching, burning) coconut oil is better, because it is cooling. For oily skin, blocked pores, white or black heads you may prefer to use mustard oil, or simply dry brush your skin instead. Massage is excellent for Kapha because it is stimulating, or you could try exfoliating your whole body with a paste of besan flour and water. Choose organic oil if you can afford it.

Curing the oil helps it to penetrate deeper and also makes it wash off easier (from you, your clothes and your towels!) To cure your oil pour it into a heavy based saucepan over a medium heat. Sprinkle a few drops of water on top of the oil and when the water evaporates the oil is ready. Let it cool and then pour into an appropriate container. Cure about a months worth at a time, use cured oil within six months.

Some like to store their oil in plastic shampoo bottle. This has the advantage of being easy to warm up before use by placing whole bottle (with the lid tightly closed) in hot water for a few minutes. It also makes for convenient for application by choosing a squeezy bottle with top that limits the flow. Others prefer to store oil in dark coloured glass or stainless steel because plastic can leech into the oil and affect the quality. Whatever you choose make sure it is stored in a cool dark place away from direct sunlight.

Now for the messy bit. It is, of course, best to do oil massage daily. But I completely understand if modern life gets the better of you! It's best done in the morning, and must be on an empty stomach. You will actually 'digest' some of the oil so it is important that you don't overload your digestive system.

First warm up some oil, it depends on how much skin you have and how oily you like it, but about half a cup should be plenty. If you use a plastic bottle to store your oil place it hot water for a few minutes. Alternatively pour the oil into a small bowl and place the bowl in a shallow saucepan of water and heat it up like a double boiler. However you warm your oil it should be just warmer than you are, so don't let it get too hot and keep testing it with your finger until it is warm to touch.

You'll need to have a few old towels and cothes handy that you don't mind ruining. Buy a few from the opshop and chuck them out when they are ruined. Sit on an old towel on the floor and make sure the air is warm to your skin. Take off all your clothes.

There are many different methods for applying the oil. But I believe that the oil itself is the important bit, rather than the massage, so just slather it on. As a general rule start with your scalp, and end with your feet. Use your palms (not your fingers) to work in clockwise circular motions and strokes towards the heart. You don't need to apply to much pressure, but just make sure you cover every centremetre of your body with oil.

How long to leave the oil on varies depending on who you ask. Anywhere from ten minutes to an hour. Your skin will have absorbed as much as it can by then so any oil left on your skin may block pores or attract dirt. I tend to leave oil on for about half an hour. You can put on a baggy old tshirt and socks and do the dishes or prepare breakfast for after your shower. Or you can take this time to do some yoga (in the nude if your game!). Or you can just lie out on a towel and enjoy soaking in the love.

To wash it off I stand in the shower and rub mung flour over my body and then have a warm (not hot) shower or, better still, a bath with epsom salts (after washing off the mung dahl in the shower!). It's OK to leave a thin film of oil on your skin. Don't use a harsh soap or very hot water or you will dry out your skin. You can give the mung flour a miss and just give your skin a good rub with a flannel if you prefer-just remember, anything that touches the oil will be ruined!

If you've oiled your scalp (which is very beneficial, but again, I understand if you don't) it may take a couple of washes to get the oil out.

Finally dry yourself off with another daggy old towel and your done.

You may like pour a bit of vinegar and bicarb down your drains every now and then to prevent sticky residue. And please don't be a dufus and burn yourself or start a fire whilst curing or warming your oil!

Coconut Slice

2008-10-09T18:33:00.005+11:00

Dear oh dear, I have been slack. I think I have to be honest and say my posting frequency is dropping to once a week. So here it is, my (late) weekly installment. In the future I'll try and post on Monday's, just for regularity.

This is such a simple recipe which I love making on Sunday's to take to work. Coconut and jaggary is simply one of my favourite combinations. It can easily be adapted by adding a handful of crushed nuts or a dash of vanilla essence.

I'm no good at photo's, which is a shame cause this recipe looks rather nice.

Mix 1 cup of atta (or wholemeal) flour with a pinch of salt and sugar and half a cup of melted ghee. Press into the bottom of a baking tray and bake for twenty minutes at 170'C.

Meanwhile grate one cup of jaggary and mix with one cup of coconut milk till dissolved. Stir in 3 cups of dessicated coconut. Pour over pastry base and bake for a further hour at 150'C.

Let it cool completely before cutting in the tray and removing piece by piece.

The daily grind

2008-10-01T10:19:00.000+10:00

I've been working full time lately which is why I haven't been online so much. It's a strange world, working fulltime. I'm not sure it really suits me, but I'm adjusting rather well, and it's good to see how the other half live. And I certainly could do with the cash!

Spending so many years at home (either because of sickness or working from home) means lunch has become our main meal of the day. I don't feel satisfied if I just have a sandwich or something cold or leftovers. I need a round, fresh meal to get me through my working day.Of course this takes a bit of effort.

Our favourite lunches use only one pot to cook. For example we cook rice and vegetables together with ghee and spices, then mix in almonds or ricotta at the end. Vegetables in coconut milk is another favourite, which we eat with bean thread noodles, which just require a soak in boiling water. Or soup, whatever vegies we have in the house boiled with spices and pureed.

I'm keeping up strong routines, I wake up at 6am every day, wash and dress and meditate for an hour from 6.30 to 7.30. Then it's time to cook breakfast and lunch. I always have porridge with milk and black sesame for breakfast, but we have something different for lunch each day, with my husband and I taking turns to cook. A relaxed breakfast to catch up and express our thanks and wishes from 8 till 8.30, and then I walk to work to start at 9am.

It requires some effort at the other end of the day. Every night I soak oats and wash and chop vegetables for the next days lunch. On Sundays we do some of our weekly sadhana's, like grinding seeds, roasting almonds, baking biscuits or making ghee.

This routine keeps me sane and healthy and grounded in a more hectic schedule. Rather than feeling tied down, I feel like these habits mean I get a lot done without really having to think about it.

National Student Leadership Forum

2008-09-27T10:33:00.004+10:00

Well, I can't lie, not even when it would be polite.

The forum was difficult. I faced some quite fierce arguments about God, and I don't like arguing about God. I believe that all religions are the work of one God, which some may not even like to call God, but I can't think of a better word. It is difficult to express my beliefs, particularly in an analytical environment, for it reduces something that to my mind is perfect, to the realm of words, which are imperfect.

So I stumbled and stuttered and feel I utterly misrepresented my God, and have learned a valuable lesson. Babaji has always told us not to share our faith too publicly, and now I know why. For a start, I don't feel I can do my God justice with words, and second, it just seems to cause fights.

And to be even more honest, I didn't expect a leadership forum to be quite so evangelically and fundamentally Christian. In that regard I feel quite mislead myself, as none of the advertising of the forum suggested this would be such a singularly religious forum.

But I did learn from some inspiring speakers, uncle Bob Randall, Kevin Rudd and David Busseau to be specific. And came across a wonderful quote:

"A leader is a dealer in hope."
Napoleon Bonaparte.

I want...

2008-09-25T15:09:00.000+10:00

The truth is we all want something, anything, or we wouldn't be here. It is our desire that separates us from the Divine. But there's no use trying to pretend we don't want things, cause no one, certainly not God, believes us. Like at an Alcoholic's Anonymous meeting we must raise our hand and say "I want..." For it is better the devil you know.

Once we acknowledge our wants we can harness that energy for the forces of good. I asked a friend once what she wanted to eat, she said "oh anything, I'm not fussy." Whilst it is generally considered good not to be fussy, it is a dangerous game. Maybe it's the fact that we just eat 'anything' that has gotten us into this great, fat, processed, refined, fast food mess. Maybe if we payed a little more attention to what we wanted we might actually eat more broccoli and less hamburgers, because we would know what our body truly and deeply wants rather than just eating what's in front of us or succumbing to our addictions.

So we must practice owning our wants. For if we want nothing we have nothing to sacrifice in the service of others. Want it, and be prepared to give it up anyway. It may be small things at first. Whilst it may feel strange if we aren't used to it, contrary to popular belief it is not selfish. For if each of us were a little happier we'd pull up the whole world with us. It is our service to the world to be happy!

Learning

2008-09-22T09:33:00.000+10:00

Thought of the day...

There is no end to learning Ayurveda. You should carefully and constantly devote yourself to it's study. Increase your skill by learning from others without jealousy. The wise regard the whole world as their teacher, while the ignorant consider it to be their enemy.

Charaka.

Just an update

2008-09-17T08:58:00.001+10:00

My husband and I are going to the National Student Leadership Forum at Parliament House tomorrow! We were nominated and sponsored for the work we have done with young people at risk of homelessness, Aboriginal women and for my husbands plan to launch a philanthropic community foundation next year.

I don't yet know exactly what the forum will involve, but I am very excited to be around some inspirational people, and maybe even meet the Prime Minister!

Life is changing very rapidly. I'm now working full time, for the first time since contracting Hep A more than two years ago. I'm moving home to Fremantle in a couple of months to smell the ocean and feel the sun on my bare skin. I'm starting a Bachelor of Health Science next year so I can become a qualified Ayruvedic Consultant.

Majja Dhatu-nerves and bone marrow

2008-09-14T18:18:00.000+10:00

I had a question a long time ago about bones, and I already wrote about joints, Asthi Dhatu, now it's finally time to write about Majja Dhatu, the bone marrow and nerve tissue.

Majja is oily, and lubricates the body. It fills in hollow spaces in the bones, brain and spinal cord, so as you can imagine by this brief explanation Majja Dhatu is governed by Kapha. Healthy Majja Dhatu gives feelings of contentment and satisfaction, unhealthy Majja Dhatu will cause loneliness and fear of death.

Whilst different tissues correlate to different dosha, they are all somewhat Kapha, due to their substance. Whilst Majja is particularly Kapha, any dosha can enter any dhatu, and excess Kapha in Majja can cause blockages, whilst Pitta and Vata can cause deficiency.

Vata in Majja cause nervous disorders such as headaches and insomnia. Pitta in Majja may lead to sicatica or inflammation. Although Majja is Kapha in nature, excess of Kapha can still lead to problems, such as melancholy, stagnation and depression.

Majja is the second last dhatu, being nourished by Asthi. The nutrients are refined further and payed them forward to Shukra Dhatu (reproductive tissues), the final tissue in the chain.

Nuts-raw or cooked?

2008-09-10T10:45:00.000+10:00

So I really love nuts, in case you haven't noticed. I eat nuts everyday, but only a small handful at a time. I always loved nuts, but only truly came to appreciate this food when I began to roast them.

When I was younger, before I was devoted to Ayurveda I used to experiment with a few different systems of health, including raw food. My conclusion on raw food is that it's certainly no good for Vata, with Kapha and Pita tolerating it better. It can be useful for particular conditions, or for short term detox or weight loss. But it doesn't work for me.

One of the ideas behind eating food raw is that when you cook it you lose a lot of the enzymes. I have since read, in one of my trillions of Ayurvedic books (sorry I forgot which so I can't credit it!), that when the body digests food these enzymes break down in the body anyway. You may as well let a stove do the work instead of your body.

Besides all of this, nuts taste SO good when they are cooked. And if Ayurveda is all about taste, then cook my nuts I will!

So, how to cook them. I always skin my almonds first, but other nuts are fine as is. I like to do a batch at the begginning of the week so I can take them to work for snacks or add them to stirfries or porridge. Don't make too many, the fresher the better.

There are basically two ways, on the stove or in the oven. For the latter preheat your oven to 200' and then spread you nuts out on a tray and leave them in there for just a few minutes. Watch them carefully. The advantage of the oven is they are more evenly roasted, but it can be a waste of electricity to heat up the whole oven for just a handful of nuts, so do a bigger batch, or cook them before or after your using the oven for something else anyway. It isn't a good idea to ut nuts in at the same time as other food as the moisture might stop them going crunchy.

The stove top method requires constant stirring, but you are less likely to burn them cause you can't walk away and forget about them. You can do a small amount too, just a handful to eat in front of a movie for example. Heat a heavy bottom pan on a medium heat and throw you nuts in. Give them a good shake and stir until they are gently browned. It's hard to get them even on the stove. Some nuts will pop and dance.

Let your nuts cool down before eating them, because this is when they get all crunchy. Here's a few ideas for what to do with your nuts...

Factors of health

2008-09-07T10:14:00.000+10:00

My best friends been getting terrible colesores, despite eating very well. So it got me thinking that there is no one answer, no single path. There are many ways in which we can heal, or become sick.

The following areas are just my own thoughts, not from any classical text. I have heard doctors try to measure their importance with a percentage or a weighting, but to my mind they are all important. Their strength depends on the patient and the illness and the circumstances.

Diet
Of course, everything you eat is of great importance in Ayurveda. The diet should suit your prakruti, virkruti and environmental factors such as the seasons and your lifestyle.

Lifestyle
Routine is crucial for me, being Vata. I like to sleep, wake and eat at the same time everyday. Even if I am on holidays or unemployed I still wake up at 6am, eat at 8am, 12pm and 6pm, and sleep agan at 9 or 10pm. It's not a chore, I love it, I find I have a lot more energy, and I get a lot more done. Other lifestyle factors include stress, relationships, where you live and your job. All of these can balance or imbalance your dosha.

Medicine
Ayurvedic Medicine is extremely powerful, I am constantly surprised by it. Don't self medicate, find a great doctor and visit them regularly, and tell them the truth about your diet, lifestyle etc.

Treatment
Ayurveda offers wonderful treatments for all sort of conditions. For example massage (oil for Vata, dry for Kapha), Panch karma for serious detox, or Shirodhara for rejuvination.

Mind
The mind is the most powerful tool of all. If you believe in your cure it is more likely to come, like the placebo effect. Faith, prayer, meditation, visualisation are all very useful tools towards health.

Random
The truth is is, the physical body is impermenant. For all our best efforts we will die, so to some degree health is random. Just do what you can, but if it doesn't work out, don't blame yourself or your doctor or God, just accept that we were born and we will die. Make the best of the bit in the middle.

Something we can learn from cows

2008-09-03T09:25:00.002+10:00

I read an article in the newspaper recently about cows.It caught my eye because cows are, of course, very sacred in India. The Veda's have always observed and admired and learned from them, and now that we have satellite imaging, modern scientists are taking a closer look at cows too.

"European scientists who studied satellite images of cows around the world have discovered that these animals tend to align themselves with Earth's north-south magnetic fields while they graze or rest.

Farmers have found that cattle stand perpendicular to the sun to heat up their bodies on cold, sunny days, or stand parallel to the wind during winter days with particularly strong winds, the scientists noted."

It makes perfect sense of course, and matches wonderfully with Vedic Architectural concepts too. According to Sthapatya-Veda we ought to align our beds and slope our home's roof and plant trees in particular places. It's all based on factors such as the rotation of the earth, gravitational pull, wind and magnetic fields, which amazingly they wrote about thousands of years ago.

I wonder if humans would naturally align ourselves with the earths natural forces if there wasn't so much interference. We can learn a lot just from observing nature.

NB-I just found out that cow is a gender specific term referring to a female of the species. We use the term cow more generally because the term cattle, which is plural, has no singular form, and refers more to livestock then bovines in general. So really I should say 'cows and bulls' align themselves with the earth. What a funny thing words are!

Not touched by human hands

2008-08-30T13:04:00.001+10:00

My sister pointed out something very strange in the supermarket. This seems to happen a lot, supermarkets are just getting stranger and stranger!

She saw loaf of bread with the words:

Not touched by human hands.

As an advertisement, as though that was a good thing. As though the human hand might dirty the bread and make it unfit for consumption. As though mechanical "hands" would do a lot better job of it!

In Ayurveda the process of kneading dough is a beautiful Sadhana, a service which enriches the life the person giving as well as the quality of the food itself, and therefore the person who eats the food. In the book Like Water for Chocolate (which you must read if you love food or books or both) a woman cries into the wedding cake batter and all the guests become miserable when they eat it.

These days extra yeast and sugar minimise the kneading process and rising time, preservatives make it last longer and mould inhibitors stop it going mouldy. Added gluten, canola oil, synthetic vitamins, emulsifiers... and it hardly resembles bread at all. At least not the way bread is made at home, or prior to the industrial revolution.

Let's put some love back into our diet and stop being so clinical about food. Touch it, taste it, love it, we ought not pay for a machine to do everything for us!

Salty

2008-08-27T18:52:00.001+10:00

Ayurveda includes six tastes as an important part of every diet. All people need all tastes, but in different amounts according to dosha. But no matter what your dosha sweet taste (present in all fruits, vegetables and complex carbohydrates) should make up the bulk of your diet (not in the form of refined sugars!)

Second most important is salty taste. This is an unusual taste because all others are available in a wide variety of foods. Salty taste pretty much only comes from salt, though it can be found in trace amounts in some foods such as amla and seaweed.

Salty taste is made up of fire and water. This of course makes it most beneficial to Vata and less so for Kapha and Pita, both already having strong fire or water elements. When you put salt on the tongue saliva instantly comes. These secretions are preparing your body for digestion. the same thing will happen in your digestive system. Salt will encourage the secretion of digestive acids.

Salt plays another important role in helping us to taste all taste. Water is required in order to taste anything at all, so by eating salt, which induces water, our enjoyment of food is increased. Flavours are released and satisfaction is felt. The right amount of salt can help both in term of weight gain and weight loss, helping us to feel satisfied when full, or enjoy more food when it is needed. Without salt Vata can react and food feels heavy and unsatisfied, food tastes bland and cravings continue.

Now I'm not saying anyone should go overboard. The important thing to remember is that all tastes should be included in every meal (spices are the key) so your meal should never taste so salty that it numbs your taste buds to the other flavours. And remember to use Himalayan Rock Salt which is most friendly to all dosha.

A story about finding peace

2008-08-24T10:18:00.001+10:00

Many people arrive in India only to get on the next airplane out of there. Whilst it is undeniable, India is difficult, there is a certain art to being in India that requires enormous resrve of values and faith. Here is a wonderful little story Maya Tiwari tells. It's similiar to the concept of being the lotus in the mud.

"In India, the homeland of this exsquisite art of life, one learns quickly to trust the infinite wisdom of the Lord and eventually the self. Amid the chaos of erratic activity and the cacophany of mind-boggling noises, stupendous calm and gusto combined exist in the humans who live there. As one taxi driver said, "There are only four essentials to living: good horn, good brakes, good nerves and good luck." Put another way, the horn signifies our intentions; the brakes are our ability to stop and contemplate; nerves are the essential fibres of our courage and choices, and finally, luck is simply the grace of the Lord."
Ayurveda: Secrets of Healing, Maya Tiwari.

Finding an Ayurvedic doctor

2008-08-20T09:40:00.000+10:00

The relationship between the patient and the doctor is a very important one if healing is to occur. This has been lost in modernity with fifteen minute appointments with doctors who may know nothing about you and may never see you again.

My guru, Babaji, advises that when choosing a guru one would be wise not to trust any yogi blindly. Before we surrender ourselves to the Guru it is sensible to question that Guru's motivation. If they are asking for money, or seeking fame, or some other selfish and worldly gain, it is unlikely they are deserving of your unwavering trust and devotion.

Similarly when choosing an Ayurvedic doctor, especially for panch karma, the patient would be wise to question the doctors motivation. Take a trusted and healthy friend with you to see the doctor for their opinion. Don't fall prey to advertising or hype.

Babaji says "No individual should claim, "I can heal," real Yogis and saints do not claim, only pray to the Divine. It is only the Divine that can heal."

Listen carefully to their diagnosis and treatment plan, take notes to help remember and don't be embarrassed to ask lots of questions. Especially ask about possible emotional and physical effects of treatment, both good and bad.

Once you choose your doctor with this sort of vigilance, then surrender to them. Trust everything they say. Trust your body and it's ability to heal, and pray for grace and love and openness. Trust the healing process and all that it brings up. Faith is one of the most healing energies there is. But blind faith can be very dangerous.

More about bathing

2008-08-17T08:58:00.005+10:00

My dad grew up in the coal mining district of Chesterfield, England. In those days the English washed once a week. We heard a story of one family with 9 children, and they all used to bathe in the same water, starting with the least dirty person and ending with the dirtiest. The father, being a coal miner was of course, the dirtiest, and was washed last, even after the dog!!!

Things may have changed for some of us since then, but when I was in Kathmandu the water was only turned on for an hour a day. That's when you washed (yourself, your clothes, the dishes), flushed the toilet and filled a bucket of water for later. In some African tribes, where water is even more scarce, they wash in smoke from the fire.

Bathing is an interesting thing. Everyone, every where in the world does it and we all do it differently. Here's a little something about Ayurveda's views on bathing.

"Soap is not meant for use on the body except when it is really grimy, and even then, as modern medicine agrees, it should never be used on the mucous membranes...

Bathing is prohibited within an hour after eating, and when one is suffering from accute diarrhoea, abdominal distention, chronic cold, indigestion and most acute illnesses. The yogis always advise cold water for bathing, while Ayurveda suggests hot water, except on the head, where only warm water should be used lest it weaken the sense organs."
Ayurveda; Life, Health and Longevity, Robert Svoboda.

Bathing should be done before meditation, prayers or sex. If you want to avoid soap you can use beans. It can also be useful to bathe with salts, oils or essential oils depending on your condition.

Four components of health

2008-08-14T09:08:00.005+10:00

We live in what Lindsay Wagner describes as a "make it easy, make it quick and make it something someone else can do for me" society. When we are sick we want a doctor to cure us with minimal disruption to our lifestyle.

But an illness can be used as a warning sign that something in our lives isn't right. My husband doesn't drink coffee and someone once asked him "What do you do when your tired?" He laughed and says he goes to sleep. Strange isn't it, that sleeping when your tired is such an unusual thing!!

We would be wise to take responsibility for our own bodies. According to Charaka, to successfully cure any illness, the patient is one of four essential components. These four pillars of restoring health are:

doctor
remedy
carer
patient

The doctor tops the list because an incompetent doctor will stifle all of the best efforts of the remaining three, and even progress the illness further. A doctor must be skilled, experienced and knowledgeable, as well as pure in intention.

The remedy will be appropriate to the illness, the patient and the environment. It will utilise multiple avenues (diet, medicine, panch karma etc), be readily available and excellent quality.

The carer will be pure, kind and compassionate, as well as having a strong understanding of Ayurveda and the skill to put it into practice effectively.

And last, but certainly not least, the patient, who must be courageous and faithful. An ideal patient is able to describe their symptoms accurately, and will follow the doctors instructions precisely.

Astringent-Did the fox taste the rabbit?

2008-08-09T14:56:00.007+10:00

"And although he told her that for the French the preparation and eating of good food was an expression of a national trait, she discovered that for this too he suffered in vocabulary...It was as though he had travelled only the familiar, his experience of taste truncated by the absence of words to describe it...

Did the fox taste the rabbit, she wondered, having no word for its brawn?"

The Grasshopper Shoe, Carolyn Leach-Paholski

Astringent is the sixth taste. Six tastes? That's right, sweet, salty, sour, pungent, bitter...and astringent. Kashaya is a word to describe a taste for which we have no direct translation in English. The word astringent, which is traditionally used to describe the tannins in wine, or the a constricting medicine, takes on a broader meaning when used in relation to Ayurveda.

It's a hard taste to describe because it rarely exists alone, but it's most easily described as a sensation. It's a dry, puckering unpleasant tightness in your mouth. Bite into an unripe banana for the closest approximation. Strong black tea also gives a close feeling of astringency, but the most astringent food I know of is a little fruit native to Australia called lilly pilly.

Astringent taste consists of earth and air. It is light, dry and cooling. Astringent is less nutritive and more medicinal. Whilst all dosha's require all tastes, astringent is the most beneficial to Pitta, then Kapha, and only in tiny amounts for Vata, as it aggravates this dosha.

Astringent is the sixth taste, rather than the first because it needs to be consumed in the smallest amounts. In excess it will damage the colon. But it is difficult to overdose on astringent taste from food alone, it is usually the result of improper use of medicinal herbs.

Astringency, as you might imagine from the reaction in your mouth, contracts amd tightens the tissues. It is useful in cases of diarrhea and bleeding as it constricts and binds.

It's easy to get all the astringency you need by just adding a pinch of turmeric to your daily meals.

Apple Snacks

2008-08-07T11:01:00.000+10:00

I saw something in the supermarket recently which rather upset me. Which is why I tend to shop at the markets instead.

I think it was called "Apple Snacks." It was in the refrigerated vegie section. It was a big plastic bag with a number of individual portioned plastic bags inside it. Each portioned contained simply small cut up wedges of apples.

Now maybe I'm wrong but I always thought apples already came in their own perfect, portion controlled, individual wrappers. Where did the need for all the plastic and refrigeration come from? Is it really that hard to cut up an apple? Is it really that hard to get your kids to eat fruit?

There are so many things wrong with this picture that I won't even begin. I'll just say what is the world coming to?!

Happy Birthday!

2008-08-04T11:52:00.003+10:00

It's my birthday, a quarter of a century under my belt! But more relevantly it's Ayurwhats first birthday. A year since I started blogging. I want to take a moment to express my appreciation to you, the people who read what I write.

When I first started blogging it was simply a way of focussing my learning, I never expected anyone else to be interested. But it's a real thrill for me to know other people out there share my passion. It really motivates and inspires me. I'm really happy when you comment, ask a question, disagree with me, anything...

I've recently added a subscription button top right, just in case you are interested. Happy Birthday me!

Nutmeg

2008-07-27T13:40:00.002+10:00

This week I'm entering Sunita's Think Spice... event hosted by Aparna at My Diverse Kitchen, where you can read more about nutmeg. You can have a look at my recipe entry here. I also thought I'd write a little about nutmeg from an Ayurvedic point of view.

Qualities
Nutmeg has three tastes: sweet, astringent and pungent. It's heating post digestive affect imbalances Pitta, but makes it very useful for Vata and Kapha.

It is especially useful for nervine conditions and as a sedative. Nutmeg is an expectorant, aphrodisiac and can expel parasites. It is also a stimulant and carmitive, aiding absorbtion in the colon.

Remedies
Do not use in cases of high pitta. Only use a pinch or two of nutmeg at a time.

A little nutmeg with warm milk can help lower blood pressure and insomnia. Add some ghee to this drink for excessive Panch Karma and exhaustion. Since nutmeg aids absorbtion in the colon it can be useful for malabsorbtion, food allergies, anorexia or when recovering from diarrhea. Nutmeg with peeled, stewed apple can stop diarrhea, or for babies use a pinch of nutmeg with mashed banana or warm milk.

Neurosis, anxiety and other general Vata nerve disorders will be eased by the addition of nutmeg to the diet. Small amounts of powdered nutmeg can also be applied externally for insomnia, athritis and headaches. Nutmeg is particularly beneficial where Vata disorders are combined with congested Kapha.

Culinary uses
The part of nutmeg we are all familiar with is the fruit of the plant, and not a nut at all. For the best quality and potency use the whole fruit, rather than buying powdered nutmeg. You can grate it fresh yourself on a special nutmeg grater or mill, often made of porcelain. I just use the fine side of my regular metal grater.

Whilst some of us are more familiar with nutmeg in fruit cake or rice pudding, in Italy it is classically paired with ricotta, pasta or vegetables.

I remember in high school some of the naughty girls used to bring nutmeg sandwhiches for lunch, claiming that nutmeg is a drug. It's unlikely any of them ever got "high" though, since it takes more than four teaspoons of nutmeg to experience hallucinations many hours later, and with unpleasant side effects.

Still this spice, like all spices, ought to be treated with respect.

Ravioli Nudi

2008-07-25T14:00:00.004+10:00

That's right nudi, without clothing. But how does ravioli get to be naked?

This is very traditional Florentine recipe, more than 600 years old. Ravioli Nudi is kind of like the filling of ravioli without the pasta, which means it's a lot simpler to make.

My variation on the theme is without eggs and parmesan, not so traditional, but still very tasty. Although it takes some time it's a very easy recipe, but I suspect it would take many years of practice to perfect the art.

This is my first entry to one of Sunita's Think Spice, Think... events, hosted by Aparna at My Diverse Kitchen. This weeks spice is nutmeg, which instantly makes me think of Italian food, and ricotta, one of my favourite ingredients. I'll post more about nutmeg here.

Before you start

I don't believe scales (the bathroom kind or the kitchen kind!) so my measurements are very rough. You'll have to use your intuition and a bit of common sense, but don't worry, I'll talk you through it.
The ricotta for this recipe should be really dry. If the ricotta is quite moist drain in a cheesecloth or a fine sieve overnight, and then measure out the 2 cups.
The time consuming bit of this recipe is rolling them out, enlist a helper (kids can do this easily) or allow yourself between half and hour or an hour to roll them.
Start your water boiling early, it can take a long time. Be ready to serve them as soon as they are cooked, they will start to go hard as they cool.
The amount of flour depends on the moisture in the ricotta and spinach, you may need a litle more or a little less. Make your dough as wet as you can handle it it.

Ingredients (serves 4-6)

Around 8 large handfuls of fresh spinach (3 cups cooked and pureed)
2 cups ricotta (roughly 300 grams)
5 cups atta flour
nutmeg to taste
salt to taste (quite a lot to make up for the lack of parmesan, or it will be very bland)

Method

Place your spinach in a big pot and cover with a tight lid. Put on a low heat for a few minutes, stirring every now and then. When it is wilted remove it from the heat. It will lose some water, drain and reserve this liquid.

Put the spinach leaves in a blender and puree (or you can chop it finely by hand). Put into a large mixing bowl with the ricotta and mash it all together. Add nutmeg and healthy dash of salt.

Next add about 4 cups of flour and work it into a dough with your hands. Add half a cup of flour at a time until it reaches the desired consistency. This dough will be sticky, but just dry enough that it holds together, if it is too dry, the ravioli nudi will be hard and dense. If it too wet the ravioli will fall apart when you cook them.

Flour your benchtop and wet your hands. Roll teaspoons of the dough in flour to coat them. You may need to wash your hands a few more times throughout the rolling process as the dough will be very sticky.

Add them one at a time to the boiling water. Once the water comes off the boil don't add any more, wait for that batch to float to the top and stay there (about five minutes) and then remove with a slotted spoon. Then cook the next batch.

Serve hot with olive oil, sage butter, more nutmeg, parmesan or fresh herbs. Don't drown these in sauce, they are good enough to eat alone. These are quite heavy to digest, don't overeat and serve with a side of vegetables.

Vata and Pitta can enjoy this recipe without any problems, but it may be too heavy for Kapha.

But what about the reserved spinach liquid? Save it as stock for soup, dahl or sauce, or just drink it! Don't throw it down the sink, what a waste of nutrients.

If it's in a bowl I'll eat it

2008-07-22T13:18:00.001+10:00

I'm not a winter person, not by an stretch of the imagination, but one of the few pleasures of a winters day is a big steaming bowl of soup. Serve it with a spoon and I'll love it! My soup of the day is green. There's no recipe strictly speaking, you've just got to feel the love.

Start by roughly chopping your vegies, anything green: celery is a must, zucchini, beans, brocolli, green capsicum, spinach, brussel sprouts, leek...whatever you've got. Plus chop an onion and a potato. Fry spices of your choice in ghee (mine are cumin, ginger and coriander), then before they burn add your onion, followed by all the other vegies. Throw a couple of handfuls of mung beans for oomph and a healthy dash of salt. Cover with water, cover with a lid and simmer till soft. Puree, add more water if needed and serve it piping hot.

The potato makes it's unbelievably creamy, I could eat it every day. In fact I have been, and will until my husband gets bored and intervenes, though I suspect he's quite happy with green soup for awhile.

Vata go for zucchini and spinach
Most variations on this theme will suit Pita
Kapha might enjoy spices with a bit more kick, like some black pepper

Subtypes of Pitta

2008-07-19T09:37:00.004+10:00

Pitta governs fire and metabolism. Not simply digestion of food, but knowledge, emotion and sensory assimilation too. No sub dosha works alone, for example your eye colour is a result of the combined work of alochaka and ranjaka.

Pachaka Pitta
Pachaka pitta is the function of bile and acid located in the gastrointestinal tract from the stomach to the small intestines. Pachaka regulates the temperature of digestion of food, distinguishing the essence from the waste. Imbalance can lead to poor or irregular digestion, heartburn, ulcers or malabsorbtion.

Ranjaka Pitta
Once pachaka has broken down the food, ranjaka forms it into the tissues, primarily the blood. Toxins, wether a result of polluted food, water and air, or inadequate pachaka function, will especially imbalance ranjaka pitta. Imbalanced ranjaka can lead to blood disorders including anemia, high or low cholesterol or blood pressure, and chronic fatigue syndrome.

Alochaka Pitta
Alochaka pitta lives in the eyes, absorbing images and colours. It plays some role in all the senses and our emotional response. Nearly all eye disorders (except cataracts for example) are a result of imbalanced alochaka.

Sadhaka Pitta
Sadhaka is located throughout the nervous system, especially the brain and heart. It processes ideas and experiences and governs expression, ambition, intelligence and self esteem. Imbalanced sadhaka may cause heart attack, delusions, confusion or a lack of appreciation and will.

Bhrajaka Pitta
Bhrajaka pitta lives just under the skin, governing it's complexion, temperature and lustre. It processes sensations of touch, temperature and pain. Bhrajaka transforms loving touch into healing and absorbs anything on the skin including sunlight, oils or pollution. Imbalanced bhrajaka may cause seasonal affective disorder, acne, eczema, psoriasis and all sorts of skin disorders.

Find out about the sub types of Vata here.

How happiness works

2008-07-17T01:03:00.000+10:00

I am fortunate to have spent the last week in London with my Guru, Shivarudra Balayogi. Having just begun my own collection of stories on this blog I have discovered he has just released a DVD in which he narrates the stories he learned from his Guru. I love stories and learn much better this way than through scriptures or lectures so I am very happy.

One of the many stories he told to us in London was about happiness, a simple story which he heard as a child. He said when God created the world (metaphorically speaking!) God gave happiness into everyones hand. He said "This happiness will only work when you give it to someone else." Everyone gave their happiness to each other and the world was peaceful and harmonious until one day one person decided to keep his happiness for himself. Then the happiness stopped working.

A variation on the story of Pandora's box. I tend to think great truths appear across all religions and cultures and communities, just couched in different language. The truth is that serving others is the only way to happiness.

Restaurants for vegetarians

2008-07-15T09:11:00.000+10:00

Whenever I eat in restaurants I spend most of my time tasting all the flavours and planning how I can replicate it at home, or worse analysing the meal and how I would cook it differently. It's a habit that I got from my father, and whilst I may not be the funnest person to eat out with it makes me better cook, saves me a lot of money and means when I do taste good food I can truly appreciate it. If I have to eat out I dream of going to a restaurant where the flavours are so subtle, so complex, so delicious that I can't work out how to cook it myself and wouldn't want to change a thing.

I've been toying with the idea of going to somewhere a bit classy, but classy restaurants serve meat, and vego restaurants aren't classy. Don't get me wrong, there are some fabulous vegetarian restaurants, but they tend to be of the lunch bar or cafe genre, with hearty cheap meals like vegie burgers, big plates of noodles or curry and rice. And why do they always smother everything with garlic? I've been lamenting the lack of posh nosh for vegetarians.

Then I came across this article which echoes my sentiments exactly. It gives some food for thought and some ideas of where to begin my gastronomic vegetarian adventures.

A story about praying

2008-07-12T13:30:00.000+10:00

I will retell this story word for word because I can, since it was written rather than verbal. It comes from Elizabeth Gilberts book "Eat, Pray, Love".

"There's a wonderful old Italian joke about a poor man who goes to church every day and prays before the statue of a great saint, begging "Dear saint-please, please, please...give me the grace to win the lottery." This lament goes on for months. Finally the exasperated statue comes to life, looks down at the begging man and says in weary disgust, "My son-please, please, please...buy a ticket"."

The moral of the story, prayer is very powerful, but you have to hold up your end of the bargain!

Coconutty

2008-07-10T17:16:00.003+10:00

We spent a few months in Cambodia living with my brother-in-law. We thought we had an arrangement with the coconut seller to bring his wares past our place every three days, but in truth he came whenever he felt like it, sometimes daily, then not for a week! And for all my months of effort, I could never pronounce the Khmer word for coconut "dong", even when I was pointing at one they still couldn't work out what I was asking for!

I was extremely thin at the time, and attribute most of my healthy and much-needed weight gain to drinking coconut water daily.

Qualities of coconut

Coconut is cool, oily and sweet, it is very high in water (and more nutritious than water itself!) This water is in a very pure form, having been distilled through the root system of the tree, and is full of prana. Coconut is a very nourishing and life supporting food, and in Cambodia they talk of a man who lived for a year on coconut water alone. Coconut is sattvic. Best for Pitta and very good for Vata when care is taken to strengthen agni simultaneously.

Coconut flesh, or meat, is hard and heavy, a bit more difficult to digest than the water. The older the coconut, the rougher the flesh.

Coconut water is what spills out when you crack open a coconut, it's transparent, not milky. Only drink the water from fresh young green coconuts, by the time they are brown the water is no good. Coconut water is liquid and smooth. Drink it at room temperature, not too cold, and be careful not to overdose. It may extinguish agni altogether.

Coconut milk is what you get when you soak or boil the grated flesh in water, and then strain it, kind of like making tea. You can make it with dessicated, but fresh is best of course. Canned coconut milk is of a dubious nature, but I love it and use it anyway!

Coconut oil is used in Ayurveda mostly externally, though it is good for cooking too. Oil applied to the head eases anxiety, insomnia and hair loss. It also helps with Pitta relieving thirst, rashes, burns and burning sensations.

Dessicated coconut is what most of us outside the tropical world have to settle for. The grated dried flesh is rough and should be taken it in smaller amounts or it will be heavy to digest. Drying food is a preferable way of preserving to freezing or canning. It can be soaked prior to use.

Long Pepper

2008-07-07T17:53:00.001+10:00

I've been toying for awhile about whether or not to write this post. You see, long pepper is a wonderful spice, as a flavour and as a medicine, but it's awfully hard to find. I don't want to tempt you if you'll never be able to buy it anywhere. I'm yet to find a stockist online, but recently found a shop in Melbourne (Peter Watson, Fitzroy) which stocks it amongst their small but incredible spice range.

Long pepper, pipalli in Sanskrit, was once a common culinary spice, though it was often confused for other species of pepper. Before the introduction of chilli to Europe long pepper was the spiciest spice out. It is sweeter and hotter than black pepper. If you give it a bash in your mortar and pestle you will see it is made up of lots of tiny round black fruits.

You may recognise long pepper from the sickly sweet smell it gives to chyawanprash. (Don't be decieved by the smell though because it packs quite a punch!) It is also one of the three ingredients of Trikatu, alongside black pepper and ginger powder, a combination which is many times more heating than the sum of it's parts.

Long pepper is a powerful medicine for Kapha. It's firey nature make it excellent for burning ama, but over use can be very reducing. It is too volatile and potent for Vata in large amounts, and too hot for Pitta. Long pepper is an aphrodisiac, digestive, emetic and carmitive. It is used for the Kapha version of many ills including depression, asthma and cancer, due to it's highly stimulating nature.

In the kitchen you can try adding it to chai, in very small amounts, or you may find it in the Morrocan spice mix ras el hanout. If you are lucky enough to have a supplier and are feeling quite extravagant try this long pepper and chocolate pudding.

Why cook for your own wedding?

2008-07-03T08:53:00.005+10:00

So this is a little belated (5 months!) but my brother in law just announced his wedding date in Cambodia, so wedding fever begins again!

I just thought I would share with you our wedding menu, nearly entirely cooked by family and friends on the morning of the wedding. I'm still impressed by them all, especially considering we had nearly 200 guests.

Nibbles:

Samosa and murukku (made by a friend)

Mains (served on banana leaves):

Mung dahl (what else?) with potatoes (made by the groom)
Green bean thoren (made by a friend)
Gajar Subji (made by me)
Basmati rice (made by many rice cookers borrowed from friends and nieghbours)
Pappadums (fried by the grooms oldest mates)

Desert:

Cardamom and Saffron Butter Cake (made by my sister and mother)
Baklava (made by my best oldest friend and her mother)
Turkish delight (made in a shop!)

All the food worked very well, we had a minor disaster with the rice cookers (never trust a machine!) but I didn't even find out about that till afterwards.

Cooking for our own wedding was a part of the big day which I would never forego. Having all the woman over at my house grating carrots and peeling potatoes was a great sadhana, and gave the wedding such a timeless, community feel. Sigh, it makes me happy just to think of it.

The second step

2008-07-01T21:56:00.000+10:00

I heard a proverb in India: "If you want to make God laugh, tell him your plans". And chances are, even if you had every intention of taking The First Step last month, life has probably gotten in the way. But don't give up, just soldier on, because that's what life is about. If you are ready for The Second Step to living an Ayurvedic lifestyle, here's it is, just another two simple things...

1. Warm Up
Everything you put in your body should be body temperature or above. Don't take food or drinks straight from the fridge. Don't eat raw food, not even salad, except for fruit, which still shouldn't be fridgy. Though Pitta can tolerate raw foods well when detoxing. Drink your water at body temperature or, better still, warm. This is because cold food interupts agni, the digestive fire.

2. Simplify
Many Ayurvedic doctors and authors don't even follow the food combination rules, so I'm not asking you to. I am suggesting that if you simplify your food choices your digestion will thank you. Just eat one source of protein, one of carbohydrates and a couple of vegetables per meal. Wait a few hours before eating again, and give your body a long break from food overnight. You can make up for variety by adding spices to your life. I heard a proverb in India: "If you want to make God laugh, tell him your plans". And chances are, even if you had every intention of taking The First Step last month, life has probably gotten in the way. But don't give up, just soldier on, because that's what life is about. If you are ready for The Second Step to living an Ayurvedic lifestyle, here's it is, just another two simple things...

Cloves

2008-06-28T17:09:00.001+10:00

I have always loved cloves, but became even more enchanted by them when I learned they are actually tiny dried flower buds! These blue flowers originated in the Spice Islands and have been popular around the world in Europe, Asia and the Middle East for at least a couple of thousand years. The expensive little flowers have been used in everything from cigarettes to incence to sterilising surgical tools.

Ayurvedically speaking they are hot, oily and light, stoking the fire in your body. It follows then that they raise Pitta and lower Kapha and Vata. They speed things up, working on the digestion, circulation and metabolism.

Cloves are a natural painkiller and renowned for managing toothache. Hold a whole clove in your mouth against the offending tooth and it will be numbed. This will also help cover bad breath. For indigestion the essential oil can diluted and used topically, or a tea can be made from the spice. Cloves induce sweating and are used to break fevers and relieve sore and tense muscles like deep heat. Cloves are also antibacterial, antiseptic and sedative.

Cloves smell wonderful too. You can throw some cloves and orange peel on the fire or on top of the heater or oven in winter to fight off the cold.

Cloves are commonly used in cooking. Boil one clove with your tea or coffee, or fry them in ghee before making dahl. Whole cloves are best cooked in dishes for a while to soften them, and can then be eaten whole. If you want to use cloves for a short cooking time grind them first.

But be warned; cloves are very powerful so treat them with respect. Clove oil should not be applied neat on the skin or in cases of rash, sensitive or broken skin. Cloves taste very strong and can damage the kidneys in excess. Avoid cloves in cases of hot pitta conditions.

Subtypes of vata

2008-06-25T19:39:00.001+10:00

Vata governs movement and air. Each subtype has a seat, or physical location in the body, and is responsible for certain physiological functions. But it's not quite as simple as that, because each dosha and subdosha has emotional, spiritual and psychological role to play, and they do not strictly fit within our ideas of physical limitations. They all interact and many functions are the result of a few sub dosha working together. If one is imbalanced, others will soon follow.

Vata Prana

Prana is the primary seat of Vata and indeed of all life. It means something like air, energy or life force. It is located between the bellybutton and the crown of the head moving downwards. Prana is internal and reflective, it receives and absorbs information, energy and substance. Prana governs inhalation, thought, learning, swallowing and creativity. Imbalanced prana may cause insomnia, anxiety or shortness of breath.

Vata Udana
Udana moves from the bellybutton up, governing expression. Udana governs change and transformation, giving us will power and the ability grow. Udana is responsible for speaking, burping, sneezing, and hiccoughs. Imbalanced Udana may cause tiredness, earache or a sore throat.

Vata Apana

Apana moves from the bellybutton downwards governing expulsion. Apana expels waste in the form of faeces and urine, but also pushes reproductive movement including semen and is responsible for child birth. It can also expel thoughts and emotions which are are negative or no longer useful. Imbalanced Apana can cause constipation or diarrhea, lower back pain or mentrual problems.

Vata Samana
Samana moves in a clockwise direction towards the bellybutton. It pushes food through the GI tract. Samana aids digestion of all substances including assimilation of thoughts or experiences, absorbing air in the lungs and all sensory intake. Imbalanced Samana may cause variable digestion, cramps and malnutrition or allergies.

Vata Vyana
Vyana moves clockwise away from the bellybutton. Vyana circulates blood, energy, warmth and information around the body. It moves other subdosha around the body to help them do their jobs. Vyana governs the rhythm of the heart and perspiration. Imbalanced Vyana may cause dry skin, dizziness, nervousness, pins and needles or intolerance to heat and cold.

Find out about the subtypes of Pitta here.

Oiling the nose and ears

2008-06-22T14:30:00.001+10:00

Every morning I end my cleaning routine by dipping my little finger in some sesame oil and gently rubbing it inside my nostrils and ears. I love it, but D hates it and skips this part of the routine. So try it and see what you think.

This practice balances and calms the mind and brings peace and clarity to the senses. It is very soothing and can help in cases of anxiety. This daily routine is esecially useful for counteracting the effects of air conditioning, travel, exposure to germs and dehydration. Oiling the nose stimulates hair growth and discourages premature grey hairs. The oil also acts as a safegaurd, adding an extra layer of protection from germs, dust and bacteria.

Warm oil is best and sesame suits all doshas, unless Pitta is especially angry in which case use coconut oil. Oil can be applied regularly throughout plane trips or whilst travelling in less sanitised places. Make sure your nails are not long, and do not to pull hairs from the nose, this will damage the eyes. You'll know if you do because your eyes will start watering!