By Guest Blogger on July 5, 2011
Shatavari has been used in Ayurvedic and Himalayan medicine systems for centuries. Though its most common function has been to support reproductive health and fertility in women, it also has shown benefits for sexual potency in men.
Shatavari’s history dates back many hundreds of years in India primarily in the northern region. Since its initial discovery it is now commonly found in Africa, Australia and some parts of China. In most cultures it is also referred to as Asian wild asparagus, or in ancient Sanskrit as “100 spouses,” which is a name given for its ability to increase fertility and vitality.
It has most commonly been considered the main Ayurvedic refresh tonic for females. This herb aids in nourishing, rejuvenating and strengthening reproductive organs and their functions and, in Ayurvedic terms, increasing Yin in the vaginal area. It creates mucus to lubricate the uterine and vaginal walls, as mentioned in the book “Asian Healing Secrets” by Letha Hadady. This supports female reproductive tissues in maintaining a healthy environment for reproduction.
Shatavari has also been shown to supply phytoestrogens to enhance estrogen production and balance overall hormone levels, and act as an anti-inflammatory agent to support reproductive organs during menopause and in premenstrual syndrome. There have been a few studies, including one in the “Indian Journal of Medical Sciences,” to support its ability to increase milk production during lactation periods.1
Beyond these many great supportive attributes for women, it provides fertility-enhancing benefits in both sexes,2 according to The Chopra Center. In men, it acts as an aphrodisiac and stimulates semen production and supports sexual debility and infertility,3 according to Ayurveda Herbal Medicine.
If you’re looking to give it a try, you should know it may be applied in a variety of ways. As a drink it can be made into a juice, which is common to India traditionally. As an alternative many boil the root to make a tea. As a powdered supplement it may be mixed into a food or beverage or simply taken as a capsule. If you’re still hesitant to try it outright it has also been suggested that common asparagus at the supermarket carries some of the same properties.
As with any new supplement there are some important considerations. There have been reports of allergic reactions, which include dizziness or fatigue. Taking this supplement should be cautioned if there is a predisposition to estrogen-induced disorders. And it has also been reported in very rare cases to be associated with massive fibrocystic breast.
Though there are many studies and text to support its health benefits, it is always important to consult your physician ahead as well as tuning into your “inner MD.”
Ty Stevens enjoys traveling and spending time with his greatest life teacher – his 8-year-old son, Caleb. He has represented many companies and publications as a freelance journalist, and public relations guru in the outdoor and natural products industries.
Sources
1. Asparagus racemosus–an update. Indian Journal of Medical Sciences. http://www.indianjmedsci.org/article.asp?issn=0019-5359;year=2003;volume=57;issue=9;spage=408;epage=14;aulast=Goyal Accessed June 9, 2011.
2. Shatavari. The Chopra Center.http://www.chopra.com/shatavari Accessed June 9, 2011.
3. Asparagus Racemosus. Ayurveda Herbal Medicine. http://www.ayurveda-herbal-medicine.com/indian-herbs/asparagus-racemosus.html Accessed June 9, 2011.
Photo credit: oceanoaloha
Read More
By Terri Cole on October 29, 2010
I recently attended an interesting seminar, Journey into Healing, at the Chopra Center in Carlsbad, California. I was looking forward to learning about the power of living an Ayurvedic lifestyle, meditating and unplugging for a week. I was surprised by what I actually experienced.
My decision to sign up for this seminar was influenced by my desire to experience an in-person lecture with Dr. Wayne Dyer, the featured guest facilitator. When Dr. Dyer’s seminar began I was shocked and saddened to learn of his recent leukemia diagnosis. Earlier in the week Dr. David Simon, co-founder of the Chopra Center, also lead a workshop. Dr. Simon shared that he was undergoing treatment for a malignant brain tumor, diagnosed in the spring of this year. Although both men have been leaders in the self-actualization/healing movement for decades, their styles and stories were very different. What was similar was their message about living, not dying.
Dr. Simon needed assistance assuming his usual position in the wingback chair at center stage for his initial lecture. His familiar slight stature struck me as frail for the first time. I was comforted by the image of his signature shiny bald head, groovy mala prayer bead necklace and small and round wire-rimmed glasses. His energy was the same as I had experienced numerous times in the past – calming, knowing, thoughtful and relaxed. Dr. Simon has been a world-renowned authority on mind-body medicine, with an emphasis on cancer, for more than 20 years.
He started his lecture by addressing the elephant in the room – his current condition. He shifted any thoughts of sadness from himself by implying he was at peace within. He shared that the knowledge of shortened time in this incarnation crystallized what truly matters. His message was, “Since love is all there is, relieve suffering and share joy as much as possible.” He purported that we are all “universal beings pretending to be individuals.”
He talked about the negative impact of the You vs. Me mentality and implored us to regularly ask ourselves, “How can I reduce the boundary between us?” He went on to say that the entire universal energetic field shifts towards unity just by keeping that question alive in our minds. He emphasized service to others as a daily ritual. The last thing that Dr. Simon said, when asked what he learned on this cancer journey was, “Just stop doing things that do not serve you and do more things that bring you joy, right now.” This struck me as simultaneously simple and profound.
Dr. Dyer’s presence on stage was the polar opposite of Dr. Simon’s. He bounded up the stairs, tall and physically impressive. He was also bald but wearing a broad smile. He was attractive and seemed much younger than his 70 years. He paced constantly, gestured passionately and laughed easily. Wayne declared his intention of being cured of his illness and talked about the team he assembled to that end.
The message in his lecture was about “The Shift” from ambition to meaning in life. He went on to say, “Your will is the ego part of you that believes you’re separate from others, separate from what you’d like to accomplish or have, and separate from God. It also believes that you are your acquisitions, achievements and accolades. This ego will want you to constantly acquire evidence of your importance … On the other hand, your imagination is the concept of Spirit within you … With imagination, we have the power to be anything we desire to be.”
He suggested, “You don’t attract what you want. You attract what you are.” This struck me to mean that we should put more conscious focus on what we are doing and choosing, and less focus on what other people are doing wrong. He also stated, “Know the source that perfectly orchestrated the creation of you, with no effort on your part, is the same exact source you can consciously reconnect to now.” He emphasized service to others, echoing Dr. Chopra’s suggestion: “The fastest way to your own happiness is making another happy.” I call it gratitude in motion.
Moved by what I learned, I noted a shift within from fear to freedom. My simplified interpretation of the main message is when you feel yourself swimming upstream, flip over and float! You are suddenly headed in the right direction with minimal effort and able to see the beauty that surrounds you.
Love, Love, Love,
Terri
P.S. When I told Dr. Dyer that I was also a survivor and was blogging about the event for Crazy Sexy Life, he said, “Well, you sure look crazy and sexy to me!” Thanks … (I think!).
Read More
By Guest Blogger on September 4, 2009
Getting to Know the Nose
Before we go into the details of the nasal wash, let’s begin with a science lesson. The nostrils are the interface between your body and the atmosphere—they filter, clean, heat, and moisten the air you inhale. This is why yogis advocate breathing through the nose instead of the mouth.
The sensitive lining of the nostrils secretes mucus, which effectively traps dust, dirt, and other particles when it is moist. The mucus also contains antibodies, which help protect the body from infection or irritation by foreign materials or organisms. This is important because you inhale 18,000 to 20,000 times daily. All day the moist, sticky mucus collects dirty particles from the air you breathe and keeps it from entering the lungs. If you don’t clean this matter out of the nostrils, it will end up in your stomach, because the mucus lining of the nostrils slowly moves everything backwards until it is swallowed. What’s more, when the mucus becomes dry or laden with dust, it loses its protective function. The nasal wash dissolves and clears away dried mucus and stimulates the nasal linings to secrete fresh, moist mucus, which will help keep your nose—and the rest of your system—healthy.
How It Works
You can use the neti pot to rinse away pollen, dust, germs, and other airborne contaminants; to remove excess mucus when you’re congested; to moisturize the nasal membrane after spending time in planes or in heated or air-conditioned rooms; and to open the nostrils as you prepare for meditation.
The anatomy is simple. As holistic expert Carrie Demers, MD, explains: “Your nose is divided into two passages, and there’s a septum in between. You pour the water in one nostril, it goes around the back of the septum, and gravity helps it flow out the other side.”
The nasal wash, she says, can also prevent or treat sinus infections. “Your sinuses drain into your nasal passages through little openings called meatuses. It’s when these openings get blocked that mucus accumulates and causes pressure and infection. The neti water washes over the meatuses, keeping them open and the mucus inside the sinus cavities flowing out—the water doesn’t actually go into your sinuses.”
The Practice
If you’re wincing at the memory of getting water up your nose while swimming as a kid, don’t worry—jala neti uses a warm saline solution that’s the same temperature and salt concentration as your bodily fluids and is soothing to the sinuses. Neti pots vary in shape and size, so here’s a basic recipe: Mix one-half heaping teaspoon of pure noniodized salt with two cups of warm water until the salt dissolves completely. Adjust the mixture to your own salinity—it should taste like warm tears.
Fill your neti pot and lean over a sink, face downward. Keeping your nose slightly higher than your lips, twist your head to the left. As you breathe through the mouth, insert the spout into the upper nostril until it forms a tight (but comfortable) seal. Raise the handle of the neti pot and let the water flow through the nose and out the lower nostril. When you’ve emptied the pot, exhale through both nostrils into the sink or a tissue. (Do not close off one nostril while blowing, because this could force the water back into the ear.) Then repeat on the other side.
To clear loose mucus and water from the nose after the practice, exhale forcefully into the sink 5 to 10 times with both nostrils open and the face relaxed. Next, do a simple forward bend, turning the head from side to side as you do another round of vigorous exhalations. Remember, one of the goals of the nasal wash is to reduce excess mucus—so don’t be squeamish about blowing it out. You’ll feel better if you do.
The yogis have numerous variations of jala neti. In addition to the beginner’s nostril-to-nostril version described above, you can also learn how to pull water from your nose into your mouth, or push it from your mouth to your nose—which is especially useful if you’re away from home without your neti pot. To try the mouth-to-nose practice, fill your mouth three-quarters full with warm saline solution. Lean over the sink, facedown. To expel the water, tuck your chin toward your neck and press your entire tongue against the roof of the mouth, forcefully exhaling the saline into the sink. Keep the throat relaxed through the entire process. Repeat several times. This nasal wash reverses the natural motion of the cilia and cleans them in a different way. It also reduces postnasal drip.
The Neti Pot Challenge
For those of you who are new to the nasal wash, try spending three to six days learning how to do it. Then use the neti pot every morning for a month to observe its overall effect.
Next, figure out how often you need to do it and what time of day works best for you. To check whether you would benefit from the nasal wash at any given moment, breathe deeply through both nostrils together, then through each nostril separately; if you feel any blockage, you will find the nasal wash helpful and soothing.
Here are a few more suggestions: Use the neti pot before your asana or meditation practice. Try rinsing your nose after exposure to dusty, smoky, or sooty environments and notice the relief you get from it. Anticipate allergy seasons by getting started on a regular schedule of two or more daily washes. Generally, use the pot before meals, instead of afterward, to stay in harmony with the body’s natural mucus-producing schedule.
Meet You at the Sink?
So there it is: nasal irrigation is both comical and practical. It cleanses and protects the nasal passages, counteracting the effects of environmental pollution and treating colds, allergies, and sinus problems naturally and effectively. It improves the quality of your breathing, and hence, your yoga and meditation practices. Now, that’s a pretty convincing argument, isn’t it?
You can check out Neti Pots and washes in the body section at the Crazy Sexy Shop!
Written by Shannon Sexton, Yoga+’s Editor-at-Large
Originally published in Natural Health Magazine
Read More
By Guest Blogger on August 28, 2009
I was finishing up with a client at her apartment when her dog came into the room. He considered me for a moment, perhaps wondering if in my bag of oils and herbs I also had something that tasted like bacon for him to eat. I didn’t. When he was done considering me, he wandered over to the nearest wall and slumped down onto the floor to rest. As I watched him pant, I remembered something I read in Paramahansa Yogananda’s book Autobiography of a Yogi.
In his book, Yogananda speaks of how certain species that breathe fewer times a minute tend to live longer than species that breathe a comparably greater number of times per minute. My client’s dog was taking about forty to fifty breaths per minute, and yet Yogananda observed that a giant tortoise only takes about four breaths per minute. An elephant only takes four to five breaths per minute, and when resting, an alligator may only take one breath per minute. Though elephants and alligators don’t live quite as long as a giant tortoise, they’re certainly on the high-end of life spans in the animal kingdom. Dogs, as well as other animals like cats and mice, take many more breaths per minute and live a decidedly shorter period of time.
Human beings, however, exist somewhere in between the dogs and the giant tortoises in both life span and breaths per minute. Humans tend to take between twelve and twenty breaths per minute, and they tend to live between sixty and 100 years. It is interesting to note that the range of breaths per minute is proportionally similar to that of the range of expected life spans.
There are many different programs, tonics, and marketable systems that promise greater longevity for the practitioner (customer). The truth, though, is that there is a system in yoga that will increase your longevity—and it won’t cost you a penny. This system is, quite simply, that of the full yogic breath.
A full yogic breath is experienced through deep, full inhalations and long, slow exhalations. When the mind is focused on the breath and the nervous system is calm, there is less stress on the body and it experiences better digestion and elimination. Fewer, fuller breaths help to reduce one’s appetite and keep the emotions and senses under control. Rather than trap yourself in a frenetic, high-energy breathing pattern, emulate the slower, deeper habits of the giant tortoise and work to take five to seven breaths per minute. When practiced over time, this habit will lead to a much longer, disease-free life. Breathe less, live longer. Try it.
Yogi Cameron
Read More
