Holistic medicine

 
Now-a-days, I get to watch an Ayurvedic program that comes on TV which my Mom regularly follows. Its hosted by a well known Ayurvedic expert by name Dr.Elchuri.  Ayurveda is a very ancient medicine from the times of the Vedas. Ayurveda, try’s to heal by the use of herbs, massage, and yoga. The other day, there was a remedy mentioned to trim down our bellies…Who wouldn’t want to do this, if this is all one needed to do, right!

The guy was of the opinion that the front protruding bellies on women “now-a-days”,  is due to the modern comforts of cooking on gas.  He prescribes women, to get back to the older ways of cooking, where the stove was on the ground. This way,one gets to bend more, and move with their knees in a folded position, and pressure is on the tummy (just like the women we saw in the documentary video’s, cooking on bio-gas stoves) . His words, “Squeeze your tummies more”.

( I could easily imagine him prescribing a modern constipated women, to go to the woods to attend to their nature calls, Back in the old days, people didn’t have such problems, as they sat in a way to put pressure on their intestines. )

He continued “With the modern comforts of cooking, the women don’t get to squeeze their bellies a lot. and it appears like a cylinder” He also gave a recipe of an oil that one could prepare and apply it regularly on your tummy around the belly button, applying it with circular motion.

Here goes the recipe as much as I could recollect.


There is a leaf called “Uttaraani” leaf (Picture above). It grows as a weed everywhere in India.  My mom is growing these in her yard. One is supposed to juice it and heat a cup of that juice and a cup of sesame oil slowly, until the oil remains. Cool  and store it. One is supposed to rub that oil like I mentioned above, everyday, and its supposed to trim down your tummy. I don’t know if I have the patience to try the recipe, but, I’m confident that if I work out it may show the same results..  Don’t get me wrong. I am an ardent believer in Ayurveda Shastr..

Another tidbit, my mom mentioned about the program was that this program is very popular in Andhra. Dr.Elchuri, the host, charges a percentage of Ayurvedic sales that happen in the state (got the information from the shop owners). Capitalism all the way, uh!  Prescribe it on TV and rack your percentage from the sales.

P. S. I goggled this herb of Ayurvedic medicine and found that its usually used for abdominal disorders...
Other than the abs workout that are followed in most gyms, some asana that could help us modern women to make our tummies less cylindrical…. and more hourglass.




Seriously, the best of them being

1. Suryanamaskar or sun salutation ( beginners goal should be to perform at least 15-30 mins of this sequence of exercises. It exercises all the bigger muscles of the body, abs being among them). It improves the flexibility of the spine and is usually performed facing the direction of the sunrise. My favorite for warm up and whole body tone.
2. Udiyana Bandha or the Stomach lift.
3. Kapalbhathi (Series of pushing air out of your tummy with force). If done properly one can feel like fire inside the tummy.
4. Bow Pose. Very difficult for beginners, but can improve with practice.