Ayurveda and the key to natural beauty

The teachings of Ayurveda don’t just stop at nutrition and health: it also has a lot to say about beauty – and here too it is the balance of different energies that can make you shine. We reveal how Ayurveda can help you achieve natural beauty from within.

Grandmother’s recipe “True beauty comes from within” may sound a bit antiquated in times of Botox treatments, filler injections and hyaluronic creams, but it is still true: What really gives us the much-vaunted “glow” cannot be injected pull and squeeze into tubes. As the word
suggests, charisma has a lot to do with energy .

According to Ayurveda, the key to a beautiful appearance lies in the balance of three energetic qualities: Prana, Tejas and Ojas. Just like the Ayurvedic doshas (Vata, Pitta, Kapha), whose refined, energetic essences they are considered to be, these three also exist in each of us at the same time and promote each other – therein lies the secret of long-lasting well-being .

Prana (life force) and Tejas (luminosity) together produce Ojas (inner nourishment). In the balance of all three we find health, true beauty and a long life. But let’s take a closer look at the three:

Prana – the primary life energy

Prana is – in Ayurveda as well as in yoga – the name for the primary life energy. Because it is characterized by movement, like air, prana is also considered in Ayurveda to be the subtle counterpart to Vata, the air element. Prana and Vata work in tandem: they circulate through the body, carried by the currents of Vata and guided by what might best be called “attention movements”, i.e. via the activity of the mind and the five senses.

A Vata imbalance can also affect prana: In the busyness typical of our times, it is quite easy to lose connection to the movements of our life energy and our directing attention. Therefore, a quiet, steady effort at attention, as we practice in meditation, is a good thing for prana.

If the rhythmic circulation of Prana and Vata is interrupted, this often leads to physical symptoms, such as arteriosclerosis or stuck
flatulence.

The causes of such an interruption are often psychological: chronic stress, fears , sadness or a general lack of connection with one’s own body (keyword: life in front of the screen), all of which can have a negative effect on prana. So that life energy can circulate undisturbed, it must be cultivated carefully.

Moderate training, the right nutrients, rest, good company and self-love are important building blocks. Above all, they help us to calm the five senses, because they play a crucial role in connection with stress and anxiety.

The classic Ayurvedic text Charaka Samhita already draws attention to this. The background: Our senses are closely linked to the survival instinct.

They help us to be alert and recognize dangers. However, sensory stimuli that are constantly flowing towards us and corresponding mental activity create a pull outwards that excessively stimulates the nervous system. If you don’t create an energetic balance here, it leads to overstimulation, fatigue and a lack of energy. This can be addressed with regular self-care. Your goal: to protect the senses and nourish prana.

In addition to a healthy diet, breathing is particularly important. According to Ayurveda, the prana channel begins at the nostrils and leads to the heart, where its actual seat is. According to Ayureda, concentrating on the breath not only calms the mind and senses, it also nourishes the heart.

A simple, very effective way to balance vata and prana through rhythmic breathing is the following exercise:

Practical tip: Sama Vritti Pranayama

Find a comfortable sitting position for you and set the timer for 5 minutes.
Close your eyes and tune into your breathing for 3 breaths.
On your next inhalation, slowly count to 4.
Then breathe out slowly and completely, counting to 4.

Continue to breathe with concentration in this rhythm: in on 4, out on 4. It can take a while until the inhalation and exhalation really become the same length. Don’t force anything, as that would only lead to more stress, but breathe as calmly and lightly as possible and just observe what happens until the timer goes off. As soon as the exercise becomes easier for you, you can increase the time. The more relaxed and longer you practice this rhythmic breathing, the more stable and balanced you will feel.

Tejas – the smoldering embers

Tejas can be imagined as something like a smoldering ember: even after the fire has gone out, it continues to emit a constant energy for a long time. In Ayurveda, the fire element is called Pitta Dosha and the subtle energetic aspect of a well-balanced Pitta is Tejas.

In the human constitution, Pitta regulates everything that is fiery, especially the digestion of food and information. It makes both body and mind shine. When someone is said to be “brilliant” or “glow,” then

Tejas is at work: it gives us physical strength, makes the skin glow, makes the eyes shine, and sharpens the mind. Thus, it helps us to perceive the world more clearly because in a well-balanced state, Tejas breaks through delusion and mental fog and brings out the true self.

In order to nourish these embers, we need clean-burning fuel (i.e. pure, nutritious food prepared with love), mindful meals enjoyed in peace, and enough time and leisure to thoroughly digest experiences, experiences and emotions.

This is exactly why people have such a special glow about them after a retreat: rest, self-care and reflection nourish Tejas. In order to maintain your inner luminosity in everyday life, the following exercise could be helpful:

Practical tip: rest and retreat

Reserve a certain amount of time for yourself every day and make as precise a plan as possible throughout the week: meditation, pranayama, gentle asanas and self-massage can be included, for example.

Very important: It’s no use throwing thick logs on the fire every now and then. In doing so, we overwhelm our system and do not produce sustainable glow. Instead, it’s about sustained commitment and daily little routines that keep the embers warm and alive.

Also watch our video: Pranayama for the evening – wind down and relax

Ojas – the nourishing cream of the body

Unlike the subtle energies of prana and tejas, ojas is thought of as a substance: just as cream is the essence of milk according to Ayurveda, ojas is said to arise as a refined product of digestion after the seven dhatus (functional body tissues) have been nourished.

The Charaka Samhita therefore refers to it as “the nourishing cream of the body,” “refreshing all living things.” So it is something like the lifeblood that is spoken of when it is said that someone is “full of juice”.

To produce even a small amount of Ojas, huge amounts of food and long periods of digestion are required. This is because, according to Ayurveda, during metabolism a small amount of Ojas initially reaches a first layer of tissue, which is thereby strengthened, vitalized and immunized. Only what is not needed there goes on to the next shift.

It takes 30 days for Ojas to penetrate and nourish all seven layers and reach its finest final form. In this form, Ojas is something like an elixir of life.

If we burn it by regularly working or exercising too much, or by burdening our bodies with poorly digested food, then, according to Ayurveda, this not only affects our beauty or health, it even shortens our lifespan.

So that we are as well supplied as possible with this fuel for vitality and a strong immune system , we should pay attention to a healthy diet and digestion and keep an eye on the energy flows in the body and mind. Very important: take enough breaks on a regular basis.

So whenever you notice that your strength is waning, please don’t just carry on with the motto “it’s okay!”. Ojas is too precious and too important to be blown out like that. The following recipe will help you restore “the cream of life”.

Practical tip: Ojas milk

Dates, almonds and cow’s milk are highly valued in Ayurveda because the various nutrients they contain are said to be particularly suitable for forming ojas (as long as you can digest them well). The easiest way to make a smoothie is in the blender. This Ojas milk is said to promote deep relaxation, recovery and good sleep and help you recharge your batteries.

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