Herbs That Have Been Adopted By A Culture
Herbs have always played a deep role in Indian cuisine and culture. Gurus of the ancient times as well the contemporary times have always recommended them. It was then that they became part of the daily routine. Of all the herbs, the most common, yet the most effective ones are Turmeric and Neem.
Azadirachta indica and Indian lilac are exotic herbs with medicinal value. We know it as the ubiquitous and commonly seen Neem tree. Turmeric, also known as Curcuma longa, grows all the year around, and belongs to the ginger family of root herbs. Now, people derived a way of combining good health with Yoga, and ensured that to remain unaffected by ailments, they had to mix Yoga practice and use these herbs on a daily basis.
Ayurveda is the science of medicinal herbs. To know more about the connection between Ayurveda and yoga, head here.
How Are They In(valuable)?
The Turmeric and Neem, combined with the practice of Yoga, are a magical combination. These three things exude health and prosperity. In ancient Indian culture, people always accorded the best status of wealth to health. They were aware from those times that when health fails, everything fails. Health is the bedrock. Therefore, people were using Turmeric since ancient times as a condiment, a textile dye, and medically as an aromatic stimulant. From time immemorial, the Neem tree has become an important role in the culture and traditions of India. The Neem tree is a mix of contrasts – it may be common, but it is also the most valuable one. The leaves of the Neem tree are the most utilized. Do you know what’s unique about this tree? All parts of the tree are usable.
Where Do You Find Them?
The Neem and the Turmeric plants have an added distinction to their credit- they can grow all year round, and anywhere, in any type of soil. This means a great deal in the existing culture and tradition of a country. That is how, their continuous presence helps to become a part of the cuisine of a system. People develop ways and means to include them into their daily life and that is how they become a part of the tradition.
How Did They Enter The Cuisine System?
While turmeric with its high quantity of anti-oxidants, healing power, antiseptic and anti-biotic properties became one of the major components of the Indian cuisine, the neem is not really far behind. The yardstick test to integrate anything in the food system is to check if children can digest them; this was one big positive point for both the herbs we are talking about here. People in India refer to Turmeric and Haldi or Manjal. Neem is a Sanskrit- Hindi word by itself. Slowly, the culinary experimentalists and experts started to use them in small quantities in their cuisine, until they became a part of their system. They realised that combining it with regular practice of yoga gave one a disease -free body. The yoga sequences were practiced with mudras seriously. To know more about mudras, read here.
How Do Herbs Get Into The Fabric Of A Culture?
We have learned through experience that ‘out of sight means out of the mind’. When a specific herb becomes very common as in, it is visible everywhere, then the people of a specific ethnic group or country start incorporating it into their cuisine. When it becomes a commonly used herb with gastronomical delights, then people give it so much importance that it becomes a major part of the food factor. Then it becomes difficult to remove the herb from the delicacies. It is then we realise that something becomes so integral to a system. In this case, the Neem and the Turmeric are an everyday affair in the kitchen of India. With a well established yoga routine, the neem and the turmeric can transform the health of any individual to that of excellence.
How Do We Integrate Yoga With Turmeric and Neem?
Let us see how to create a schedule to integrate yoga with the use of turmeric and neem as a regular and habitual task. Regular practice of such a spread will get us the best combination of excellent state of mind and great health. Our ancient Gurus knew the importance of meditation and breathing (Pranayama). For more information on meditation and its overall benefits, head here. This is our greatest wealth. These three will contribute towards a perfect, well-balanced individual. The first in this series as a starter would be the Pranayama. The mudra to adopt in our Pranayama is the Chin mudra, where the tips of the thumb and the index finger touch.
The Sequential Flow Of The Asanas And The Stretches
One of the most important stepping stones to effective yogasanas is flexibility in the arms. The ability to clasp both the hands or palms at the back is part of an asana called the Gomukhasana. Here, in the picture, we focus on the ability to bring more flexibility in the arms, by clasping them at the back. Let us add this stretch as the second in our sequence of stretches, along with the intake of turmeric and neem as part of our health awareness programme. Adding meditation to this at the end of the asana practice, is the best way to keep our physical and mental health in balance.
Read more about the curative powers of meditation in treating addictions here.
The Simple Sequences To Adopt
After the Pranayama series, we suggest the Hand-clasping at the back, to ease the stiff muscles of the arms and the shoulders.
Read more information on Pranayama and the types here. There is a type of pranayama for most ailment of the modern man: combating stress, anxiety, depression, inducing relaxation or increasing one’s energy.
Post this, the next stretch to focus on the ease of the hands would be doing the Back Namaskar or The Paschim Namaskar. The back clasp would initiate a good back namaskar pose. This helps in quick and easy movement in the upper shoulders and arms.
Another Seated Asana That Eases The Muscles Of The Back
What we see below, is the Balasana or The Baby Pose, after we finish the Paschim Namaskar, or The Back Namaskar pose.. All we need to do is, to remain in the Sukhasana pose, or the comfort position. From here, raise both hands up, as one would do in the Tadasana position. When we take our hands up, we inadvertently inhale. After this, as you naturally exhale, come down with your hands stretched out in front of you. Then, just place your forehead on the ground in front of you. This is a dual purpose asana- it helps to stretch the muscles and also work on the core abdomen area to bring mobility to the taut and tight muscles there. To add this to our sequence with the other yoga stretches, as well as the turmeric and the neem treatment means ensuring flexibility in our body.
The Seated Stretch, Followed By Standing Asanas
Doing the Tadasana means to stand, and nicely stretch your hands up, clasping the palms together. This ensures that the spine is well- stretched, and any discomfort in the spinal area, gets eased with the regular practice of the asana. The combination of yoga, with a little bit of neem and turmeric in our daily routine. This means we focus on a long lasting and meaningful improvement towards our health. Any yoga sequence is not complete without the introduction of the Tadasana and the Vrikshasana. These two asanas help in stretching the upper half of our body and bring about some flexibility.
Working Towards A Strong Back
What makes a person completely disease – free and walk the journey of total healthfulness? It cannot be brought down to any one thing. It is a mix of so many things- asanas, pranayama, mudras and even having herbs as part of the diet or the food that one has. We showcase the next best asana- the Vipareetha Karni, which is an anti-gravity asana. The moment we align our legs in this mudra (yes, this is indeed a mudra), the blood flow gets corrected; the pressure on our calves is lessened, and the knees are also reasonably relaxed. This yoga, added to our list along with turmeric and neem as part of our practice will bless us with a coninuous state of excellent health. The vipareetha karni here has been tweaked to suit our physical states, as sometimes, purist asanas cannot help .
What Follows Next…
Let’s continue with our super health combo of integrating the herbs turmeric and the neem with our yoga sequence. First, we align our legs against the wall, and make them stand straight. Then, keeping our hands on the thighs for added support, slowly spread the legs apart. Stay here for three inhalations and exhalations – there will be a sense of calmness and a relaxed state of mind. From here, gently bend the legs and the make sure that the feet are touching each other. When you bend the legs, it will appear like Thithli-asana or Butterfly asana, but against the wall. It will also help as an antidote for varicose veins. Doing the Vipareetha Karni every day and adding it to your practice sequence every day will help prevent varicose veins.
Mode of Integrating The Three : Yoga, Turmeric, Neem
Experts of today who are into holistic health development have this to say – a tender leaf of neem every morning on an empty stomach is the best ever way to divest the physical body of worms. Plus, neem has medicinal properties that help in healing the body from any type of disease. Dr. Chitra Ashok, a well known gynecologists in Chennai, says she advises people to have this harmless and zero-side effect ready in case of worm infestation. Sometimes, Dr. Chitra says, we can also deep fry the neem leaves in clarified butter (ghee as it is called in India) and mix with a tablespoon of piping hot cooked rice. Add a pinch of salt and pepper powder to this and have it. This is a remedy for a whole lot of digestive ailments. It is a great healing medicine for the liver.
What Is The Procedure to Adopt If We Follow This Regimen?
As human beings, we always look for a regularity in our lifestyle, as we realise that when we are habituated to doing something, it becomes part of our life pattern. But how do we make something like cuisine and fitness fit into a pattern? First of all, we should integrate it like this: on an empty stomach, one day a week, try to take three (yes…!!) very tender neem leaves and chew them. It is important to remember that we should not pay any attention to the bitterness in the moth. Just ignore that part. And after this, an hour later, start the yoga sequence that suits your body type, making sure to integrate some of the asanas we have mentioned.
What Else Should Become Part Of Your Habit?
After recommending that we can use tender neem leaves only once a week or probably a fortnight, lets focus on the neem flowers, which look tiny, dainty and white. Take about a half a handful, roast it nicely in clarified butter / ghee, and then to this add a pinch of sea salt , three garlic cloves and then a pinch of pepper. After you fry them well in the clarified butter, make sure you add this to piping hot freshly cooked rice. The whole dish should sizzle and leave a unique aroma, which is a mixture of friend neem flowers, garlic cloves and the rest. As for the turmeric, it is really quite ubiquitous. Every dish in India has turmeric as the main ingredient. Since it is a natural healer, there is no doubt that ingesting it every day will result in a healthy gut.
What About Those Who Have Never Added Turmeric To Their Cuisine Before?
While it is the truth that in India no dish is complete without the addition of turmeric as a main flavour adding agent, it is also true that there are many people who have never heard of this herb or spice before. So, for those who have never added turmeric to their diet, here’s a quickie recipe.
Ingredients : Yoghurt + Roasted Flax Seeds+ Turmeric powder – 1/2 teaspoon+ a pinch of salt+ coriander leaves for seasoning + one finely chopped green chilly. Now , slowly dry roast the some flax until they turn golden brown; Slowly, add some oregano (1/2 teaspoon) to this and continue to dry roast, until it turns a golden brown. Now, take it off the stove and place it aside. Once cooled, take the yoghurt, and to it and the roasted dry oregano and the flax seed. Now, add them all, and then put it in the mixer ,and run it for a few minutes. Once turned into a smooth paste, add a lot of water to it. Now you can drink it.
Once it touches the insides of the stomach, the healing takes place on its own. Adding the main ingredient, the turmeric powder, will transform our health to a near- perfect one. Good health is indeed in our hands. We need to use our discretion to integrate the mudras, the pranayama , the asanas , the turmeric and the neem into a perfect home remedy system.
Shanti Arunkumar, Senior Contributor At L’Aquila Active
Learn more about Shanti by reading her bio below.
Click on link below to meet L’Aquila Active’s entire team of experts, including university degrees, certifications, and credentials on yoga and meditation: