Consumption of teas has grown in popularity over the years. There are a variety of tea options with a numerous health benefits. The most commonly available teas are black, green, and herbal. All teas originate from Camellia sinensis, which is a native plant to India and China.

On top of tea’s antimicrobial properties, research has shown that drinking tea helps with cancer, heart disease, and diabetes. It also encourages weight loss, lowers cholesterol, and brings about mental alertness. Tea is also an excellent antioxidant because it contains flavonoids. Tea can also be used to substitute the consumption of coffee.

Black Tea –
- Made with fermented tea leaves
- Has the highest caffeine content out of all the teas
- Is typically the base for many flavored teas, such as chai
- High in antioxidants
- Research shows that black tea protects lungs from damage due to smoking
- Reduces risk of stroke and heart disease. Helps in recovery from a heart attack
- Aids in blocking allergic reactions, improves skin, delays onset of diabetes, and slows the growth of tumors

Green Tea –
- Preserves many of the original qualities of the fresh leaf while enhancing and bringing out its effects through its making
- Made by cooking the leaves and then pressing them to release their moisture and then drying them out
- Research shows that green tea is an excellent antioxidant
- Prevents cancers of the bladder, breast, lung, stomach, pancreatic, and colorectal
- Helps with recovery from a hangover and burns fat
- Reduces risk of neurological disorders, such as Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease, reduces risk of stroke, improves cholesterol, and prevents clogging of the arteries
- Counteracts oxidative stress on the brain

Herbal Tea –
- Made with various herbs, fruits, seeds, or roots that have been steeped in hot water
- Are lower in antioxidants than green and black teas
- Some types of herbal teas include, ginger, hibiscus, jasmine, rosehip, mint, chamomile, and Echinacea
- Research shows that herbal teas prevent and heal colds, bring restful sleep, lowers blood pressure, and helps with weight loss
- Chamomile tea prevents complications from diabetes, such as loss of vision, nerve, and kidney damage, and prevents the growth of cancer cells
- Echinacea tea fights off the common cold
- Hibiscus tea lowers blood pressure

Tea is best when consumed as a hot beverage and should be brewed for at least 3 to 5 minutes. Milk, lemon, and organic sugar may be added to the tea for taste. Various teas, especially herbal teas, give off therapeutic aromas. Here is a quote for you to sum up the benefits of tea: “If you are cold, tea will warm you. If you are too heated, it will cool you. If you are depressed, it will cheer you. If you are excited, it will calm you” ~ Gladstone, 1865.

Enjoy tea time!

Varsha

All of you know my favorite herb, which is Tulsi or holy basil. Now I’m going to share with you my favorite spice. Every spice is filled with a variety of healing properties. In fact every vegetable, every fruit, every grain, each of them have their own medicinal properties. As time goes on, I would like to share all that information with you on what food or spice is good for what ailment. For now, I would like to start with ginger.

In traditions around the world, ginger is used therapeutically. Most health professionals recognize the amazing healing qualities found in ginger. According to Ayurveda, ginger pacifies both kapha and vata, and it increases pitta. Ginger’s most impressive quality is how it helps digestion. It is an excellent spice for digestion and cleansing the body of ama (undigested food in the body). Ginger is excellent for constipation, the heart, cholesterol, coughs and colds, improves circulation, headaches, relieves distention, is a blood purifier and its great for respiratory conditions. Really, these are just some conditions in which ginger is good for. In reality, you can use ginger for just about any ailment.

The bigger question here is how do you use it. For coughs and colds, a remedy I use widely is green tea with fresh ginger and lemon. You will find some immediate relief and you will find that your recovery time has been reduced by at least half. Drink it about 3 to 4 times a day at minimum. If you find that you don’t like green tea, simply having hot water with ginger and lemon will also do the trick. Green tea is high and anti-oxidants and that is one reason why I like to add green tea to this home remedy.

To increase digestion, have a slice of fresh ginger before meals. Ginger will stimulate the digestion and is also good for those who have a loss of appetite. To prevent bloating, have a glass of hot water with ginger during meals. Another great way to ensure that you are able to digest your meal is to cook with ginger. Ginger adds spice and flavor to meals.

Ginger can also be used for chronic arthritis. Take about 10 grams of freshly grated ginger and boil it in about 1 liter of water. Sip this warm infusion only during the day. This same remedy can be used for vata type of pain.

Let me know if you have any questions, but ginger is excellent for just about everyone. However, never apply any sort of ginger pastes to skin lesions and rashes and do not use in cases of severe bleeding and high fevers.

Health and happiness,

Varsha

At the end of every yoga class, all students should lie in Savasana or corpse pose. Savasana allows for the mind and body to relax and release all the stress and tension. It also allows one to prepare to get back into their regular activity and routine.

There are many benefits of Savasana, such as reduced blood pressure, reduces stress, brings clarity to the mind, reduces anger and frustration, and allows the mind and body to calm down and relax. At the end, you should lie in Savasana for at least five to ten minutes. Ten minutes would be ideal.

This is a guided meditation to bring the attention inward to release stress and tension throughout the body after a yoga class. Lie down in the corpse pose, which means the legs are apart and relaxed and palms are to the sides facing up. Ideally, a teacher would take you through this guided meditation.

Here is the meditation, step by step, waiting about 20-30 seconds in between each new instruction:

1. Take nice deep inhalations and exhalations to keep your attention within the body. With every inhalation, you will find yourself to be in the moment.
2. Relax your feet
3. Relax your legs
4. Relax your hips
5. Relax your abdomen
6. Relax your back
7. Relax your chest
8. Relax your arms
9. Relax your shoulders
10. Relax your neck
11. Relax your facial muscles by slightly opening your mouth
12. Continue to breathe.
13. If you feel any aches, pains, or discomfort, gently ask your mind to focus upon the discomfort to relax it away and continue to breathe. (Wait about one minute before continuing).
14. Bring your attention back to the present moment and focus upon the third eye, in between the eyebrows, and continue to breathe. (Stay here for the rest of the meditation, at least one minute and if time permits, several minutes).
15. Take your time, but when you are ready to get up, stretch, and slowly get back up.

With this meditation, you are now ready to jump back into your activity.

Happy Meditating!

Varsha

It’s the New Year and half way through the first full work-week of the year. How are those New Year’s resolutions coming along? It is common knowledge that those resolutions do not tend to last long. Even with the greatest intentions, resolutions all sound great in theory, but to actually incorporate them into an already active lifestyle can be quite challenging. Resolutions relating to health and fitness are quite common and let’s be honest, not having much of an exercise routine and then all of a sudden jumping into one can be quite gruesome.

Those who already have a yoga practice, that’s great and keep up the fantastic work. For those who are thinking about it, starting new, or have made a resolution to be regular with your practice, now is the time to start one. To begin a yoga practice at home requires self-dedication and commitment.

After having a busy day at work, the last thing anyone wants to do is get back up and stretch the body. The way to commit to practicing yoga daily is to make it a part of your routine. Yoga should become just as important as brushing your teeth. The simplest way to begin a home yoga practice is to begin with doing Suryanamaskar, or Sun Salutations. Sun Salutations are a series of postures that are designed to increase flexibility, tone, and strengthen the muscles. Start by doing at least one set a day and then each day, gradually build up the number of repetitions to about 5 or 10. To begin with, go at a comfortable pace, not too fast and not too slow.

Here is a Youtube video that lays out the most basic set of Sun Salutations, which is demonstrated by Dashama Each teacher may vary the set slightly by adding other postures or variations, but here is the most basic and simple form. Sun Salutations is also a great way to warm up and prepare for any exercise routine.

Health and happiness,

Varsha