July 2010             

“It is in my belief that the human brain and basic human compassion are by nature in some kind of balance.  Sometimes, when we grow up, we may neglect human affection and simply concentrate on the human brain, thus losing the balance.  It is then that disasters and unwelcome things happen."  - His Holiness The Dalai Lama

Loving Greetings from Nalanda

Dear friends and clients

What nourishes your soul? What is soul food for you?

Is it the silly joke that made you burst out laughing till you wept?

Is it the shoulder massage given by a friend first thing on a Monday morning or the moment the sun came streaming through the gap in the dark morning clouds?

Contents:

1.     Specials for August to October 2010

        - Pancha Karma Detox Retreats

        - Ayurveda Wellness Week

        - Women's Retreat

        -  One-day Pamper Package

2.     What does NOT nourish you?

3.     Hot water therapy

4.     Ayurvedic Body-Mind Types or Doshas

5.     Recipe - Indian Rice Pudding,
         including dairy-free option

6.     Position available at Nalanda

7.     Tips

8.     Diary of Events

Is it eating a sandwich in a rocky overhang with a view of the surrounding mountains on a clear cold day or watching Nadal winning the French Open?

An obvious way to nourish ourselves is through food. Ayurveda encourages us to move towards foods which have the effect of increasing harmony, clarity and balance in our state of mind and general health. These are known in Sanskrit, as Sattvic, they are foods which are closest to their natural state. You will find a recipe for Indian Rice Pudding which is a warming, nourishing and comforting breakfast or dessert which is especially yummy in winter.

We also inform you about trans fats, this type of food has been radically artificially altered from its natural state and is said to have a detrimental effect on the health of those who consume it regularly.

"Ice cold water is poison to the system, because it cools down agni," (the digestive fire) says Vasant Lad, president and director of the Ayurvedic Institute in Albuquerque, New Mexico.  "Hot water is nectar." ‘Hot water therapy’. Ayurveda recommends drinking six to eight large cups of boiled water per day as this hydrates the body deeply and removes toxins. See below for more detail.

Nourish your body and soul by joining us for an Ayurveda Wellness Retreat or Pancha Karma Detox Retreat.  View our diary of events for upcoming dates.  All confirmed bookings before 10 August 2010 will receive a 15% discount.

In closing, we wish you a spectacular winter season of health, inspiration and enthusiasm.

Specials for August to October 2010

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1. Pancha Karma Detox Retreats

Spring-clean your body, mind and spirit by joining us for a minimum of seven days or longer using the age-old Ayurvedic detoxification program.  Contact Nalanda Ayurvedic Centre regarding availability and for a full tailor-made quotation.

Upcoming dates:

12-18 August; 20-26 September; 25-31 October; 8-14 November; 

24-30 November; 17-23 December

Various

2. Ayurveda Wellness Week

Rest and rejuvenate, balance body, mind and soul with wonderful Ayurvedic Massages, healthy and delicious Ayurvedic Meals, Yoga, time in nature and lots of loving care!

Included:

• Daily Ayurvedic Massage treatment

• Quiet time, time in nature, rest and relaxation, meditation

• Introduction to selfcare treatment

• Ayurvedic vegetarian cooking workshop

• Discussion on Ayurvedic diet and lifestyle

• All Ayurvedic vegetarian meals, including  mid-morning and afternoon snacks

• Four nights accommodation, Monday – Friday at Nalanda Ayurvedic Retreat Centre included, other accommodation extra

Upcoming Dates:

2-6 August; 17-21 November; 6-10 December

R6 660.00

Women's Wellness Retreat is a place for women to return to a state of relaxation, health and joy. During these five days we give special attention to expression, emotional cleansing and connecting to the feminine and ourselves as Women. We give focus and attention on bonding as women and take time to work on our inner beauty. In modern times, we spend a lot of energy on external grooming and beauty treatments, it is also important to spend the time on our inner grooming, as this is where true beauty develops.

This Women's Retreat is an invitation for all women of any age, culture or religion. It is a place to share what it means to be women and to explore  even further into ourselves, finding a state of balance, peace and tranquility.

Leeane Chalice will be facilitating this Wellness Retreat. She walks the path of the Heart and helps women rediscover their passion. Leeane holds regular gatherings and healing sessions for women here in South Africa and abroad. She willingly shares her knowledge, learned from her work with different communities in Brasil, and Leeane also pours the Sweat Lodge ceremony in the Red Path and African ways. She is a qualified therapeutic massage therapist, herbalist and reflexologist, specializing in lymphatic drainage and deep tissue massage.

During this Retreat, we will use Dance, Yoga, Meditation, Ayurvedic treatments, Healthy Eating, Relaxation and Quality time in nature as tools to unwind and re-discover our true essence.

ONLY R3 600 per person all inclusive, if staying at Nalanda Ayurvedic Centre, shared accommodation, shared bathroom. External accommodation extra.

Early booking is advisable as the number of participants is limited to a maximum of six.

Upcoming Dates:

23-27 August 2010

R3 600.00

4. One-day Pamper Package

Escape the madness of the City for a day and spend some quality 'me' time in Greyton. Enjoy a wonderfully relaxing Mini Retreat which will leave you feeling warm, beautiful and clean, both within and without!

Included:

• Welcome herbal tea

• Full body massage with lots of warm oil - deeply rejuvenating

• Foot massage using a bowl, Kansu, relaxing the whole body, balancing fire element, reducing stress and giving beauty to your face

• Full Ayurvedic Facial including facial steam inhalation, using only edible ingredients, this is not a beauty facial but deeply relaxing and nurturing for the face and whole body

• Warming herbal tea followed by a full body steam

• Relaxation, healthy fruit snack and herbal tea

• Delicious two-course vegetarian meal

R960.00

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TRANS FATS!

They have no known benefit to human health, according to CANSA (Cancer Association of South Africa).

The Department of Health is in the process of developing legislation aimed at the reduction of trans fatty acids derived from the process of partial hydrogenation of vegetable oil, present in certain processed and prepared foods currently for sale in South Africa.

Chronic diseases such as coronary heart disease, diabetes, certain cancers and obesity have been shown to be associated with the presence of trans-fatty acids in one's diet.

Industrial hydrogenation converts liquid plant oils into a semi-solid spread, like margarine, by exposing the oil to high pressure and heat with hydrogen gas bubbling through it in the presence of a nickel catalyst.  Under these conditions hydrogen atoms open up double bonds converting unsaturated fats in liquid oils into hardened saturated fats.

Chemically, trans fats may be identical to certain natural fats but structurally they are different due to a “kink” in the middle of the molecule. These abnormal molecules cannot be utilised by our cells.

The new legislation will affect all manufactured and pre-packaged foodstuffs, as well as foods prepared by restaurants and fast food outlets, containing partially hydrogenated vegetable oil as an ingredient, or where such oil is used for deep frying.

Naturally occurring trans-fatty acids in animal fats, such as in dairy products and meat, are excluded from the proposed new legislation, as they are believed to have certain health benefits.

Alternative processing technologies

In terms of the new legislation, manufacturers will have to disclose in their labelling: the quantity of total fats and what percentage is saturated fat; trans fat, poly-unsaturated fat and mono saturated fat. 

Manufacturers will have to use alternative technologies for processing vegetable oil or choose to use more appropriate types of fats and oils in their products. Countries such as Denmark, Canada and the United States have introduced similar legislation since 2003.  According to the department, this was accomplished without noticeable effects on the availability, price or quality of foods previously containing high amounts of industrially processed trans-fatty acids.

Information taken from http://www.southafrica.info/services/health/transfats-160909.htm and www.cansa.org.

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This is the regular habit of drinking boiled water. By boiling the drinking water on a stove or fire (not an automatic kettle) for five minutes, the intelligence of the element of fire is incorporated, which magnifies the properties of the water. Sipping boiled water cleans the fine inner channels of the body and burns ama (toxins). This therapy also enhances the power of agni, the fire of digestion. The stronger the digestive fire, the stronger the mental and physical stamina, the stronger the immune system, the stronger the health and the brighter the glow of the skin.

Ayurveda recommends pure drinking water with a moderate mineral content. The water can be sipped during and after meals, but not on an empty stomach. Ayurveda prescribes three different temperatures for drinking boiled water, depending on the body-mind type. (See the table below if you are not sure which type you are.)

Kapha type people can sip the water hot. This reduces the toxic build up to which Kapha type skin is prone.
Pitta types should cool the boiled water to body temperature and drink with or after meals. Pitta types must be careful to avoid hot temperatures.
Vata types can drink the water warm, avoiding hot and cold. Their cool, dry skin needs warm- temperature water for hydration and to clear the channels and burn ama.

Aushadhi (oh shah' dee) usnodaka therapy is the practice of drinking boiled water mixed with herbs. Aushadhi is recommended after age 40 when the body slows down its processes of absorption, assimilation and circulation. It also is recommended when there is great accumulation of ama in the body tissues and in the skin. Dry, dull skin indicates ama. Also, the skin becomes less tolerant to the sun and susceptible to early aging symptoms such as spots and wrinkles. In this case, Ayurveda recommends some specific herbs and spices for further reducing ama and supporting the skin.

For preparation of aushadhi, boil one litre of water for five minutes, then pour into a thermos. Add herbs and spices according to your body and skin type, as described below. Close the thermos to keep the herb water hot and after straining, drink it after meals at the temperature recommended above. The herbs and spices in these recipes can be purchased at most health shops and/or supermarkets.

Extract from www.mapi.com

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Table taken from Wilderdom.com & NewYorkBodyScan.com

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Indian Rice Pudding,
including dairy-free option

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Nalanda Ayurvedic Centre - Greyton offers Wellness and Pancha Karma Detox Retreats, Courses and Massages to satisfied SA and international clientele. In operation since 2002, we hold a strong position in the Ayurvedic and Wellness Industry, with high quality services and products.

Due to continued growth we offer the following two positions:

Business Partnership

A mature, dedicated, responsible partner with strong administrational background to take over managing and directing as well as developing a wide range of further opportunities.  Owner will continue to be involved with clients but needs a partner to manage operations.

Receptionist/Office Manager

The successful candidate needs to be methodical and organised, friendly with a positive attitude, interested in health, open-minded, committed and reliable, have good selling and communication skills, able to take responsibility, proactive, have endurance and be flexible.

Visit www.nalanda.co.za for more info. Contact us with your CV/letter of motivation at info@nalanda.co.za; phone 028 254 9027.

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To keep you feeling fresh and avoid the afternoon ‘slump’, lie down for a few minutes with a slice of cucumber over each eye, then eat a few slices of cucumber. They are a good source of B vitamins and several different minerals that can provide a quick pick-me-up that can last for hours.

Instead of throwing away used lemons, put them in the cutlery tray of your dishwasher and smell the lovely fragrance of your clean dishes when you open up the machine.

Funny quote: “I find I am happier when I am just a little grumpy.”

We have come to the end of another edition of our newsletter and trust that you enjoyed it and have found the information useful.  We are always interested in hearing from you and would appreciate your feedback. Please email us at feedback@nalanda.co.za.

With love from the Nalanda team

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Welcome to Nalanda Ayurvedic Centre