A simple tip for Diabetes

Radish leaves are generally available with the root vegetable .The leaves are washed well and the juice is extracted.Drinking 30 ml of this juice regularly in the mornings will bring down the blood sugar levels.

Hyptis oil for skin diseases

The previous post has more information about this plant.

Wash the plant well ,pat it dry  , crush it and collect the juice.An equal amount of sesame seed oil is added to it and the mixture is heated on a low flame till all the moisture is evaporated.A small bit of camphor is powdered and added to the oil( when it is luke warm and away from the flame). The oil is cooled and filtered and stored in a glass jar.
When applied on the skin , it heals all types of sores , itchy spots,fungal infections,dry flaky skin and many other skin problems.This is for topical application only .

Hyptis suaveolens - An introduction

Wild spikenard , Bush mint, The Chan plant, Picture
released into the public domain by author Madhavi Madhurakavi.

Hyptis suaveolens - Vilayati tulsi -
Picture released into the public domain by author Madhavi Madhurakavi

Also Known As

Vilayati tulsi,Jungli Tulsi in Hindi

Ganga tulasi or Gandha thulasi

Konda thulasi , Adavi Tulasi in Telugu.

Bhustrena in Sanskrit

American mint,Bush mint,The Chan plant in English.

This is a very common plant found in India and some parts of Asia and Latin America.They bear purplish small n  pretty flowers.

The leaves resemble Tulsi leaves but are much bigger and when crushed they give a distinct smell-hence the names.

A drink is made from the soaked seeds of the plant .

This plant has many medicinal properties.

It is also an insecticidal plant so the dried and powdered plant is used to keep off some insects.It is also known to have some larvicidal properties which can reduce the population of the infamous mosquito Aedes agypti to a certain extent.

The leaves decoction is used to wash the skin with boils and eczema.

The crushed leaves are applied on the forehead  to treat headaches .

The next post will describe the medicinal uses of the oil of this plant.

A simple home remedy for cough and colds and good digestion in children

Clean and cut ginger into small pieces and dry them  in the sun.Powder and sieve the dried pieces and mix an equal quantity of jaggery to it.Pound this mixture and make small spherical golis  (each about the size of a soaked chick pea).

   Dosage: 2 tablets a day( are sucked on like a lozenges).Smaller tablets can be used for children.

    Benefits :

1. Improves the quality of the voice in both men and women
2. Especially useful for children who vomit often
3. Banishes all skin problems after a while
4. Reduces constipation problem.
5. good for coughs and colds.
6. Improves digestion

Mudras for healing - Part 17 -For regularizing periods in women.

Mudra for irregular periods in women
photo author :Madhavi Madhurakavi
image under copyright.

This mudra can be done continuously for 15 minutes per session and 3 times a day.The tips of the middle finger,ring finger and the thumb are brought together as shown in the picture.The person is required to sit comfortably with an erect spine and keep calm while practicing this mudra with both the hands.
This can regularize the periods for women who get their periods twice or thrice a month.
for more information about mudras and how mudras work you may refer :
http://simpleayurvedichealthtips.blogspot.com/2010/10/mudras-for-healing-introduction-1.html

The previous post describes another mudra which can benefit women suffering from pain during periods.

Mudras for healing - Part 16 -For pain during periods in ladies.

Many ladies suffer from painful periods every month.This particular mudra helps in relieving this gynec problem to a large extent.The index finger and the middle finger are bent downwards and the thumb is pressed on them onto the palm.It can be done up to 3 times a day for 15 minutes each but one should not exceed this limit of 45 minutes a day.The peson is seated comfortably with an erect spine and a calm mind .The palms may be rested on the knee.

The lady must avoid the intake of spicy and non vegetarian food at these times. This is known as vatanashaka mudra and recommended by Pandita Elchuri..

Click on the "  Mudras  "  label below for more information.

Mudra for curing painful periods in women.
photo author:Madhavi Madhurakavi.
image is under copyright.

Public domain images of Argemone mexicana

image released into the public domain by author Madhavi Madhurakavi

image released into the public domain by Madhavi Madhurakavi.

English:Mexican prickly poppy
Hindi : Satyanashi
Tamil: Kudiyotti
Sanskrit : Swarna kshiri (because of the yellow sap secretion-swarna-gold kshiri-sap)
Telugu: Bramhadandi.

more information about the curative properties of this plant  for psoriasis can be found in

http://simpleayurvedichealthtips.blogspot.com/2011/01/good-cure-for-psoriasis-and-other-skin.html

What's in a name?

The exact number of  the species of proper plants existing on Earth is unknown but the rough estimate is 3 lakh and 22 thousand and still counting.
A thorough research is done on each plant and it is named after following some meticulous rules.So every known plant has one or more complicated scientific / Latin names.
              Luckily so much of careful consideration does not go into naming a local plant.A plant can have many  regional names based on its appearance or characteristics. The Powder puff tree and the  Bottle brush tree are the names  in my mind right now.
.So going by the Shakespearean quote by Juliet
 " What's in a name?
That we call a rose by any other name would smell as sweet"  , the grouping of letters to form a name may not be as important as knowing the name itself.
                Knowing the name is the basis for any  kind of interaction.It is the first step in creating a feeling of empathy.I am making an effort to know  the local names of the medley of plants I see  often . I  hope to meet some  kindred friends along the way.

Tips for reducing eye strain and the 20-20-20 rule.

Eye strain is becoming increasingly common these days because of the routine use of computers.This can even lead to  CVS or the computer vision syndrome which include many symptoms like blurred vision ,headaches neck pain and dry eyes.

There are task specific glasses available which are meant for various activities where people need to focus uninterruptedly on something particular for a long periods of time. People who work on embroidery designs ,shooters  and pianists find these prescription glasses useful.Computer glasses help people who have to focus on the computer screen  for long hours.
These are some simple things one can try to reduce the eye strain.

• Focus on something which is at least 20 feet away for at least 20 seconds every 20 minutes.This will relax the ciliary muscles of the eye.
• Closing eyes for 20 seconds every 20 minutes will also help.
• Scanning the entire room  from a corner and focus on all the objects in the edge of the room will increase the fluidity and flexibility of the eyes.
• Looking out through a window and focus on something far off.

The eye is a very delicate and complicated organ where many parts of the eye and the brain have to work in concert for a good vision . Taking good care of them would be the wise thing to do.

A problem of bad odour from the nose

Some people suffer from a peculiar problem of a bad  smell  from the nostrils . This can be noticed  by the person while breathing.
The main cause of this problem is a blocked sinus .
This is a simple tip which can help most people.It may not help some people with very stubborn bacterial or fungal infections  or nasal polyps.
Using 2 drops of sesame seed oil as nose drops early in the morning on an empty stomach greatly helps.
This can also work for people who tend to sneeze constantly in the morning .
Practising  Pranayama  also helps to control this problem.