07-31-2006, 04:43 AM
Soul sustenance<b>
With the western world embracing anything and everything that has even the slightest hint of Indian-ness to it, deeming it exotic and traditional, it is no wonder that âdesiâ has become the latest buzzword internationally. Ironically, it took the gora fascination with our culture to wake us up to its many wonderful faces and take pride in our ancient roots that carry within them many an antidote to modern dilemmas, be it be of the sartorial, culinary, psychological or
physiological kind.</b>
For a number of years now, the west has been combating the latter two (i.e. physical and mental ailments) by the ancient art of ayurveda, which some define as âthe medical system of the Gods handed down to man in ancient Indiaâ. <b>In our part of the world, a mere mortal by the name of Ayesha Omar has taken it upon herself to popularize this ancient holistic wisdom, so that we too can see what everyone, from Hollywood celebrities to British royalty, is raving about.</b>
Ayeshaâs approach to well-being combines the philosophy of ayurveda with the concept of aromatherapy. According to ayurveda, good health comes from physiological balance. All of us are made up of the same fundamental elements that the universe is made up of â kapha (water), pitta (fire) and vata (air). Each of us is born with a unique composition of vata, pitta and kapha and maintaining that original unique balance is vital for ongoing good health. Aromatherapy (the use of essential oils) aids in maintaining and restoring this balance.
There are those who dismiss alternative medicine as being mumbo-jumbo, but according to Ayesha, that is a result of a lack of knowledge about the science of ayurveda. With two courses in ayurvedic aromatherapy from Thailand under her belt, Ayesha has extensive knowledge not only of plant oils and herbs, but also of anatomy and physiology. Moreover, unlike most allopathic doctors who study a patient and pronounce a diagnosis immediately, Ayesha has prolonged consultations with her clients, some lasting up to three hours, in an effort to dig deep into the system and discover the cause of the ailment. âAllopathic medicine gained popularity only because it became increasingly difficult to get hold of herbs, either because they were extinct or too expensive. Basically, therefore, allopathic medicine is a synthetic substitute for alternative healing,â she explains.
Her initial lot of clients used to come to her mainly for beauty-related problems but as her popularity increased, so did the seriousness of cases she received, so that now she is dealing with many patients with serious physiological ailments. Her products, which include different kinds of oil and lotions, are custom-made to suit the individual needs of each patient and are blended using imported essential oils from Thailand. Ayesha also offers a range of massages such as shirobasti and shirodahra as well as reflexology. A limited range of her products will be coming out in the market soon and will be available at Madeehaâs salon (which is where you can book an appointment with Ayesha). So next time you feel like pampering yourself, you know where to head.
With the western world embracing anything and everything that has even the slightest hint of Indian-ness to it, deeming it exotic and traditional, it is no wonder that âdesiâ has become the latest buzzword internationally. Ironically, it took the gora fascination with our culture to wake us up to its many wonderful faces and take pride in our ancient roots that carry within them many an antidote to modern dilemmas, be it be of the sartorial, culinary, psychological or
physiological kind.</b>
For a number of years now, the west has been combating the latter two (i.e. physical and mental ailments) by the ancient art of ayurveda, which some define as âthe medical system of the Gods handed down to man in ancient Indiaâ. <b>In our part of the world, a mere mortal by the name of Ayesha Omar has taken it upon herself to popularize this ancient holistic wisdom, so that we too can see what everyone, from Hollywood celebrities to British royalty, is raving about.</b>
Ayeshaâs approach to well-being combines the philosophy of ayurveda with the concept of aromatherapy. According to ayurveda, good health comes from physiological balance. All of us are made up of the same fundamental elements that the universe is made up of â kapha (water), pitta (fire) and vata (air). Each of us is born with a unique composition of vata, pitta and kapha and maintaining that original unique balance is vital for ongoing good health. Aromatherapy (the use of essential oils) aids in maintaining and restoring this balance.
There are those who dismiss alternative medicine as being mumbo-jumbo, but according to Ayesha, that is a result of a lack of knowledge about the science of ayurveda. With two courses in ayurvedic aromatherapy from Thailand under her belt, Ayesha has extensive knowledge not only of plant oils and herbs, but also of anatomy and physiology. Moreover, unlike most allopathic doctors who study a patient and pronounce a diagnosis immediately, Ayesha has prolonged consultations with her clients, some lasting up to three hours, in an effort to dig deep into the system and discover the cause of the ailment. âAllopathic medicine gained popularity only because it became increasingly difficult to get hold of herbs, either because they were extinct or too expensive. Basically, therefore, allopathic medicine is a synthetic substitute for alternative healing,â she explains.
Her initial lot of clients used to come to her mainly for beauty-related problems but as her popularity increased, so did the seriousness of cases she received, so that now she is dealing with many patients with serious physiological ailments. Her products, which include different kinds of oil and lotions, are custom-made to suit the individual needs of each patient and are blended using imported essential oils from Thailand. Ayesha also offers a range of massages such as shirobasti and shirodahra as well as reflexology. A limited range of her products will be coming out in the market soon and will be available at Madeehaâs salon (which is where you can book an appointment with Ayesha). So next time you feel like pampering yourself, you know where to head.