— Seasonal Update / Winter ’19 —

We at Rasasara Skinfood are going to take the Winter 2019 season as an opportunity for self care.

But not self care in the strategic, seemingly unsurmountable sense that punctuates today’s marketing and social media channels as the counter to our increasingly hectic, overly scheduled, busy lives. That unattainable, mythical land that would have you aspire to exercise daily, eat only organic food, and – in the words of Peta Kelly – “meditate with gongs and bathe in CBD infused high frequency oils blessed by the dalai lama.” Can you see where we are going with this?

According to Ayurveda, you couldn’t do better than to strive to live your life in harmony with Mother Nature. Put simply, being in tune with nature also means being in tune with your nature, your constitution or prakruti (Sanskrit for nature). For us, this is what truly constitutes self care. Living in accordance with – and being true to – your own nature, balancing your inner ecology & adjusting to your ever-changing environment.


Self care as a practice is deeply individual. The way in which you create the rhythm of your daily life is key to determining your prolonged health & vitality. It is into this rhythm that we can build tiny habits of achievable self care practice, every day. Ayurveda calls it dinacharya or daily practice. It’s a daily dose of love and attention for your body, mind & consciousness.

— Seasonal Focus / Self Care —

Ideally, your own daily self care practice should be based on balancing your own inherent constitutional or doshic qualities.


The following ideas – many taken from the wisdom of Ayurveda – are small habits respective to self care, that resonate with one or more of us at Rasasara.

If any also resonate with you, you may like to think about inviting a couple more rituals into your existing daily care practices – no matter what that may look like for you.


• Winter is the season of Kapha, slow and steady. Don’t be in a rush. Allow yourself time.

• Allow yourself to rise a little later than you would in the summer and autumn months.

• Do some yoga asanas, including the sun salutation. Beneficial postures during the winter season include the Fish, Locust, Boat, Bow, Lion and Camel poses, Shoulder & Head Stands.

• Quiet meditation & contemplation

• A good winter breakfast. Porridge, with warming spices or kitchari are great choices.

• Drink plenty of ginger tea to stimulate your digestive fire, or agni & improve circulation

• Abhyanga. Daily self massage with black sesame oil before a hot shower. All doshas can benefit from this practice during winter.

• Get back to nature, go for a brisk walk outside, but be sure to wear a hat – 60% of the body’s heat is lost through the head.

• Unplug for an hour (or more). Put your phone on airplane mode. Take some time out from the interconnectedness of our current reality.

• A glass of red wine to unwind at night (Ayurveda even prescribes a little dry red wine in the winter, to improve digestion and circulation)!

• For an unsurpassed sleep, rub a small amount of black sesame oil on the soles of your feet!
Self care can also include:

• Being selective re. who you surround yourself with.

• Being giving towards oneself. But also receiving towards oneself.

• Establishing / upholding boundaries

• A private moment. Privacy in itself is relaxing.

• Saying no, without guilt or justification.

— Recipe / Beetroot Dahl —

This dahl is rich in folate, B vitamins, magnesium, calcium, zinc, omega 3 and butyric acid (ghee). Hearty, cleansing and rich in iron, it’s a great way to start the day, boosting energy + helping to maintain healthier cholesterol levels.





Ingredients

1 cup mung dahl

4 beetroots cubed

1 carrot, quartered & sliced

1 tbls ghee

2 tsp cumin seeds

2 tsp fennel seeds

1tbls fresh ginger

1 tsp ground cumin

1 tsp ground coriander

1 tsp turmeric

1 tsp apple cider vinegar

1 pinch of asafoetida / hing

1 bunch fresh coriander

1 lime

Baby spinach to serve


Method

Rinse mung dahl in water until the water becomes clear

Boil 1 cup of dahl in several cups of water, skim off any foam – add water until your desired consistency is reached, the more water, the more soup-like.

Add diced beetroot

Simmer for 30+ minutes or until beetroot & carrot are tender

Temper the spices in 1 tbls ghee, adding to dahl once fragrant

Add chopped coriander stalks & root, juice of ½ a lime & the apple cider vinegar

Add salt and black pepper to taste

Serve over a handful of organic baby spinach & with a handful of picked coriander leaves sprinkled over the top!


Serves 4

—  Rasasara x Europe  —

Here’s a little taste of what we got up to on our trip to Paris, Biarritz, Helsinki & Hydra recently.
Stay tuned for our mini city guides coming soon…

| Rasasara x My Green Brands / Biarritz Workshop |

| Rasasara x Om Organic Beauty / Helsinki Workshop |

If you, or a like-minded person you know, have access to a beautiful space and would like to host an Ayurvedic Beauty & Wellness workshop, drop us a line at enquiries@rasasara.com, we would love to hear from you.