Patricia Ann Kelly: Skin to Soul Beauty with Ayurveda

What is beauty and how do we achieve it?

To seek and aspire towards beauty is one of the most natural things. Beauty is an inherent quality in nature, in life and thus in us. We experience and perceive beauty through our mind and senses. It brings pleasure and joy to our hearts. Beauty reflects the underlying harmony of the fabric of nature, and it is an inborn quality within all living beings that stems from the pulse of life itself as the mystery of what beats our heart, breathes in our air and supplies our tissues with nutrients. Thusly being alive, our vitality, is the most essential mechanism of beauty as it is the primary source of our existence. Awareness of this alone is something to be grateful for and one example of beauty.

In the modern quest for beauty, emphasis is so often placed upon the exterior of form, color, and shape. What hair style, nail color, make-up trends, clothes, shoes, butt, nose, lip size, etc is a lot of what we have heard in the modern discourse of fashion and beauty. Furthermore, the standard of tall and thin models have conditioned us to equate beauty with just one body type. A toxic one-size-fits-all paradigm of beauty has persisted in mainstream culture that has largely not exemplified a wholesome or true understanding. Of course, one should celebrate and beautify external features but when the majority of emphasis is placed upon just the superficial attributes, we miss out on the depth of all that makes us who we truly are and of understanding the dynamic interplay of nature within us that constitutes and becomes the essential key to our own authentic expression of beauty in the world and the future of our health and happiness {for that matter}. This is precisely what Ayurvedic beauty strives to help us achieve.

Beauty, in Ayurveda, is synonymous with health that is expressed through the dynamic interplay of elements in body, mind and soul. Inner wellness is understood as the basis of our outer appearance, and so outer beauty is based primarily upon what is within: physiologically, mentally/emotionally, and spiritually. From our thoughts, feelings, and beliefs to the foods we eat, the quality of our digestion and our tissues, our actions/karma of daily living, to our ability to “know thyself” and harmonize with the flow of life’s cycles and rhythms, these considered as some of the vital pathways to beauty and well-being in Ayurveda. This ancient system invites us into a holistic paradigm of beauty that has truly stood the test of time, spanning over 5,000 years. Ayurveda originates from the oldest known texts, the Vedas, that contain this science of living and a spiritual belief in the cosmic unity of all things. Vedic philosophy regards beauty, as a most esteemed quality that should exemplify truth and goodness within all areas of life. This reverence for beauty is revealed in the elaborate rituals, temples, iconography, in the celebration of color, fabric, adornment, jewelry, oils, spices, food and mysticism that India is known for. It’s no surprise such an understanding of beauty is thus contained in it’s system of Ayurveda.

A beauty-imbibed system it is, the teachings were originally passed on orally through song in a poetic form called shloka. The Ayurvedic definition of beauty can thusly be summarized best in the following shloka as “Roopam Gunam Vayastyag, iti Shubanga Sundarya Karanam” which translates to “Outer beauty Inner beauty, Youthfulness of Mind leads to Everlasting beauty”. This shloka outlines the three pillars of Ayurvedic beauty as Outer beauty, Inner beauty and Lasting beauty. Outer Beauty is concerned with beauty as the outer reflection of physiological health. Inner Beauty constitutes the subtle qualities of our mind and spirit as it manifests itself through our thoughts, actions and words. Thirdly, Vyastyag, or Lasting Beauty, points to the cultivation and balancing of both these inner and outer realms in order to achieve longevity and beauty of a timeless nature. These three dimensions reveal Ayurveda’s holistic concept of beauty and along with its treasure trove of lifestyle wisdom, the groundwork is laid for the cultivation of a beauty that shines from the inside out and with that said, from skin to soul.

Furthermore, Ayurveda takes the nature of all things into account. Every action, thought, food or experience we take in has a specific nature and quality that will lend a particular effect and interact accordingly with other elements internally and with the world around. Three particular combinations of elements known as the Doshas constitute the essential forces of nature prevalent within us and in nature. They are known as Vata, Pitta and Kapha. Vata is comprised of air and ether elements, Pitta is comprised of fire and water elements, and finally Kapha is comprised of water and earth elements. These doshas reflect in the seasons and in substantive nature as well as make up one’s personal constitution.

A person's prakruti or doshic constitution, refers to the particular dominant elements that make up their being. The prominent doshic make-up is something that does not change throughout life, rather it is inherent from birth. A person is usually dominant in one or two of these elements yet possess all of them on some level. Vata dosha constitutions will present thin and petite body types, drier skin that is more prone to wrinkles and tends toward creativity, thinking, and movement. Pitta types will present more medium build, will be more prone to acne and inflammatory conditions, but be sharp minded and quick to process information. Kapha’s present the larger builds, have the most hydrated youthful skin yet excess oil can make them prone to congested pores and white heads. They are often slower to think and move, yet are the most stable, supportive, and loving of the constitutions When considering health and beauty, Ayurveda looks to a person's dosha to determine what specific therapies and practices will contain the qualities that will balance and harmony to them.

As stated, Roopam, or outer beauty, is primarily considered to be a direct reflection of good health. Ayurvedic Doctor and Esthetician, Dr. Manisha Kshrirsagar, in her book, “Enchanting Beauty”, defines this area of physical beauty as the expression of healthy vibrant physiology which is marked by radiant, smooth, clear skin, bright eyes, shiny hair and strong nails as well as graceful movements and posture. In the absence of vibrant physiology, Ayurveda looks to discover and address the underlying imbalances at play internally. When seeking physiologic balance and excellence, Ayurveda looks through the lens of the three vital essences that constitute the most refined physiologic qualities of health, the doshas that comprise one‘s personal elemental nature, the 7 dhatus that are the tissue layers of the body and the mechanisms of digestion throughout the entire body and mind. Ayurveda offers practical understanding and techniques to optimize the functioning of these through diet, herbal and lifestyle practices.

Dr. Vasant Lad, one of the fathers of Ayurveda in the West, lends insight into such qualities that make up outer beauty as he reflects: “Beauty is graceful existence. It is ornamental shining ojas. It is the excellent quality of tejas and it is the vibration of prana”. He highlights prana, tejas, and ojas as playing a very important role in the expression of beauty through the skin, body and consciousness. Prana is the subtle energy or essence of vata, the dosha governed by air and ether that is the principle of movement. Prana, also known as life force or breath is equivalent of chi in Chinese Medicine and imparts vibrancy and energy to the system. Tejas is the pure essence of pitta, the dosha governed by fire and water. Tejas represents the metabolic and transformative energy of fire that is reflected through digestion or agni. Tejas imparts the quality of luminosity, lustre and excellence. Ojas is the pure essence of all bodily tissue and kapha, which is the dosha comprised of water and earth. Ojas, literally meaning vigor, is the sustaining and protective mechanism in the body that is the essential substance of the body and consciousness in its subtlest biological form. Ojas is known as the sap, or juice of life and is the source of the body’s immunity and strength. Ojas reflects radiance or brilliance. Together these 3 vital essences generate and sustain the vibrancy of our inner physiology and appearance of our skin and thus outer beauty. They work and express through the 7 dhatus and digestion.

Skin, being the basic element of external appearance and the body’s largest organ is notably a great indicator of one’s overall physiological state. Dr. Vasant Lad describes skin as the mirror of light and the inner mirror of the 7 dhatus or tissue layers of the body. This idea demonstrates the way in which Ayurveda understands skin to be a reflection of the health of one’s inner physiology. The skin is a part of the immune system governed by Prana, Tejas, and Ojas. Underneath the skin is the operating of these vital essences, along with the 7 dhatus, or tissues. When there is optimal health in prana, tejas and ojas, they reflect through the excellence of the 7 dhatus and thus the skin. The beauty of the skin depends upon the health of Rasa dhatu, the top most layer of the skin. If there is Rasasar, or excellent health of this layer, it will reflect as well-hydrated, soft, unctuous, uniform in color complexion, beautiful texture and lustre and deep-rooted hair. Rasa dhatu refers to the primary waters of the body. Rasa is the plasma, lymph and interstitial fluid. When Rasa dhatu is depleted there is systemic dryness and when in excess there is water retention and swelling in the body. Rasa dhatu is also governed by main digestive fire in the body and is directly a product of the food we eat. Skin-care is furthermore said to be a specialized agni care as each dhatu has it’s digestive component that will be nourished through the food we eat as it is passed from Rasa Dhatu. Therefore, healing Rasa Dhatu and thus the skin means restoring the proper quality and quantity of water in the body as well as optimizing nutrition and digestion.

Ayurveda views all physiological imbalances to have root in the digestive system which reflects through the 7 dhatus as stated. For optimal nutrition, Ayurveda recommends focusing on organic, fresh whole fruits and vegetables, and good quality fats/oils. For Vata, nourish dry skin with warm, oily, moist grounding foods such as coconut oil and avocado which are hydrating fats, favor sweet juicy fruits and avoid drier foods like crackers, beans and raw vegetables. For pitta, it’s best to avoid or limit pungent and sour foods, focusing instead on sweet and cooling anti-inflammatory type foods like sweet fruits as apricots, cherries, and bananas. For Kapha avoid dense foods, focus on light foods that are bitter, spicy and astringent foods such as greens, apples, lemons, lentils. Ayurveda, takes the saying “you are what you eat” one step further to “you are what you digest”.

Some Ayurvedic recommendations for improving digestion include tongue scraping upon waking which removes toxins from the tongue that builds up over night as well as stimulates vital digestive energy points. Drinking warm water with lime or lemon upon waking is also encouraged to stimulate agni and prepare it for the day. Ayurveda also recommends eating the largest meal in the middle of the day as one’s digestive fire is said to be most strong. To furthermore optimize digestion, Ayurveda favors warm cooked easy to digest spiced soups and stews. It also suggests avoiding cold food and beverages as these dampen the digestive fire. Sipping on warm water or tea throughout the day is encouraged for adequate hydration, including maple syrup or honey to teas adds an unctuous quality that is ideal for nourishing rasa dhatu specifically. Adding ginger and digestive spices to water and food is encouraged as well for optimizing digestion. The three coolings are a great tri-doshic spice blend that can be used in tea or cooking to support digestion. Tri-doshic means that it has an equal affinity for each dosha and will adapt to whatever is needed uniquely within each type. These include lightly toasted fennel, cumin seeds, and coriander seeds. Furthermore it is suggested one have set regular meal times and avoid snacking throughout the day as this centralizes a digestive rhythm for the body to follow leaving enough time in between meals for it to take place efficiently. Lastly, Triphala powder in warm water or as tablets daily or periodically when needing assistance supports overall digestion and absorption. It is a tri-doshic formula comprising three fruits: amalaki, bibhitaki and haritaki. These are just a few of Ayurveda’s recommendations for optimizing the role of digestion. For more personalized support in this area, it would be best to consult an Ayurvedic Health Counselor or Practitioner.

It is important to note that Ayurveda emphasizes both internal and external therapies for the radiant expression of beauty through the skin and beyond. When it comes to topical nutrition as in skin-care ingredients Ayurveda favors whole plant ingredients, essences, and herbal extracts used within base oils as almond or sesame as well as traditionally ghee, milk, or water. The herbs which enhance the beauty of the skin are described as Varnya herbs. In Ayurveda, Varnya means that which brings softness and beauty to the skin along with enhancement of complexion and radiance or luminescence. Some examples of Varnya herbs are Aloe, Turmeric, Rose, Saffron, Licorice, Neem, Cyprus, Sandalwood, Amalaki, Sariva and Manjistha. Using these herbs for face or body is said to enhance the skin’s complexion through their unique nourishing and rejuvenative properties. Furthermore, Soundarya Vardhini comprise the rich tradition of Ayurvedic Beauty Therapies including the use of herbal face and body masks, scrubs, steams, and oils for facial and body marma massage. These have been traditionally used to enhance nourishment and cleansing of skin which makes for a glowing complexion, maintain good tone and elasticity of skin, melt away facial tension and bodily stress. They are also used to redirect subtle energies relieving stress throughout body and mind, and reduce the appearance of wrinkles, remove toxins, revitalize tissues and correct skin conditions.

One of the most well-known and accessible beauty therapies of Ayurveda is known as self-abhyanga. This is the act of massaging the body with warm oil, usually sesame. The goal in abhyanga is to stimulate the vital energy points along the body and literally to impart love and nourishment into the body through the oil which in sanskrit also is the word for love. It is stated in the Charaka Samhita that, “The body of one who uses oil massage regularly does not become affected much even if subjected to accidental injuries, or strenuous work. By using oil massage daily, a person is endowed with pleasant touch, trimmed body parts and becomes strong, charming and least affected by old age”. Furthermore, the classical texts indicate that daily massage promotes softness, youthfulness, and luster of the skin. This incredible self-care beauty ritual is further understood today to balances the nervous system, while providing deep nourishment and protection to the skin, lubricates and promotes flexibility of the joints and muscles, stimulates lymphatic flow.

Gunam or Inner beauty, refers to our perception of our self, others and the world around us. It is also our personal sense of self-love and value. It is the kind of beauty that is beyond skin deep and radiates from within one’s consciousness. Dr. Manisha Kshrirgar, in her book, further states inner beauty is marked by a mind and body that are in harmony, and a person who is loving, caring, sharing, kind and courageous.” She also highlights inner beauty as the most fundamental piece to one’s beauty puzzle as one’s inner perception is the basis upon which one care for their outer beauty and take actions upon their own behalf as well as shows up in the world. This is crucial for obvious reasons. Because of the less tangible nature of our mind compared to our body, it becomes a more challenging but equally vital task to maintain a clear and positive inner perception. As many of us have experienced the ways it can so easily become clouded with all kinds of imprinting and stresses as we move the challenges of daily life and interface with a world moving at seemingly 1,000 miles a minute. Also, trauma throughout our life can have huge impacts to negative patterns of thought in us. For these reasons, It is important to have practices to slow down and come back to our inner awareness to clear subconscious debris and uproot negative beliefs we may have about ourselves. In order to grow our inner beauty, we must work to uncover such limiting beliefs and cultivate a positive self-perception through mindfulness.

Dr. Lad says, “Beauty is around us and within us but we need the clarity of perception to percieve it”. Pranayama or breathing exercises, meditation, yoga and other mindfulness-based practices are key in learning to see it and thus to cultivate inner beauty. These such practices direct our attention to the subtle sensory realms of our mind-body experience that are more often than not easily to overlooked in the hustle and bustle of modern life. Some examples of what mindfulness practices look like are journaling, walks in nature, listening to classical music but most especially pranayama, meditation and/or yoga. Practices as these are so profound because they require no thing, no one, other than our own body and mind sensory system. They teach us our to harness the resource of consciousness within us through breath and movement. They cleanse the subtle layers of our being in order to orient our awareness to our most authentic nature and to the source of pure consciousness and beauty underlying all things. When we engage in these practices on a consistent basis, we imbibe our inner perception with peace, stability, and clarity that shines through our energetic presence. This allows us to show up to our lives with more energy to give others and more intention to give to the things we care about. The benefits truly ripple out to all areas of our life and elevate our consciousness. An additional bonus to these inner practices is that they not only help cultivate mindfulness but they also stimulate the glands of the brain that are responsible for our total physiologic functioning. Therefore, our physiology is optimized through such practices. Yoga especially impacts the body as well at the mind as through asana or posture, movements and breath, the muscles are toned, flexibility is created, organs are massaged, and lymphatic flow and circulation is invigorated throughout one’s system.

Pratima Raichur further notes in her book, Absolute Beauty, the link between breath, skin and vitality as follows, “Respiratory changes affect the skin and body as well as our moods: shallow breathing pales the complexion, for example; heavy breathing makes it flush. If the natural breathing pattern is continuously disrupted as a result of stress, prana becomes depleted. Without sufficient prana, which is the moving life force that…helps engender ojas, the skin loses its vitality and glow”. The correlation as stated here, between breath, body and mind is apparent. It’s affects on our deep physiology promoting outer beauty is a remarkable bonus.

One such pranayama practice to try for yourself is long deep breathing. For 1-3 mins minimum and up to 11 minutes, sit with your eyes closed and focused in and upward towards the center of the forehead. Set a timer for your desired amount and begin to gently elongate your breath, filling up the lungs gradually from the bottom of the belly to the top of the ribs and chest and then releasing from top to bottom. Repeat. Pause briefly between each inhalation and exhalation to witness the space in between that holds a special magic of stillness. Allow your breath to do it’s work of oxygenating your cells, soothing the nervous system and cleansing the mind and emotions. Do your best to maintain the flow of breath for the course of your designated time. Usually the moments that resistances arise, are the moments that hold the most transformation if you only persist. A few minutes of pranayama as part of your morning and/or evening routine can make a world of difference. Try it and see for yourself.

Finally, Vyastyag, or lasting beauty is the ability to achieve ageless beauty. This pertains to preserving and maintaining youthfulness and vitality as we age chronologically and yet also to understand ones innermost self as eternally vibrant. This is achieved in Ayurveda, by taking the personal journey to “know thyself” through taking the time to discover your own unique individual needs, establishing healthy diet and daily routines to nourish them and getting into the rhythm of practicing them for the long haul so that it becomes a lifestyle. Rejuvenation therapy is also a key science applied for lasting beauty in ayurveda recommended only once a healthy lifestyle has been established. Rasayana, otherwise known as rejuvenation therapy, embodies the Ayurvedic concept of anti-aging and longevity.

Panchakarma or purification therapy, is the first step of rasayana which focuses on removing excess ama or toxins in the body that are attributed to the aging process and naturally accumulate overtime in the body. For this reason, Ayurveda recommends a panchakarma program, two times a year, that includes a special cleansing diet, herbs, abhyanga, herbal enemas and other cleansing techniques over the course of about a week but upwards of a month in certain conditions. Panchakarma is best performed under the guidance of an Ayurvedic Physician but certain modified versions can be practiced at home. Once the body is cleansed through panchakarma, rasayana therapy begins which involves the use of specialized herbs and foods to restore and build new resilience in the tissue layers and throughout the body. Haritaki, Guduchi and Amalaki are three top ayurvedic rejuvenative herbs used to name a few. Foods that are considered to be ojas building, such as almonds, saffron, honey and ghee, are also used in rejuvenation. Rasayana is said to result in longevity, enhanced quality of life, improve memory, build immunity, strengthen sense organs, skin radiance and overall vitality. Given it’s many longevity promoting benefits, rasayana therapy is a valuable tool to be considered in sustaining lasting beauty.

It can be said the commitment to a lifestyle of well-being and beauty cultivation is the discipline it takes to accomplish the inner balance and resilience that can go the distance into one’s greatest potential in all realms of being: body, mind and soul. In the words of Odissi dance artist and teacher, Colleena Shakti “Just as in the distillation process of fine perfume oils, a dancer must find purification through concentrated efforts in the training process, distilling both her intentions and technique. The most delectable and subtle of scents are had through intricate and time-consuming processes. In Indian performance art theory, the goal of all art is to produce a delectable atmosphere, an air or essence that can be savored by the audience known as Rasa. With the theory of Rasa being the starting point of all Indian art, it only seems fitting that the analogy of making attar (the most refined essential oil) be the parallel to the process of “making a dancer”. As dancers and artists of our own lives and of our beauty, and spiritual beings, we must concentrate our efforts through a labor intensive process in order to achieve the most subtle and delectable essence of our own existence. Getting to know ourselves, our dosha and what we require inner and outer, takes time. Taking the time to do so and dedicating ourselves to this journey through all the levels presented is one of the biggest keys to lasting beauty that will give rise to our own unique expression of beauty and happiness. Pratima wisely explains,“Without happiness, lasting beauty is an unattainable goal…. And if you want to be beautiful, you must first create a whole and happy inner life. . . such an inner life leads to a state of consciousness called sat-chit-ananda, “a state of pure unbounded happiness”. She identifies this as “the essence of Vedic beauty”.

In conclusion, all ayurvedic practice is designed to help us reach this state of bliss and fullfillment through a healthy balanced lifestyle infused with spiritual practice. Through embracing the outer, inner and lasting aspects of ayurvedic beauty, a special and practical roadmap is revealed for a lifetime of actualizing beauty naturally, holistically and for our own flowering of consciousness. May the beauty we seek lead us into wholeness, health, radiance, peace, purpose and to the true beauty of unbounded inner bliss.