YOGA BEAUTY SECRETS WITH GURU JAGAT
BY: Ruby Warrington · Fashion + Beauty
Cold showers and the mysterious powers of the jade egg. Ruby Warrington gets a lesson in yoga beauty secrets from Guru Jagat…
If you read our previous interview with cosmic kundalini yoga powerhouse Guru Jagat, you’ll be aware that thia is a woman who does not mince her words. And seeing as telling things like they are is in the DNA of all things Numinous (you gotta get real to get healed, right?) it’s no wonder she’s become something of an iconic figure among the Numinati.
So was I psyched to join her for an 8am session on Yogic Beauty Secrets at holistic haven CAP Beauty in NYC last week? Let’s just say the cosmos would have had to pull some seriously gnarly s*** to stop me being there – despite the scheduling conflict with my usual morning snuggle time with the husb.
And boy did she not disappoint. I think the reason Guru Jagat’s teachings are resonating so strongly right now, is that she has a unique way of taking ancient spiritual wisdom and packaging it up in a way that feels totally relevant for now – as in the Now Age, baby!
Over kale, avocado, cantaloupe and black pepper smoothies from Gingersnap’s Organic, we learned things like the benefits of a yoghurt bath (just add a handful of organic live yoghurt to the water as an external probiotic), and how the quality of your vaginal walls is reflected in the lines on your face – for realz! Also the reason why Guru Jagat recommends all women take to using a jade egg for “toning” purposes…
Intrigued? Here Guru Jagat shares more yoga beauty secrets from her guru, kudalini yoga founder Yogi Bhajan, as detailed in his series The Teachings of Yogi Bhajan.
:: WAKE-UP ROUTINE ::
Wake-up gently, cupping the hands over the eyes and then opening the eyes and slowly moving the hands away. Before getting out of bed each morning massage the ovaries for about five minutes and the breasts and the area around the breasts for another five minutes. This provides proper circulation.
:: 3 DAILY TIPS FOR WOMEN ::
1. To be beautiful, slim and full of energy, women must vigorously exercise each day – until there is sweat on the brow. (This is imperative during menopause!)
2. Life nerve stretch – to be performed daily. Sit down with your legs extended. Reach for your toes and bend forward with straight legs, bringing your nose between your knees; your elbows should touch the floor. As long as a woman maintains this standard of the pose, she will stay young. As you get older the third vertebra shrinks; this exercise stretches the spine at the third vertebra keeping you flexible and strong.
3. A woman should nap 11 minutes, twice a day.
:: 10 NUTRITIONAL TIPS FOR WOMEN ::
1. Substitute lemon for salt
2. Detox with green chilli: no poisons will build up in the intestines.
3. Meditation aid and improving memory: two bananas a day with lemon juice
4. P-fruits in general are good for a woman, especially: peaches, plums, papaya, pears, persimmons, prunes
5. For the glandular system, The Turnip Diet: Steam white turnips, mash them and add almond oil, turmeric, lemon and pepper. Must be a monodiet. You may also use the turnip greens.
6. Internal cosmetic: Turmeric is most healing
7. Liver cleansing: Beets steamed whole and then peeled. Can be eaten with a little yogurt and one glass of orange juice in the morning.
8. Nerves: celery juice
9. Stomach and intestinal tract cleanser: Finely chopped orange peel, sautéed in olive oil, mixed with turmeric paste (cooked in water)
10. Water retention (bloating): Cucumber juice and lemons
:: SUGAR – THE ENEMY OF A WOMAN’S YOUTH ::
“Fructose, sucrose, whatever you want to call it, is the enemy of a woman’s youth. When I see you eating cake, ice cream, cookies and chocolate this and chocolate that, and then you say, “No, no, it’s honey, not sugar,” it doesn’t bother me. But I know that the shine in you, the shine of a woman, is going to be lost. There is only one enemy of the woman— and that is sweetness in any shape or form. I know you don’t want to hear it, but it makes you look old.”
That glow, which a woman produces because of her hormones, is gone. Watch how politely you are hooked to sugar. Watch very clearly and understand it. Go for one week on a diet free of all sorts of sugar. Notice the change; you will be shocked. You don’t have to bring heavens to the Earth. Simply understand that there are certain things that don’t suit you.” – Yogi Bhajan, summer 1983
:: THE PERFECT BREAKFAST DRINK FOR WOMEN ::
Yogi Bhajan said that women, especially over the age of 28, should begin supplementing their diet with high quality, cold-pressed oils, first thing in the morning: two tablespoons of almond, sesame or olive oil, combined or alone, along with a tablespoon or two of ground flax seed every day.
If these oils are taken at night, they act as a laxative. Taken together or used by themselves,they lower cholesterol, reduce fat in the body, keep the skin healthy, reduce hunger, cleanse the body of toxins and are excellent sources of protein. In addition, 2-3 tablespoons of water soluble liquid chlorophyll in a glass of water daily is really helpful to the large intestines.
Here’s a perfect nutritious breakfast drink for women, rich in potassium, iron, oils and the alkaline qualities of chlorophyll. This drink provides a woman with the necessary daily doses of sesame or almond oil which nurtures her skin and hair, chlorophyll as an internal cleanser, and rice bran syrup which supports the nervous system.
1 ripe banana
8 ounces (250 ml) orange juice
1 Tablespoon (20 ml) liquid chlorophyll
2 Teaspoons Rice Bran Syrup
2 Teaspoons cold-pressed almond or sesame oil
Blend well until frothy.
:: WOMEN AND COLD SHOWERS ::
Showers should be cold. Cold showers preserve a woman as a woman; they correct
imbalanced menstruation, prevent early menopause, skin problems and they help her to
keep her glow.
11 benefits of Cold Showers:
1. Bring blood to the capillaries
2. Cleanse the circulatory system
3. Reduce blood pressure on internal organs, flushing internal organs and giving them a new supply of blood
4. Strengthen the parasympathetic and sympathetic nervous systems
5. Contract the muscles and cause them to eliminate toxins and poisons more quickly
6. Bring the power of resistance and resilience to the body
7. Strengthen the mucous membranes
8. Keep the skin young and shining
9. Prevent the body from developing an extra layer of fat, which affects the liver
10. Balance all the glands
11. Circulation and nerve problems can be prevented by regular cold showers.
Note: When menstruating, women should not take a cold shower. A woman is advised to take showers with lukewarm water during the menstrual cycle.
Instructions
Always precede cold showers with a massage of almond oil or olive oil. Be sure to massage the breasts, too.
It is recommended that a woman wear undershorts that cover her thighs while she is in the shower. This protects the sex nerve and the femur (thigh bone) from the sudden changes in temperature. (The femur regulates the production of calcium in the body and is very sensitive to temperature.)
After the massage, step into the shower. Let the cold water strike your body while you briskly massage the water into the skin. Move! Chant Sat Nam Wahe Guru! You should not stand continuously under a cold shower, nor should you do Breath of Fire to keep yourself warm. Instead, rub the skin vigorously.
Then step out of the water and continue to massage the skin. Then step back in, and be sure to stand under the spray and allow the breasts to be massaged by the water; continue massaging your entire body, step out again and repeat this process three or four times until you feel warm—even though the water is still cold. This will show the capillaries have opened up and are bringing blood to the surface of the skin.
When finished, dry yourself briskly with a towel. Of course, the ideal is a daily cold shower (ishnan), but Yogi Bhajan later encourages women to do it at least once a week—as a minimum requirement.
Have you been following any of Yogi Bhajan’s beauty tips? Share your stories with us on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter
Find out more about Guru Jagat and her Ra Ma Institute here
