The Ayurvedic Oil-Pulling Guide

Oil pulling is an ancient technique that remains highly relevant and effective today. Before the invention of plastic toothbrushes, cleaning the mouth was a longer (and possibly more effective) process of using oils, herbal sticks, and medicated mouth washes. Today, oil pulling has become a popular practice amongst those studying holistic health practices, with the most commonly used oil being coconut. Oil pulling can be effective for preventing tooth decay, cleansing the digestive tract and sinuses, more deeply cleaning the mouth, strengthening the gums and teeth and providing a gentle daily detox. Although swishing coconut oil around the mouth is indeed beneficial, there are actually many different oils and techniques that can be utilised depending upon each person’s unique needs, the season, their age, and any imbalances they may currently be experiencing. 

The classical Ayurvedic text Charaka Samhita describes the benefits of oil pulling:

“It is beneficial for strength of jaws, depth of voice, flabbiness of face, improving gustatory sensation and good taste for food. One used to this practice never gets dryness of throat, nor do his lips ever get cracked; his teeth will never be carious and will be deep rooted; he will not have any toothache nor will his teeth set on edge by sour intake; his teeth can chew even the hardest eatables.”

– Charaka Samhita Ch V. 78 to 80.

Oil-Pulling Practice

Before oil pulling, use a tongue-scraper (I use Urban Veda’s – get yours HERE.) to gently remove any white coating from the tongue. This white coating is a sign of ‘ama’ (loosely referring to ‘toxins’), and is a sign that the digestive system is a little sluggish, that you have a build-up of ‘toxins’ in your body, or that last night’s dinner was unsuitable for you. It’s quite normal to have a small amount of white coating on the tongue each morning – especially if your evening meal was consumed late – but a thick coating of yellowish or green can indicate deep-seated ama, and needs to be addressed. 

After tongue scraping, fill the mouth with 1 tbsp of oil, and gently swish it around your teeth and gums. Depending upon the type of oil used (indicated below), the practice can last for two to twenty minutes. The shorter oil pulling method is known as Kavala, and is beneficial for removing excess saliva, bacteria and helps more deeply clean the mouth. A longer oil-pulling method known as Gandusha, involves filling the mouth with a slightly larger amount of oil, and holding it in the mouth without swishing at all. Gandusha can help detoxify the digestive system, prevent tooth decay, strengthen the gums and teeth, as well as clearing the sinuses, remedy vertigo, and calm excessive Vata energy from the systems. Throughout this practice, hold the oil in the mouth for up to twenty minutes, or until the eyes begin to water, saliva fills the mouth, or the nose begins to run (these are all signs that the cavities of the head are becoming decongested). When you have finished the practice, spit the oil into the trash, so as not to clog the drains.   

Kavala (the shorter duration of swishing oil around the mouth) has become the more popular modern-day choice, and is still very beneficial for oral health and the digestive tract. This method can be done as a daily practice. For sinus issues and overcoming illness however, Gandusha is recommended.  

Which is the best oil for me?

As with pretty much everything in the world of Ayurveda & holistic health: it depends. 

It depends upon your dosha, any imbalances you may have, and the season, as well as anything else you may have personally going on for you in your body or mind. A practitioner or wellbeing coach can help guide you towards which oil may be the best for you, but as your own healer, it’s great to be able to empower yourself to make these decisions. 

Pitta

Coconut oil. This type of oil is cooling, moisturising, and helps remove excess hot Pitta energy from the body. Coconut oil also contains anti-bacterial and anti-fungal qualities and is gentle enough to use daily. For easy-to-use Coconut Oil Pulling Pops recipe, click HERE.

For Pitta Imbalances:

  • Ulcers
  • Inflamed or bleeding gums
  • General feeling of ‘heat’ in your body
  • Cold sores 
  • Knowing you’ve consumed way too many hot, spicy and acidic foods recently
  • Use castor oil for all of the above, especially if you feel a sudden onset of heat in your system. Castor oil can help remove heat from the body, and whereas you may need to ‘pull’ oils like sesame or coconut for 10-15 minutes for optimum results, castor oil can do the job in just a couple of minutes. 
  • If castor oil is not available, coconut oil can still help remove excess burning and irritation of the mouth

Vata

Sesame Oil. Sesame oil is naturally nourishing and warming, (helping to balance Vata’s cold qualities), and is thought of as the most traditional oil to use for oil pulling. Sesame oil is cleansing for the mouth and helps strengthen the teeth and gums. 

Vata imbalances

  • Toothache
  • Chipped or weak teeth
  • Eroding enamel
  • Dry mouth
  • Receding gums
  • Dryness of the body and skin
  • Use warm sesame oil if you feel generally cold asnd dry.
  • Use castor oil for just a couple of days if you’re suffering with incredibly dry, flaky skin. Do not use for longer, as the cooling properties of this oil can be too cold for Vata issues.
  • Steep 5 cloves in your sesame oil for a week, as this can help reduce oral pain and is warming

Kapha

Sesame Oil. Sesame oil is naturally nourishing and warming, (helping to balance Kapha’s cool qualities), and is thought of as the most traditional oil to use for oil pulling. Sesame oil is cleansing for the mouth and helps strengthen the teeth and gums. Gandusha is very beneficial for clearing lethargy and mucus associated with excessive Kapha energy. Gargling with warm salty water is also a beneficial way to clear and cleanse the Kapha mouth. 

Kapha imbalances

  • Excess ‘ama’ on the tongue 
  • Sluggish digestion
  • Lethargy and general heaviness
  • Mucus and phlegm
  1. Steep cloves in your sesame oil for a week, to promote more warming properties to the oil. 
  2. You can also add essential oils like myrrh and cinnamon, although it’s important to ensure the oils are edible and high-quality. 
  3. Medicated Triphala oil is a good choice for excessive phlegm and mucus.

After your oil pulling session, be sure to rinse out your mouth and brush your teeth.

A Holistic Approach To Healing Gout

The first in a new series of blog posts focusing on improving health and wellbeing naturally, with foods, movement, meditation, natural herbs and daily practices to help you feel your best! Be sure to consult a trusted health-care provider before implementing changes. Wellbeing consultations and health-coaching sessions available to book with me now, more details HERE.

Email emma@emmanewlynyoga.com to book.

For hundreds of years, gout was associated only with the upper class, who had access to rich foods, meats, sugar, and frequently enjoyed feasting. Today, gout most commonly impacts men over the age of 40, but I’m seeing more and more young people suffering with it too. Unfortunately, the same goes for issues like diabetes, obesity and heart disease; these illnesses previously only occurred later in life, but children brought up with a poor diet high in sugar, little exercise and mounting stress are experiencing diseases earlier than ever. 

Gout is an inflammatory joint disease, caused by having too much uric acid in the blood, tissues and urine. Uric acid itself isn’t inherently harmful at all – it’s actually a powerful antioxidant – but in excess it causes damage. Uric acid builds up as a result of excessive chemicals known as ‘purines’ found in specific foods. Most people are able to digest purines with no problem, but people who suffer from gout don’t naturally produce enough of the digestive enzyme uricase, causing crystal-like structures to form in joints like the big toe, ankles, knees, and even the fingers. Gout typically causes redness, pain and swelling, making the joint painful to move (although movement is actually very beneficial to help reduce pain and inflammation in the joint). If gout ‘attacks’ repeatedly continue, this can damage the underlying joint. 

If you’re experiencing joint pain, it’s important to investigate thoroughly, as gout is not commonly tested for in blood tests. This has meant many people suffering with gout have wrongly been referred for operations and joint replacements, including those who have been diagnosed with a broken bone and put in a plaster cast for six weeks! These treatments entirely unnecessary and don’t help the root issue.  

Inflammation: Causes, Symptoms & Anti-Inflammatory Diet | Live Science

What causes gout?

  • A diet high in ‘purines’ (listed below) 
  • Excessive protein 
  • Excessive alcohol
  • Obesity
  • Stress
  • Genetics (although this is not the cause of gout – lifestyle factors are the trigger.)
  • Poor kidney function
  • Crash-dieting
  • Medications

Joints that have previously been injured are more susceptible to gout. 

Whilst the mainstream allopathic treatment for gout is often N-SAIDs like Ibuprofen or Advil, or prescription medications, gout is actually a condition that can very successfully be treated naturally. Whilst pills and prescriptions can be very helpful, the problem lies in the fact that they often merely mask symptoms without addressing the root cause, meaning the problem will never truly go away unless it is treated naturally. 

Diet, herbs, supplements and simple lifestyle practices naturally and effectively help gout, so try the following:

  • Eliminate high-purine foods: beef, shellfish, organ meats, anchovies, mackerel, asparagus, gravies and broths, peanuts, yeast, sardines, sugar, beans and pulses, spinach. Some people find that strawberries, tomatoes and oranges trigger gout too.
  • Cut down on alcohol
  • Reduce refined sugar and processed foods 
  • Limit dairy and eggs (which can be inflammatory)
  • Opt for a whole-foods, plant-based diet, favouring the following foods:
  • Omega 3s from nuts, seeds and healthy oils like coconut and olive oil
  • Consume plenty of folate from broccoli, brussels sprouts, cabbage and kale
  • Ginger and turmeric are powerful anti-inflammatories
  • Quercetin (found in red onions, red peppers and apples)
  • Bromelian (an anti-inflammatory found in pineapple)
  • Add 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar to warm water and drink each evening to reduce inflammation, help break up purine crystals and balance blood sugar.
  • At least 2 litres of water per day
  • Fresh vegetables, especially cucumber, celery, sweet potatoes and carrots, kelp and green vegetables
  • Fresh fruits, especially cherries, blueberries, apples, bananas and pineapple
  • Consume anti-inflammatory herbs like oregano, turmeric with black pepper, ginger, boswellia, chamomile and celery seed extract. Ground elder or ‘Bishop’s gout weed’ is also beneficial, and grows freely in the UK countryside in Spring. 
  • Ensure you’re getting plenty of good quality sleep, without excessive screen time or bright lights at night. The darkness and sleep hormone melatonin is one of the most potent antioxidants we’re exposed to, and a vital anti-inflammatory.
  • Apply frankincense, coconut oil and wintergreen oil topically 
  • Get plenty of movement and exercise (swimming, walking, cycling and yoga are all great)
  • Ensure you’re getting enough vitamin A, E, and B vitamins
  • Practice reducing stress with guided relaxation, breathwork, meditation and time spent in nature
  • Spend plenty of time in natural sunlight
  • Beneficial supplements include: Magnesium, essential fatty acids, B vitamins, vitamin C, vitamin E, zinc, and glucosamine if you have experienced multiple gout flare-ups which may have damaged the joint and cartilage.

Have an issue you want to address naturally? Get in touch!

Pickled Wild Garlic & Dandelion

A super easy springtime recipe to help you reconnect to nature!

Once you’re able to identify plants like wild garlic, nettles, primrose, dandelion and purple dead nettle (amongst many others!) the Springtime landscape truly transforms. Our ancestors would’ve known the edible plants around them, where they grew, and the best time to pick them. Now, we’re lucky if we even live near an area abundant with plants and herbs, let alone knowing much about them. 

Reconnecting to nature reminds us how human we really are, and foraging reawakens a part of us that so deeply nourishes us physically and emotionally. Foraging helps us feel like a part of the landscape, a part of nature, and a part of the world we live in, rather than an outsider. As well as helping us feel literally more ‘at home’ in the part of the world we live, foraging also helps us intuitively learn more about the seasons, and provides us with nutritionally dense foods at the exact time we need them. Plants and helps that helps prevent hay fever for example, are abundant just as symptoms start to kick in, and spending more time out in nature and in sunlight can even prevent hay fever happening in the first place. 

After a long, dark winter, Spring is full of bitter greens, which help boost digestion and naturally ‘detox’ the systems. Historically, we would’ve survived on more heavy, protein-rich foods in Winter, so come Spring, this is a natural time to lighten up and make the most of plants rich in magnesium, potassium, vitamins C, K and B, as well as iron and antioxidants. This easy pickling recipe preserves the benefits of wild garlic and dandelion, for a delicious jar to help lower blood pressure, reduce water retention, boost digestion, lower inflammation and provide plenty of nutrients. 

The next time you’re out on a walk (from April through to June), look along the hedgerows and forest floors, and you’re likely to spot one of these ingredients. As always, make sure you’re 100% certain of what you’re picking and consult a professional before consuming anything at all! 

INGREDIENTS

Makes roughly 1 jam jar amount

  • 2 large handfuls of wild garlic greens and the unopened flower buds
  • 1 handful dandelion flower heads
  • Roughly 1 cup white or apple cider vinegar
  • 4 tbsp coconut sugar or stevia
  • 1 tsp salt
  • Optional: 2 tsp mustard seeds, pepper corns and chilli flakes

METHOD

  1. Wash and sterilise your jar 
  2. Wash the garlic and dandelion, then pack them tightly into your jar 
  3. In a pan, add the vinegar, sugar and salt and warm to dissolve the granules
  4. Add the vinegar mixture to the jar, using a spoon to ensure all the greens are covered
  5. Add your chosen spices, and top up with any remaining vinegar
  6. Fasten the lid tightly, and leave to pickle in a cool, dark place for three to five days
  7. Transfer to the fridge and either continue pickling for a couple more weeks, or enjoy in the same way you’d use sauerkraut, gherkins and condiments!

Courgette, Nettle & Wild Garlic Soup

A super simple, super green, seasonal, local and totally healthy soup. You’re probably walking past some of these plants every day, so have a go at foraging this week (as long as you know what you can safely pick!) and whip up this quick and easy soup with ingredients that are naturally local to you.

The Benefits
Nettles are high in iron, they reduce inflammation and hay fever, contain vitamins A, C, K, + B vitamins, and all the amino acids. Wild garlic is powerful for reducing high blood pressure, and has antibacterial and antiviral qualities. Courgettes are cooling (important for anyone feeling overly inflamed / irritated or what we’d refer to in Ayurveda as having excessive Pitta 🔥 energy) and they’re also high in potassium, which is important for muscle health! 

INGREDIENTS 
(Serves 2-3)
– 2 courgettes, chopped
– 1 big handful nettle leaves
– 1 big handful wild garlic leaves
– 1 red onion (high in quercetin, also a great hay fever remedy)
– 1 tsp mustard seeds
– 1 tsp coriander seeds
– Organic stock cube (or home made or bone broth)
– 1 litre water 
– Salt and pepper to taste 

METHOD
– Fry the onion and spices in coconut oil in a large pan
– Add the courgette to soften
– Add the stock, water + nettles 
– Simmer, then add the wild garlic 
– Cook until the courgette is soft, then take off the heat and whizz with a hand blender.
– Serve with sourdough bread  
Enjoy!

East Meets West Springtime Tea

One of my favourite things about working with ancient Ayurveda and modern wellness, is that when you combine the best of both, magic starts to happen.

This simple tea recipe combines locally picked herbs native to the UK, with Ayurvedic staples like cinnamon, cardamom and fennel seed. 

Just as with Ayurveda and holistic health, there’s no ‘one’ way of doing things, and everything is an experiment. Everything in this tea is brilliant for supporting liver health, digestion, blood sugar balance, reducing water retentions as well as providing a good dose of iron. If you come across these herbs whilst out on a walk, give it a go!

INGREDIENTS

Makes 1 large pot of tea

  • 1 handful each of locally foraged cleavers and nettle
  • 1 tbsp fennel seeds
  • 1/2 cinnamon stick
  • 3 cardamom pods

    METHOD
  • Add hot water and brew for 5-10 mins 
  • Serve with local honey & enjoy! 

Interview with YogaLondon

The lovely Poppy from Yoga London interviewed me recently for their blog, and as well as chatting about the need to ‘practice’ relaxing, and our shared love of creativity and knitting, we explored self-care practices for getting through lockdown, tips on taking break from screens, the importance of mentorship in yoga teacher training, and overcoming self-limiting beliefs. If you want to be extra nosy, you’ll also be able to read all about my morning routine, where I’d love to travel to once it’s possible again, and how I unwind. Enjoy!

Read HERE

Easy A-B-C Juice To Flush The Liver & Remove Excess Heat

As we transition from Winter to Spring, the sense of coldness we may have felt over the last few months begins to ‘melt’ with growing warmer days. As we start to feel the Winter stiffness softening in the joints and muscles perhaps becoming more relaxed, the various bugs and bacteria within us can start to move and flow too. If we’ve been favouring hot, spiced foods throughout Winter months, slathering on oils and keeping ourselves cosy, the build-up of heat within us can lead to eczema, skin rashes and irritations, and an overall feeling of heat in the body come Springtime. If you’ve been moving less over Winter too, perhaps consuming more sugar than usual, and generally living in a way that prevents healthy movement of blood, lymph and prana (known as qi in Chinese Medicine, but you could simply call it ‘energy’ as well), you may have a build up of ama. 

Ama is the Ayurvedic term for undigested nutrients and un-eliminated waste products. We can think of the word loosely referring to ‘toxins’, and when these toxins begin to build up within us, we can experience allergies, weight gain, sluggishness, joint pain, bloating, slow metabolism, hormonal issues, tiredness, and a general feeling of ‘bleugh’. No one wants to feel ‘bleugh’ – especially in Spring – so this is a great time to experiment with a few gentle cleansing practices to help you feel lighter and brighter. As well as cleansing and detoxing from the ‘heavy’ feeling, I also see a lot of clients who experience excess heat and acidity in the body at this time of year. It’s important to remedy this ASAP, as things like heat and inflammation tend to spread quickly if they’re not treated (think of the way fire spreads quickly if it isn’t put out). If you’re experiencing mouth sores, ulcers, bladder infections, acne, headaches, irritability, and hot flushes, it could be because you have a little too much ‘Pitta’ energy in your body right now (characterised by the fire and water elements, resulting in a hot, acidic, irritable internal environment). To reduce excess Pitta, we need to remove excess heat from the body, then bring in cooling, bitter, astringent and naturally sweet herbs to keep things calm. 

Liver Loving Before & After Smoothie – Emma Newlyn Yoga

Try this easy A B C juice to help ‘flush’ the liver and gall bladder and improve their function, and remove excess heat from the body.  For a 5 minute video explaining more about the Pitta dosha, click HERE.

INGREDIENTS

(serves 1)

  • 1 Apple (organic and local if possible! Apples are on the ‘dirty dozen’ list, so they’re more likely to contain pesticides if they’re not organic.)
  • ½ fresh beetroot
  • 2 sticks celery

METHOD

  1. Add everything to a blender with 1 cup filtered water and whizz
  2. For a ‘juice’ consistency, strain through a sieve
  3. For more fibre and a smoothie consistency, simply drink straight away. You could also use coconut milk instead of water and 1 tbsp flax and 1 tbsp coconut oil for a breakfast smoothie.

Seasonal Chicory & Beetroot Salad Recipe. PLUS, Why Bitter Foods Are Essential Right Now

The Case for Seasonal Eating - Experience Life

Eating seasonally is something humans have done without even thinking about it for thousands of years – it wasn’t until the 1960s that supermarkets sold avocados! Now however, with aisles of food from across the world, it takes only minutes to grab tropical fruits, coffee, rice, and chocolate from across the world, that would be almost impossible to grow naturally in the UK. Whilst pretty much everyone I know (including me) enjoys non-seasonal food, and things like coffee and chocolate that are anything but local or seasonal, it’s still incredibly important to understand why eating seasonally is good for us, and why eating non-seasonally can actually be really bad for us. Health and nutrition leader and sports medicine expert Dr John Douillard has carried out extensive research into this, and shared on his blog that when deer eat out of season, they can die. 

Whilst eating out of season may not kill us, it can contribute to poor gut health, high blood sugar levels, acidity, digestive problems, as well as a poor immune system, which overall, can shorten life span and health span. When we eat the foods and herbs that are in season and grow locally, we’re giving the body the exact nutrients it needs to be healthy in that season, and at that time. These seasonal foods can actually help balance the qualities of the season, and support us to feel our best. As we enter into Spring here in the UK, the qualities of heaviness, warmth, moisture, oiliness, sluggishness, congestion, and growth are abundant. These qualities are characteristic of the Ayurvedic dosha Kapha. A balanced amount of Kapha in our bodies is great, as it supports healthy growth, strength and good fertility, but too much often results in excess weight, water retention, Spring colds, allergies, asthma, phlegm and lethargy. Luckily, the plants in season during Spring are perfectly suited to prevent accumulation of excess Kapha energy, and help support the body’s natural detoxing processes throughout this season, helping us feel light and energised!   

Bitter is Better

I’ve included a chicory salad recipe in this post, as chicory is seasonal to the UK, and is slightly bitter. Many chicory recipes give the option of lightly cooking the leaves to reduce bitterness, but that same bitterness is what gives the plant much of its benefit. Bitter foods are actually really good for us, especially during Spring. The taste can help reduce those qualities of heaviness and sluggishness, improves digestion, balances blood sugar, moderates hunger, and is naturally ‘detoxifying’. Dr. Andrew Weil is an integrated practitioner of medicine with over 30 years’ experience, and has an extensive blog covering a wide array of natural health topics. He says; “Bitter foods also affect health in that they stimulate the liver to produce bile, which is an important part of optimal digestion. Bile emulsifies fats and renders nutrients – especially fat-soluble ones such as vitamins A, D, E and K – more available”. So by consuming bitter foods, we help improve and maintain liver health (something Chinese medicine says is vital to focus on during Spring), and aid digestion of the heavier foods we may have consumed over Winter. 

Bitterness is the least common taste we come across in the modern Western diet (which tends to favour more sweet and salty tastes), but when we do eat bitter foods like chicory, dandelion greens, spinach, broccoli and coriander, we tap into the tastes our ancestors would have consumed naturally. In the UK, our ancestors would have eaten many more wild greens and herbs than us, simply by picking them straight from the ground whilst out hunting, foraging and travelling. These naturally growing herbs like dandelion, wild garlic, fennel, nettle, borage, and cleavers, are naturally bitter, and extremely high in nutrients like iron, calcium, vitamin A, flavonoids, phenols, omegas, potassium, fiber, vitamin C, and other highly beneficial micronutrients that are important for the immune system, but that we really don’t tend to get much of in a standard modern diet.  To read more about the benefits of bitter foods, click HERE.

Foraging Foods & Buying Seasonally

There’s a lot of evidence to show that when communities lived in a more foraging-focused, seasonal and connected-to-nature way, that we probably had a more nutritious diet than we do today, with far less diabetes, heart disease and obesity. To start eating a little more like our ancestors did, and in the way our bodies have evolved to, it’s pretty easy: simply buy foods that are in-season, and if possible, local. Seasonal foods are often actually a little cheaper in supermarkets too, as there’s a lot of them around, and they haven’t had to travel thousands of miles across the world to get there. Over the next couple of months too, plants like wild garlic, nettle, dandelion, and cleavers will all be growing abundantly in the UK, and if you know where to look and know safely what you’re looking for, you can forage them for free! (whilst being mindful to leave enough of the plants left for them to continue growing and flourishing). Look out for the seasonal foods in your supermarket or local farmer’s shop, as eating these will support your body to align with the season, giving it the exact nutrients is needs, whilst also supporting UK farmers. 

Try including some of these foods in your meals over the next few weeks, and try the chicory recipe below!

  • Kale
  • Brussels Sprouts
  • Apple
  • Beetroot
  • Jerusalem Artichoke
  • Chicory
  • Carrots
  • Celeriac
  • Onions
  • Parsnips
  • Broccoli
  • Cabbage (red, savoy and white)
  • Leeks
  • Spring Onions
  • Spring Greens
  • Squash
  • Swedes

Seasonal Chicory & Beetroot Salad
With Parsley Dressing 

INGREDIENTS

For the salad

(serves 1 )

  • 1 small head of chicory, thinly sliced
  • 1 small beetroot, thinly sliced
  • 1 handful kale, ribs removed and lightly steamed
  • 2 tbsp seeds (pumpkin, sunflower, sesame etc)

For the dressing

  • 1 handful fresh parsley
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 3 tbsp white wine vinegar
  • 1 tsp honey (raw and local will help protect against hayfever and seasonal allergies)
  • Pinch of salt and pepper

METHOD

  1. Add all salad ingredients to a bowl 
  2. Add the dressing ingredients to a blender and whizz
  3. Dress and toss the salad, and serve with a slice of sourdough toast and butter if you like. 

Enjoy!

Soothing Herbal Blend: With Chamomile, Calendula, Oats & Liquorice

I have a lot of clients and students who have Pitta-related issues. No, not issues related to eating too much pitta bread, but issues relating to an accumulation of the Ayurvedic Pitta dosha. ‘Pitta’ is the energy of heat, fire, and digestion. When in balance, a Pitta-type person will feel logical, sharp-minded, focused, driven and productive, with strong digestion. In excess however, Pitta energy can cause acid reflux, heartburn, anger, inflammation, irritability, and most issues relating to the qualities of heat and sharpness. If this sounds like you, try making the following blend below with equal quantities of chamomile, oat and calendula, and half the amount of liquorice.

This blend is super soothing and hydrating, softening and calming too. If you’d prefer to order a batch, email emmanewlynyoga@gmail.com to get in touch!

Use for making tea, as a face wash, or bath soak for dry, irritated skin

INGREDIENTS

All organic

  • Oats
  • Dried chamomile flowers
  • Dried calendula petals
  • Liquorice sticks

Blend equal amounts of oats, chamomile and calendula, and half the amount of liquorice, then try the following ways of using it:

TEA

  1. Add 2 tsp of the blend to a teapot or French press, add 1 cup hot water and steep for 5 minutes. 
  2. Strain and add 1 tsp honey to serve (add milk too if you like). 

FACE WASH

  1. Make the tea as instructed above, but leave to infuse overnight.
  2. In the morning (or whenever you want to use the facewash) strain into a cup or bowl, and use to wash your face. You can add a tsp of honey to the mix too, for extra skin-softening benefits. 
  3. Tip: Pour the liquid into a glass spray bottle and use as a facial spritz – it will keep for up to 1 week. 

BATH SOAK

  1. Pour the entire packet into a warm bath as the water is running
  2. Use your hands to gently mix the ingredients around the tub. Imagine sending thoughts and energy of relaxation, softness and calmness into the bathwater as you mix. 
  3. Enjoy! It may take a little time to completely remove the oats and petals from the bath afterwards, so ensure you are prepared, and have a sieve over the plug to catch the bits. 

Chocolate & Tahini Dates

This recipe is so easy, yet the result is something absolutely delicious. I love keeping these bite-size snacks in the freezer, as they end up taking a little like a Snickers ice cream…. Try these with your choice of nut-butter filling, and keep them on hand as healthier snack options, particularly if you’re looking for alternatives to chocolate bars or biscuits!

INGREDIENTS

(makes 10)

  • 10 Medjool dates
  • 1/2 bar of good quality dark chocolate
  • 10 tsp tahini
  • pinch of salt
  • Top with a sprinkling of coconut flakes, beetroot powder, or seeds if you wish

METHOD

  1. Slice the dates length-ways and remove the stones
  2. Scoop a tsp of tahini into the middle of each date, and gently press to close
  3. Melt the chocolate, either by using a bain-marie, or in the microwave if you use one, then add the salt (you may also want to add a spice such as cinnamon, or even Chinese 5 Spice – trust me – to flavour the chocolate more)
  4. Roll the dates in the melted chocolate to fully coat them, then transfer to a box lined with foil or parchment paper
  5. Sprinkle with toppings or spices if you like, then transfer to the freezer and leave to set for 2 hours or overnight
  6. Enjoy! These will keep fresh for about 3 weeks.