Vesta

10/19/2022

10/19/2022

When I arrived to India over three weeks ago I immediately thought about cutting my trip short a week. I looked at the cost of rebooking my flight. This place is too intense for me. Two weeks is perfect, not three. My dog and my partner need me. What was I thinking coming so far!

Ay, so many thoughts.

I spoke to a friend who said to wait for the magic. And that when it was time for me to leave I would end up missing the place I first struggled with upon landing. Dude knows his stuff.

I'm a day back from India and having major India withdrawal lol.

I will need a few months to digest and share how life-changing this trip was for me and my 18 Ayurveda colleagues.

I will miss:

The warmth, kindness and honesty of literally all the people I met in India, especially the two doctors who hosted us like they were our parents.

The comradery of our very diverse group. (For the record, I had so much initial resistance to traveling with a large group of people and this trip showed me once again that if you want to go fast go alone and if you want to go far surrender and enjoy working with a group you love and trust.)

Endless colors and variety of sarees women wear!! So much glamour and grace.

The chaotic streets and deep quiet just a block away from the crazy streets.

Tuk toks all dolled up with fun decor.

Ayurvedic pharmacies!! Imagine rolling up to a pharmacy and easily stocking up on herbal remedies and medicated oils!

The daily Ayurvedic treatments I was getting either before or after classes 🤤

Thank you India 🇮🇳 ❤️

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09/13/2022

WHY AYURVEDA IS OBSESSED WITH OIL

Well, I don't have a complete answer to the subject line, but I think I'll have a better idea once I come back from India (omg!!) where I'll be for over three weeks starting next Friday studying Ayurveda.

Ayurveda is obsessed with oil.

Oil in Sanskrit is snehana which also means “love” or “affection.” The essence of a plant is its oil, just as the essence of who we are is love. As one of my mentors, Katie Silcox shares, “If we keep extracting something down to its purest essence, what remains is love.”

Massage is a central feature in Ayurvedic medicine and daily habits. When we massage our body with oil, we are literally coating it with a layer of our affection, as well as healing touch. A simple form or self-massage is called abhyanga.

As we age we begin to lose some of the natural suppleness of youth. Our body shrinks, the joints dry and the mind loses sharpness. To counteract aging, we “juice up” our body with herb-infused oils. Oil is what keeps the skin young, taut, and supple.

The simple practice of oiling our physical body is quite possibly the best thing we can do for the body and the nervous system on a daily basis. In fact, there is a phrase in traditional Indian healthcare that says, “Either pay the oil man today, or you will be paying the doctor tomorrow.”

With love,

Sabrina Dora Lopez

09/08/2022

Dear Sabrina,

The skin is the largest organ of the body (it weighs anywhere from 6 to 10 pounds), so it makes sense to care for this large, biologically active organ, no?

When we self-massage, we release a cascade of feel-good growth factor hormones into our bloodstream.

Research shows that massage can decrease cortisol (a stress hormone that can be degenerative when too much of it’s flowing in your body).

Massage can also increase dopamine, oxytocin, ACTH (adrenocorticotropic) and norepinephrine, all known mood boosters that reduce anxiety and increase relaxation and pleasure.

I've been wondering why we are blissed out after massages and I finally found the research to back it up!

Massage is a central feature in Ayurvedic medicine and daily habits. Ayurveda adds oil to most of its massage therapies. Why? Will get into it next next.

Sources: V. Morhenn, L.E. Beavin, and P.J. Zak, “Massage Increases Oxytocin and Reduces Adrenocorticotropin Hormone in Humans,” Journal of Alternative Therapies in Health and Medicine 18, no.6 (November-December 2012): 11-18, http:ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23251939

08/01/2022

Ayurveda is obsessed with sesame oil up your butt. And for good reason.

Sesame oil is warming and nourishing to the colon. It’s high in minerals, like calcium. It is anti-inflammatory.

Sesame oil implants/e***as (the terms are used interchangeabley) are called "bastis" in Sanskrit.

Everyone will be familiar with the term e***a; it is the introduction of liquid medicines through the a**s.

Ayurvedic therapeutic e***as are the prime and most important treatment to balance Vata (the air factor).

In Ayurvedic medicine, specific herbal preparations are administered through the a**s for different disorders, including:

Anxiety
Candidiasis
IBS
Post-partum
Hemorrhoids
Constipation
Osteoporosis

I recommend working with a trained practitioner if trying this protocol.

If you are interested in learning how therapeutic e***as may help you, reply back.

With Love,
Sabrina

07/20/2022

Aloe Vera for Reflux

Many peole will take medication for reflux, known as proton pump inhibitors (PPIs), for long periods of time without understanding or learning the risks.

Yet, official advice is that with PPIs no more than three 14-day treatment courses should be used in one year.

One alternative for relief from reflux symptoms is using aloe vera. Keep a plant at home or grow one outside if you live in a warm climate.

Aloe Vera
It is claimed that Aloe Vera can decrease inflammation and stimulate production of hydrochloric acid, pancreatic enzymes and bile.

Aloe Vera preparations are often promoted for the treatment of gastrointestinal disorders and to aid digestion.

Does it Work?

Most of the evidence on Aloe Vera is based on anecdotal, rather than scientific evidence.

That said, in 2015, a study investigated the use of Aloe Vera for the treatment of gastro-oesophageal reflux disease (GERD) symptoms – heartburn, food regurgitation, flatulence, belching, dysphagia, nausea, vomiting and acid regurgitation – and compared its effects with those of omeprazole and ranitidine.

It found that Aloe Vera syrup was “safe and well tolerated and reduced the frequencies of all the assessed GERD symptoms, with no adverse events requiring withdrawal”.

And personally, I don't need scientific studies to validate that a plant or remedy "works". I prefer personal experience and feedback from clients, but no doubt showing a study backing a plant up helps its street cred 😉.

Next up, I'll share a recipe on how to use aloe at home for when the reflux is active.

With Love,

Sabrina

04/07/2022

The essential ritual for women’s health?

Is to ......

Drink a minimum of 3 liters of water every day without exception.

It's interesting to note how many women I see who are chronically dehydrated and don't even realize it.

We talk a lot about processed foods, but what about processed waters? Bottled teas, energy drinks, flavored waters are often some peoples main soure of hydration.

Plain old fresh water is where it's at and plain old fresh water is a cleanser. If you look at a river flowing across rock, you wil see the rock is perfectly clean, as is the water.

If the water stops flowing then stuff builds up in the water and the rock will start to have algae growing on it.

When you don't drink enough water, that's what happens inside your body. The flow of fluids slows down and your cells start to accumulate toxins.

Those toxins put an ENORMOUS amount of stress on your cells, but the stress they put on your eggs is even more significant.

04/04/2022

Knowing your Ayurvedic metabolic type helps you know how to deal with your moods and emotions.

(vestaveda.com/quiz if you haven’t taken my quiz yet to find out)

These slides are specifically for the post-partum period but can apply for anyone anytime.

04/04/2022

Mental/emotional states for each Ayurvedic body type.

03/29/2022

Never thought i’d love a cat like you, Lu ❤️

The international diva. Lucy la gata. Who keeps life and business in perspective. Always.

I can’t not not share these super pro shots taken by the one and only .valencia for full day shoot yesterday on all things post-partum, food, and farm-fresh nourishment.