Prepping for the Wedding the Ayurvedic Way

by Chahna Tailor Gupta

Happy March! Wedding season is upon us! For brides and grooms, this is that one day (or a week!) where the spotlight is on them. This auspicious and ceremonious time in their lives can also put pressure to feel confident on their big day. Having gone through the same myself recently, I can relate.

Six months before my marriage, I began incorporating small Ayurvedic regimens into my day. These not only helped me deal with the stress, but also helped me look my best for the joyous occasion. Here are some things I added to my routine…

Teeth:

In the morning and evening, I was oil pulling (gargling) with unrefined coconut oil, using neem, mint, or miswak toothpaste, and brushing my teeth with an Ayurvedic tooth powder. I always do tongue scraping anyway but this is a great routine to add - especially with a copper scraper!

Face:

For my face, I started making homemade face packs with different ingredients. Sometimes I would just use the inside of a tomato. Other times I would use besan, turmeric, and some water. I also used a calcium bentonite clay mask mixed with apple cider vinegar once in a while. For a scrub, I would use sugar to exfoliate my face. I would make sure to wear sunscreen every day and moisturize so that dry skin wouldn’t accumulate on my face. I would also use steam to open up my pores and allow a detox.

Skin:

I started using Kevala’s 100% Unrefined Sesame Oil every day to give myself an oil massage, also known as abhyanga. This was a great way for me to relax as well as hydrate and moisturize my skin with clean ingredients. Because I am prone to dry skin, I did my abhyanga after my shower so that the oil could continue to keep my skin moisturized. For those of you that have more oily skin, doing an abhyanga before showering and leaving the oil on for 15 minutes is enough before you wash it off! This oil can also be used for oil pulling! Even before I was married, I was using Dr. Bronner’s soap. It is made of only clean ingredients. Even though it is a little drying, I prefer it because it balances out well with my abhyanga after!

Hair:

To make sure that my hair was nice and healthy, I made sure to get a haircut that would cut out any dead hair and then maintain it by using leave-in conditioner after washing my hair and also putting oil in my hair before bed. Some really nice hair oils include amla oil, neem oil, and brahmi oil. This can help reduce heat in the scalp, keeping hair more healthy and less likely to fall out.

Herbs and Teas:

Because I was noticing that I had a lot of heat in my body, I started taking a blood purifier, Manjishta, to help clean my blood - which also helped clean my skin. I am also prone to kidney stones, so just to avoid passing one on my wedding day (can you imagine how that would’ve been?!), I started taking Chandraprabhavati daily. Even though it is not a herb, I started taking Vitamin C chewables as well for immunity!

Something that really causes an imbalance in digestion in Ayurveda is eating cold foods and drinking cold drinks. I am not a person that routinely eats or drinks cold things, but I started to introduce more tea into my life. Whether it was a simple chamomile or ginger tea, or an ayurvedic CCF tea, drinking warm/ hot fluids made me feel more relaxed on a daily basis and definitely helped my gut with digestion.

Everyone’s regimen is different and some people don’t have one! It’s important that you find what works for you. At the end of the day, you will be married to your partner and that in itself is the most beautiful part of it all. For those of you getting married, I wish for you all of the blessings, happiness, and love that life can offer!

Please note that Ayurveda relies heavily on understanding your unique natural composition first. Therefore, the above suggestions may not be suitable for everyone. If you’re interested in specific ideas for your dosha, please reach out to me!

• Vicco Vajradanti Ayurvedic Tooth

Powder • Himalaya Mint Fresh Gel

Toothpaste, Organic Neem 10 in 1

Fluoride Free Toothpaste • Kevala Organic Extra Virgin

Sesame Oil • Aztec Secret – Indian Healing Clay • Nightly moisturizer: Origins Drink

Up- Intensive Overnight Mask to

Quench Skin’s Thirst • Dr. Bronner’s - Pure-Castile

Eucalyptus Liquid Soap (I would not suggest the Peppermint one - it will burn!) • Banyan Botanicals Manjistha

Tablets • Patanjali Divya Chandraprabha Vati • Fresh Nutrition Vitamin C -

Powerful 1500mg Per Day Immune

Support Chewables

About the Author

Chahna Tailor Gupta is a certified yoga teacher and an Ayurvedic Practitioner. With a background in occupational therapy, she delivers corporate wellness programs and personalized at-home sessions where she integrates OT concepts and yoga practices to promote functional mobility and mindfulness. She received her yoga certifications from Akshi Yogashala in Rishikesh in India and Yogi Hari’s Ashram in Miramar, FL. She received her Ayurvedic studies from Sampoorna College of Ayurveda in Miami, FL and is continuing her studies there to become an Ayurvedic Doctor. She also volunteers for Ekal Vidyalaya Foundation South Florida Chapter, is a volunteer Hindu Chaplain for the South Florida community, and is an adjunct professor at International Hindu University. Her mission is to help others implement stress reduction techniques and take more time out for their own self-care.

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