Ayurveda

Indian traditional medicine in the 21st century
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Ayurveda, the 'Science of Life', is a natural system of medicine with roots in India, that dates back more than 3,000 years. Based on the idea that good health can only be achieved if an individual’s three energies, or doshas, are in balance, Ayurveda promotes lifestyle changes and natural therapies that use herbs, oils, massage, meditation and yoga to regain a balance between the body, mind, spirit, and the environment.

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Health & Wellness
Yoga instructor Samrat Dasgupta demonstrates Bhramari pranayama – or humming bee breath – at the Prana Yoga studio in Hong Kong. Photo: Edmond So
Health & Wellness
How does humming help you reduce stress? Expert tips on yogic breathing
Humming stimulates the vagus nerve and has other health benefits, and is the base of the yogic breathing technique ‘humming bee breath’.
Michelle Hale wears her glucose monitor on her bare arm, helping to break the stigma surrounding the use of such wearable medical devices. Photo: Michelle Hale
Health & Wellness
Why does this influencer celebrate her diabetes? To help inspire others
A woman with type 1 diabetes on living ‘a fabulous life’ with the disease, plus a look at wellness resorts catering to people with diabetes.
Pathak, with a new mane of curlier hair, exhales on her way to a writing retreat in Bangalore months after her treatment for breast cancer ended in 2023. Photo: Aarti Pathak
Health & Wellness
‘I did not worry’: breast cancer survivor shares her story of love and faith
Aarti Pathak was diagnosed with breast cancer weeks after losing her mum. She shares her survival story, which she wrote about in a memoir.
Slow down and apply products such as Guerlain’s Abeille Royale Scalp and Hair Youth-Oil-in Serum – your hair will thank you later. Photo: Handout
Trends
What’s behind the hair oil revival, and should you jump on the trend?
The age-old practice of hair oiling is gaining new adherents, but not every oil works for every hair type and condition.
Portrait of Neelam Harjani, the founder of Inspire Yoga and Inspire Wellness. Photo: SCMP
Culture
In Good Taste: Inspire Yoga founder Neelam Harjani takes the PostMag Q&A
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Practitioners of traditional Chinese medicine and Ayurveda check a person’s pulse to help arrive at a diagnosis. Photo: Shutterstock
Chinese culture
Explainer|Ayurveda, TCM share approach to healing. How else are they similar?
Ancient medical systems have much in common, including a focus on the individual, not the disease. We compare and contrast their features.
A still from the Chinese TV series Journey to the West, which ran from 1986 to 2000. Wu Cheng’en’s 16th-century book still holds cultural importance in the modern era. Photo: CCTV
Chinese culture
Explainer|What Journey to the West reveals about early China-India exchanges
16th century novel tells the tale of Xuanzang, a monk who contributed to Chinese religion and medicine after his travels to Buddhist India.
Lemon water has been touted by celebrities from Beyoncé to Gisele Bündchen. It’s a great low-calorie way to hydrate and get a boost of vitamin C. Photo: Shutterstock
Health & Wellness
Beyoncé and other celebs love it, but how healthy is lemon water?
Loved by the famous, used for millennia in Ayurvedic medicine, the health benefits of drinking lemon water examined.
Castor oil has long been used as a health and beauty product, and has gained a lot of attention online recently. Photo: Shutterstock
Health & Wellness
Castor oil is a YouTube health and beauty favourite, but does it work?
Instagram and YouTube are full of praise for castor oil’s supposed health and wellness benefits, but a family doctor says to give it a miss.
SHA Wellness Clinic in Spain and Mexico offers a Sexual Wellbeing package - one of several wellness trends this year. Photo: Instagram/shawellness
Health & Wellness
5 wellness retreat trends in 2025, from sexual healing to psychedelics
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Health & Wellness
5 wellness events in Hong Kong and Macau this weekend, November 8-10
A yoga festival on the beach in Macau, a talk on Ayurveda or a life-saving CPR course – what will you get up to this weekend?
Tragacanth gum and natural rose syrup with honey in a refreshing summer drink. Photo: Shutterstock
Health & Wellness
Indian ‘miracle’ gum that cools and hydrates is firing up social media
Many Indians swear by the cooling and hydrating properties of tragacanth gum, especially during the summer heat. Find out how this superfood is used in Ayurveda, and its health benefits.
There are all sorts of health benefits associated with visiting a sauna. But how much science is there to back it up? Photo: Healing Hotels of the World
Wellness
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Health & Wellness
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Health & Wellness
Explainer|The Morning Banana Diet is the latest weight-loss craze, but what is it?
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Health & Wellness
What causes leprosy and is it contagious? Plus symptoms and how it’s treated
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Chris Hemsworth in a still from “Limitless”. Photo: Disney+
Health & Wellness
Chris Hemsworth’s fasting, 10 diet secrets: 7 top wellness stories of 2023
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1
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Health & Wellness
Explainer|What is intuitive eating? It’s ‘not a diet’ – TikTok trend’s health benefits
Intuitive eating is a big TikTok and Instagram trend now – we look at the physical and mental health benefits, including better digestion, more positive body image and increased satiety with less food.
In the Himalayas, luxury spa resort Ananda’s menopause retreat uses Ayurvedic practices and traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) to correct imbalances and tackle hormonal fluctuations. It is one of a number of retreats for women - including those at perimenopause and post-menopausal stages - that aim to help alleviate their symptoms. Photo: Ananda
Health & Wellness
Menopause retreats: how they help women alleviate symptoms and 7 to consider
Tailored menopause wellness retreats provide therapies and community support to help women – including those at perimenopause and post-menopausal stages – find relief from their symptoms.
A healthy meditation and yoga teacher who hadn’t slept properly for five years visited a specialist of Ayurvedic panchakarma (detox and purifying therapy, above). Photo: Ananda in the Himalayas
Health & Wellness
Can’t sleep? How to beat insomnia with Ayurvedic detox therapy panchakarma
A healthy meditation and yoga teacher was ‘feeling helpless with fatigue’ after 5 years of not sleeping properly. A specialist in Ayurvedic panchakarma (detox and purifying therapy) quickly solved the problem.
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Health & Wellness
How ‘everything shower’ TikTok craze can relieve stress in post-Covid world
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Health & Wellness
‘Terrible insomnia’, anxious, depressed: how one woman’s relief was running
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Health & Wellness
Super saffron: the many health benefits of the world’s most expensive spice
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1
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Health & Wellness
How aloe vera – loved by Nicki Minaj and Cleopatra – could benefit you, too
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--NUR-- Flowers: Begonia flowers - snappy acidity Borage flower - cucumber / oyster flavor Dill flowers - herbal dill note Nasturtium flowers - peppery sweetness Herbs / leaves: Lemon balm - lemon scented herb acts to lift flavor Yarrow - woodland favor with mild bitterness adds complexity Begonia leave - adds sharp acidity Nasturtium leaf - adds mustard bitter notes for Roasted mushroom in cultured butter Herbs & flowers, mushroom broth of NUR Restaurant in Central. 25MAR15 [2015 TRENDING 48HRS]
Health & Wellness
The health benefits of edible flowers, from better skin to aiding digestion
Used for medicinal purposes for thousands of years, edible flowers contain essential vitamins and minerals that bestow health benefits from reducing acne to overcoming constipation.
A cup full of cardamom pods. The seeds they contain have many potential health benefits, say practitioners of Ayurveda - traditional Indian medicine. Photo: Getty Images
Health & Wellness
Better sex, fresher breath: how cardamom spice may boost your health
Cardamom, long used in Ayurveda – traditional Indian medicine – has many potential health benefits. We unlock nine health benefits of the spice.
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Ear oiling - adding drops of essential oil such as tea tree oil - to the ear canal, then massaging the ear, is one of several remedies for earache in Ayurveda, or traditional Indian medicine. Photo: Shutterstock
Health & Wellness
Have earache? Eat raw garlic, pour in some oil – Ayurvedic remedies
Traditional Indian medicine has several home remedies to relieve ear pain – from colds, flu or air travel – some of them validated by Western medicine.
Whether taken in seed or powder form or consumed fresh as a herb, fenugreek’s many benefits according to traditional Chinese and Indian medicine include helping diabetics, aiding weight loss, and promoting heart health. Used powdered as a spice, It also makes food more tasty. Photo: Shutterstock
Health & Wellness
Superfood fenugreek: from helping diabetics to weight loss aid, its benefits
A traditional Indian and Chinese medicine staple, fenugreek helps diabetics, aids weight loss, promotes heart health and more. It also makes food more tasty.
1
Ginger shots improve your well-being, from fighting the flu and colds to boosting immunity and relieving nausea. Photo: Shutterstock
Health & Wellness
How ginger shots improve your well-being and boost your immune system
Ginger shots take advantage of the root’s many healthy properties to boost the immune system, relieve inflammation and protect the heart.
Jaggery, India’s “medicinal sugar”, is an alternative to refined sugar that is packed with antioxidants, vitamins and minerals and has numerous health and nutrition benefits. Photo: Shutterstock
Health & Wellness
The healing powers of jaggery, India’s ‘medicinal sugar’
Jaggery, unrefined sugar, is a storehouse of antioxidants, vitamins and minerals that help build strength and immunity while warding off common ailments. Experts tell us more.
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