සිංහල Start here
Two hands at an old granite garden well, one rubbing a golden herbal paste of sandalwood and turmeric along the other forearm, a clay bowl of the paste and a brass kendiya on the rim

Step 1 of 3

Cleansing

Every tradition on this path begins with the body, because the body is where you are. Cleansing is not vanity. It is the first act of attention.

How to do it

In Hatha yoga the first practices are the ṣaṭkarma, six cleansing acts, and they come before a single posture. In the Buddha’s teaching, sīla, the care of conduct and of the body, comes before concentration. Patañjali lists cleanliness, śauca, among the observances a practitioner keeps. None of them thought the body was the point. All of them thought it was the place to start.

The ritual is simple. Twice a week, a herbal scrub ground fine, worked slowly over the skin with water. Ten minutes in which the only task is to notice what you are doing. Sandalwood, turmeric and kokum do what they have done in Sri Lankan Ayurveda for a very long time. The attention does the rest.

How to do it

One practice, done twice a week. The steps are the same each time, which is what makes it a ritual rather than a chore.

01 The cleansing ritual The herbal scrub, used slowly and with attention. Twice a week. 10 min Available
  1. Warm water in a basin, not a running tap. Wet the face and hands.
  2. A teaspoon of the powder in the palm, a few drops of water, worked to a paste. Not runny.
  3. Small circles, with the fingertips, from the centre of the face outward. Slowly. The point is not pressure but attention to each part as you reach it.
  4. Leave it for two minutes. Breathe. Notice the scent of the sandalwood. Do nothing else.
  5. Rinse with the warm water until the water runs clear. Pat dry. Nothing after it tonight.
  6. Turmeric can leave a faint colour on lighter skin for a few hours. Evening is the easier time for that reason. Patch test the first time, and not during pregnancy.
Language
සිංහල · English
For
Anyone, no experience

What you need

  • The herbal scrub

    Ground sandalwood, turmeric, kokum and chickpea flour. 100g lasts about six weeks at twice a week.

  • Warm water and a basin

    Not a shower. The ritual is slower than that.

  • Ten minutes

    With the phone in another room.

The Parami Ayurveda Herbal Scrub pouch, black with gold botanical line work, among sandalwood, turmeric root, a singing bowl and a blue water lily on green silk

Ayurveda Herbal Scrub

100g. LKR 6,850. Most people notice a change after four to six weeks of twice-weekly use.

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What the research shows

Real studies, in plain words, with what each one does not show. None of them is a claim about the scrub.