hi I'm Alicia Lynn Diaz ayurvedic health practitioner and longtime friend of
Banyan botanicals our ears are very important to our health and are
constantly exposed to the elements in the outside world so Ayurvedic shares
with us a really simple practice called ear oiling that really supports and
maintains the health of your ears throughout your lifetime there are two
practices in Ayurveda to administer oil to your ears in sanskrit the first one
is known as karna practice anonym this is the practice of putting just a few
drops of oil in your ears and it has many many benefits it helps loosen
tension in the jaw and in the neck it helps support the overall groundedness
of the body and the mind and this practice is really great to use during
the colder and windier months such as fall and winter simply warm the ear oil
to your body temperature and place one to two drops on your pinky finger or a
piece of cotton and gently lubricate the ear passages alternatively you can tilt
your head and using the dropper place one to two drops in each year gently
massaging it in this practice can be done at any time of day and it can be
especially grounding before bedtime making a wonderful addition to a
relaxing evening ritual now while that first practice can be used as a simple
daily practice there's the second practice called karna prana which is
where you put a little bit more oil in your ear and you hold it for an extended
period of time this is typically used monthly or as directed by your Ayurvedic
health practitioner this practice is deeply nourishing and grounding for the
body and very very supportive for the ears just like for the quick method warm
your ear oil to a comfortable temperature you can test the oil on your
wrist to ensure it's neutral you'll need ear oil to hand towels and washcloths
and if you'd like a timer and a warm blanket place one hand towel on top of
the pillow lay down on one side with the dropper bottle comfortably in arm's
reach prop the washcloth along the outside
edge of your ear in case it spills fill the ear with oil about three to six
drops if you'd like cover your ear with the washcloth and hand towel so it stays
warm relax for 10 minutes you can set a timer if you'd like once 10 minutes is
up slowly tilt your head to pour out oil onto the washcloth remove the towels
roll over onto the other side get comfy and repeat on the other ear ear oil
cleanses and moisturizes the tissues of the ears thanks to a synergistic blend
of oils and Ayurvedic herbs the base oils of sesame and olive are warming and
nourishing an olive oil also has a long history of helping to break up excessive
ear wax these oils are then infused with powerful Ayurvedic herbs bilva is gently
cleansing and has been traditionally used in Ayurveda for centuries to
support a healthy ear environment ashwagandha brings its tonifying
nourishing action Bala and calamus both work in the nervous system
while Ajamoda another friend to the nervous system helps with the proper
flow of Vata this formula is rounded out with a small but mighty pinch of garlic
and garlic is known in the east and west for its beneficial properties that
support the ears I was happy to know that when I tried this product for the
first time it doesn't smell like garlic so don't worry you get the benefits of
the garlic without any of the scent we don't recommend that you use ear oil if
you have a perforated eardrum or an infection in your ears or when your ears
are wet or may have trapped water inside also if you have excessive ear wax you
may want to ask your practitioner how to go about using one of these practices so
while this ear oiling practice is extra beneficial for Vata dosha it is actually
tried o Schick and people of all body types and doshas can benefit from this
nourishing practice I personally love this practice it is so
rounding and nourishing it's a great part of my self-care practice I hope
that you'll try it