..... " So , when will I see results?" .... a familiar question for anybody working in the health, beauty and cosmetic industries.
Whether the issue at-hand is hair loss , troublesome skin , stress or digestive problems , we always advise our first-time clients to commit to a forty day 'mandala' - a commitment to forty days of staying disciplined in newly formed habits and rituals, allowing the body ample time for transformation.
In these times, the health and beauty industries have bombarded advertisements and showered us in false claims of achieving "instant results".
We are all familiar with the catchy tag-lines employed in advertisements such as "noticeable results after one use", "visibly different", single-use "transformation", "instant glow" , the list goes on ... these seemingly harmless jingles serve not only to lure customers towards a purchase, but on a deeper level , such a mentality has negatively impacted the way we view health, self-care , beauty and well-being. Any system which promises instant relief from a problem which has manifested over years of one's lifetime , has to be thoroughly questioned , and usually disregarded.
Here we reach a touchy subject , which is in fact one of the main differences between the modern/ allopathic & commercial approach towards health , versus holistic and traditional attitudes....
Whether we address chronic illnesses, psychological disorders, hormonal /sleep/ mood imbalances, or our most common beauty concerns , if we are truly interested in adopting a "natural approach" , it calls for acceptance of the undeniable ...
...True healing takes time, consistency and patience....
The Root of the Problem
From a holistic view point, problems do not just "appear" in the body - rather , they accumulate or manifest over time, as a result of many factors -external & internal, environmental & dietary, physical & psychological.. Bodily Imbalances that lead to ill health cannot appear instantly . By the time we notice the external symptoms, the body has already been dealing with an imbalance for some time.
If dis-ease takes time and consistent effort to manifest , we should also understand that to naturally heal takes consistent time and effort. As the needed changes of any habit, behaviour ,compulsion or attitude take time to root and become firmly established in the psyche, the body also takes time to become accustomed to new patterns and changes in lifestyle, and to re-align to a healthier functioning- although our modern world is swayed and confused by the glittering promises of instant solutions -there are no short-cuts to full health and longevity, and no way to by-pass the commitment and dedication that is required to truly cure the body's imbalances and remain on the path of radiant health.
Seers and wise men of many ancient cultures have repeatedly spoken on the significance of a 41-day period of effort. In relation to taking different medicines as cures , in relation to performing certain rituals, in relation to meditation or penance, in relation to making certain sacrifices , in relation to changing and establishing new habits, a 41-day period , or "mandala" as it was known in ancient India, is known as the amount of time it takes for real psychological and physical changes to establish in a human , if certain disciplines are followed during the cycle. This time period encompasses one full moon cycle (from one new/full moon to the next) plus eleven more days (until the next ekadashi tithi). Performing a new practise or routine for the duration of one moon cycle plus eleven days is enough to allow the body to become accustomed and rooted within these changes . It is seen as one designated natural cycle the physical body's alignment with the solar and lunar rhythms. It is said to be the time needed to break/ establish a new habit or behaviour. Ayurvedic medicines and new meditation practises are often advised for a minimum of forty one days.
We also advise a "mandala" approach to make changes in our health, our habits , our external beauty or our psychology and attitudes.
In our modern world ,amongst such a range of choices & promises of "instant success" , we tend to jump rapidly from one thing to another - one product after another, one practise after another, one idea after another- giving nothing ample time to yield results. When trying anything new, be it a new breathing technique or exercise regime, a new supplement, a change in diet, a new natural beauty product or routine or even a new personal affirmation , commit to a forty one cycle, then review the results . Mother nature has her own rhythm and pace - nobody plants a garden of seeds and expects fruit the very next day , yet as a result of living in a world filled with hectic schedules, "express" results , deadlines , competitions and timers, we tend to forget the power of relaxing & attuning to earths cycles in our daily lives and approach everything with a sense of immediacy and a need for instant gratification . Even the minority who prefer natural and 'holistic' products often approach with less of a holistic mindset and more of an 'allopathic' logic, expecting instantaneous results without any effort.
If you seek real change in any area of your life, why not try to establish a self-care mandala?
Approach transformation as a process, with patience and commitment. Treat the transformation process holistically -working on the root causes of the issues you wish to change, not only focusing on the external symptoms of the problem .
For example , hollistically speaking, weight-loss should never be a sole focus. Why are so many people unsuccessful on their "weight loss journey". Because , they focus only on that - eating less and weighing less ,without ever addressing all important aspects such as the emotions that provoke excessive eating , the hidden traumas that the body carries as weight, the nutritional deficiencies of the modern diet, an individual's constitution and nature and the foods which complement or imbalance that, the stress levels and management of the same in each individual... all-important aspects without which embarking on a weight-loss journey is arbitary and all depends on restriction and "willpower".
In the same manner , expecting a single pill or lotion which cures hair-loss or acne is ludicrous, without being willing to explore the dietary deficiencies , stress levels , lifestyle choices and topical and environmental products used which most likely form a list of causal factors for these common problems.
Holistic & herbal medicine does not mean a change in the nature of products used , it means fundamentally questioning the way we see our own health and surroundings. Although taught to view health through a separatist and dissected lense, we must resort to seeing the interconnectedness of the whole body and its relation to environment. Did you ever consider deep-breathing and body massage as a solution to hair-loss? What about oil-pulling and light excerice as aids to clearer and brighter skin? Instead of reaching for medicines to treat migraine and insomnia, it is highly effective but almost never recommended to limit artificial indoor lighting, begin the practise of scalp massage and explore dietary aggrevants.
One external manifestation is often prompted and cured through several other areas of the body and environment.
There are no short-cuts in the holistic approach to health. Unless committed and willing to honour our own body and gifts of health and beauty, we cannot expect to acheive a state of equilibrium in this modern world which promotes the opposite. Real transformation starts from committing to make informed choices for ourselves rather than following mass opinions , trends or social "norms" which we can clearly see are as harmful as they are commonly accepted.
If seeking change on any level of psychology or physiology , why not begin your first transformational "mandala". Ask yourself which aspects of life are burdening your health and contributing to stress, sickness or tension . Assess appropriate changes in lifestyle , diet and routine and commit to some vitalizing practises throughout the time.
For inspiration , check out our articles
" Ancient self-care rituals for vitale"
" Simple at-home Practises to sharpen focus"