YFLO Organized webinar on “Beauty Inside Out : the Ayurvedic Way”

Hyderabad, 10 July 2020: YFLO Chairperson Apurva Jain and committee members invited senior Ayurveda Expert Dr. Akanksha Kotibhaskar from Forest Essentials to shed some light on “Ayurvedic Self care rituals and how beauty starts from inside out”. The virtual session took place on Zoom on 10 July, Hyderabad. Beauty is an enigma and recent times demand that we work on enhancing ourselves and our surroundings, while the world heals itself.

The ancient art of Ayurveda is an integrated approach and lifestyle that lays emphasis on the inter connectivity of the mind body and environment. The esteemed guest today had studied Bachelor of Ayurvedic Medicine and Surgery from Maharashta University of Health Sciences and PG DAW from UK. She has worked with numerous clinics with lifestyle management and treating skin ailments. Every life does not just require but demands a wellness journey today. Building Immunity is the new preventive cure and routine diet and weight consultation are mandatory in these times. Dr. Kotibhaskar is renowned in the field for the same and has gained international experience with her work in UK.

The session started on a religious note with YFLO Treasurer Arti Shah singing the Ganesh Vandana. YFLO Chairperson Apurva Jain took over the screen to formally welcome the esteemed guest, FLO past chairs, current FLO chairperson Usha Rani Mane, committee members and the audience. She began with a short speech introducing her “phoenixes” and mentioned that, “Life is beautiful and yet we say beauty lies in the eyes of the beholder….a statement that doesn’t do justice to the definition of beauty. While our world is on a standstill, we keep moving by learning something new and its in our innate nature to beautify our surroundings. Learning is the new way of growing, I hope we all grow together while learning from new opportunities and shine from inside out post the session.” The speaker was felicitated with a green certificate, 25 trees are being planted in her honour in the Sunderbans.

Dr. Kotibhaskar is an excellent orator and shared her knowledge of the sacred field skilfully explaining that “Ayurvedic selfcare is the highest level of self transformation.”She related inner beauty to be the combination of a healthy body and mind. Gut health being the epicentre for Agni is crucial and hence its’s always said “Eat food like medicine and you will never have to eat medicine”. She shared specific tips for the rainy season “Varsha ritucharya” suggesting “cooked, warm and easily digestible food should be eaten. Please avoid salads, chutneys and sauces and try to switch to soups. Drink warm water in small quantities, and please add ginger, garlic, lemon and black pepper to your diet. Replace sugar with honey for smooth digestion.”

She defined the vata, pita and kapha relating them to skin care rituals. Certain Forest Essentials products like Tejaswi Emulsion were highlighted for all skin types. Constant sanitiser results in dry hands. Dr. Kotibhaskar suggested the use of “Cocobutter, Tamarind Scrub, Vitamin E cream” for an easy DIY mani-pedicure! She shared brilliant home recipes with the use of turmeric, sandalwood, camphor, rose water to add any lacking nutrients to the skin. Among many queries asked she she light on the importance and time based use of the super food ghee. “It is definitely an ingredient in some Forest Essentials skincare products, it should not be kept overnight as it clogs pores.” Anti-aging was a common question for many and warm ghee, seasonal fruits, were suggested to be a nutritious answer to it.

YFLO secretary Sonali Modi Saraf moderated the meeting with ease and grace moving between the chairperson and speaker smoothly, suggesting client queries as asked in the chat session. She also acknowledged the overwhelming 181 responses received for the contest prior to the session. The Contest winners received 4 luxurious hampers and 3 gift vouchers from Forest Essentials, products that would definitely brighten up their day! YFLO Vice Chairperson Deepti Reddy gave the vote of thanks, mentioning “the webinar was knowledge based, and learning is even more inspiring when you have a gifted professional.” Dr. Kotibhaskar shared her experience, tips and answered queries diligently. All in all, the session was as beautiful as could be!