If you can’t make it into Fern Life Center each week for pampering, try this ayurvedic do-it-yourself routine, which will only take a couple of hours. Spend an evening or weekend afternoon pampering yourself and restoring your mental, physical and emotional energy.

Ayurvedic Facial

This ayurvedic facial both nourishes and exfoliates your skin. Milk softens and cools the skin and loosens up pore-clogging particles. Hot steam opens your pores and our Fern Simples Ayurvedic Detoxifying Mask removes impurities. Cleanse face and neck with our Ayurvedic tridoshic Facial Cleanser from Fern Simples to remove makeup and impurities.

1. Apply several drops of dosha appropriate Ayurvedic Anti-aging Facial Serum from Fern Simples on fingers and gently massage the face and neck. Repeat three times.
2. Slowly bring half a cup of organic milk to a boil, add a few drops of rose water and beat until a thick layer of foam appears. Massage milk foam onto the face and neck. Repeat three times.
3. Use a facial steamer for five minutes or until the skin perspires. Make a tent for yourself using a towel or sheet.
4. Apply a thin layer of Ayurvedic Detoxifying Mask to the face and neck. Leave on for three to five minutes or until the skin begins to feel tight.
5. Remove clay with remaining organic milk and then rinse milk off with warm water. Use natural sponges for removal of clay.
6. Apply a thin layer of dosha appropriate Ayurvedic Anti-aging Facial Serum from Fern Simples to the face and neck. Dab off excess with a tissue.

Anti-stress self-massage

After you have treated your face, it's time to administer an ayurvedic self-massage. Abhyanga (warm oil massage) should be practiced every morning preceding your shower. For this spa treatment, extend the massage to make it a relaxing, luxurious experience. Massaging your whole body with oil feeds your skin and helps release toxins that accumulate in the body and skin over time. It also improves circulation, relaxes the mind and the body, and nourishes all the tissues and organs. For the home spa treatment, try the dosha appropriate Ayurvedic Abhyanga Body Cream from Fern Simples for better absorption and added aromatherapy for even more bliss.

Steps for Abhyanga

1. Apply a small amount of Ayurvedic Abhyanga Body Cream from Fern Simples to the body starting with the scalp all the way down to you toes.
2. Start massaging your scalp slowly with firm pressure. After two minutes, move down to your ears and face using small circles. (If you have just done a facial, skip the face)
3. Then start with the left shoulder in circular motion. Follow with long strokes on the upper arm, circles on the elbow and long strokes on the forearm. Circle around the wrist and do long strokes on the hand. Repeat with the other arm.
4. Use circular strokes on the chest and the stomach and upward strokes on your lower back.
5. Continue on to the left leg, by doing circles on the joints and long strokes on the limbs. The feet should get special attention, which we will detail in the next section.

Foot Massage

We use our feet all day, but they are often the most neglected parts of the body. Therefore, foot massage is a very important part of Abhyanga. A foot massage not only benefits the feet but revitalizes the whole body. It increases energy, balances emotions, and improves blood and lymph circulation. By massaging the nerve endings in your feet, you can release stress and relieve aches and pains. Love your feet!

1. First wash your feet thoroughly with soap and warm water. Fern Simples Lotus Feet Foot Repair Cream is especially beneficial due to the antibacterial properties of Neem and the other essential oils it contains. Wipe your feet dry and sit in a comfortable position so you can easily reach your feet.
2. Apply the cream to one of your feet for lubrication.
3. Start by gently rubbing the base of your first (little) toe.
4. Continue at the base of the second toe.
5. Next, apply slight pressure between the first and second toes.
6. Then, rub between the third and forth toe.
7. Next, massage, stretch and pull the big toe gently and rub each side of the nails.
8. Finally, massage the ball of your foot in a circular motion, followed by circling around your ankle joint with both hands in a clockwise motion. This improves circulation and the energy level of the body. Repeat the same steps on your other foot. You can do this foot massage in the evening, a couple of times a week to give your tired feet a break. Use coconut oil if you are a pitta and it will help cool the agitation in your mind, allowing for perfect sleep.

The Perfect Bath

The perfect bath should stimulate all the five senses, provide relaxation and a feeling of emotional fullness. After your full body massage, you should let your skin absorb the oil for at least 15 minutes before you get into the tub. During this time, you can assemble everything you will need for a full sensory experience.

• Taste: It's important to remain hydrated while you are cleansing and detoxifying your body. For a soothing drink, try one of Fern Life Center’s herbal teas. Ayurveda does not recommend drinking coffee and alcohol because they stimulate the body instead of soothing it.
• Sight: For a peaceful atmosphere, light a few candles and turn off the lights. Fern Life Center has a variety of aroma therapy candles which can further improve the ambience with their soothing scents. Make sure you place the candles in a secure place, where you can't knock them off while bathing.
• Sound: To help you focus on your spa experience, turn off your phone and mute the answering machine. Put on your favorite soothing, low-volume music. You can also listen to sacred sounds, the pacifying melodies of nature, or a CD that brings you relaxation. If you have a portable CD player, you can place it in the bathroom but away from the bath tub for safety reasons.
• Smell: Now you are ready to fill your tub with warm water. Do not bathe in hot water because it dries your skin and depletes your energy. Make sure to use a filter if the tap water is heavily chlorinated. Soften and scent your bathwater with one of the Fern Simples Bath Salts, which come in seven different aromatherapy combinations such as relaxing, rejuvenating or energizing. The Epsom salts relax your muscles and the natural aromas uplift your spirit. If your are planning to soak for a while, you can use bath pillows to cushion your head and neck.
• Touch: The oil massage has already stimulated your sense of touch. Now it's time to exfoliate. Use natural sponges or scrubs such as loofah, to soften rough elbows and knees, and pumice stone to scrub calluses on your feet. Instead of petroleum-based soaps, use ground chick pea powder or an oil based, organic preservative free soap to cleanse your skin or try one of the products in Fern Life Center’s Fern Simples collection.

After you have soaked for up to 30 minutes, wipe your body with a soft warm towel. Apply the dosha appropriate Ayurvedic Abhyanga Body Cream from Fern Simples to retain the moisture in your skin.

Whether you do this entire routine or just parts of it, don't rush. You gain more benefits if you focus on the procedures and take your time. If you follow the instructions, you will release stress, nurture your skin and uplift your mood.