Skin Care

 I love making my own scrubs, packs, cleansers etc.. Try these .. You'll love it ...
CLEANSING
Cleanser should be used daily as a face wash. Avoid using soap on your face as it absorbs natural oil from the skin leaving your skin dry and dull. Gently rub the cleanser for 2-3 minutes on your face and neck to remove dirt and grime that gets under the skin due to pollution.

Ingredients for Homemade Cleanser
Yogurt- 2 table spoons
A pinch of camphor powder( I love😊)
A few drops of lemon juice

Yogurt suits every skin type and it helps to retain natural moisture of the skin. Yogurt has anti aging properties and lemon is a bleaching agent. Camphor is antiseptic and antibacterial which helps to treat acne and pigmentation.

Tomato is a great cleanser for removing tan and to lighten skin tone. Rub a slice of tomato all over your face and neck. Leave it on for 5-10 minutes and wash it off with normal water.

TONING
Toner tightens the pores and keeps skin smooth and soft. It also helps to treat acne and pimples. Toner should be applied on face and neck every day after cleansing.

Homemade Skin Toners
Grate a cucumber, squeeze out the juice and chill it in the fridge. Apply it on your face and neck with a cotton ball and wash after 5 minutes.

Take 8-10 fresh mint leaves, wash them properly and grind to make a paste. Extract the juice by passing through a strainer. Add a few drops of lemon juice to it and keep it in the fridge. Use as mentioned above. Mint is an excellent remedy for acne and acne scars.

Coconut water helps to tighten pores while it improves the skin tone. It is an effective remedy for pigmentation and dark spots. Apply coconut water on your face and neck with a cotton ball and leave it on for 5-7 minutes. Wash it off with normal water.

MOISTURISER
Moisturising is essential to prevent dryness. Even oily skin needs to be moisturised though with a lighter moisturiser. Moisturiser delays the ageing process; it maintains a supple and smooth skin and adds a glow to your face. Use the right moisturiser for your skin two times a day. Always apply moisturiser after toning and apply it when your face is still moist to lock the moisture.

Homemade Moisturisers
Milk is a natural moisturiser. Apply cold unboiled milk on a dry skin with a cotton swab and wash after 5 minutes.

Fresh fruits like strawberries, avocado, pineapple, plums and kiwi are excellent moisturising agents. They are suitable for all types of skin and can be used safely for homemade skin care.

Extract the juice of any of the above mentioned fruits and apply on your face and neck for 5 minutes. Wash with normal water. You can store the juice in refrigerator for 3-4 days and use as required.

Bharatanatyam Hasta Mudra

One of the most striking aspects of an Indian Classical Dance is the use of hand gestures, also known as Hasta Mudra . In order to convey the meaning of what a dancer is performing, hand gestures are a significant __ to facial expressions. However, there are also Nritta Mudras, that are employed for the sake of beauty and decorative purposes while performing Nritta. So vast is the hand gestures that it covers almost all the aspects of human life and the entire universe. There is a hand gesture for every single thing in this universe. Some are performed with a single hand while some may require the use of both hands. Hence 'Mudras' bring unique poetic element while performing Abhinaya(expressions) and thus the language of the mudras enables the dancer to express practically anything and everything.

Mudras are basically of two types -

1. Asamyukta Hasta (or Asamyuta) (Single Hand Gestures)
2. Samyukta Hasta (or Samyuta) (Double Hand Gestures)

Asamyukta Hasta (read: Uh-sum-yook-tha Husstha) - It is done using a single hand. The Natyashastra mentions 28 Mudras. There are four new Mudras added to this list. These Hand Gestures are a Part of Angika Abhinaya. I shall be explaining each of these Mudras with reference to the shlokas of Abhinayadarpana.

Samyukta Hasta (read: Sum-yook-tha Husstha) - Also known as double hand gestures or combined hand gestures. These gestures require use of both the palms to convey the message or a particular meaning. Usually, these gestures are performed using one or a combination of various single hand gestures. Each gesture has its own use which is termed as Viniyoga

Hasta Mudra (Hand Gestures) for nritta

Mudras are basically of two types -
Asamyukta Hasta (or Asamyuta) (Single Hand Gestures)
Samyukta Hasta (or Samyuta) (Double Hand Gestures)
The Natyashastra mentions 28 Mudras. There are four new Mudras added to this list. These Hand Gestures are a Part of Angika Abhinaya. I shall be explaining each of these Mudras with reference to the shlokas of Abhinayadarpana.
There are 4 new gestures added to this list - Kataka, Vyagraha, Ardhasuchi and Palli

Each of these gestures can be used for a variety of purposes in the dance. The uses of each Hasta are mentioned in a "Shlok" or "Hymn" and we call in "Viniyoga".

Sr. Name – English Name –  Meaning
 1 Pataaka :                Flag
 2 Tripataaka :            3 Parts of the Flag
 3 Ardhapataaka :       Half Flag
 4 Kartarimukha :        Scissors
 5 Mayura     :             Muh-yoo-ra Peacock
 6 Ardhachandra :       Half Moon
 7 Araala :                  Peak of mountain * (to verify)
 8 Shukatunda :          Parrot’s Head
 9 Mushthi :                Fist
 10 Shikhara :             Mountain Peak
 11 Kapitta :               Goodness of wealth * (to verify)
 12 Katakaamukha :   Crab
 13 Suchi :                  Needle
 14 Chandrakalaa :     Waxing Moon
 15 Padmakosha :       Lotus Bud
 16 Sarpashirsha :       Snake’s Hood
 17 Mrigashirsha :       Deer’s Head
 18 Simhamukha :       Lion’s Face
 19 Kaangula :            Water Lily
 20 Alapadma :           Flowering Lotus
 21 Chatura :              Clever
 22 Bhramara :            Bee
 23 Hamsaasya :         Head of Swan
 24 Hansapakshika :   Wing of Swan
 25 Sandamsha :        Tongs
 26 Mukula :              Flower Bud
 27 Tamrachuda :       Cock
 28 Trishula :              Trident
 29 Ardhasuchi :         Half Needle
 30 Vyaagraha :          Tiger
 31 Palli :                    Knot
 32 Katakaa :             Retsing place

Natyasaastra

Natyasaastra is the main sourse of Nritta-Nritya-Natya-Nadanam. It is an ancient Indian treatise on the performing arts, encompassing theatre, dance and music. It was written during the period between 200 BCE and 200 CE in and is traditionally attributed to the Sage Bharata. According to the Natya Shastra by Bharata Muni; classical dance has three main aspects namely Nritta, Nritya, and Natya. I call them the 3Ns of Bharatanatyam :-)

Nritta
Nritta is the demonstration of rhythm through graceful body movements. The synchronization between rhythm and time is of utmost importance in a Nritta piece. Beat and tempo are its two vital constituents. There is no poetic meaning to emote. Its purpose is to showcase geometric patterns and complex rhythmic variations. Hand gestures, dance steps, patterns and concluding dance movements (known as Theer-maa-num) form the backbone of Nritta.
In Natyashatra it is explained that "the sheer beauty of Nritta has a great popular appeal".

Nritya; Depicting a story with facial expressions & body movements
Nritya can be described as an explanatory dance, where the lyrics of the song are conveyed using hand gestures (hasta mudras) and facial expressions (abhinaya). The dancer’s internal emotions (bhaava) should be performed in a way that should be felt by the audience. This is the reason why it is important to understand the lyrics of any song. Unless the emotions are felt inside, it is difficult to perform a flawless piece.
.... in short, Nritya = Nritta + emotions.

Natya; combination of Nritta & Nritya
Natya is achieving a story through speech, music, Nritta and Nritya. Natya is an excellent element of classical dancing through which a dancer can express every known human emotion and feeling. Natya is the dramatic element of classical Indian dance. The dancers take on the roles of characters and perform a dramatic story through music and dance.

Bharata describes in Natya Satra  that, 15 types of drama ranging from one to ten acts. The principles for stage design are laid down in some detail. Individual chapters deal with aspects such as makeup, costume, acting, directing, etc. A large section deals with meanings conveyed by the performance (bhavas) get particular emphasis, leading to a broad theory of aesthetics (rasas).
Four kinds of abhinaya (acting, or histrionics) are described – that by body part motions (angika), that by speech (vAchika), that by costumes and makeup (AhArya), and the highest mode, by means of internal emotions, expressed through minute movements of the lips, eyebrows, ear, etc. (sAttvika).