Friday, October 31, 2025

🌿 A Simple Home Purification (Home Panchakarma)

Ayurveda teaches that periodic cleansing removes ama (toxins) and restores balance, even if you cannot access a professional panchakarma center.

This home program is a safe, simplified version that you can perform seasonally for prevention or mild imbalances.


🪔 Step 1: Internal Oleation (Snehana – Internal)

Duration: 3 days (morning, empty stomach)
Take: 2 ounces of warmed, liquefied ghee each morning.

Constitution (Dosha)How to Take Ghee
VataAdd a pinch of rock salt
PittaTake plain ghee
KaphaAdd a pinch of trikatu (ginger + black pepper + pippali)

🧈 Purpose: Lubricates the internal channels, helping toxins (ama) return from deep tissues to the digestive tract for elimination.


💆‍♀️ Step 2: External Oleation (Snehana – External)

Duration: 5–7 days
Method: Massage 7–8 ounces of warm oil into your body (head to toe) for 15–20 minutes daily.
Then take a hot bath or shower.

Constitution (Dosha)Best Massage Oil
VataSesame oil (heavy, warming)
PittaSunflower oil (cooling)
KaphaCorn oil (light, stimulating)

Optional:

  • Use neem soap afterward.

  • Avoid clogging drains if using chickpea flour to remove oil — flush with hot water.


💧 Step 3: Gentle Purgation (Virechana)

Each night (1 hour after supper):
Take ½–1 teaspoon of triphala powder.
Steep in ½ cup of boiling water, cool, then drink.

🍃 Purpose: Gently cleanses the bowels, improves digestion, and removes ama.
Triphala acts as a mild, safe laxative and can be used long-term.


🪶 Step 4: Medicated Enema (Basti)

Last 3 days of the program, after your hot bath or shower.

Prepare Dashamoola tea:

  • Boil 1 tbsp dashamoola in 1 pint water for 5 minutes.

  • Cool, strain, and use the liquid as an enema.

💡 If the liquid is absorbed completely (especially in dry Vata types), it’s not harmful.

🧘‍♀️ Purpose: Cleanses the colon, pacifies Vata, and completes the purification.


🍚 Diet During Home Panchakarma

Days 4–8: Eat only kitchari
→ a mixture of basmati rice + mung dal + cumin + mustard seed + coriander + 2 tsp ghee

🥣 Benefits:

  • Nourishing yet light

  • Easy to digest

  • Suitable for all doshas

  • Cleansing and protein-rich

Also:

  • Rest adequately

  • Stay warm and peaceful

  • Avoid stress and overexertion

🕊️ Best done during seasonal transitions (e.g., spring/fall).


🌼 Rejuvenation and Rebuilding (Rasayana Phase)

After cleansing, your body becomes like a clean cloth ready for dyeing — now it’s time to rebuild tissues and immunity.

🌿 Rasayanas (Rejuvenative Herbs)

Constitution (Dosha)Rejuvenative HerbHow to Take
VataAshwagandha1 tsp in hot milk, twice daily
PittaShatavari1 tsp in warm milk, twice daily
KaphaPunarnava1 tsp in warm water, twice daily

Also beneficial:

  • Chyavanprash (classical herbal tonic for all doshas)

  • Light yoga, meditation, and rest

  • Simple, dosha-appropriate diet


⚠️ Three Cautions About Home Panchakarma

  1. Not for the weak or debilitated.
    Avoid if you are anemic, frail, or have low energy.

  2. Not for pregnancy.
    Panchakarma — even at home — should never be done during pregnancy.

  3. Emotional release may occur.
    As toxins leave the tissues, old emotions (sadness, fear, anger, grief) may surface.

    • Drink Tranquillity Tea

    • Meditate (e.g., “Empty Bowl” method)

    • Rest and reflect

Emotional detox can occur even weeks or months later — it is part of the healing process.


🌺 After Purification: Building Strength

After completing your program:

  • Take time to rest and rejuvenate (a week or more if possible).

  • Avoid sexual activity to preserve energy.

  • Eat dosha-appropriate food mindfully.

  • Practice meditation and yoga daily.


💖 The Role of Self-Esteem in Healing

Ayurveda teaches that every cell is conscious — each has its own intelligence and sense of self.
Healthy self-esteem in the mind translates to healthy intelligence in cells.

Positive Self-EsteemLow Self-Esteem
Promotes cellular intelligence and immunityWeakens cell coordination
Strengthens self-healingMay allow disease to grow
Harmonious body-mind unityConflict within the system (e.g., cancer)

“If you love yourself as you are, you will develop confidence — and that will heal disease.”

Self-love and self-respect sustain immunity, longevity, and vitality.


🌞 Summary of the Home Panchakarma Cycle

StageProcessPurpose
1. Internal OleationGhee (3 days)Lubricate channels, mobilize toxins
2. External OleationOil massage (5–7 days)Soften tissues, move ama
3. PurgationTriphala nightlyEliminate toxins
4. Enema (Basti)Dashamoola tea (3 days)Cleanse colon, pacify Vata
5. Light DietKitchariNourish and balance
6. RejuvenationRasayanasBuild strength and immunity
7. Self-LoveMeditation, self-careDeep healing and emotional renewal

🌿 Techniques for Cleansing and Purification (Shodhana in Ayurveda)

When Cleansing Becomes Necessary

If you have not:

  1. Developed awareness,

  2. Modified causes of imbalance, or

  3. Applied opposites to restore balance,
    and disease has begun to manifest — it’s time for cleansing and purification.

At this stage, the principle of opposites alone is not enough.
The body must be cleansed of excess doshas and accumulated toxins (ama).


Ama – The Root Cause of Disease

Ama = toxic, sticky, undigested residue formed from improper digestion.

Causes:

  • Weak or disturbed Agni (digestive fire)

  • Poor diet or irregular eating

  • Suppressed emotions and stress

  • Sedentary lifestyle

Symptoms of Ama:

  • Fatigue, heaviness

  • Constipation, indigestion, gas, or diarrhea

  • Bad breath or coated tongue

  • Aches, stiffness, or dull pain

  • Brain fog or confusion

“Disease is a crisis of ama — the body’s attempt to eliminate toxins.”


🌀 The Ayurvedic Cleansing System – Panchakarma

Panchakarma literally means “five actions.”
It is Ayurveda’s main method for deep internal purification.

Performed in two stages:

  1. Preparatory procedures (Purva Karma) – to loosen toxins

  2. Main purification procedures (Pradhana Karma) – to expel them


1️⃣ Preparatory Stage (Purva Karma)

a. Internal Oleation (Snehana – Internal)

  • Involves drinking small, prescribed quantities of ghee (clarified butter) for 3–5 days.

  • Lubricates internal channels → loosens ama → carries it toward the GI tract.

If ghee is contraindicated (high cholesterol, triglycerides, or blood sugar):
Use flaxseed oil instead – 2 tbsp, 3×/day, 15 min before meals for 3 days.

b. External Oleation (Snehana – External)

  • Full-body oil massage with herbal oils.

  • Softens tissues, calms nerves, and mobilizes toxins.

c. Sudation (Swedana)

  • Steam therapy or sweating after massage.

  • Opens pores and channels; drives toxins toward the GI tract.


2️⃣ Main Panchakarma Therapies (Pradhana Karma)

ProcedureName (Sanskrit)PurposeTargets
1. Therapeutic vomitingVamanaRemoves excess Kapha and mucusLungs, stomach
2. Purgation therapyVirechanaEliminates excess PittaLiver, small intestine
3. Medicated enemaBastiRemoves aggravated VataColon
4. Nasal therapyNasyaClears toxins from head and sinusesNose, throat
5. Blood purificationRakta MokshaDetoxifies blood and skinCirculatory system

Notes:

  • Vamana → for Kapha-type disorders (asthma, bronchitis).

  • Virechana → for Pitta-type (skin rashes, liver disorders).

  • Basti → for Vata-type (arthritis, constipation, anxiety).

  • Nasya → for sinusitis, headaches, mental fog.

  • Rakta Moksha → for skin diseases, infections, inflammation.


⚖️ Alternate Cleansing – Shamana (Palliation)

If the patient is weak or debilitated,
and disease is strong → Shamana therapy (gentle purification) is preferred.

  • Uses mild detoxifying herbs, light diet, rest, and lifestyle correction.

  • Neutralizes ama without intense cleansing.


⚠️ Important Safety Note

  • Panchakarma must only be done under supervision of a trained Ayurvedic physician.

  • It is individualized — tailored to each person’s constitution (prakriti) and condition (vikriti).

  • Requires professional monitoring before, during, and after treatment.


🪷 Summary: The Cleansing Path

StageActionPurpose
AwarenessNotice imbalanceEarly prevention
OppositesRestore harmonyMinor correction
CleansingRemove toxinsDeep purification

“To cleanse is to create space — for balance, clarity, and renewed vitality.”

🌿 How We Can Stay Healthy (According to Ayurveda)

 Ayurveda’s Main Goal

“To maintain the health of the healthy and to cure the disease of the sick.”

  • Prevention is easier than cure.

  • The key to lasting health lies in awareness, intelligent action, and balance.


🧘‍♀️ 1. Awareness — The Master Key

  • Awareness means being conscious of your body, mind, and environment.

  • Know your prakriti (constitution: Vata, Pitta, Kapha).

  • Observe how food, weather, emotions, and habits affect you.

  • Health begins with listening to your body’s signals.

Example:

  • If a Kapha person feels congested in spring:

    • Avoid kapha-producing foods like yogurt, cheese, ice cream, cucumber, and cold drinks.

    • Favor light, warm, and spicy foods.

“Like increases like; opposites balance.”


⚖️ 2. Taking Action to Modify the Cause

  • You can’t control everything, but you can respond wisely.

🔹 Weather and Doshas

Weather TypeEffectWhat to Do
Cold, dry, windyAggravates VataKeep warm, stay hydrated
Hot, humidAggravates PittaAvoid heat, eat cooling foods
Cold, damp, cloudyIncreases KaphaStay active, eat light and dry foods

🔹 Food as Medicine

  • Modify food with spices and ghee to make it compatible.

    • Example: Potatoes cause gas → sauté with ghee, cumin, mustard seed, turmeric, and cilantro.

  • Cooking is an Ayurvedic pharmacy—it transforms food properties.

🔹 Mind and Emotions

  • Avoid mental toxins too:

    • Violent or disturbing media can provoke Vata (fear, anxiety).

    • Choose peace-giving, uplifting impressions.


🌼 3. Restoring Balance

When imbalance starts, apply the opposite quality:

ImbalanceRemedy (Opposite Quality)
ColdWarm food/drink, heat
Heat (Pitta)Cool water, rest, sweet fruits
Agitation (Vata)Calmness, meditation, grounding
Heaviness (Kapha)Light diet, activity

“If you’re cold, take something warm. If you’re restless, meditate. If you’re hot, cool down.”

Even though it sounds simple, this principle — “apply the opposite” — is the core of Ayurvedic healing.


🪷 Essence of the Chapter

  1. Be Aware – notice how life affects you.

  2. Act Wisely – modify causes within your control.

  3. Restore Balance – use opposites to correct disturbances.

  4. Live Consciously – every moment is an opportunity for healing.

“Skill in action is Yoga.” — Bhagavad Gita
Ayurveda teaches us that awareness + wise action = lifelong health.

🌿 How Disease Develops (Samprapti – The Pathogenesis of Disease)

According to Ayurveda, illness is not an event that happens suddenly — it is the final stage of a long, gradual process.

At any point in this process, if awareness and corrective measures are applied, balance can be restored and disease can be prevented.

The disease process begins when there is a disturbance in the balance of the three doshasVata, Pitta, and Kapha.
Temporary imbalances are common and usually self-correcting, but if the aggravated state persists, disease takes root.


⚖️ Natural Cycles of Doshas

In the natural course of life, doshas follow seasonal rhythms:

  • Pitta accumulates in late spring, aggravates in summer, and pacifies in autumn.

  • Vata increases in the cool, dry, and windy months of fall, then settles with warmth and nourishment.

  • Kapha builds up in late winter and early spring, then subsides with the heat of summer.

When these cycles proceed smoothly, the body maintains equilibrium.
But when an aggravated dosha fails to pacify naturally — through seasonal change, diet, or lifestyle adjustment — the imbalance deepens and moves toward disease.


🧠 How to Transform Negative Feelings

Negative emotions such as anger, fear, or criticism disturb the mind and body alike.
Expressing them can hurt others; suppressing them creates inner toxicity and biochemical stress that affects organs and cells.

Ayurvedic practice teaches awareness rather than repression or expression:

  1. When an emotion arises, pause and observe it.

  2. Take a slow, deep breath.

  3. Allow yourself to feel the emotion without judgment.

  4. Breathe into it — let it unfold, flower, and dissolve naturally.

When awareness embraces both outer events and inner reactions, understanding becomes total.
In this state, emotions no longer leave scars on the mind or the body.
Observation without labeling unites the observer and the observed, dissolving emotional disturbances at their root.


🔬 The Six Stages of Disease (Samprapti – Pathogenesis)

Disease is like a seed growing into a tree.
Its birth and maturation occur through six progressive stages, moving from subtle imbalance to structural damage.


1. Accumulation (Sanchaya)

Due to factors such as diet, weather, emotions, and lifestyle, the doshas begin to accumulate in their natural sites:

  • Vata → Colon

  • Pitta → Small Intestine

  • Kapha → Stomach

At this stage, symptoms are mild and self-correcting:

  • Vata: Gas, bloating, constipation

  • Pitta: Heat in the abdomen, yellow eyes or urine, excessive hunger

  • Kapha: Heaviness, lethargy, poor appetite

The body’s intelligence naturally generates aversions and cravings to restore balance.
For example, after excess ice cream (kapha increase), one may naturally crave spicy food.
Listening to this inner wisdom prevents disease progression.


2. Aggravation (Prakopa)

The accumulated dosha continues to increase and overflows from its site:

  • Kapha rises toward the lungs → congestion, cough

  • Pitta moves upward → acid reflux, nausea

  • Vata ascends into the flanks or chest → pain, breathlessness

At this point, one can still reverse the imbalance through simple measures — fasting, light diet, rest, or opposite qualities (e.g., warmth for vata, coolness for pitta).
If ignored, the dosha begins to move deeper into the system.


3. Spread (Prasara)

The aggravated dosha spreads through the bloodstream and other bodily channels, seeking a weak area to enter.
Symptoms may become generalized and harder to trace.

At this stage, merely removing the cause is insufficient.
Panchakarma cleansing or detoxification is required to draw the doshas back to their original sites for elimination.

🔥 Ama, Agni, and the Disease Process

  • Agni (digestive fire) governs the transformation of food into energy.

  • When Agni is weak, food is improperly digested, forming Ama — a sticky, toxic residue.

  • Ama circulates through blood and lymph, clogging the body’s subtle channels.

  • This blockage disrupts the flow of Prana (life energy), leading to cellular isolation and confusion — the root of pathology.

Hence, eliminating Ama through cleansing (Panchakarma) is vital for restoring cellular intelligence.


4. Deposition / Infiltration (Sthana Samshraya)

The disturbed dosha now settles in a weak or defective tissue — a site predisposed to imbalance due to:

  • Genetic weakness

  • Previous trauma

  • Poor diet or habits

  • Repressed emotions

For example:

  • Smoking → weakens lungs

  • Excess sugar → weakens pancreas

When the dosha lodges in such a site, it overwhelms the local tissue intelligence, altering structure and function.
At this stage, the disease is subtle but detectable by a skilled practitioner through pulse or early symptoms.


5. Manifestation (Vyakti)

The disease now becomes apparent and symptomatic.
Functional changes emerge, and the condition is recognizable — e.g., an ulcer, arthritis, asthma, or skin rash.
Treatment becomes more complex but is still possible through proper therapy and correction of the root cause.


6. Complication / Structural Distortion (Bheda)

This is the final stage, where disease is fully developed and difficult to reverse.
Structural damage to tissues and organs occurs — ulcers perforate, tumors form, degeneration sets in.

At this level:

  • Function is lost.

  • Adjacent tissues are affected.

  • Complications arise across multiple systems.

Restoration is possible only through prolonged and intensive treatment — thus early intervention and prevention are central to Ayurveda.


🪷 Key Insights

  • Health and disease are both processes — one of harmony, the other of disturbance.

  • Awareness of the body’s early signals prevents imbalance from maturing into disease.

  • The wise person lives in tune with changing circumstances, listens to the body’s intelligence, and makes choices that sustain balance.

“Awareness is the true medicine.
When you live with consciousness in every moment, disease has no fertile ground.”

🌿 Ten Factors in Health and Illness

 Illness does not appear suddenly. There is always a direct link between the causes that influence us and the effects they produce.

The cause is the concealed effect; the effect is the revealed cause.

Just as a seed contains the potential of a tree, our habits and environment contain the seeds of either health or disease.
A healthy lifestyle produces vitality; unhealthy habits manifest as illness.

According to the Charaka Samhita:

“Both the patient and the environment must be examined to understand disease and its causes—
including the place of birth, climate, local customs, diet, habits, mental condition, and time of onset.”

Let us explore these ten key factors that influence health and disease.


1. Like Increases Like

A fundamental Ayurvedic principle states:
“Like increases like, and opposites bring balance.”

Each dosha is increased by similar qualities in food, activities, and environment:

DoshaAggravating FactorsExamples
VataDryness, cold, irregularityDry food, running, rushing, overwork
PittaHeat, intensity, aciditySpicy food, alcohol, sun exposure
KaphaCold, heaviness, dampnessDairy, fried food, inactivity

💡 Key Remedy: Apply opposite qualities — warmth balances cold, lightness reduces heaviness, calmness soothes agitation.


2. Food and Diet

Food is the foundation of health.
Eating according to your prakruti (constitution) preserves vitality, while the wrong diet creates imbalance.

  • Vata: Avoid dried fruits, beans, and raw salads. Favor warm, moist, and oily foods.

  • Pitta: Avoid spicy, sour, citrus, and fermented foods. Favor cooling foods and sweet fruits.

  • Kapha: Avoid dairy, fried, and heavy foods. Favor light, dry, and warm meals.

Other dietary causes of disease include:

  • Wrong food combinations

  • Stale or processed food

  • Eating in a hurry or late at night

🍲 Balanced diet = strong digestion and lasting health.


3. Seasons (Ritucharya)

Each season predominates in one dosha:

SeasonPredominant DoshaCommon Effects
AutumnVataDryness, insomnia, constipation
Winter & Early SpringKaphaColds, congestion, allergies
Late Spring & SummerPittaHeat, rash, irritability

Prevention:

  • In Vata seasons: Stay warm, eat cooked food, avoid cold drinks.

  • In Pitta seasons: Keep cool, avoid sun and spicy food.

  • In Kapha seasons: Stay active, avoid heavy meals and daytime naps.


4. Exercise

Proper exercise maintains circulation, strength, and immunity, and removes toxins through sweat.
But overexertion or neglect both disturb doshas.

ConstitutionBest Exercise Type
VataGentle yoga, walking, stretching
PittaModerate sports, swimming, cycling
KaphaVigorous exercise, running, aerobics

🚶‍♀️ Exercise according to your strength and age.
Too little causes stiffness and disease; too much causes exhaustion and degeneration.


5. Age

Life progresses through three stages, each dominated by one dosha:

Life StageDominant DoshaCommon Tendencies
ChildhoodKaphaGrowth, mucus, colds
AdulthoodPittaEnergy, ambition, ulcers
Old AgeVataDryness, arthritis, forgetfulness

🧓 Each age requires specific care —
older people should favor warmth, oiling, and gentle rest to balance vata.


6. Mental and Emotional Factors

Mind and body are inseparable. Every thought and emotion has a biochemical effect on the doshas.

EmotionRelated DoshaPhysical Seat
Fear, anxietyVataColon, kidneys
Anger, envyPittaLiver, gallbladder
Greed, attachmentKaphaHeart, lungs

Unresolved emotions disturb doshic balance and weaken specific organs.
Awareness, forgiveness, and self-understanding restore equilibrium.


7. Stress

Ayurveda views stress as a root cause of disease, not just a symptom.
Late nights, irregular meals, emotional suppression, excess travel, or overstimulation all disturb doshas.

  • Vata stress: Anxiety, fear, insomnia

  • Pitta stress: Anger, hypertension, ulcers

  • Kapha stress: Lethargy, overeating, depression

🕊️ A regular routine, nourishing food, and loving relationships reduce stress and strengthen immunity.


8. Overuse, Underuse, and Misuse of the Senses

Our senses can heal or harm us. Every sensory experience affects body chemistry.

  • Overuse: Loud sounds → hearing loss (Vata); too much sun → skin irritation (Pitta)

  • Misuse: Reading in poor light, excessive screen time, overeating stimulating foods

  • Underuse: Lack of sunlight → depression (SAD), isolation → restlessness (Vata)

Balance comes from mindful perception and using the senses appropriately — through beauty, sound, fragrance, and touch.


9. “Knowing Better” but Ignoring It

We often fall ill not from ignorance, but from ignoring what we know.
Eating foods that aggravate our constitution, working beyond limits, or repressing emotions all violate our inner wisdom.

🪷 Ayurveda teaches: The same intelligence that organizes the universe resides within us.
When we listen to that intuition and live by it, health is the natural result.


10. Relationships

Life itself is relationship — with people, nature, and oneself.
Unresolved emotions in relationships (anger, fear, resentment) create stress and doshic imbalance.

Healthy relationships are based on:

  • Clarity

  • Honest communication

  • Compassion and love

💖 Love is clarity, and clarity is health.
Balanced relationships nourish the mind, and a calm mind supports physical well-being.


Summary

These ten factors give us the power to shape our health.
Even when we cannot control outer circumstances like the weather, we can adjust our lifestyle to maintain internal balance.
If it is cold, dress warmly. If it is hot, rest in the shade.
When we live in tune with nature and our constitution, disease finds no fertile ground.

🌿 Why We Get Sick

 

What Is Health? What Is Disease?

Are sickness and health just a matter of luck, or of which bacteria you happen to encounter? What can we do to maintain a positive state of health and avoid getting sick?

Ayurveda, the five-thousand-year-old science of life, has examined these questions in depth. Drawing on profound insight and generations of practical experience, Ayurveda provides timeless guidance for preventing illness and restoring health.


The Ayurvedic Definition of Health

According to Ayurveda, health is not merely the absence of disease, but a state of balance among body, mind, and consciousness.

“Health consists of a balanced state of the three doshas, the seven dhatus, the three malas, and the agni (digestive fire), together with clarity and balance of the senses, mind, and spirit.”

When these are in harmony, one experiences a state called Swastha, meaning “totally happy within oneself.”


The Three Doshas (Biological Humors)

These fundamental energies govern all physiological and psychological functions:

  • Vata – the energy of movement

  • Pitta – the energy of digestion and metabolism

  • Kapha – the energy of structure and lubrication

Balance among the three doshas maintains health; imbalance gives rise to disease.


The Seven Dhatus (Tissues of the Body)

The dhatus form the body’s structure and sustain its functions. Each tissue develops sequentially from the nourishment derived from digestion:

  1. Rasa (Plasma/Cytoplasm) – Nourishes all tissues, organs, and systems.

  2. Rakta (Blood) – Governs oxygenation and vitality.

  3. Mamsa (Muscle) – Provides movement and physical strength.

  4. Meda (Fat) – Maintains lubrication and protects body heat.

  5. Asthi (Bone & Cartilage) – Provides structural support.

  6. Majja (Marrow & Nerves) – Fills bone cavities and transmits impulses.

  7. Shukra/Artava (Reproductive Tissue) – Contains the pure essence capable of creating new life.

Each dhatu depends on the previous one. Improper digestion or nutrition at any stage impairs the next, leading to tissue weakness and disease.


The Three Malas (Waste Products)

  1. Purisha (Feces)

  2. Mutra (Urine)

  3. Sveda (Sweat)

Proper formation and elimination of these wastes are vital for maintaining internal purity and health.


Agni — The Digestive Fire

Agni is the biological fire responsible for digestion, metabolism, and transformation. It breaks down food, absorbs nutrients, and sustains life and immunity.

According to the Charaka Samhita:

“The span of life, health, immunity, energy, complexion, strength, enthusiasm, and vitality all depend upon agni.
One lives long if it functions properly, becomes sick if deranged, and dies when it is extinguished.”

Balanced agni digests food properly and transforms it into the energy of life and consciousness. When agni is impaired, metabolism weakens, toxins (ama) accumulate, and disease begins.


Maintaining Health and Balance

True health can be sustained by living in harmony with nature and one’s individual constitution.
Key elements include:

  • Proper nutrition and digestion

  • Regular exercise and rest

  • Balanced emotions and healthy relationships

  • A disciplined daily routine (dinacharya)

  • A calm, contented mind

Conversely, wrong diet, irregular habits, suppressed emotions, or stress disturb the doshas, weaken agni, and pave the way for disease.

Cleansing Creams

Process Melt the oils and waxes (beeswax, coconut oil, and mineral/olive oil) in a bowl over a pan of boiling water (double boiler). ...