Ayurveda offers several natural means of relief. According to Ayurvedic principles, muscle cramps and spasms are a sign of excess vata energy. Vata qualities are cool, rough, and dry, so you can pacify vata-exacerbated muscle tension with moist heat. That means comfort can be as close as a hot water bottle or bath.
Michele Khalef, a yoga therapist at the Ayurvedic Institute in Albuquerque, New Mexico, likes to add two-thirds of a cup of baking soda and a quarter cup of ginger powder (yep, straight from the spice cabinet) to a tubful of hot water for a leisurely soak. The heating properties of ginger boost blood flow to the muscles, while baking soda helps coax toxins from the skin's pores, Khalef says.
Don't have time for a bath? While it's not recommended for an acute strain or sprain (for which ice is a better choice), consider this more targeted Ayurvedic aid for sore muscles: Gently rub a tablespoon of massage oil into the muscle, cover it with a towel, and place a hot water bottle on top. Mahanarayan oil, which has a combination of nearly 30 muscle-soothing herbs (including turmeric, fennel, camphor, and clove), is best, Khalef says, but any massage oil will do in a pinch. (You can purchase Mahanarayan oil on many Web sites; find it by doing a simple search.) The oil penetrates the skin to loosen taut muscle fibers, while the heat from the water bottle encourages muscle release.
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