SHIRIN VAN LARE
“Finding the time to care for ourselves can be tricky so I want to make moments of self-care as accessible as possible. ”
Shirin began her journey in Ayurveda after looking for holistic support away from conventional medicine. This led her to train in Ayurvedic Medicine (and then later in skincare) which was followed by the creation of her own brand Bourii.
Bourrii harnesses the wonders of Ayurveda and its ancient knowledge to create multipurpose oil blends to create accessible self-care moments. Every product of Bourii is made from 100% natural, sustainably sourced, organic ingredients and made in small batches to prevent excess waste.
Follow Shirin:
Website: Bourri
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“I find the philosophy of AYURVEDA beautiful. It makes sense to me and living in a city that’s so fast-paced and a hyper-stimulated culture, Ayurveda reminds me to come back to myself. ”
What does Ayurveda mean to you?
Ayurveda is my guide for living in harmony with nature and viewing the mind-body-spirit as an intelligent whole. By using this approach for skin health, we’re able to regulate the body’s response to stress and prevent a full spectrum of skin concerns. My personal experience of the benefits of Ayurveda is what inspired me to create the Bourii range of products.
When did you discover it? How long have you been practising it?
I grew up in a Persian household where my mother would always pass on my grandmother’s knowledge of Traditional Persian Medicine and talk about the healing properties of plants and the cooling or heating qualities of food and herbs and when or how they should be consumed. It sparked my interest in ancient practices and a holistic approach to wellbeing and when I came across Ayurveda in my early 20s, I discovered that the basis of the tradition was what I had been following all these years; the five elements and the characteristics. I felt an immediate connection. I started to consult with an Ayurvedic doctor but incorporating it into my life was a slow process. It wasn’t until 13 years ago when my brother was diagnosed with MS that I started to look much deeper at the philosophy and as a family we began adjusting our diet, lifestyle and practicing daily rituals. Four years ago, after having practised 10 days of Vipassana at a temple in Thailand, I came back to London and decided that I wanted to study Ayurvedic Medicine full-time. This led me to develop my own products formulated based on Ayurvedic principles which allowed me to connect people to Ayurveda through rituals and self-care.
What drew you to Ayurveda?
I find the philosophy beautiful. It makes sense to me and living in a city that’s so fast-paced and a hyper-stimulated culture, Ayurveda reminds me to come back to myself. I’m able to become the observer of how my lifestyle, diet, breath, movement and seasonal shifts all impact my body and mind and adjust accordingly. It gives me a sense of self-care and the impact on the skin and overall health is incredible.
Has it helped you with anything major?
When my brother was diagnosed with MS I started to suffer from extreme anxiety, adult acne and hair loss. Incorporating Ayurveda into my life and using my oils has helped me manage my anxiety, increase the strength and quality of my hair and calm my inflamed skin. The practice of self-massage using dosha-specific oils has also helped my brother with some of his symptoms of MS which shows me just how powerful these rituals can be.
Is Ayurveda part of your everyday life or just for your medicine cabinet or fall-back routine?
It’s a part of my everyday life but I don’t put pressure on myself to incorporate everything I learn. I follow the wisdom at my own pace and do what feels right for me at the moment. This way I’m able to connect deeply with each practice. Many of my practices include my line of multi-purpose oils, hair oiling, self-massage, and breathwork. Knowing that I’m spending a little time to not only pamper myself but also do some deeper work makes that time spent all the more worth it.
What are your top 3 Ayurvedic tips that have worked for you?
Abhyanga (self-massage) using dosha-specific oils of high quality is a self-care practice that helps reduce cortisol levels, provides us with a sense of calm, and stimulates lymphatic drainage and this all has an impact on our skin health.
Being mindful of what I’m eating throughout the seasons and having my last meal of the day by 7 pm. This gives my body plenty of time to digest my food and focus on repair and rejuvenation throughout the night.
Breathwork is a deep form of meditation for me and adjusting the type of breathwork to how I’m feeling is a helpful self-care tool.
WHAT SURPRISED YOU THE MOST ABOUT AYURVEDA?
How effective it actually is! I couldn’t find anything to relieve my adult acne but once I started practising Ayurveda and incorporating dosha-specific rituals and products into my routine is when I saw immediate results. When practised correctly, it is truly healing.
DID YOU INTEGRATE IT GRADUALLY OR OVERNIGHT FOR ANY PARTICULAR REASON?
I think I’ve always unknowingly practised Ayurveda, but it’s been a gradual increase in practice as I didn’t want to feel overwhelmed and give up like I did in my early 20s. I wanted to connect with this ancient wisdom and find a way to make the principles a part of my modern everyday life.
DO YOUR CHILDREN/FAMILY EAT AN AYURVEDIC DIET? AND IF THEY DO, DO THEY KNOW IT’S AYURVEDA OR DO THEY JUST THINK OF IT AS HOME COOKING?
Getting my family to make adjustments to their diet hasn’t been easy but once you start to make changes, your body automatically responds positively so you naturally want to continue. Ayurvedic skincare rituals have been the most embraced by my family as they create such feel-good moments.
WHAT IS YOUR FAVOURITE AYURVEDIC RECIPE OR GO-TO INGREDIENT?
I have an obsession with botanical oils and their energetic life force. When using dosha-specific oils the mind and body respond immediately and they relieve so many concerns. This can be from anxiety to muscle aches or the dreaded insomnia. Whether used internally or externally, they are nature’s medicine.
HOW DOES AYURVEDA FIT INTO YOUR DAY-TO-DAY ROUTINES?
Ayurveda is more like a way of life for me. My dinacharya (daily self-care routine) includes drinking coriander water from the seeds that have been soaked overnight. As I’m Vata/Pitta dominant, this helps cool my body and flush out toxins. I’ll do a little stretching and maybe some sun salutations. Then I’ll observe how I’m feeling and if I’m a bit anxious I’ll practice alternate nostril breathwork and self-massage with my Vata oil or if I feel sluggish, I’ll go for Bhastrika breathwork for energizing and Kapha oil. I’m always checking in with myself noticing the changes to my environment, sleeping patterns, time of day etc in order to understand what my mind-body requires at that moment. On the days when I’m washing my hair, I’ll always do some hair oiling and give my scalp a good massage.
In the evenings I have no screen time after 10 pm and instead read, journal, massage my legs, hands, feet and maybe chest with Bourii Vata oil to help induce sleep and do a little breathwork.
I will always practice a ritual of abhyanga to nourish my skin, stimulate the lymph nodes and increase blood circulation. The practice helps keep my skin and muscles nourished and supple and helps calm my mind.
WHAT DO YOU WISH WAS EASIER IN OUR SOCIETY TO MAKE AN AYURVEDIC LIFESTYLE MORE ACCESSIBLE?
I hear a lot of conversations around rituals and ancient practices which is amazing but I wish there was more information about how to maximize on these moments of self-care, the teachings and where they originated. Abyhanga is an amazing practice using dosha-specific oils. As we are all unique with individual constitutions, much like our own fingerprint or star sign, we each have different self-care needs. One person may need warming and grounding and another cooling and calming. If we can start using our time for self-care with truly healing rituals, I think we will see a big shift in our overall health. I’d love the beauty and healthcare industry to help create more of a platform for education about Ayurveda and make it more accessible.
DO PEOPLE AROUND YOU/IN YOUR CIRCLE OF FRIENDS KNOW ABOUT AYURVEDA?
Yes, all my friends now know about Ayurveda and anyone I meet discovers it through Bourii. They may not be changing their diet but they are definitely incorporating it into their beauty routine and it brings me so much joy to hear that after using Bourii products they are sleeping better or their psoriasis has calmed down, or their hair is growing back thicker and skin is glowing. I really want to help people understand what their dosha imbalance is, assist in identifying the root cause of issues they may have and relieve symptoms and also help them discover the tools to help bring themselves back into balance through rituals and using the right ingredients.
WHAT’S THE ONE THING YOU WOULD ENCOURAGE EVERYONE TO TRY OR YOU THINK WOULD BENEFIT THE MAJORITY OF PEOPLE’S HEALTH FOR THE BETTER?
Visit an Ayurvedic doctor and learn about your dosha imbalance. It’s the first step. The biggest impact is by adjusting your diet but I can appreciate that it can be hard for many people for a number of reasons. But if you understand a bit about your imbalance and what you can do to help yourself, you’ll then have the information/tools going forward. And practice Ayurvedic self-care rituals!
ANYTHING ELSE YOU’D LIKE TO ADD?
Finding the time to care for ourselves can be tricky so I want to make moments of self-care as accessible as possible. Sourcing the highest quality ingredients for my customers, helping them understand how some ingredients can actually aggravate them and others work for them and provide them with the tools to understand how to work with nature. Bourii sees each person as an individual with individual needs. It’s a space where you can experience guided breathwork, connect with Ayurvedic practitioners and learn about self-care rituals while using Bourii products.