Our Connection with Nature

The further we have strayed from the simple village life of our ancestors, the more we have moved away from the comfort of a close knit community, spending time in nature, experiencing the darkness of night, the bright shining stars or seeing the sun rise over the trees as the morning mist evaporates into the blue sky.

As we live in our modern world, we can make it a ritual and practice to re-establish a deeper connection by taking regular walks in nature, growing a small garden, exercising daily to off set the more sedentary life of excessive driving and office work. We can choose to walk rather than drive, if possible, or to go for walks alone or with friends and family. Preparing home cooked, healthy and nourishing food more than eating out. Taking time out from our daily duties to relax and enjoy life beyond our work, worries of health, concerns for the endless problems of the world around us. These can revitalize us and allow us to remain inspired when we engage life. We have heard these things in many books, podcast and magazine articles, yet it is so easy to overlook them, to think that someday life will afford us the time and leisure to do them.

Reflect on ways you know you would like to change in a positive way. Consider deeply how you can make the time in you life to partake in these things while you have the life to do it, and remember how good it felt when you did do these things. Health has less to do with medicines and supplements as it does in the life affirming activities that we yearn for on a deep level. When we combine healthy diet with lifestyle we will find that our healing response quickens. One of my mentors Roy EugeneDavis often says “read some, meditate more.” We can apply this idea to healing as well. We can live fully, engaging in healthy, life affirming activities more than searching for health only at the doctors office and on the internet. These things play an important part in health, no doubt, but they can’t substitute for a life well lived. Live well

 

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Acceptance

In both Yogic philosophy and practice, developing equanimity of mind is central to the practice of meditation. Through our practice we can observe that the mind is either constantly attracted towards the objects of the senses, or it has aversion to them. Everything is being weighed on the scales of pleasure and pain, lose and gain, good or bad and so on, and a great deal of energy is spent seeking pleasurable experiences, while avoiding others that are painful. If we become too attached to something, we may no longer even enjoy that which we have obtained because we start to fear of losing it. This clouds the joy of experiencing life as it is. One of my teachers puts it like this, “we eat the banana of pleasure, only to slip on the peel of pain.” The slip isn’t in the experiencing something, but the attachment to it in the mind. In our constant search for comfort, or a sense of safety, it is easy to mistake the temporary satisfaction felt by having certain experiences for the true lasting contentment that is our very nature. My guru uses the analogy here or a thirsty man mistaking a mirage in the dessert for water.

When we seek the view of a mountain vista, or to stand on the shores of the sea and look out into the vast expanse of water, we are in a very real sense, seeking that infinite peace within. Humanity is constantly in search for this, and people of all shapes and sizes search in the cathedral of nature for the spiritual union, even if they don’t realize it. The joy felt in such surroundings is nature’s way of wooing us back to the present moment. The point I want to make here is that this peaceful, contented feeling we get when we behold something beautiful is really whelming up from within, rather than being something is added to us, that makes us feel this way. Remembering this in the heat of passion, joy or bliss is an important piece of wisdom that the yogis share with us.

In the world of duality, we experience both side of the coin, so rejecting and avoiding pain only perpetuates it. Of coarse, this is easy stuff to talk about, but when the rubber hits the road it is another story all together. So how can we learn to loosen the grip of our attachments to the way we would like things to be and learn accept the way things as they are? Well, according to the yogis, it is only by persistent and unbroken practice in every moment of life, not just sitting, but in all of our daily activities. When we seek knowledge of our true nature, we must apply ourselves to that task and no matter how you slice it, life presents us with the opportunity to practice. We are not trying to force this process, but rather open, and relax into it, but this takes practice and constant remembering. If we are already established in the deep peace, the need for practice doesn’t arise, and no theoretical explanation is needed, one simply is. Many yogis I have come to respect teach that such a one has already gone through the needed practice. If you feel that there is more to yourself than the fluctuating thoughts in the mind, or you have a deep sense of longing and yearning for inner peace, this is a good signal that practice is the right medicine for your ills.

We may not consider ourselves to be on a spiritual path, but the path of life is a practice, if we choose to view it that way. Those that consciously take up the path of sadhana, or regular practice, have chosen to place a greater amount of life energy towards this inner investigation. The great yogi, Ramana Maharishi, would often say that the one simple and fundamental truth is that we are all having an experience of the “I” or a sense of “being alive.” We may not know who we are, why we are here, or how we can to be, but here we are experiencing life in the world. If we seek to penetrate beyond the temporary manifestations and experiences of life, and peek behind the veil, we can practice meditation to train the mind, until quieting the mind becomes as natural as walking and breathing. When we go about the day to day, try to remember that the contentment that settles the spirit is not something gained from outside oneself, from anyone or anything. That being said, the practice of yoga is not a form of escapism, where we live on an isolated island within oneself. Let life offer a helping hand, it is a priceless gift to be loved by another and share the gift of being. The freedom of yoga, or union, that I am speaking of here is the freedom to love, to taste, to touch, and experience life more fully, without being hindered by the self generating pain of attachment that binds us to the memories of past and our worries of the future.  It is also a freedom from the self-criticism and for the aversion to the way we perceive ourselves. We are not broken and we don’t have to fix ourselves either. This process is one of deeper and deeper surrendering and self-love.

The one teachings of my guru that has stayed with me more than almost anything else he every wrote on his chalkboard is “peace comes when we accept life as it is.”

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Showing Up For Practice

Life undoubtedly will present us with many challenges, but it seems that over time, we learn to accept things. The resiliency of spirit somehow gives us the ability to accept almost anything, in time. When we make an effort to show up everyday to practice meditation, we are training ourselves in a deeper way, to accept things as they are, in that moment, no matter how we feel. Meditation is an act of deep surrender that spreads out into all aspects of our life. Conversely, what arises during practice, often relates to our dealings in day-to-day life, one reflecting the others.

At times we may feel enthusiastic about sitting for meditation, and at other times we may feel like it is the last thing we want to do with ourselves. In my practice, when I’m distracted and preoccupied with the daily list of things to do, I make a note of what it is that needs attending to afterwards, and then resolve myself to the practice as earnestly as I can by saying to myself, “There is plenty of time for all of “that,” after “this.”

Often the mind will make every excuse in the book to not take the precious time out to sit. This is precisely where our practice of meditation can really start bearing fruit. When the river of emotion is swollen and ready to breach its banks, if we can bring ourselves to the meditation cushion, withdrawing the mind away from the pulls of the world, we are in a sense strengthening the muscle of dharana (concentration.)

Over the past 23 years of practicing meditation, I have become less interested in what will be gained by this process. I am less concerned with what I am getting out of it. At first, it is natural to yearn for some release from the tumult of the mind, from our struggles and suffering, but over the months and years, it has become apparent to me that practice has been of tremendous benefit in my daily life. Many meditators I have met over the years have shared with me a similar sentiment about the value of practice. It may not be an easy journey we are on, and at times it seems that we are dragged into the abyss against our will, kicking and screaming. The waters of mystery tempted us to the edge, and we couldn’t resist dipping our curious toe into the water, and whoosh, we are pulled in.

My guru often says, “fake it till you make it,” to students that complain about how distracted their minds get while attempting to meditate. What I feel he is trying to convey by this comment is that when we maintain a regular practice, making a concerted effort to sit still, calm the breath, and gently and persistently redirect the mind back to the present moment, the murky water of our mind will eventually settle.   Another point he makes is that each time we sit to meditate, it is like adding a thread to a rope, which over time gets thicker and stronger, until we can climb quickly into the stillness of meditation; into the clear sky behind the clouds our thoughts. This process may take time, even years, so it’s helpful to balance our effort with softness; remembering that where we are trying to get to is closer than our own skin. It may be helpful to reflect on the truth that there is nothing to attain that we don’t already possess in our heart.  There is no perfect technique, posture or practice that can enhance the changeless, pure consciousness that is the source our own breath.

It is the restlessness of the mind that keeps our true nature obscured, and the very act of practice is a willingness to turn within to uncover the truth of our being. When we stabilize the mind through meditation, day after day, the muscle of concentration is strengthened, and the gaps between the thoughts become larger and more spacious. This can happen for just a moment, but these moments can have tangible affects own our being. When we become become less interesting in the endless chatter, the thoughts the mind become like a distant roar of a crowd and the mind soon becomes merged into the object of our meditation. This object can be a thought, such as “I Am,” or one of the many the names or forms of God or Great Spirit.

In my experience, the one thing that I can say for certain is that the practice never leaves me alone for long. If I try to shake it off, and just hovers around like a horsefly, until it can again land on my shoulder again. The impressions formed in meditative states have a way of resurfacing in all aspects of our lives, coaxing us ever closer to our true Self.

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Self-Inquiry Meditation – Atma Vichara

Self-Inquiry Meditation – Atma Vichara

Healing the Spirit

Everyone can heal, no matter what the state of physical state of health and the practice of meditation is one of the most valuable medicines. Some might say that that goal of meditation is already our natural state, so there is no need of effort to attain it, but without knowing that from direct experience, it may be just another thought in the mind. To truly know that state, which is our very nature, we need to plum the depths of our hearts and minds to uncover that gem of pure consciousness that is always shining from within. If we’re already in direct contact with this natural state, then we have no need for self-effort, but for those that are not aware, practice is a gift.

Regular Sadhana (practice)

In this form of Sadhana (practice) we can suggest to the mind that the goal of meditation is already in the palm of the hand, and that all we need to do is gently, and continuously redirect it back to that simple sense of being. At first, the mind will start to buck like a wild horse, but in time it will naturally settle down. If we try to force the mind, it will rebel even more. The tendency is to give up if the mind proves to be stubborn in its desire to run wild. But if the sadhana is continuous and preformed on a daily basis, we start to experience a deeper spaciousness, or gap, between the thoughts. That peace is like the blue sky behind the clouds. When we train our minds to become less distracted and carried away by the stories that play out in the mind, then the thoughts and emotions that they generate start to become more and more transparent, and less and less real.

In the Yoga Sutras, the sage Patanjali states that the control of the thought waves is Yoga or union with God or Self. As beginners, it is easy to think that we need to get in there and somehow and build a dam against the rushing river of thoughts. This can easily lead to disappointment if we fail in our efforts to stop the torrent of habitual thoughts that have etched groves in the mind and over the coarse of a lifetime. The trick here is in not trying to stop the thoughts through an intense assertion of willpower, but by consistently and patiently redirecting the attention back to the object of meditation. As we do this, we pay close attention to keeping our posture relaxed and free from tension as much as possible. I call this “relaxing the effort.” It’s like the Tai Chi master, always soft, and rooted, yet ready to respond in the moment. Patanjali also states that our meditation asana (seat or posture) should be sukha (happy) and sthiti (stable). Sukha suggests a soft, comfortable, open, and receptive posture, and sthiti conveys a stillness and freedom from distraction, not ridged or stiff, which blocks the flow of energy.

When we bring ourselves to sitting practice, we do so with a knowing that we are immediately entering into direct and full contact with ourselves, at once human and divine. We may at times peak through the vial of heaven, and at other times plumb the depths of the underworld like a yogic shaman, coming into direct contact with all the debris that lays just below the surface of the mind and all the radiance that shines from our soul.

We may look upon saints and yogis and think, “I want to be at peace like they are.” We may try to emulate their ways, and mold ourselves in their image, but it is important to also remember that all the great yogis have had to sit in the inner cave of the heart and make peace with themselves and the memories, both pleasant and painful, that lay in the mind. In essence, they have had to accept life as it is and to forgive themselves and others, before they could truly let it go. This letting go is a beautiful moment of loving ourselves to the core. Yogis have had their nose put to this proverbial grindstone. The very nature of tapas, or austerity, is to crate heat, or friction, that brings forth, the Agni, or spiritual fire, that ultimately transforms us like the alchemist touchstone.

 Self-Inquiry and Self-Surrender

For Atma Vichara, and other forms of meditation, the object that most appeals to the mind, and represents the divine can be chosen. With one pointed practice, the object, either mental or physical, will shine forth in the mind. Eventually, the mind will begin to dissolve into the object. This state is expressed in the age-old saying, “I Am That I Am, or “I and my father are One.”

The great sage Ramana Maharishi frequently taught that the one irrefutable truth is that we all have the sense of “I” and feel that “I” exist. We may not know how we came to exist, or why, but we are all here experiencing this life. This I-sense can be felt within as a vibration of pure beingness, or gently reflected upon when the mind moves outward into a distracted state. As the mind starts to follow the thoughts we can say mentally ”I”, or “I Am,” and then return to the awareness of the pure I-sense. With practice, this “I” will become all that we are aware of, and all that forms around this I-sense will fall away, leaving only the “I.” When the mind is further purify by the light of pure consciousness, the “I” thought too drops away and the self abides in the Self. This dropping or self-surrendering is not a forced or contrived event, but a natural process. Ultimately, it doesn’t matter whether a chosen object is of a personal or impersonal nature, the same self-surrender is needed, and the goal of both is the same. One can choose an object that best suits his or her individual nature or chosen ideal of God or Spirit. Devotion is within the effort and earnestness to drop into Gods Abyss.

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Nadi Shodhana – Alternate Nostril Breathing

One of the most powerful and simple pranayama methods (breathing practices) is Nadi Shodhana. It is designed to balance the right and left sides of the brain, thus bringing balance to the solar and lunar pathways of the metaphysical body. It also helps to purify all nadis or subtle pathways of the body, so vital life force can freely move throughout the body.

There are three major nadis, or pathways in the body, two running on either side of the spine in a spiraling motion, and the third in the center that follows the same pathway as the spinal cord. The left side represents the Ida Nadi is lunar, female, and cooling, while the right side is named Pingala Nadi and represents the solar, male and heating energy. When these two forces of the sun and moon within the body are harmonized it allows the prana, or life force energy to more easily enter the central channel know as Sushumna Nadi. The Kundalini Shakti, the serpant like spiritual force, moves along this pathway form the Muladhara chakra at the base of the spine, to the crown of the head, Sahasrara chakra.

Practicing this technique is easy, but it should be done with enthusiasm and concentration. If the mind wanders while performing it, gently redirect your attention back to the practice. Below is a simple hand gesture called Vishnu Mudra that can be used to help block the nostrils while preforming this practice.

Instructions of Nadi Shodhana

Gently exhale all air, block the right nostril with the thumb of the right hand, and then inhale a full three-part breath through the left nostril. Block the left nostril with the ring finger while simultaneously releasing the thumb and exhaling though the right nostril. Once the exhalation is complete, inhale through the right nostril, block it with the thumb and exhale out the left nostril. This equals one round. Do 6 to 12 rounds slowly. More rounds can be done if desired, but quality is better than quantity when it comes to pranayama.

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Frankincense in Ayurveda and Aromatherapy

Since ancient times, frankincense has been highly valued as a sacred incense and herbal medicine. It is an aromatic resin from trees of the Boswellia species that has been burned as an incense to purify the atmosphere since time immemorial in temples, churches, and for sacred rituals. Its smoke is also believed to ward off bad spirits and sickness, and to carry prayers to the Divine. A secondary benefit to burning the resin is that it acts as a natural insect repellent.

Frankincense

Boswellia serrata, a species found in India’s states Rajastan and Madhya Pradesh, is known as salai guggulu. It is traditionally used in Ayurvedic medicine to treat arthritis, promote circulation, and prevent the degeneration of cartilage in the joints. It is frequently combined with other herbs such as turmeric and ginger as a general anti inflammatory for muscles and joints. Modern research shows that it contains boswellic acid and in moderate doses has anti inflammatory, anti-cancer, and hepatoprotective properties, and therefore may be helpful in the treatment of rheumatism, colitis, asthma, and cancer.

It has a sattwic, or purifying effect on the mind and nervous system, and helps to burn impurities from the nadis (subtle nerve channels). It can be used in herbal formulas along with other herbs that have an affinity to the mind and nervous system like gotu kola and calamus root as an aid to meditation.

The essential oil has a woody, sweet, and slightly citrus or camphoric aroma, which can vary depending on the species or the micro climate from which the tree grows. In perfumery, it provides a long lasting base note. It contains sesquiterpenes, which are carbon based compounds that act directly on the limbic system of the brain, hypothalamus, and the pineal and pituitary glands.

Frankincense pacifies vata dosha, thus calming and replenishing the mind and nervous system, and easing anxiety and restlessness. Its revitalizing and uplifting action helps to clear excess kapha, thereby countering exhaustion, mental fatigue, and depression. It cleanses prana vaha srotas (the respiratory tract), one of the main sites of kapha, and is used to treat respiratory congestion, cough, bronchitis, and asthma.

It is highly antiseptic and antiviral as well as supportive to the immune system. For treating respiratory complaints, the essential oil is best infused into the atmosphere with an essential oil nebulizer or diluted into a base oil or blend that can be massaged on the chest. A steam inhalation can also be helpful by adding a few drops of the pure essential oil into hot water, covering the head with a towel and inhaling the medicated steam.

The oil can be used to regenerate skin cells as well, thus helping with the healing of wounds, and to decrease dryness, scar tissue, stretch marks, and wrinkles. It also has carminative, anti fungal, diuretic, sedative, emmenagogue, and tonic properties. The oil is non-irritating to the skin for most people and can be applied directly to certain points or diluted with a base oil such as jojoba, sesame, or coconut oil for application to larger areas of the body.

The fresh gum is traditionally used chewed to aid digestion, cleanse the mouth, prevent gum disease and oral infections, freshen the breath, and prevent cavities. Pressing the gum into cavities can help to slow tooth decay and relieve dental pain. For oral health, the essential oil can be added to water and used as a swish or gargle. Here it combines well with tea tree oil.

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Shirodhara or Bliss Therapy

My personal experience and observation has given me full faith in the power Shirodhara—also known as Bliss Therapy—plays in healing. Whether experienced alone or in conjunction with other Ayurvedic treatments, it is an invaluable healing tool and a gift from the ancient sages of India.

I have often been asked how Shirodhara works. After giving hundreds of these treatments, I have come to the conclusion that its powerful effects have to do with how it almost effortlessly brings stability and one-pointedness to the mind. While the body is being cleansed of physical toxins, shirodhara works like a psychic enema to purge mental toxicity. Often after treatment you feel peaceful and calm for several days.

It can be inferred that shirodhara helps to balance and regulate pineal and pituitary functions while nourishing and replenishing the central nervous system, but the ancient yogis may have conveyed it in a different way. The name alone contains a big hint into the meaning and purpose of this hallmark Ayurvedic treatment. In Sanskrit, dhara means “to pour” and is the root of the word dharana, which means “support” or “concentration.” Dharana is also the name of the sixth limb of ashtanga yoga, the eight limb yoga system. The yogis liken dharana to a steady stream of oil. I imagine that they applied this analogy by pouring oil on the ajna chakra, or third eye, with the intention of bringing the person more easily into a deeply relaxed and awakened state.

And it works. It gives the average individual a glimpse of inner peace that otherwise might be difficult to cultivate, especially when there is sickness or imbalance. By freeing blocked energy in the subtle bod—caused by chronic stress and tension—shirodhara provides the atmosphere for self-healing to occur. I have witnessed patients have profound transformational experiences and even enter samadhi, or super-conscious states, while receiving shirodhara.

From an Ayurvedic perspective, there is a specific science as to how shirodhara is applied, when it is appropriate, and what oils to use based upon body constitution and type of imbalances. There is a wide variety of plain or medicated oils (or tailams) and substances such as milk and herbal decoctions, that can be used for shirodhara. The traditional approach unlocks the greatest potential of this wonderful therapy and ensures its full effects.

I can certainly try to explain the efficacy of shirodhara in traditional as well as modern terms. This may be helpful to convey the benefits of the treatment in a language that everyone can easily understand, but to me the healing power of shirodhara is also quite mysterious and mystical. It is pretty amazing what warm herbal oil can achieve in terms of healing!

Before giving this treatment to a patient, I instruct them to just simply feel the oil, be present with the sensation, and allow the mind to settle on its own without forcing concentration. Simply let go and let the oil work. Whether you fall asleep, stay awake, or enter a blissful state, it is not important, the energy of the oil will do what needs to be done in each specific case, and the therapy will take you as deeply as you are ready for. In any case, shirodhara is an easy and enjoyable therapy that everyone should experience to really comprehend the power and depth of Ayurvedic treatments.

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