One of my favorite morning reads is my battered old copy of the Bhagavad Gita (The Song of God.) I purchased it in high school at Peace of Mind Bookstore, and my copy was old and used when I got it. Now it looks to be almost as old as the 3,000 year old Vedic scripture contained within; but the message is ever shiny and new, and as deeply relevant now as it was when it was first told. Whenever I read it my heart fills up with love, peace and a deep sense of purpose for my life.
The Gita is nestled within a larger poem The Mahabharata, the longest epic poem ever written, which tells many wonderful stories of "Great India" (another fascinating and illuminating read.)
In the Bhagavad Gita, the great warrior Arjuna is on the battlefield, faced with the horrible dilemma of impending war. He is soul sick about how he should proceed and calls on Lord Krishna for help. The poem is a conversation between Lord Krishna and Arjuna, and is a deep metaphor for the struggles facing all of humanity on the "battlefield" of Life.
There are many lines from this poem that come back to me again and again, but none more than these:
The Atman* is light: The light is covered by darkness: This darkness is delusion: That is why we dream.
* One's true Self.
This is the primary meditation for my own journey with yoga. To constantly return to where I truly am; to lay down the cloak of darkness that swallows me in delusion and makes me think that I am something other than a being of light in union with all things. I repeat the mantra to my self: Sat Nam. I am That, I am.
As you move through your day with yoga, or head to the mat for your sadhana, I encourage you to write these words from the Gita on a peace of paper and make them a part of your contemplation and meditation into your own true nature.
Continuing our series on supporting your body and spirit as we transition into the fall and winter seasons I have a few tips and products that will support your respiratory system.
Both autumn and winter can be very challenging to sinuses and the respiratory system. The changing climate, seasonal allergies, and dryer air are a few things that contribute. The good news is an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure; if you do the right things to support and build your immune system you will be much less likely to get sick. So, here are a few things to try:
Give Your Sinuses a Bath with a Neti Pot If you don't already have a neti pot, I HIGHLY recommend that you get one. I use mine every day, sometimes twice a day, and I almost NEVER get sick. If I do get something it is always the lightest little version and it goes away quickly. Using a neti pot regularly has also decreased my seasonal allergies by about 90%. I have very little symptoms anymore. Neti pots have been used in India and in Ayurvedic medicine for a very long time; the term comes from the Sanskrit, jala net out of the back of my throat as well. This may seem really gross at first, but I promise you the results are worth it! i, which literally means "to irrigate with water", and this practice keeps the sinus cavities clean and clear. To use a neti pot dissolve a teaspoon of sea salt in 2 cups warm water (don't use tap water that is unfiltered, the chlorine content tends to burn the nose a bit), and pour into the net pot. Go to a sink and tilt your head to one side. Place the neti pot in the opening of one nostril and begin pouring the water. The solution will go up into your sinus, give them a flush, and then pour back out the other nostril. Repeat on the other side. If you tilt your head back slightly, the water will head toward the back of your throat and then you can kind of hack it out. Sorry, no other way of saying it. I find that helps to clear the gunk at the back of the throat. Youtube has A LOT of videos on this, and I know Oprah featured neti pots at some point so you many be able to find some video of that out there. Here is one to get you started:
You can purchase neti pots from The Heritage Store, and they have another product that I highly recommend for respiratory care, called Alka-Thyme. It is a wonderful, refreshing mouthwash and gargle that really cleans and alkalizes the mouth. It can also be used as a topical pack if you feel a sinus or respiratory infection coming on. Just soak a wash cloth in Alka-Thyme and place over the sinus/forehead area, or over the glands on the throat, and on the chest. This is also a gentle and appropriate remedy for children, especially right before they go to sleep to help relieve congestion. I have started adding a 1/4 tsp of Alka-Thyme to my neti pot saline mixture and it is very refreshing. Alka-Thyme contains sodium bicarbonate which is another substance recommended for sinus irrigation. Support Your Respiratory System Naturally with Mother Earth's Respiratory Tonic This is another favorite of mine from The Heritage Store. It is a great support for the respiratory system and really helps relieve the congestion and tightness associated with allergies and colds. Their product description explains the active ingredients:
"Mother Earth's is a therapeutic combination of horehound, which soothes irritated mucous tissues, wild cherry bark to alleviate respiratory distress, rhubarb, which cleanses the system, and elixir of wild ginger for toning the digestive tract, preserved with grain alcohol in a honey and syrup base. This gentle, pleasant-tasting tonic is safe and effective for children and adults, just as Mother Earth intended."
This is the kind of product I seek out and use because it supports the body in it's own wisdom and healing process, instead of bombarding it with chemicals that only treat symptoms and often lead to rebound effects worse that the original illness!
Humidify, humidify!...and Open Your Windows One of the reasons colds and flus increase in the fall and winter seasons is that as it gets colder we tend to close up our houses, thus locking in stale air, dust and germs. Even during the coldest months if you can air out your house for a few minutes each day, you can prevent this stagnation.
Running a humidifier, at least at night when you sleep, is another big one. We do this for babies all the time, and it is one of the best ways to keep from getting sick. When sinus passages dry out the friendly mucus that provides a barrier to germs is reduced. Keep your mucus healthy! Humidifiers are very inexpensive and can be found online or at any drug store or department store near you.
Well, I hope you find these tips useful. Please share in your comments any favorites you may have for keeping the body and spirit healthy during this turn of the seasonal wheel.
And don't forget about drinking lots of Yogi Tea! it is a great support for the whole body. Find ideas for nourishing, warming meals for the winter months, here.
May you be happy, may you be filled with radiant health!
My mom called me the other night. She gets together with this awesome group of women who have the most incredible parties. Their big one is in June, and it’s called Estrofest…it’s quite an extravaganza. Anyway, they are having a “Goddess Party” this weekend and she, and my sis-in-law, were asking for some ideas for goddesses. I was just going to email them, but then I thought, hey, this is a great post…
So, before the concept of “God” started leaning toward the patriarchal, bearded grandfather concept that dominates many religions today, the goddess, in her many forms, reigned supreme. This is a vast and fascinating subject, and the archetypes represented in the pantheons of goddesses across cultures and millennia have a lot to offer to us. They show up in our dream minds, and inform our ordinary waking states. We can recognize some aspect of all of them in ourselves, and it can be helpful to contemplate them when we need a little support cultivating the energy or ideas that they represent in our own life.
Here are a few goddesses that come first to my mind in this autumn season:
Demeter: The Greek Goddess of Agriculture. Her name means, “barley mother” and “earth mother”; she is a fertility goddess, and is often shown with a stalk of corn or grain, a torch, and a crown. She helps women harmonize with the ebb and flow of their life cycles. Her daughter, Persephone, was carried away in a notoriously bad relationship with Hades, god of the underworld. Demeter was so grief stricken that she caused the world to ebb into winter and to stay in that state of death until Persephone was returned, albeit for only part of the year (hence, the seasonal cycle.)
Hestia: Greek Goddess of Hearth and Home Hestia represents purity, sincerity, sanctity and safety. She is responsible for the wholesomeness of a warm meal and a cozy hearth. We bring her energy into our lives when we express the “domestic goddess” inside of us.
Now, if you are looking for a goddess with energy a little less tame, meet a few of my favorites:
She symbolizes strength, valor and protection. The Hindu gods called her forth with a “breath of fire” when they found they could not defeat the Buffalo Demon, Mahisasura, who threatened the world. She rides on a lion in a sacred trance, brandishing a weapon given to her by the gods in each of her eight arms (click the link above for more on her weapons.) She is the slayer of evil, and is also referred to as "Triyambake" meaning the three eyed Goddess. The left eye represents desire (the moon), the right eye represents action (the sun), and the central eye knowledge (fire).
Here is kirtan (a sacred chant) to Durga
Lilith: Hebrew Goddess of Personal Power and Sexual Appetite Take a walk on the wild side ladies. When God made Lilith (the first Eve) for Adam, and she told him, “I will not lie beneath you”, and he gave her the old “well, I won’t lie beneath YOU because you should always be in the inferior position…”, Lilith said, “Ah, no you din’it!”…or something like that. Anyway, Lilith doesn’t take any shit, so if you feel like you need to pull a little of that power into your aura, she’s ya’ girlfriend. Lilith is all about freedom of choice; she makes her own rules, and she doesn’t care what anyone thinks of her. She is also a sensual seductress, tempting men to follow her for her own pleasure’s sake. So, have at it ladies. YOu may also want to check out Lilith Magazine.
White Buffalo Calf Woman: Lakota Goddess of Peace This sacred woman of supernatural origin gave the Lakota their "Seven Sacred Rituals". She is the ultimate role model for woman as facilitator, leader, healer and bringer of peace. You know the “Peace Pipe’? Yep, that was all her. The peace pipe was used in rituals within a sacred circle; it was passed from person to person so each could share their truth, and understanding and unity could be brought to the group. I love her because her way to peace and understanding is decidedly feminine, based in communication and tolerance.
Saraswati: Hindu Goddess of Knowledge and Arts Saraswati is my patron saint, so to speak. I just love her. She dresses in white, and holds a mala (prayer beads) and a palm leaf scroll, indicating knowledge. Saraswati usually rides a swan or a peacock, while playing music on a veena. She is the mother of the Vedas, the ancient scriptures of India. She is identified with the Saraswati River and it’s nourishing and purifying aspects. She is the consort of Brahma, the Hindu god of creation. Saraswati Puja (celebration) is coming up in October, if you have a Hindu temple in your town, try to go, they are amazing rituals and celebrations.
None of these great goddesses resonating with you? Here are a few more to ponder:
