“Conflict of any kind -physically, psychologically, intellectually-is a waste of energy… it is extraordinarily difficult to understand and to be free of this because most of us are brought up to struggle, to make effort. When we are at school, that is the first thing that we are taught, to make an effort. And that struggle, that effort is carried throughout life…”

- J. Krishnamurti, The Book of Life

Ever wonder why life feels difficult?  Full of anxiety, stress, obstacles?  The teaching of ‘letting go’ and ‘surrender’ to what will be has been a big theme around the past week with clients and friends.  Is it possible that we’re all waking up to the idea that what we’re taught about success as children, the merits of struggle, competition, and aggression, only lead to heart attacks and cancer?  What if the path to success could be without conflict?

How do we define success? When I worked in the business world,  success meant a promotion, a pay raise, or a nicer title on the nameplate.  Now, success for me means living life according to that which is authentic and in alignment with my soul’s truth.  When I’m in that place, everything is in flow.  And when we banish conflict and replace it with ease, health flourishes.

When I reflect on how I got from there to here, from the business world to the wellness world, I realize that the most important things I do today were never what I envisioned or even knew was possible at the time.  The ‘hard work’ that I did (and still do) was clearing and navigating the inner landscape of my mind and my being.  But I never struggled, pushed or forced my way into becoming who I am today, doing what I do.

Instead, I simply learned to start saying ‘no’ to all the things that didn’t serve me in my life.  And as those things fell away, something new would magically present itself.  All of the right teachers, situations and opportunities just fell into my lap.  Why?  Because I finally became open and clear about what ‘felt right’ and what didn’t.

It is only when we are in that place of innocence and openness, that magic can enter, allowing our inner guidance to take us on a unbelievable journey in the direction of our soul’s unique destination.

This article in this post is written by Kaya Mindlin, CSYT and Premal Patel, MD and reprinted with permission from Banyan Botanicals (www.banyanbotanicals.com).

 

“In vasanta (spring), persons should spend midday happily in the company of friends, engaged in pleasant games, pastimes and story telling.”

~Ashtanga Hrdayam (ancient Ayurvedic text) 3.25

In the Spring, nature’s buds and branches reach toward the warmth of the sun. We human beings also emerge from the quiet of winter, and reach out to loved ones, craving the warmth of community.

The vedic tradition out of which Ayurveda originated, held high the concept of community. The Sanskrit word kula (pronounced koo-la) is a single word rich in meanings including:

• clan
• family
• tribe
• community
• intentional group

Ayurveda clearly describes the benefits of social interaction and the risks associated with social isolation. Being in healthy relationship with others keeps us “in check” and we are less likely to develop unhealthy habits. Have you ever noticed it’s easier to develop bad habits than good ones – the more so when we are alone? Those around us encourage and bring out the best in us.

“The ‘I’ in illness is isolation, and the crucial letters in wellness are ‘we’.” ~ Author unknown

From the Ayurvedic perspective, loneliness is considered both a symptom and a cause of vata imbalance. As such, loneliness can intertwine with other vata imbalances including insomnia, addiction, anxiety, digestive sensitivities and excess thinking.  Thus, social interaction is in fact considered a remedy for vata imbalance, and is particularly emphasized in ancient texts as a valuable component of a springtime healing regimen.

In the modern western world, we prize individuality – perhaps to our own demise – with many people spending much of life in isolation. Scientists are now looking into the impact of human relationships (and the lack there of) on health. A recent study published in the journal for the National Academy of Sciences , used brain imaging to reveal that the same region of the human brain that reacts in physical pain also responds to social loss or rejection. In other words, the brain’s experience of social loss mimics it’s experience of pain – as the article states, “rejection hurts”.

“Loneliness is the most terrible poverty…Love begins at home” ~ Mother Teresa of Calcutta

Ongoing studies and commentaries re-validate the ancient value of social interaction, loving relationships and community. In his book Loneliness: Human Nature and the Need for Social Connection, neuroscientist John Cacioppo shows a direct relationship between social isolation and our state of health including high blood pressure, diabetes, weight gain, hormone imbalance, weak immune response, and poor cardiovascular function.  Other experts in the Ayurvedic and Allopathic fields agree that loneliness is one of the biggest underlying causes of disease. Dr. David Frawley says that feelings of loneliness may be a manifestation of a sense of unrest and disharmony with nature that leads to physiological weakness. Dr. Dean Ornish says that social isolation increases a tendency to make lifestyle choices that negatively impact health. In a study of 300,000 people, Dr. Julianne Holt-Lunstad showed that a lack of social network can be just as bad for your health than alcoholism or cigarette addiction and worse for health than obesity.  Holt-Lunstad goes on to say that lack of social relationships should be part of a short list of factors that lead to early mortality. It may very well be that feeling lack of support and missing the joy of friendship induces stress, which can cause physiological changes in the body.

“Where there is love, there is life” ~ Mahatma Gandhi

We’ve all heard the expression, “It takes a village to raise a child”, but when do we stop needing the village? Those around us provide opportunities to give and receive love, nurturing and support. Furthermore, our kula – or tribe of loved ones – serves as a mirror, helping us to see our own blind spots and become better people.

With a support network, you are more likely to engage in healthy, beneficial activities and habits. Community reminds you of and keeps you accountable to your morals and goals. Community alleviates stress and gives you the strength and courage to face your monsters. And community provides you with an outlet to sort through the whirlwind of thoughts that otherwise weigh you down. These relationships have the potential to support your pursuit of joy and health.

“A healthy social life is found only, when in the mirror of each soul the whole community finds its reflection, and when in the whole community, the virtue of each one is living.” ~ Rudolf Steiner

So, as the ancients prescribed: in spring, as all of nature brims with renewed life, reach out and embrace a deeper blooming into your relationships by cultivating your community of support – your kula – and spend some time “in the company of friends”.

You may have more than one kula or tribe. They include your siblings and parents, extended family, spouse and children, friends, colleagues, classmates, and so on. If you are used to going solo, or tend to take your kula for granted, here are a few ideas to get the ball rolling:

• Pick up the phone and call a dear one
• Plan a gathering in a park or at your home
• Schedule and commit to a weekly “family night” or “date night”
• Cook a meal for some friends or family members
• Plan a group hike or picnic or volleyball game
• Start a book club or a board game club.
• Have a “bring a friend” open house gathering where you invite 5 people, and each of those people brings a person… you’ll expand your community in no time!

Kapha-Balancing (without too much ghee)

Tired of the same healthy breakfast?  Try a new grain to wake up to the morning.

Introducing….Buckwheat!

1 part Buckwheat groats

3 parts water

A bit of ghee or butter

fresh berries or honey or stevia

cinnamon to taste

Boil the water, then add your buckwheat.  Let boil until water is absorbed.  Stir in ghee, sweetener and cinnamon to taste.  Enjoy!

Buckwheat is a deliciously nutty and overlooked grain available in your health food store’s bulk food section.

It is great for Kapha types or for those who suffer from excess mucus or congestion this time of year, it is an ideal alternative to heavy, sticky grains like oatmeal.

In honor of February and its many correlations to our beloved organ, the heart, enjoy these Yoga and Ayurveda anecdotes ponder this month!

Heart-Opening Yoga Poses: Are you hunched over your computer screen right now? Yoga poses can help to both physically and emotionally open the heart-space. Gentle back-bending poses such as cobra and upward dog or simply raising the arms, then taking the shoulders and elbows back behind you, can encourage more breath into heart and release tension or stored emotions in this space.

Open-Heart Surgery: Ayurvedically speaking, did you know that heart disease can be described by Vata, Pitta or Kapha symptoms? Heart conditions that are more nervous in nature tend to be Vata, and include symptoms like heart palpitations, numbness in chest area, dry cough, discoloration around the eyes, and fear and anxiety. Pitta-symptomatic heart disease includes burning in the chest, hypertension, heat throughout the body and is associated with angry outbursts and denial of one’s true heart. Kapha-type heart disease is more congestive in nature, due to overeating, excess mucus or fat, heaviness in the heart-space and an unwillingness to let things go.

Emotions of the Heart: Ayurveda’s holistic approach to health honors both the requirement to nourish the heart physically and emotionally. Stored emotions create blockages in the body. Deepening into the heart-space means cultivating awareness of any pain, heaviness, constriction, lightness or expansiveness we might feel around our physical heart when we interact with different situations or people. Think of someone you love deeply or something beautiful that brings you immense joy, and feel how this simple thought expands and lifts the heart.

Living from the Heart: What does is really mean to live from the Heart, and not from the MIND? Take a moment to imagine if your day’s work involved only FEELING, and no THINKING.  What would it change?

Thanks to my good friend Kristi Lahusen, who shared this:

A great website prepared by the USDA, which allows you to search literally ANY food item and it will display a report of all the types of carbohydrates, proteins, fats, vitamins, minerals and everything you wanted to know about those foods that you may find yourself asking, ”What is really in this thing?”.

Check out the link below.   Also she provided an example of what one looks like for a cup of almonds:

http://www.nal.usda.gov/fnic/foodcomp/search/

Nuts, almonds (1,2)

Refuse: 60%  (Shells)
Scientific Name: Prunus dulcis
Common Name: Includes USDA commodity food A256, A264
NDB No: 12061 (Nutrient values and weights are for edible portion)

Footnotes:
1 Unroasted
2 Other phytosterols = 31 mg/100g; these include delta 5-avenasterol, sitostanol, campestanol, and other minor phytosterols.

USDA National Nutrient Database for Standard Reference, Release 21 (2008)

yoga for heart disease gianna Recent studies show that the curative effects of yoga enhance heart health, lower blood pressure, reduce chronic stress, and can significantly improve blood vessel function. Using therapeutic yoga techniques, this class offers a safe environment to restore health and explore mindfulness around lifestyle and well-being for those at risk of or diagnosed with heart disease.

Click here to read an article about the effects of yoga on heart disease… thursdays 7:15 – 8:45pm may 14 – aug 27 use your amrita punchcard, membership, or drop in ]]> http://privateyogatherapy.com/yoga/yoga-for-heart-disease-class-begins-may-14th/feed/ 0