Lovely spring face mask

Maple syrup is intimately connected with spring so use it in a facial mask.

How to do it:
Mix 1 tsp of syrup with 1 egg yolk, 1 tsp of oat flower and 1 drop of mandarin essential oil.

Apply on you face for 11 minutes while listening to Stravinsky’s Rite of Spring. You’ll feel as fresh as a blooming garden. Rinse with cool water and tone with chamomile hydrolate.

Thank you samyukta for this tip.

Tips to avoid toxins forming.

All through the year, and especially while detoxifying, it's important to follow the ayurvedic eating guidelines for reducing ama.

These include:

1. Do not fast or skip meals during any part of the self-detoxification program.

2. Eat at the same time every day so your agni can "fire up" for the meal.

3. Eat your main meal at noon and lighter meals at breakfast and dinner.

4. Eat while sitting down in a settled atmosphere; paying attention to the food when you eat (no TV, no phones, no reading).

5. Engage in pleasant conversation with friends or family (no business meetings or emotional discussions).

6. Eat only when the previous meal has been digested (no grazing or untimely snacking--this really disrupts digestion. Eat only when you are hungry again.

7. Sit quietly for a minute at the beginning of the meal (saying grace before meals is one way to do this), and wait for a couple of minutes after eating before leaving the table. This gives your digestion a settled start.

8. Leave a little space in your stomach at the end of the meal to give your digestion room to function. Ayurveda recommends that you regularly eat to only 3/4 of your capacity. This last guideline is especially important when you're on a detoxification program. You don't want to overeat when your body is detoxifying.

PREPARE YOUR OWN DETOX WATERS

If you feel your impurities are located in either the bowel, urinary tract or the skin, you can follow these special recommendations while preparing to detox and during the actual self-detox program. You can also follow these recommendations whenever you feel toxins building up in that particular area.

1. Detoxifying the Bowel

Constipation or irregular bowel movements causes the malas (body waste such as fecal matter) to be reabsorbed by the body. This creates toxins in the rasa dhatu (nutritive fluid), the rakta dhatu (blood), and from there the other dhatus. Regular bowel movements is the primary day-to-day detoxification channel.

If the stool is very dry or slow, try adding more ghee to the diet and drink Herbal Water for Constipation. Add spices to your food, using the Herbal Spice Mixture for Slow Bowel Movement. This will also support digestion and liver function. Eat foods with more soft fibers such as oatmeal, tender leafy greens, summer squashes, and cooked or soaked prunes and figs. Avoid a Vata-aggravating diet or drying diet, and avoid drying foods such as crackers, dried cereal, raw foods and any foods that are trying for the bowel. Take Psyllium Seed Husk (take one t. soaked in one cup of warm water before bed) to scrub out the bowel.

Herbal Water to correct Slow Bowel Movement

1/4 t. whole fennel

1/4 t. marshmallow root

2 leaves mint

Boil two quarts of water. Add the spices and let steep. Sip warm throughout the day.

Herbal Spice Mixture to correct Slow Bowel Movement

1 t. turmeric powder

2 t. ground cumin

3 t. ground coriander

4 t. ground fennel

Mix the spices in a jar and store.

When preparing vegetables or grains, sauté 1 t. of spice mixture in Ghee until the aroma of the spices is released. Add vegetables and grains and sauté the mixture, or drizzle the Ghee and herb mixture over the veggies and grains. You can also add the sautéed mixture to dhals and soups.

2. Detoxifying the Urine

The kidneys and urinary tract form an essential purification system in the body. If you do not have a diagnosed problem with the prostate, kidneys, or water retention, but even so you feel that you are retaining water and that the flow of urine is not quite normal, you can detoxify the urine and kidneys using Herbal Water to Detoxify the Urinary Tract. You can also add some white daikon radish to your vegetables, as this helps purify the urine and normalize its flow, so you're not retaining any toxins. It does this without irritating or adding pressure to the urinary tract.

Herbal Water to Cleanse the Urinary Tract

1/2 t. whole coriander

1 t. whole clove

1/4 t. whole fennel

2 tablets of Genitrac

Boil two quarts of water. Add the spices and two tablets of Genitrac. Allow the herbs to steep and the tablets to dissolve. Sip warm throughout the day.

3. Detoxifying the Skin

If you harbor toxins under the skin or in the fat or blood tissue, this will manifest as excessive oiliness, breakouts or extreme photosensitivity. For this situation, drink Herbal Water to Detoxify the Skin every day. Also use the Detoxifying Spice Mixture for the Skin on your vegetables and grains.

Herbal Water to Detoxify the Skin

2 pinches of Indian Sarsaparilla

2 pinches of Manjistha

1/4 t. whole fennel

2 leaves of mint

Bring two quarts of water to a boil. Add the spices and let steep.

Sip warm throughout the day.

Spice Mixture for Detoxifying the Skin

1 t. turmeric

1 t. cumin

4 t. coriander

6 t. fennel

1 t. fenugreek (if you don't like the smell of fenugreek, then use

black pepper instead)

Mix the spices together and store them in a jar. When preparing vegetables or grains, sauté 1 t. of spice mixture in Ghee until the aroma of the spices is released. Add vegetables and grains and sauté in the mixture, or drizzle the Ghee and herb mixture over the veggies and grains. You can also add the sautéed mixture to dhals and soups.

The Detox daily Routine

1. Get enough rest. You may need more sleep while detoxifying. It's also important to go to bed early (before 10 p.m.) and get up early (before 6 a.m.) as both staying up late and sleeping late in the morning can flood the shrotas with toxins. Practice the Integral meditation program regularly.

2. Exercise each day. Gentle exercise such as Yoga asanas and walking can support detoxification by improving digestion and elimination and moving toxins out of the body. Walking for twenty minutes or half an hour is ideal because it allows you to breathe deeply, purify the respiratory system and supply the cells with cleansing prana. Walking in the early morning especially helps move toxins out of the body. During the preparation for detox and the actual self-detox program, it's best to avoid strenuous exercise.

3. Massage daily. One of the most important purification procedures in Ayurveda is warm oil massage (abhyanga), and you can do it every day on your own. Abhyanga loosens impurities from the shrotas and tissues, allowing them to flow into the digestive tract, where they can be easily eliminated through the bowel. While you're detoxifying, take a little extra time with your morning massage, and you'll magnify the results many times.

Always follow your abhyanga with a warm (not hot) bath. Purifying Therapeutic Bath Salts, a blend of natural salts and the essential oils of Niaoli, Sandalwood and Eucalytpus, can be added to your bath to draw out the toxins. If you don't have time for a bath, a shower can substitute.

3 steps for your spring self-detox program

PREPARATION FOR SELF-DETOX

(15 Days)

I. Follow the Detox Diet

1. Avoid ama -producing foods. In general, you'll want to avoid foods that produce ama, such as leftovers, dead foods such as packaged, canned, frozen foods. You'll have to stop coffee, alcohol, nicotine, drugs, protein, sugar, wheat, and dairy, because that will assist to prevent a blood sugar crash because your body will be eased into the detox You'll also want to avoid foods that create garvisha, such as non organic foods, foods grown with chemicals, pesticides and chemical fertilizers, and foods with chemical additives. Stay away from nightshades, which are tomatoes, potatoes, bell peppers and eggplants.

2. Eat ama -reducing foods. Favor vegetarian foods that are lighter, warm, cooked and digestible. Avoid heavy dairy products such as cheese or yogurt (although lassi is good); foods that are fried or oily; raw foods of any kind; heavy desserts; and foods with refined sugar and honey as these are harder to digest and create ama. Avoid yeasted breads and dry breads such as crackers. Freshly made flat breads, freshly made soups and dhals, organic vegetables cooked with spices, and freshly made grains are ideal.

Certain fruits, vegetables and spices are especially helpful in detoxifying, so you'll want to favor them during detoxification.

Fruits: cooked prunes, figs, apple, pears, pineapple and papaya.

Vegetables: cooked leafy greens, brussel sprouts and cabbage.

Grains: quinoa, barley, amaranth, rice and kanji (rice water).

Spices: ginger, turmeric, coriander, fennel and fenugreek. These spices help open up the channels and support the flow of toxins from the skin, urinary tract, colon and liver.

3. Choose foods according to your body type or imbalances.

4. Drink plenty of hot water throughout the day to flush toxins out of the body through the urine. Or better still, choose one of the detoxifying herbal waters mentioned later in this newsletter.

HOW TO DO A SELF-DETOX CLEANSE

10 days

First I want to introduce a few herbs that will be your best allies in your detox journey.

Avipattikar, a wonderful Ayurvedic herbal combination for detox. Avipattikar is easy to get online http://www.banyanbotanicals.com/prodinfo.asp?number=7521.

Mix eight teaspoons of avipattikar, eight teaspoons of ghee, and eight teaspoon of raw, unrefined sugar. You may substitute guava or xylitol or stevia. Take one and a half teaspoons of this mixture on day one, one teaspoon on day two, one and a half teaspoons on day three, two teaspoons on day four and two and a half teaspoon day five. Then reduce the amount by one half teaspoon per day until done.

Many people with cholesterol issues express worry and concern about taking ghee because it is made from butter. This concern is understandable, but misplaced. Ghee is the oil of butter. It is what is left after the heavy fats of butter are removed. Ghee is the lightest oil known to mankind. It is lighter than flax oil, olive oil, almond oil, and coconut oil. There is extensive research done which proves that ghee actually reduces cholesterol rather than increasing it.

Most Westerners think of using water to detoxify the body and question Ayurveda's use of ghee to purge the body. Very simply, ghee - the oil of butter - loosens toxins in the body by saturating bodily tissues with a lubricant that cleans the tissue and leaves it lubricated. 

Learn how to make ghee.

Other supporting herbs

·      Triphala 

Take triphala powder one hour after supper or before bed. Place 1 tsp. of triphala on your tongue and swallow with hot water, or steep for ten minutes in a little hot water and then drink. 

Learn more about the herb

    Learn where to find the herb , if you are in Ottawa the wheat berry in Main st. carry this herb.

·      Aloe Vera Juice

Taken internally, aloe vera juice helps to cleanse the liver and digestive system, soothe stomach irritation/acidity and tonify the tissues.  Take aloe vera gel: 1 tbsp with a pinch of ginger and turmeric three times a day or aloe vera juice: 4 tablespoonfuls with a pinch of ginger and turmeric three times a day in warm water.  Best taken around 30 minutes before meals.

·      Milk Thistle

This powerful herb is a gentle liver cleanser. 

Cleansing the liver is essential for all three doshas,

The liver is one of the sites of Pitta.  Pitta's tend towards illnesses involving the liver and must take care and cleanse regularly. Take it with meals in a form of tinture or caps as indicated.

Diet

The third step which is critically important is that after the cleanse you must follow the diet that is correct for your body type. Here a suggestion soup for all doshas ( body types) to take during your detox self-program.

Kichadi soup

This is the traditional healing stew used for centuries in Ayurvedic cooking.  It uses a combination of mung beans, rice, ghee, vegetables and healing spices to create an easily digestible and protein-rich meal.  It is quite nourishing and can be made as a thick stew or a lighter soup.

Spices and vegetables can be modified and played with to suit your dosha and the season.  Fresh, organic and in-season are best.

Learn more how to do it

Self test to see your level of toxins

By taking this questionnaire, you can get an idea where your toxins are located, and whether you can purify them easily with the Self-Detox Program offered later in this newsletter, or whether you should consult an expert trained in ayurveda.

One simple rule is that a person who has a Kapha imbalance or body type with simple ama, with no symptoms of stiffness, no irritation, no symptoms of amavisha and garvisha, is the ideal candidate to do self-detoxification. People who have ama and only small amounts of amavisha can also do self-detox safely.

Do I Have Ama?*

Circle your response (1 = least; 5 = most)

1. I tend to feel blocked in my body (constipated, congested in the head, general lack of clarity, or other).

1 2 3 4 5

2. In the morning when I wake up, I'm groggy; it takes me quite a while to feel really awake.

1 2 3 4 5

3. I tend to feel weak, physically, for no reason that I can see.

1 2 3 4 5

4. I get colds (or similar conditions) several times each year.

1 2 3 4 5

5. My body tends to have a feeling of heaviness.

1 2 3 4 5

6. I just tend to feel that "something isn't working right" in the body (digestion, breathing, bowel movements, or something else).

1 2 3 4 5

7. I tend to feel lazy. (My capacity to work seems all right, but I have no inclination.)

1 2 3 4 5

8. I commonly have indigestion.

1 2 3 4 5

9. I often have to spit.

1 2 3 4 5

10. Often, I just don't have a taste for food. I have no appetite.

1 2 3 4 5

11. I just tend to feel tired, even exhausted in mind or body.

1 2 3 4 5

Add up your scores to arrive at a rating of your level of ama.

45-55 Severe

35-45 Moderate

25-35 Mild

11-25 Minimal

If this questionnaire indicates that you have minimal, mild, or moderate amounts of ama, then you can do a self-detox program as described below. If you have severe amounts of ama, then it is best to seek the advice of an expert trained in Maharishi Ayurveda before embarking on any detox program.

Do I Have Amavisha or Garvisha?

Circle your response (1 = least; 5 = most)

1. I often feel nauseous for no particular reason.

1 2 3 4 5

2. I often have hyperacidity or a burning sensation in my stomach.

1 2 3 4 5

3. My skin often suffers from breakouts.

1 2 3 4 5

4. I often feel dryness in the mouth.

1 2 3 4 5

5. I sometimes feel pain or weakness in my legs or calves.

1 2 3 4 5

6. I have acquired sensitivity and intolerance to new foods, new

flowers, new pets or other new things in my environment.

1 2 3 4 5

7. I often lack mental and emotional energy.

1 2 3 4 5

8. I sometimes feel feverish or whole-body fatigue in the evening.

1 2 3 4 5

Add up your scores to arrive at a rating of your level of amavisha or garvisha.

32-40 Severe

23-31 Moderate

17-22 Mild

8-16 Minimal

If you have minimal amounts of amavisha or garvisha, then it is still safe for you to do the self-detox program recommended in this newsletter. If you have mild, moderate or serious amounts of amavisha or garvisha, then it is very important that you consult with an expert in ayurveda to receive individualized recommendations for your detox program.

Lear more about the types of toxins

Spring cleaning: 3 types of toxins to consider before you detox.

Ayurveda recommends internal cleansing at every change of seasons. Detox is considered especially beneficial in the spring, because that is the time all of nature is rejuvenating itself.

There are three different types of toxins that can impact the physiology: ama, amavisha and garvisha.

1.- Ama is the most common type of toxin, and is the waste product of incomplete digestion. Sticky, white and foul-smelling, it forms in the digestive tract when the food you eat is not digested properly. Ama is usually caused by eating foods unsuitable for your body type or the season, by eating too much or too little, by eating before the previous meal is digested, by going to sleep on a full stomach, or by eating foods that are left over, processed, old or fermented. If ama continues to be produced over a long period of time, it can leave the digestive tract, travel to a weak area elsewhere in the body and settle there. Usually it blocks the shrotas (micro-circulatory channels) and disrupts the flow of nutrients to the area as well as the body's natural waste removal systems.

First, eliminate certain foods 1 week in advance of the detox.

Usually ama develops when agni, the digestive fire, is either weak or irregular. By enhancing agni through dietary changes or by taking ayurvedic herbal supplements, the digestive system itself can burn off simple ama and clear it from the body.

2.-The second type of toxin is call Amavisha is a more reactive form of ama that forms when ama settles in one part of the body for a long time and mixes with the tissues.

This more toxic, reactive type of ama is more dangerous than the simple ama and must be dealt with differently during detoxification.

3.- Garvisha is the third type of toxin, and unlike the other two, garvisha comes from outside the body. Included are environmental toxins such as chemicals, preservatives, poisons, air and water pollution, genetically engineered foods, synthetics and chemicals in clothing, synthetic drugs, chemicals in household cleansers, and heavy metals such as lead, arsenic and asbestos. Garvisha also includes toxins from spoiled foods.

Neither expressing, nor suppressing.

Over expressing or repressing spoils our creative communication

In the process of communicating with our creativity we have the tendency to lose our centre, either by over expressing or by repressing.  This is a phenomenon that needs to be understood  in order to educate the solidity of our centre and the maturity of our creative communication.

It all starts with our moods. We typically do not relate to them as something that will pass. We tend to react immediately, or to withdraw. We do not grant our moods the chance to mature:  firstly by not identifying with them, and secondly by bringing them to a centre of neutrality.

Others are our centre

Let’s recall the moments where you felt angry or hurt:  we make another person  responsible for that.  Somebody disagrees with us or says  something ungraceful to us, so we react. At that moment we make the other person our centre and we therefore lose our centre. The choice of expressing our feelings or repressing them does not help to recover our centre, because the other person will still be at the base of our feelings.

So what is important is to not place the emphasis neither on the expression nor on the suppression. The emphasis rather is on knowing from where this anger or hurt arises. Anger has arisen in me; ordinarily I can do two things:  either I express it to someone or I repress it. In either case, I am more concerned with the other person and with the energy of anger that has come to the surface--rather than the source.

Using the feelings to go to the source

We need to educate ourselves to remove ourselves from the periphery of these feelings. Look at the energy of anger arising and move deep down to find the source within yourself, where is it coming from? The moment you find the source, remain centred in it.

We can use any emotion to find the centre. The whole exercise is not to do anything with the feeling itself, otherwise you get lost in the ride of your own moods and /or the reactions of others.

Energy is neutral

Understand that by expressing it, you can get a release, but you won’t change your perception and by repressing it you will be postponing that expression for another day or another form.  Neither choice will change the centre of perception.

All we need to remember is that energy is neither anger, nor love, nor hate. Those feelings will pass. Energy is simple, energy is neutral. The same energy becomes anger, becomes sex, becomes love. Your mind gives the form, and the energy moves into it.

That is why when you are in love it is harder to be angry, or when you are experiencing sexual satisfaction your chances of being violent are minimized. The energy is invested in specific feelings or situations.

Discern your choices wisely, move deeper within yourself, and see the source from where those feelings are arising. Only then, can you remain neutral, untouchable and removed from the storms of your moods and that of others.

Wakame Sesame Seed Mixture

add to your favorite soups

This is a lovely tonic that
improves mineral balance, iron and iodine
condiments aid in digestion and add extra vitamins and minerals to meals
can be used instead of salt for flavouring
sprinkle on grains and veggie dishes
this is a low sodium, flavourful addition to your meal
the oxalic acid in sesame seeds is neutralized by the soaking and roasting procedures, (oxalic acid can affect the joints, leading to or worsening the symptoms of arthritis)
Ingredients:
1 ounce wakame
1/4 cup sesame seeds, soaked and drained
roast wakame in oven at 350 degrees F for 10-15 minutes, until dark and crispy
grind to a fine powder
dry roast sesame seeds until they have a nutty aroma and begin to pop
add to wakame and grind until seeds are 90% crushed
store in a glass jar with a shaker lid and sprinkle on your food for a mineral-rich, savoury taste-bud's delight!
Satkiana
Ayurvedic Nutritionist,
Teacher, Healer
(613) 230-0254
www.satkiana.com

What people said about wome's empowerment day

Thank you again for a great Women's Empowerment Day today!! It was really lovely to experience all that you and Kristina offered us, and what a magnificent team you make. I was looking over the notes I've kept since I began studying with you and wow, with my experiences today I can see that things have really changed.....it's really profound how simple and elegant the learning has been (not necessarily the process though!) and how much of it has been about letting go of unnecessary confusion...
Sandra

Thank you again for yesterday, you brought tears to my eyes because of your simple way of delivering such profound wisdom...I bow deeply in gratitude.
Diana 

Meditation to unleach your creativity

You may think creativity is to create art, to invent or to imagine.

However the process of creativity is a function of our second chakra,  physically it  functions to support  our reproductive system and the work of our kidneys. Creativity is related to connect ability, either to our environment or to other people. It is related to merging and understanding boundaries, and is a raw expression of new potentials. Creativity has to do as well with our vitality, our intuition and our sexuality.

For most of us winter is a season that induces theses energies to be in a dormant state until spring when they naturally re emerge. The passive aspects  of this energy may create in us a  feeling of being happy just to stay comfortable in our cave, eating more that we need to , and a make a lack of vitality to face the outer demands of life.

This active meditation is a simple way for you to regain that vital force and literally shake from your system the lethargy of the winter.

How to do it:

1.- Choose a safe space where you can be by yourself without interruptions.

2.- Stand up and open your arms on the side to make sure you are away from any furniture or objects you can bump into. Relax the arms on your side.

3.- Start moving your body on the spot with a shaking motion.

4.- Increase the shaking motion until all part of your body participate in the exercise.

5.- Keep shaking and involve your breath. Feel you are taking heavy molasses out of your body. Do it for 15 minutes uninterrupted. Feel free to accompany the exercise with your favorite music.

6.- Lay down and relax for 5 minutes. A nap will be ideal.

What to expect:

This meditation increase vitality and joy, it makes you talkative but relaxed , it enhances your stamina in life and in bed.

What is integral meditation

Integral meditation is a gift for those who are ready to grow into their full totality.

Integral meditation condenses the teachings of the structure of being, which identifies the existence of 12 bodies. Four of those bodies belong to earth and are submitted to earth laws.  Four bodies belong to love, therefore they function under different laws and principals. The other 4 bodies belong to the realm of the spirit with their living expression on the level of vibration and stillness .

This meditation stimulates and harmonizes all these bodies, including the chakras, and the pranic bodies.

It involves a process of integration, of cleansing and vibrational nourishment.

I admire the simplicity of this meditation with it"s  power to release anxiety, mind conversations, depression or any negative vibrations.

I  launched this meditation with the total awareness of the celebration and joy that it produces in it"s practitioners . I am giving this meditation in the form of a course so that the aspirant understands the needs, location and processes  of all their bodies. The course welcomes advanced meditators as well as new aspirants.

The integral meditation course is supported this year by small workshops that will enrich the depths of the practice and will supply to you a foundation to assimilate the new upcoming energies on the earth little by little so your physical and emotional bodies can harmonize them in a smooth and gentle way. Each month we will offer an enrichment that will leave you with much joy and inner stability.

This meditation is a self-training for those who wish to vibrate in Unity and illumination. It is a call for wellness, centeredness and self-responsibility.

WHAT PEOPLE SAID ABOUT INTEGRAL MEDITATION?

Thank you for the chance to be in your lovely caring presence and learn the steps for integration. It is amazing how it just creates the hollow on empty so quickly. It was wonderful to slow down, process and eliminate all the unnecessary energetic stuff I was carrying around. I look forward to the practice and integrating more.

Brigitte

I was thinking on the drive home yesterday about the energy at the end of the integration meditation and how I described it as lovely and enveloping and maybe cradling. Finding the words to describe it was challenging but during our drive home, the words sweet and gooey came to mind. I was surprised that gooey did because I think you described love energy as a goo, but I couldn't quite imagine how that could be. What I observed was not a sticky goo, but a soft energy with a noticeable density.....love syrup :) This is making me giggle right now....

Tania

Thank you for the hand-out. It is very useful.
Feeling lighter today. I am still in awe at what happened
to me when my parts came back. Woah!!! 
Catherine

Thank you so much for today, it was delightful to be in your graceful presence and to bathe in your ever so subltle and yet so profound knowledge. I look forward to embarking in this new journey, it is very exciting to have had the priviledge of being with you fo some time while your whole being was developing this integral meditation. It is a beautiful synthesis of the many gifts you have given us over the years and more...
Diane

Problems with procrastination?

THE ART OF SELF COMMITMENT

One of the qualities  we resist adopting in our lives is the mature effort to confront life situations as they arise . We know this quality empowers and is best for us ,but we still often procrastinate .

We surely know that, to act immediately  in front of life’s request is the best deal to keep the mind empowered and vital.

We also know that some of life"s demands requires us to extend our learning abilities in order to make new steps  with certitude and confidence.

We have also experienced that the actions we make that are in alignment with these  inner or outer requests of life, are the ones that bring abundance and joy.

 But  in some  parts of our lives we postpone the action, leaving us in concerned, worried and with anxiety.

WHY DO I POSTPONE?

Each action we perform is a way we view ourselves in the face of life.

Each action is laden with opportunities to perceive where we are and in which direction we are heading. Each action contains within it the possibility of empowerment and the opportunity to see our pitfalls and successes.

Procrastination is a choice we can make to keep the victim position in the face of life. It is a way to say to ourselves that life is bigger than us, and that we have to keep an ongoing rosary of excuses to keep alive drama and false intensity.

We become emotional, resentful, shameful and small.

Procrastination is a resistance. It is a tantrum to avoid assuming your power. It is a violent act towards your prosperity and your holistic growth.

BREAKING THE HABIT

Procrastination is just a habit of dis-empowerment. Here a few steps that you can adopt to confront the self-diminishing habit of procrastination.

First acknowledge what is the area within you that is in  resistance towards  taking responsibility.

For example: I can be on time for my classes and for my appointments, but I can be postponing my tax payments. First, notice what it means for you “payment of taxes” . It may represent giving social support, or to give what you don’t have, or to give more that is needed, of just a simple insecurity about money. That will be the center issue for your friendly observations.

2nd.- ask yourself what is the insecurity that goes with that attitude.

For example if is given social support, I may feel insecure in putting my trust in something that I don’t know.

3^rd, Ask yourself if the insecurity is based in reality or is it false information of the mind.

4^th , choose consciously if you want to keep  feeding your insecurities or do you want to empower yourself through the  situation.

5^th, Check if you are realistically capable of delivering the action. If not, research for support or learn a new skill.

6^th,. Just do it with no judgments as to the outcome.

7^th, Reassure yourself by performing an action that you normally are good at and/or have no problem delivering .

8^th, Relax and enjoy your inner strength.

We all have areas that normally develop in different rhythms, so don’t blame yourself if you are good in one area and not in others, trust that life will offer you the opportunities to grow into your full glory. Welcome all and acts in kindness and awareness.

Ayurvedic Suggestions for A Bright and Healthy Smile

 Cavities are caused by an imbalance of vata. As teeth are a by-product of bone, cavities indicate that you need to strengthen the skeletal system with minerals, such as calicum, magnesium, and zinc.

It would be helpful to buy a good quality calcium-magnesium supplement (Genestra is a good brand. You usually have to obtain these from a naturapath, but you will definitely find cheaper prices on-line if you search discount sites).
                                
To prevent cavities, tooth infection and receding gums, massage your gums with sesame oil. Swish a mouthful of warm sesame oil for a few minutes, then spit out the oil and gently massage gums with your index finger.

Ayurveda usually suggests the use of bitter and astringent herbs to brush your teeth: example, equal amounts of bilva and neem. The only commercial toothpaste I suggest is Weleda. Their salt toothpaste may be helpful for you.

Chewing well is not only good for digestion, but also stimulates the gums.

To strengthen your teeth and gums, you could try eating 4 figs (soak in water overnight if using dried figs) everyday and chewing them well.

Tap your teeth. Gently tapping your teeth together 5 times is said to stimulate the nadis (energy meridians) related to the teeth. Do this daily after brushing teeth.