6/28/11

Meditation to Create Inner Affection

Taking time to sit by yourself in a quiet environment is a sign of inner affection. That moment can be enhanced in many ways and for as long as you want.
Here is a 7-step active meditation to enhance inner affection. This meditation can be done at any time during the day. However, for the first 3 days, start in the early morning and in the same place.
1. Choose a space to sit in your house or in nature that for you represents inner stillness, quietness and nourishment.
2. Create inner affection by sitting in that space with eyes closed, face relaxed and with a SMILE.
3. Breathe naturally for 3 to 7 minutes, maintaining the inner attitude of self-affection.
4. Remain still only with you smile, without worrying now about the breath or any other thing to do.
5. Feel, sense or imagine that you are sinking deeply into the chair or where are you sitting. Feel the weight of your body and keep your smile. 1 minute.
6. As you finish this part of the meditation, stand up and continue your daily routines, maintaining awareness of the space where you were sitting. Just remember it .
7. Transfer the affection that you have cultivated over the 3 days into your daily routine by making a connection with it every time you sit during your day.
Eventually, all chairs at home and work will get “charged” with that sense of affection, bringing this sense of affection to anything you do.
Do this practice for 10 days, and it will have a miraculous affect on any hardness you inflict upon yourself.

solstice cerebration

constructing our prayer sticks

welcome !

our craft table

all hands on

smuging before fire ceremony

walking the labyrinth

circle dancing

all unite in one voice

raising the prayer sticks

the sky is the limit

dancing the dance of the divine

more wild dancing

celebrating life

5 tips to win the game of the perfectionist.


The dual mind gives birth to  personality. The personality animates, interprets and gives shape to your reality. You give yourself a persona that interacts with others and with your environment. Attachment or identification ( I am only this)with a persona-ability gives a sense of a false I or me.
The personality creates needs, desires and hidden agendas for you to perform in order to be happy, or loved.
One of the voices of a persona is “ I need to be right” in order to be happy.
Under the influence of this voice you  want to have every thing in order, all the of  tasks completed, all missions accomplished, all of the environments in control, or all the disorders sorted  out; it  is an inner voice that dictates, rules and commands you to be perfect and to be right.
Whatever your sense of perfection is, inside of you there a voice of “never enough “ ,and none of your accomplishments really  impress you. You become greedy in your daily missions to achieve more of that right, perfect moment, with the right people or circumstances, just to gain a bit of self-respect, self-worth and happiness.
However,the disadvantage of this attitude is that  in order for you to know if you are really right you need to always put yourself, your life and your relationships on trial. Is this good? Is this bad? Is this proper? or not?. This constant trial debilitates your intuition, the joy and the spontaneous play of the moment.
For you there are some things that you judge to be definitely not good, like demonstrating anger, confrontation or wholly displaying the fullness of your feelings. You therefore, attempt to control or repress this instinctual energy. You feel that you must stay in control at all times. You would like to direct these energies according to the dictates of your highly developed inner critic and you hold  yourself and others to this standard.
You may resist being affected by your natural instinctual drives, consciously not giving in to them or expressing them too freely. The result of this constriction is problems with repression, resistance, and aggression. You may be seen by others as highly self- controlled, even rigid, although this is not how you experience yourself to be.

What is it you are really looking for?
This tendency is raised to the roof when you had not understood, developed or honored your internal leadership potentials properly.
You  are actually an  activist who is searching for an acceptable rationale for what you feel you must do.
1.- You wish to be useful in the best sense of the word. On some level of consciousness, you feel an “inner mission” to fulfill in life, but this can only achieved if you do your best to reduce the disorder in the environment, or to make others feel a certain way about you.
Although you may have a strong sense of purpose, you also typically feel that you have to justify your actions to you, and often to others as well. This orientation causes you to spend a lot of time thinking about the consequences of your actions, as well as about how to keep from acting contrary to you convictions. Because of this, you remain in your head, rationalizing everything and proceeding in life only on logic and objective truth.

2.- You are a leader looking to make some reforms or implement something new based on justice and fairness.

3.-You are looking to see everyone equally right and equally happy. Your sense of justice and integrity is one quality that can impart great inspiration to others. It can serve as a leading stone to develop new visions and new self-expansions.

4.- You are seeking to rebel and apply your passions to social or personal transformation.
Yes, rebel towards the inner critic that cuts your heart, your self -compassion and your self-nourishment.

5.- You are looking to acknowledge your ac compliments in a fair and nourishing way.



5 tips you can use to balance your perfectionist.

First I must say that there is no right or wrong in your approach, take it as an experiment to give yourself and as  an opportunity for exploration and spontaneous expression.

Detach a bit from the HOW  and simply give space for yourself to experience what is in front of you instead of jumping ahead with assumptions.

1-. Don’t take your to do list too seriously and set priorities. You still can do your activities, but without the intention of “ I am the only one who can do it” “” it has to be done now”. “ If I don’t do it I don’t know what to do with myself.”

2.- Engage in any art form or expression that facilitates for you a safe exploration and expression of your feelings.
Paint, theater or improvisation can be wonderful for you.

3.- Be aware of your inner trial and smile at it.
Your habit of seeing reality under the scope of this trial is  constant , especially in moments of change or when you embark into new projects. Just be aware of it and while reassuring that voice that you have heard it, trying others ways of response.

4.- Ask your self for 10 consecutive days, what is your mission in life, if you could have all the freedom of the world, what you really would like to do.  Satisfy your sense of purpose but set smaller attainable goals. If you are already living your mission, praise your accomplishments and reduce your greed.

5.- Keep your muscular system and mind fit.
The muscular system holds strength and a sense of presence, by exercising them you will feel  inner accomplishment that translates into vitality and a general sense of well being. Of course regular practices of meditation will surely give you the perspective and direction you need to be a compassionate, expressive and sharp leader.

Overall ,accept yourself the way you are, don’t try to change your ways, know that this personality is just a little part of your entire being that you are not trapped into. By meditating, a new sense of self emerges,  giving the personality the rank that it deserves and the direction it needs for your personal fulfillment.


6/27/11

What is pitta dosha and tips to to keep it cool

I love to use the summer months to play in my garden for long hours or to contemplate the lake while  sunbathing.  I notice however that after a month of that routine I lose my enthusiasm for if I am not synchronizing my life style with the hot summer environment. 

The fire aspect in our body is in our stomach and in the digestion system. This fire (Pitta) is responsible for all type of transformational functions in the body and has the qualities of being: Hot, Sharp, Liquid and Oily. Therefore anything (in food or lifestyle) that has those qualities will increase the internal fire causing inner dis balance.

PITTA is made up of the elements of Fire and Water. Pitta qualities reflect those of its elements. They are hot, moist, light, fluid, sour, pungent, sharp and penetrating (intense). Pitta, like fire is trans formative. 

The water aspect of Pitta keeps its fire element from destruction. It is responsible for mental functions like confidence, ambition, focus, intelligence, and emotions like joy, excitement, courage, anger, jealousy and aggression. 

The Pitta fire is what transforms food to nutrients and sensory input to understanding and intelligent action. Pitta is responsible for digestion, absorption assimilation, and all metabolic transformation going on in the body as well as the mind. It also regulates the complexion and visual perception. 

Those with predominant Pitta are susceptible to skin conditions, heartburn, diarrhea, irritability, anger and overheating. Pitta types are aggravated by sour, pungent and salty flavors, excess heat, skipping meals, repressed emotions and hot, damp climates. So, they need the opposite tastes of bitter, sweet and astringent, and cool, dry, calm and sweet qualities, calming scents, and cooling teas and spices in order to maintain their sharp intelligence and vibrancy.

Tips to balance your internal fire:

1-.Eat the main meal at noon with the bulk of the food being Sweet, Astringent, Bitter in taste and slightly dry in texture. Make sure the food is pure and wholesome 

2.- Seek balance in all things, alternate hard work with leisure and rest. Choose activities or work where you have a sense of control.

3.-Decrease the use of stimulants. (coffee ,chocolates, cigarettes, to much tv, computer or people)Use instead cooling bitter herbs like aloe vera, dandelion, gentian and cilantro

4.-Wear clothing made of natural fiber such as cotton or silk. The best colors are lighter colors like white, cream, blue, green and purple.

5.- Drink at least 8 glasses of water a day and eat cooling foods ( see list below)

What foods  favor pitta?

Grains: White basmati rice, barley, corn, couscous, oat bran, 
  oats, wheat, wheat bran 

Vegetables:Bitter leafy greens, asparagus, broccoli, cabbage, 
  cauliflower, celery, cucumber, mushrooms in small amount, 
  okra, onions(cooked in ghee), peas, sweet peppers, sweet potatoes, 
  pumpkin, sprouts, squash, green beans, zucchini. 

Legumes: Aduki beans, black beans, black-eyed peas, chick peas 
  (garbanzo beans), kidney beans, most other beans, lentils, 
  peas, soy products, must be cooked properly, once or twice a 
  week.

Spices: Cooling spices like cardamom, coriander seed, 
  cilantro leaves, fennel, fresh basil, dill, turmeric, small 
  amounts of cumin and fresh ginger.

Fruits: Sweet fruits such as apples, apricots, avocado, berries, 
  coconuts, dates, figs, grapes, sweet melons, sweet oranges, 
  plums, pomegranates.

Dairy: Most fresh dairy is good such as fresh ghee, 
  fresh whole milk(properly cooked).

Meats: Pittas are best suited with a vegetarian diet; however, 
  the following meats are the least aggravating: 
  chicken(white meat), turkey(white meat) which should be baked or 
  broiled. 

Nuts: Few nuts, most are too oily and heating, sunflower 
  and almonds can be good in moderation.

Oils:  Ghee, sunflower, olive, canola, small amounts of 
  sesame.


Take one step at the time to go through the kitchen and adjust your summer grocery list, it is surely worthwhile to keep the glow of the fire in all you do and in all you are. 

unorthodox cream to calm eczema

 By face to grace.

For anyone who have eczema flair ups during the summer, mix 2 tablespoon coconut oil, 3 table spoon of yogourt and 1 teaspoon of mint hydrosol or tea. Massage your skin with it. Yes, very unorthordox recipe but it will moisten and cool off your exacerbated Pitta (fire) skin. Stay away from garlic, onion, chili and pepper and give priority to mint, and fennel instead. Include fresh burdock root in your diet.

6/13/11

Love and tenderness of oleation therapy


 As the month of May fades away and the spirit of deep detox is no longer in the air, I would like to suggest to you an ayurvedic practice that is not only delightful for the senses but a deep nourisher of your tissues and enhancer your meditation.

The treatment is call oleation (Snehana) and you can do it everyday at home or have  more deeply penetrating treatments with your practitioner. The benefits of this therapy are restfulness, strength, invigoration and cognition.

Oleation is used in ayurveda as a preliminary step in detoxification to loosen toxins (amma) in the body.
Oleation consists of saturating the body with herbal or medicated oils both internally and externally.

Internal oleation helps to loosen amma and move it from deeper tissues into the GI tract where other therapies can eliminate it.

External oleation consists of various treatments that saturate the body ( or parts of it) with medicated oils. The choice of oils depends on the particular needs and constitution of the individual.

A  medicated oil is prepared by macerating the fresh or dry herb material in oil over a period of weeks.  The result is an extract that is very useful for external application. Unlike water, fats are readily absorbed when applied to the body, penetrating through the skin into the underlying tissues, and even entering into the bloodstream. 

What I love about these treatments is that you can enjoy numerous applications on the body which also can positively   effect  the mind according to the herb oil we use and the part of the body we apply it to. Snehana or oleation therapy literally means love or tenderness.

I usually suggest this treatment to people that have difficulty giving   themselves the time and space to relax or to people   that simply do not have the habit of love themselves. It is also a very powerful treatment that emotionally balances low self esteem, and to heal any body conditions that are due to self  judgment and self hardness.

Mental oleation(application on the head) gives a chance to the mind to have an “empty” window, where  possibilities of self awareness may arise.

Let’s learn some terms for the external oleation:

  1. Applying warm oil over the body and then massaging it. This is called Abhyanga (oil massage)
  2. Warm medicated oil is poured continuously over the whole body this is called pizichil.
  3. In the third method called Gandhusha the mouth is filled with oil then it stays there for a while.
  4. Warm oil poured on the forehead is the fourth method. This is called Shirodhara.
  5. Method five is called Snehavagahana. A bath is filled with warm oil and you bath in it.

How to select your oil
You can use different oils to have any of the oleation treatments; the most common oils used for oleation are:

Dhanwantharam oil
is good for all body types, especially Vata and Pita. This is the most popular general massage oil. Named for the patron deity of Ayurveda, it is a fragrant, earthy oil containing numerous herbs. Featuring a potent anti-oxidant effect, it rejuvenates the body and skin and increases immunity. Beneficial for neurological and rheumatic diseases & Weakness as well as chronic Vata conditions and pre- and post-natal care. It is also a fine Shirodhara and head oil.

Sahachasadi oil,
This oil is anti-inflammatory and anti-rheumatic and is excellent for muscles and as a pain reducer (it’s great for people of old age). It helps heal tremors and convulsions, gynecological diseases and muscle or nerve damage. This oil is especially good for Vata and Kapha types.

Ashwagandha oil,
This vata-pacifying oil can be used to nourish and strengthen the muscles. Useful for athletes and those weakened by debility due to old age or illness. Literally meaning "strength", bala builds muscle mass and provides energy.

Bhringaraj Oil

A tridoshic oil traditionally used to encourage healthy hair growth and better sleep. Bhringaraj oil is an excellent choice for massaging the scalp and feet. It also cools the head and calms the mind.

One of my favorites to use on my head before meditation is Bhrami oil. It is a pitta-soothing oil that is beneficial for calming and clearing the mind and enhancing peaceful meditation. Brahmi is said to bestow intelligence upon its user and can be massaged into the scalp to promote awareness and mental function.


How to do this practice at home:

1.- Select the oil for your body type or condition ( ask your practitioner if you are not sure) You can also get a pitta, vatta or kapha oil already made for your constitution.

2.- Before showering, cover your whole body with the oil and  vigorously massage all parts of your body.

3.-  Waiting a few minutes for it to penetrate before showering is greatly beneficial, if not simply rinse the oil with warm water and use a  towel to remove the excess.

4.- For this practice to have an impact, do it for 10 to 15 days consecutively.

5.- You can also do oleation in the evening for a better sleep, (bhrami oil)

Relax and enjoy the richness of nature.

Where to get your oils:
Visit: http://www.banyanbotanicals.com I love their quality and organic properties.
There are other sources in the market with no guaranties of being organic.



6/10/11

Salty Lassi for a hot summer

This Salty Lassi is spiced with cumin and is a great refreshing drink in the summer.Feel free to experiment with other cooling spices like fennel and anise.

1 tsp cumin seeds
1 cup plain yogurt or coconut milk
1 cup chilled milk or water for vegans.
2 teaspoons lemon juice
1/2 to 1 tsp salt
1/2 cup of ice cubes
A dollop of plain yogurt for garnishing

Dry roast  the cumin seeds for a few minutes until you start getting a wonderful aroma.  Cool and grind to a coarse consistency. In a blender blend all the ingredients. Top it up with a dollop of yogurt. Serve chilled. 
Makes 4 servings.