In eastern traditions, a guru occupies a very important space in society. The pecking order goes like this: Mata (Mother), Pita (Father), Guru, Daivam (God). The concept of a guru is not readily understood in the west. A guru is someone that guides us towards the light, the knowledge that we need to find ourselves, our purpose and god. There’s another saying from India that goes - God, Guru and the Self are one and the same. These are blindingly beautiful words. I hope to clarify these concepts in this blog using my own life experiences. I have had many gurus in my journey. Ones that taught me Ayurveda, yoga, meditation, aromatherapy, food, astrology, Feng Shui- you name it. Like...
There is power in plants, tremendous life force, and life intelligence that lies in these plants. They give us the power to protect, heal and prevent the onset of any disease or disharmony. You only have to discover it for yourself and be vigilant and disciplined enough to want to use their power to take care of everything. Every ailment, disease, imbalance, and disharmony can be healed through plant-based medicine. This is in the form of food, herbs/supplements, and aromatherapy. Nature never dies. Animals in nature are known to self prescribe and consume plants in their ecosystem to heal themselves - this even includes carnivores! Plants were here before us and will be here - way after us. Understanding the...
The etymology of the word "Practice" reveals that it's rooted in employing or carrying on in a profession - especially medicine. The same for "Compassion" indicates - suffering for another. I am struck by the deeper implication and a more direct attribution to healing than I knew earlier. Practice in anything - positive or negative triggers greater mastery, comfort, and competence. How does the practice of compassion sit in our lives? It is here that I examine observations from Ram Dass, a disciple of Neem Karoli Baba from India. According to Ram Dass, a Guru in India once told him that he can have a mantra (a sacred message, an instrument of thought) that would make him enormously wealthy. He told...
My Indian sisters Nandita and Ranjita and I decided to go for a walk this evening to break up the mundane pattern that we have gotten used to. I have been working round the clock these days and they seem to be busy with their own chores. After all, they run a guest-house and there is always something for them to do. It was around 5:30 pm when we set off! I catch myself thinking that I need to get out more - I hardly even know my own neighborhood, it’s back-streets or what the other houses look like. I wonder about the people that are on the street and why? Likewise for the dogs too. It felt great...
When our natural frequencies become “out of tune”, the body may become out of balance and we become ill. The same vibrations that can cause us to become unhealthy can also be used to restore the vibrations in our original constitution. Sound healing makes it possible for our vibratory patterns to return to their natural states. Sound not only heals physical, mental and emotional discomfort or trauma, but it also helps to progress on our spiritual journey as some sound leads us to higher levels of consciousness. Sound is the seed of matter. It has unlimited abilities to assist in healing and human transformation. Sound for Vata - favor music that is slow, soft with sustained sounds. Classical music (especially...
