Organic, holistic living is becoming more popular with the rise of big-name grocery stores like Whole Foods, the increasing trend of weekly farmer’s markets in cities across the country, and through practices like yoga. Many of us watch what we eat, are curious about where our food came from and want to know how it was produced.
The capacity to witness life from the standpoint of the “observer” is a skill that sets apart the novice from the expert, especially in terms of spiritual advancement. To the ancients, this ability is deemed a technique used to classify the beginner from the advanced human and is given the name drashta in Sanskrit – which translates as “the witness.” When one has cultivated this witnessing attitude and can maintain it through all layers of evolutionary unfoldment, this state signifies an awakened and functioning third eye center, or at least the beginning stages of such.
The yogis and rishis of old sat in lotus, immersed in Samadhi, listening to the sounds of the ether and bringing through timeless information from the cosmos. How did they reach this state of peaceful bliss and cosmic consciousness? This article points you in the direction of the mystical kundalini energy referenced in the practice of yoga as well as introduces you to the all-important Vagus nerve, and how these two are related.
A couple of years ago, I got this text from my sister: “Yoga question: In the book I’m reading, part of what they do is drink their pee. Have you heard of that?”
I had, in fact, heard of “urine therapy” in books on yoga, but it certainly wasn’t a topic covered in my yoga teacher training, and I thought it was a long-dormant practice. Call me odd, but I was intrigued. I asked her what she was reading.
Sometimes, we need to step back and take a breather. There's nothing more unhealthy than forgetting you're alive. How could people forget they're alive, you ask?
If you have ever joined yoga classes, chances are you are familiar with the whole jingbang of yoga props. From yoga blocks to mats, straps to bolsters, and of course, the ever-present yoga mats. Most of these accessories are also a bit dear on the pocket, especially if color, design, or eco-friendliness enters the picture.
Along with cultivating an organic garden often comes the patient practice of weed-picking. It can sometimes feel like a tedious as well as an endless job. When it comes to removing the unwanted plants in your garden, the smarter and not harder method is always the best route to take. Weeding a little bit everyday goes a long way. Fellow gardeners, do not despair. Here are 9 wonderful tips for making your weeding easier.
Just like reality is layered, so too is the body comprised of concentric fields that stack on each other and overlap, working with each other in order to create perfect health in this manifestation vehicle we call the body. By understanding the layers in the body and what their functions are, it becomes easier to see and hear the inner workings by the symptomatic language the body is speaking.
Maybe I’m off base, but it seems to me in the West there’s a notion that spirituality is for the privileged. For people who don’t have to worry so much about the mundane necessities of life. For people who have time and space to contemplate why they’re here and what their purpose is. But that’s not true; spirituality is for all. It’s everyone’s birthright.
It wasn’t until I started running (very) long distances that the need for proper nutrition became clear to me: I needed to reduce inflammation in my body and to do that, I needed to focus on anti-inflammatory foods. The Anti-Inflammation Diet and Recipe Book by Jessica K. Black, N.D., was the perfect guide, or so it seemed.