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I recently traveled to Kosovo to teach yoga, meditation and Ayurvedic workshops. You read correctly, Kosovo! Kosovo is north of Greece and south of Hungary, to give you an idea. Because it’s a relatively new country there are many “firsts” there, and the Sparks Holistic Festival I participated in was no exception. The first ever of its kind! How did I end up there?
In part one of this article we looked at the profound wisdom in Gandhi's famous words “Be the change you wish to see in the world.” I pointed out that there's only one place where we can apply such wisdom: our everyday life. Indeed, daily life provides us a gazillion opportunities to embody the qualities we wish to see more plentiful in the world. From the moment we wake up to the moment we go to sleep, in all our interactions we can choose to “be the change”. We can choose to be kind, patient, compassionate, attentive and overall a good person. Simple enough, right? And yet.
It's not even spring and what a year it's been already. Unfolding events on the national and global stage are leaving many of us stunned. I've been observing increasing levels of anxiety and depression among my clients. Overpowering emotions make it difficult to see a clear way ahead and it's tempting to wallow in anger or poor-me-mentality. Well, I'd like to suggest that however upsetting the current times feel to you, the solution to our growing list of world problems lies with you. Within you. As you.
I'd like to introduce you to a concept central to Ayurveda, the natural system of medicine that informs my coaching practice. It's called dinacharya. Dina means daily, and charya means routines. So dinacharya refers to our daily routines. Now, we all have habits for sure. We are creatures of habits! But those habits are not always supportive of our health. They can even be downright detrimental.
Do you know how to efficiently handle the events in your life? In a way that leaves no toxic residue behind? If not, you must be familiar with some level of stress. Generally the energy of stress is tight. Stress makes us clench. It cuts off blood and energy flow to all body cells. Yet, according to Eastern medicine principles (Chinese or Ayurvedic for example), a pre-requisite for good health is good circulation, precisely! So stress is definitely bad news for your health. But some say stress has a purpose....Let me explain.
Do you go to sleep easily? Sleep through the night? Wake up feeling rested? Sleep is a vital component of life. It directly affects our capacity to engage, enjoy and thrive on a daily basis. If your sleep is light, interrupted or you don't get enough of it you will find it very difficult to stay sharp, vital and creative when awake. Without adequate sleep you may suffer from fatigue, trouble concentrating and mood disturbance.
Stress wreaks havoc on our health. If not addressed, it will affect your body’s ability to regulate inflammation, promoting the development of heart disease, asthma, digestive and skin disorders, among others. Prolonged stress has also been shown to lower our immunity, and makes us vulnerable to frequent infections, allergies, and fatigue, to name a few.
A Juice Cleanse is your ticket to health! Or is it? Over the last few years juicing has become very popular. Everywhere you look someone is talking about the life-changing effects of juicing. Dr. Oz and Oprah have their favorite “green juice”, books on the subject abound, juice bars are popping up left and right and because many celebrities are caught “juice in hand” it’s got to be good for us too, right? Recently, I even received a 2 day juice cleanse deal on Living Social! I won’t name names but the company offering the deal advertises “lose 12 pounds in 2 days!” Now, come on. Does anyone still believe that? Cleansing is not to be confused with a weight loss approach.
I'm back from my silent retreat and still feeling its calming effects a few weeks later. I loved Costa Rica! Once I got used to the lizards in my bedroom and driving 20 miles an hour on dirt roads, without seeing a soul or sign for miles! It was so refreshingly rugged. Wild nature, fresh organic food, the ocean and of course much silence...a deeply nourishing experience.
If you live in New York or any other big city you know silence is a rare commodity there. Non-stop sirens, alarms and honking, buses, trucks loading and unloading, the screeching hellish sound of subway trains pulling into the station, all conspire to create a maddening environment. Even restaurants! You'd think respite could be found there, but no. They're as noisy as ever.
"Relax, recharge, and rekindle your joy for life.”
Integrative Wellness - Yoga | Ayurveda | Meditation | Massage therapy
