In this body, a microcosm reflecting the macrocosm,
the vertebral column (also referred to as Mt Meru) is surrounded by seven islands;
there are rivers, seas, mountains, fields; and energies governing these fields. External observable macro-phenomenon are internalized and have equivalents within one’s body. The outside world is within, in the form of rivers, channels, fire, self and others.

Siva Samhita, 2.1

I shared with you highlights of a webinar I attended this weekend, part of my studies of Ayurveda, addressing aspects of modern science discovered many years ago from the context of our “subtle” bodies. What does this have to do with SILENCE?

• how are pathologies like hypothyroidism linked to the subtle energies of our throat centre
• what is the energy that we experience as bliss when we empty out our bladder for example, or when we have a healthy bowel movement?
• what makes us hungry? what is the intelligence that guides us to sit in silence?
• What is the connection with the coiled serpent like inner dormant energy, the gap between two thoughts or the gap between two breaths, and silence?

Learn more about Kundalini Yoga here.

The Sanskrit adjective kuṇḍala means “circular, annular”. It occurs as a noun for “a snake” (in the sense “coiled”, as in “forming ringlets”) in a 12th-century chronicle. The Sanskrit feminine noun kuṇḍalī means “ring, bracelet, coil (of a rope)”, and is the name of a “serpent-like” Shakti energy.

In this video of Pancha Prana, we have introduced an interesting Story about Pranas mentioned in the Upanishads.
Theres are 5 winds or pranas in the body:

1.Prana– The Forward Moving Air Move in the body between heart and throat It is responsible for body activities of respiration, digestion, conversion of water into blood, urine and perspiration, etc. Directly related to Air Element & Heart Chakra 

2.Apana “air that moves away,” Move in the body between Navel and feet. It governs the elimination of the stool and the urine, menstrual fluid and the fetus, and the elimination of carbon dioxide through the breath. On a deeper level it rules the elimination of negative sensory, emotional and mental experiences. It is the basis of our immune function on all levels It is related to earth element and the Root Chakra(Mooldhara) 

3.Udana “upward moving air,” Move in the body between throat and vertex(top of the head) It moves upward and qualitative or transformative movements of the life-energy. It governs growth of the body, the ability to stand, speech, effort, enthusiasm and will. It is related to Space element and the Throat Chakra(Vishudhi Chakra)

4.Samana “balancing air,” Move in the body between Navel and Heart. It aids in digestion on all levels. It works in the gastrointestinal tract to digest food, in the lungs to digest air or absorb oxygen, and in the mind to homogenize and digest experiences, whether sensory, emotional or mental. It is related to fire element and solar plexus (Manipur Chakra)

5.Vyana “outward moving air,” Move in all parts of the body. It governs circulation on all levels. It moves the food, water and oxygen throughout the body, and keeps our emotions and thoughts circulating in the mind, imparting movement and providing strength. In doing so it assists all the other Pranas in their work. It is related to Water Element and Sacral Chakra (Swadishthan chakra)

Many blessings of the New Year! 2024 is here and we are filled with the aspirations and potential of what newness holds. Although we are in the midst and depths of the winter season, there is a renewed spirit of going back to what is rather than what it should be. As we step into a new year, SILENCE beckons…always. Ayurveda is a lens we will look though for the next few weeks as it beckons us to embrace a rejuvenated and vibrant life through the remembrance of our true nature and the root cause of our suffering. I share my learnings from the Ayurveda Institute.

But, what does it mean to live a vibrant life?

To live in harmony with our true nature, our prakruti.

To live in harmony with the season in which we are in.

To live in harmony with our deepest aspirations and true intentions.

The transition into a new year presents an opportune moment to assess and realign our internal and external energies, ensuring a harmonious start to the upcoming chapters of the year. It is in these moments where we are able to pause and reflect on not only what brings us joy in our lives, but also what serves us the best on our path and journey–this can be in the way we spend our time, the foods we eat, the way we move our bodies. Taking time for self-reflection on our habit patterns of both external and internal activities allows us to find balance for our constitution.

The ultimate goal of Ayurveda is to be in balance with our natural state so that we are able to walk the path that brings us the most amount of happiness and joy in life. Below are a few questions to evaluate our daily routine and habits to realign ourselves with our truest and most vibrant selves.

Questions to Support My Agni (Fire element of my body and mind):

Are the foods I eat sit well with me?
Do I feel energetic after eating?
Do I feel joy in what I am eating?
Am I distracted at meals?

Questions to Support My Prana:

Do I wake up energized to take on the day?
What do I spend my free time doing?
Do I have a sense of joy and peace as I go on about my day?
Do I find time to move energy and prana within my body?
Do I take the time to be in communion with nature?

Questions to Support My Self:

Do I take time to process the day?
DO I TAKE THE TIME TO SIT IN SILENCE?
Do I have practices that support my peace?
Do I feel a sense of ease in my whole being?
In order to be fully present with my whole self, I must take the time to go inwards. It is in these moments that I become awake to what the universe is guiding me towards.

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The reflection questions above are just a sampling of all the ways to understand ourselves more to truly live in alignment with our true nature, our peak potential. When we shift the way we live and the way we think, the ease in which we flow with the world around us becomes intuitive and natural. But, as we know, it takes just a small step forward to begin that understanding.

As we enter the dawn of a new year, Ayurveda can be one of our guiding lights towards a healthier, more balanced existence. By integrating its timeless principles into our lives from various rich traditions, ancient, contemporary and indgenous wisdom practices, we embark on a journey of self-discovery, well-being, and conscious living, ensuring that the chapters of the coming year are written with vitality, purpose, and fulfillment.

May this year bring you true joy, true happiness, true peace, and a true sense of self-awakening.

I have borrowed heavily from a message received from the Ayurveda Institute that inspires the topics to be shared in the upcoming weeks. And as always, I look forward to our sitting together in SILENCE wherein in true healing is unravelling eternally. WHAT DOES SILENCE HAVE TO DO WITH HEALING? To be continued….

Warmly, in deep gratitude for our sitting together,
Supriti (Atma Sindoori Ananda)

When we walk through a forest path, there is a vibration sent out that is a form of communication, a form of language. When we enter a forest, it is up to us to learn how to communicate with it by communicating with our own inner workings, mending the relationship, by igniting the knowing that the forest is the nature within us, that we are not separate. Our work here is to connect to our inner nature and to connect to nature that is all around us.

“Yatha Pinde Tatha Brahmande”

(Universe & the Human Body is Homologous).

“This Mind & Chitta is also subtly & Deeply linked to the COSMIC- Mind & Chitta ““A clear understanding of this REALITY will not only give one a Blissful Experiences but also reveal to us the Mysteries of the Universe….within and without.”

“During, the process of Meditation , the Universal Mind & Chitta (psychic Ether) undergoes the same subtle process. The same transformation as Matter in the Process of FISSION & FUSION.”

Enteric brain; Powerful microcosm of our gut – constipation and what we eat and think.

And like a door or a pathway, activating a marma energy point, opens into the inner pharmacy of the body. The body is a silent, universal, biochemical laboratory—operating every moment to interpret and transform arising events.Touching a marma point changes the body’s biochemistry and can unfold radical, alchemical change in one’s makeup. Stimulation of these inner pharmacy pathways signals the body to produce exactly what it needs, including hormones and neurochemicals that heal the body, mind and consciousness.

Dr. Vasant Lad, Ayurvedic Physician

WINTER with AYURVEDA

We continue unravelling the age-old teachings of Ayurveda, balancing the elements of air, ether, water, fire and earth, that make up this universe of which this body is part of.

We continued developing a sequence of 8 Breathworks:

Daily Pranayama:1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th and 5th and 6th, 7tth in the sequence practiced today.

1. Bhastrika (Bellows breath) 
2. Kapalabhati follows (Shining Skull)
3. Anuoma Viloma (Alternate Nostril Breathing)
4. Agni Sara 
5. Brahmari (Bee’s Breath)
6. UTJAYI Breath (Breath of Victory
7. SHEETALI & SHEETKARI -cooling breath – for anger, irritbility, cand other “fire” aggravated aspects of our body and mind.

What time do you tend to wake up at night? Is there a connection to the times during which a certain organ is most active?

We were meant to listen to this video last week but ran out of time….here it is…for todays session.

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“And like a door or a pathway, activating a marma energy point, opens into the inner pharmacy of the body. The body is a silent, universal, biochemical laboratory—operating every moment to interpret and transform arising events.Touching a marma point changes the body’s biochemistry and can unfold radical, alchemical change in one’s makeup. Stimulation of these inner pharmacy pathways signals the body to produce exactly what it needs, including hormones and neurochemicals that heal the body, mind and consciousness.”

Dr. Vasant Lad, Ayurvedic Physician

WINTER with AYURVEDA

We continue unravelling the age-old teachings of Ayurveda, balancing the elements of air, ether, water, fire and earth, that make up this universe of which this body is part of.

We continued developing a sequence of 8 Breathworks: Daily Pranayama:1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th and 5th and 6th in the sequence practiced today.

1. Bhastrika (Bellows breath) 
2. Kapalabhati follows (Shining Skull)
3. Anuoma Viloma (Alternate Nostril Breathing)
4. Agni Sara 
5. Brahmari (Bee’s Breath)
6. UTJAYI Breath (Breath of Victory)

We continue our practice together  –  more tools in our tool belt with Utjayi Breath  –  Strengthening THE IMMUNE SYTEM for WINTER along with the marma points for Thyoid. our immune system.

The Sanskrit word Ayurveda translates to āyuh, life, and veda, knowledge or science. It is an ancient healing system rooted in India that has been practiced for thousands of years. Ayurveda’s scope encompasses all realms: physical, mental/emotional, and spiritual, and thus addresses the whole person, body, mind and consciousness.

The universe is composed of five elements: ether, air, fire, water, and earth. These five elements combine in varying proportions to create the three doshas: Vata, the principle of movement, Pitta, the principle of transformation, and Kapha, the principle of cohesion or building block material.These elements and doshas that comprise the macrocosm also make up our individual constitutions. The purpose of Ayurveda is to bring balance to these doshas and elements amidst the changing times of day, seasons, and phases of our lives, in order to promote and maintain quality and longevity of life.

One of the subtle healing practices that Ayurveda guides us into is Meditation and Breathwork (Pranayama).