"Who Am I?"... Part 3: The Limitless, Whole.

In the last two posts of this series, we went through the enquiry of the common error to get stuck at a certain level of limited self-identity. Whether it be with the body, or with the mind and emotions, it can cause tremendous damage if unable to overcome. One can end up living with the constant feeling of insignificance, while this is in fact the opposite of what you are!

But... the question still remains.. If I am not the physical body, not the emotions, not the mind, not the intellect, nor the swinging moods of happiness and unhappiness (सुख दुःख sukha dukha), then what is it that I am? 

Vedanta gives the answer.

Secrets from Mother India: Turmeric

Turmeric, called Haldi in Hindi, is a spice found in every Indian lady's kitchen. It is added to food, curries, vegetables, etc for its coloring properties as well as its good aroma. Turmeric in powder form is another multi-purpose spice, with many great health benefits. In fact, it's something I take quite frequently, and always bring with me when I travel- just in case. One pouch of turmeric can replace a whole lot of antiseptics and medicine-pills! Turmeric is definitely a topper on my list!

Ayurveda at Kairali

 I recently visited the Kairali Ayurvedic Healing Village  for some ayurvedic treatment. To describe it in 3 words, it was: TOTAL relaxation and rejuvenation! Kairali is located in Kerala, South India, near by a small town called Palakkad. It is an absolutely beautiful resort, nestled among many rice fields and coconut trees, away from the busy city. As you drive towards it, you can already feel the calmness and peace settling upon you by seeing the beautiful landscapes. But as soon as you enter the resort, the real tranquility takes over.

"Who Am I?"... Part 2: The Mind & Emotions

In the last post  we went through a common error that happens for every human being on this planet... That we restrict our identification only to the superficial, physical level, thereby creating an immense sense of smallness in each of us.

Another common trap is to identify with the emotions and the mind. When our mind gets restless, we are all over the place. It is often said that humans have monkey minds, and this is no surprise to any of us! From the moment we wake up, the thoughts start coming in, and they don't stop, until we go to bed. Even then, they can keep us from falling asleep! We are all the time overwhelmed with "to do's", "not to do's", "shoulds", "shouldnts", worries, fear, grief, pain, anger, etc. In fact, we are totally submerged in them. We live our life by them, without even realizing it. This can cause tremendous amount of stress and strain to a person, and can easily flow from a mental disturbance to a physical ailment. Let's take a deeper look!

"Who Am I?"... Part 1: The Body

Every human being, at some point in their lives, will come up with the same questions... Who am I? What is my purpose on earth? Why am I here? Why did this thing/event/situation happen to me? Why ME??

For some people its a natural state of thought process to be contemplative. For some people these questions arise after retirement when they have plenty of free time to think about life.. and for some people these questions only come after a traumatic experience in life; when suddenly they realize, life on earth is delicate. 

In Sanskrit the term for such inquiry/ exploration is called विचार vicara (pronounced Vi-Chaa- ra). Doing vicara about the self helps one to understand, and realize, who we really are. I intend to guide you along atmavicara over the next few posts, to see where we commonly get stuck, and how to come out of it.

Secrets from Mother India: Sesame Oil

Sesame Oil is a tasty oil that can be used for cooking and health purposes. It plays a HUGE role in natural healing, as you will see mentioned below.

Oil pulling
This may be a complete new concept to you but I tell you, it does MIRACLES! Oil pulling is an ancient old, ayurvedic method of cleansing the mouth, teeth, and tongue by swishing oil around in the mouth. It is to be done first thing in the morning for most effective results. Swishing around the sesame oil (preferred) between the teeth for 10-20 minutes collects all the bacteria that have been accumulating there overnight, literally "pulling" them out of your system. It is a very effective detox!

The Light Within You

Did it ever happen to you that you felt something from inside and simply knew that it was the truth? No matter how far away this feeling was from what was going on outside, you could feel that this tiny little spark from within had the answer and was going to lead you to the right direction?

Secrets from Mother India: Fenugreek

Fenugreek, called Methi in Hindi, is widely used in Indian cooking. It adds a delicious yet crispy flavor to any curry or sabji (vegetables) dish. Both the seeds and the leaves can be used, each giving their own flavor and benefits. 

Besides being used in the kitchen, methi is another miracle food that can be used for a variety of things! Being rich in vitamins, minerals and protein, methi can be applied on the skin, hair, and taken internally with medicinal properties. It's known to remove toxins, increase digestion, and provide a relief for long-term diseases.