hy do we find so hard to let go of things--whether its a relationship, or things that we have gotten attached to. Why do we strive for more and more. What is the mind from a vedic perspective. What is an imbalanced manas (mind) spiritually, logically and vedically.
This is a podcast on Vedic (spiritual) aspect of mind or manas
Have you never meditated before? Does meditation sound too difficult. Did you know that if you can meditate for about 5 minutes a day, it can have a profoundly support your mental health and wellbeing, ground you and root you so you can deal with stress better. This is a guided meditation series-with some tips, tools. It is a spiritual podcast with chanting of OM, MANTRAS, CHANTING and BODY SCAN MEDITATION.
This is a transcript for the podcast
WHAT IS DEATH? by Vedic Arts
So let's talk about the cultural perception and the regional perception culturally and regionally, depending on what part of the world you come from. Some people are very comfortable talking about death and others are not. So let me put it out to our resident philosopher.
What is death and why do people don't like to talk about it? Well, that's a great question. We can start with the existential question. What is death according to Krishna in the Bhagavad Gita (the primary Hindu text)
Just as we are the same person in this body? We go from being a baby to being a child, to being a young person, and then we become an adult and we become old, but we're the same person. The body has changed completely, but we are the same. And when the body dies, we just go all into another existence. That is the really the important essential thing.
Death is a transition from lung physical body to the next. All right. That, that does answer my question. So death doesn't mean everything is ended, it is simply a transition from one physical body to another. Yes, that's correct. And the way that transition happens is in our subtle body or our, which is consciousness.
Mind intelligence and ego. They are the carriers of the soul or atma that take it onto another body. And Krishna has also given the example in the just as the breeze carries different fragrances. Soul body or the sok is also carrying the soul onto another physical body. Thank you. What about why is it that culturally it is, people don't wanna talk about death?
It's kind of shrub under the rug. Well, think about it. You know, death is scary. It's the end of everything that we know. We are born in this world and we come into this world as a little baby and wow, I want attention. Pick me up, love me. Look at me, feed me. And we get attention and this becomes our whole world.
And when we're small babies, we think that the world centers around us. And then as we grow older, we try to find different ways to interact with the world, to find happiness, and to avoid pain. And death is something that you could think of. It's kind of like the sun of all pain. Everything that we know is taken away from us.
If we come face to face with death, if we see someone close to us dying, especially if it's a violent death, it can be very traumatic. It's not a natural thing. Well, you know, I've heard people who have been given certain terminal diagnosis, the diagnosis of terminal illness seems to be worse than death itself.
Yes. They, they start identifying with the illness, they start identifying and then there is this fear, oh, I am going to die. Isn't there, a story of, uh, Uh, do you wanna tell that story? Yes. It's a very interesting story from the Mahabharata about it. And this is a very interesting point. So there is an incident where Emperor Yuddhistar and his brothers are kind of lost in the forest.
They're in a part of the forest where there's no water to be found, and they go looking and find the lake. To make a long story short, Is the last one left. And he goes and finds the guardian of the lake is a yaksha, a kind of supernatural being. And the Yaksha challenges Yudhhistara to a contest of riddles. And of course, Yuddhistara being the incarnation of dharma as he totally ACEs that competition.
One of the questions is, what is the most amazing thing? And Yuddhistaras answer is memorable. He says-
"Every day we see our relatives and our neighbors marching off to the house of death. But those of us who are left behind think that somehow we'll find a way to live forever. What could possibly be more amazing than this? And if you think about it, the person who has passed on, they've moved on, they're out."
They have gone to the other side. Death is more painful for the people who are left behind. That's correct. And the anticipation of death. And the anticipation of pain. Those are often more difficult than the thing itself. That is right. I wanted to talk about, I mean, we are talking about death and so don't be scared of death.
We are all gonna die. You're gonna die. I'm gonna die. Everyone who's listening you, we are all gonna die one day. So there's no point being scared of it, but we need to make our life more meaningful. And also during the Covid, when people realized, you know, when people the relatives and friends and neighbors, it was so tragic.
Everybody had an aha moment, didn't they? Absolutely. Yes. Well, you know, really, this is what it comes down to, this is the Vedic perspective, is that our human life is a precious gift. And we should use it for meaningful things. We shouldn't use it for animalistic pursuits. Now we're not animals, but there are four things where humans and animals do the same things, and those are eating, sleeping, defending themselves, and mating.
And if our human life is spent doing these things, we are not really better than animals. Now that just means that we're wasting an opportunity to find a higher meaning to our life because you enter this world naked and you leave this world naked. We won't take anything with us. The only thing that will follow us is whatever merit we've acquired, whatever good things we've done, those will follow us into our next life.
That is the essence. As you sow, so shall you reap. Right now. We've talked about you. You know, you become naked in this world and we will go naked. Let's talk about coming into this world. We've talked about what is death. What is birth? Well, that's another very interesting question. Sage Capla has a discussion with his mother, David, in the p in the third canto.
And he says,
the living being entered the will of the mother at the time of conception, and this is by fate. So there is an element of fate there. And the, uh, the atma (soul) is then taking shelter and the body is gradually forming. And gradually after about, um, usually seven months or so of pregnancy, then the, uh, fetus becomes aware often, and in that state of awareness, there's an awareness that I am confined in this dark place and I want to get out.
And it is a difficult position to be in for the child. And the child wants to, um, get out and the child may also have remembrance of their past life or lives. And I've heard that, you know, people who have done some spiritual activity, they actually, uh, get a What is a realization? They get the realization of, uh, God, of divine.
And sometimes they even get they can see God. So the seventh month, you know, even in Avera, that's when OJ starts coming in because they're connecting to the divine and they promised the divine, oh, I will not let this birth go to waste. You know, I, I remember my previous lives, I've been a man, a woman, an animal, um, you know, and, uh, It just goes on and on.
It's a nonstop circle. And this time when I come in, Hey, I'm gonna make this human form of life count. And while I, as soon as the, you know, feeders, the baby is out, the, uh, uterus, it's out and boom, it forgets. That's right. Well, that's a, it's a very powerful thing because we become overwhelmed by our sensory perceptions.
Sages have said that the child who's within the womb and they've become aware, you know, we usually refer to the fetal stage when there's not a development of consciousness. The Optima is there, but there's no consciousness. Consciousness has not really awakened. It's kind of like as much conscious as, as a, uh, you know, a piece of, of a wood or a tree or something.
And then when consciousness awakens, it is around the sixth or seventh month. Now there's this awareness and then when the baby comes out, the process of birth is also difficult. The baby is being squeezed out and it's traumatic. It is traumatic, yeah. It's, it's traumatic for the mother. It's traumatic for the baby.
But now, oh wow. We're through this and we have a baby and you know, we're welcoming the baby into the world. And now the baby has, is being exposed to all of these. Incredible sensory perceptions and they can see things now they can't really focus on yet. It takes about, uh, I think a few days to a week for the baby to be able to begin, start resolving kind of blurred images cuz they're seeing things for the first time and it's such an overwhelming experience.
But, you know, the baby gets on the mother's breast and the baby is feeling contact with the mother's vital force. And this has been proven to be an essential thing for babies, for newborns. Yeah. And the baby forgets. I have come to this life and I made a promise just a couple of months ago in the seventh month through the Divine that, you know, I will, I will connect, I will try to have a higher life.
Um, and, uh, now that we, we have established, we are all in a die one day, there's no point being scared. It is scary and it is tragic and it is sad, but it is the fact. How do we make the human form of life successful? One is divine resides in our heart. We call . We can close our eyes. And shut down all those sensory overload, the eyes, the ears, shut down the phone, shut down all those electronic devices.
Get off the social media, close your eyes and meditate on that divine who has been with us in our heart through every single birth, millions and. Trillions of birds that we had before and meditate on that person. Yes. So the heart, this is exactly how it is. The heart is sometimes compared to a tree, and there are two birds sitting on the branch of the tree of the heart.
One is our friend, a friend who loves us so much that they've been with us since the beginning of time. Since before we can remember, and they're just waiting for us to turn to them and to ask us what is the way, what is, what am I meant to do with my life? We should be asking these questions and we should be seeking meaning, we should be seeking meaningful things to do with our lives.
That's the important thing, not what car we have, how much money we have in the bank. And all these other things, but one of the things that I can do that will make my life meaningful and that is what gives meaning to life. You know, when we say death is not something to be afraid of, well of course we'll find death traumatic, we'll find it fearful.
We should be careful. We shouldn't be foolish and, you know, take, do risky things. But at the same time, we should know that life is precious. It's temporary. It's an opportunity. It's an opportunity to do something that lasts. Interestingly, uh, you know, talks about four kinds of life. meaning auspicious, inauspicious, happy, uh, unhappy life, miserable life, and, uh, a mixed bag.
So the idea is, even Ave is saying that if you are born, you know, try to move on to that auspicious life where you live for others life of service, you do connect with divine in, you know, in irrespective of whatever religion it may be. That connection, that spirituality with divine and let's. Elevate ourselves.
Our even objective in life is to elevate ourselves, to get to hitayu- the highest kind of life lived.
Well, thank you very much. I'm gonna end, uh, here. Do you wanna say something before we conclude? Thank you. Well, no, I think that's it. That really does wrap it up. You know, we've gone from the. Kind of western view of death of, oh my God, there was somebody killed, let's cover them up with a white sheet and whisk 'em away because we don't let to face it to, uh, you know, the, the VAD approach, which is death is inevitable.
It's a part of life, and let's make the life meaningful before death comes. All right. Well, thank you so much. .
Ayurveda has a unique perspective on food and its impact on human health. According to a Ayurveda, food is classified into three categories, based on their inherent qualities or Gunas - Sattva, Rajas and Tamas. These Gunas are said to affect the mind and body in different ways, and choosing the right foods can help maintain a healthy balance of these qualities.
Sattva is the purest of the three Gunas, representing balance, harmony, and purity. Sattvic foods are those that are fresh, light, and easy to digest and are considered to be the ideal diet for maintaining good health and spiritual growth. Examples of Sattvic foods include fresh fruits and vegetables, whole grains, nuts, seeds, and dairy products such as milk, ghee, and yogurt. Freshly made, no processing--whole grains, plant based is considered sattvik diet and is best for those with mental health imbalance or emotional wellbeing.
Rajas represent the quality of passion, energy, and activity, Rajasic foods are spicy, salty, or sour, and I said to stimulate the mind and body. While Rajasic foods can provide energy and vitality, consuming them excessively can lead to restlessness, anxiety, and over activity. Examples of Rajasic foods include spicy foods, caffeine, onions, garlic, and fermented foods.
Tamas represents the quality of inertia, darkness, and dullness. Tamasic foods are those that are heavy, oily, and difficult to digest, and are said to weigh down the mind and body. Consuming tamasic foods in excess can lead to lethargy, depression, and lack of motivation. Examples of tamasic foods include meat, fish, eggs, processed foods, and alcohol.
In Ayurveda, it is believed that a balanced diet should include a combination of Sattvic, Rajasic, and Tamasic foods in appropriate portions. For example, a meal consisting of fresh vegetables, whole grains, and a small amount of spicy chutney or pickles can provide a balanced combination of all three gunas.
The concept of Gunas in Ayurveda is not just limited to food, but also extends to other aspects of life, such as relationships, activities, and environments, by understanding the qualities of different foods and making conscious choices, we can make a healthy balance of these Gunas in our bodies and minds.
The concept of Sattva, rajas, and tamas classifications of food in Ayurveda offers a unique perspective on the impact of food on human health and well-being. Choosing the right foods in appropriate proportions can help maintain a healthy balance of these qualities and promote physical, mental, and spiritual health. By incorporating these principles into our diet and lifestyle, we can achieve a state of balance and harmony in all aspects of our lives.
Blog By Lori
By Monica Groover
Hello! We are reading from page 263 of the book ESSENTIAL GUIDE TO AYURVEDA
available on amazon.
I will be talking about the five parts of Panchangam or Five tenets of the Lunar calendar that make up the basis for Vedic Astrology called Jyotish.
These are Tithi (lunar date), Nakshatra (group of stars), Yoga (angles), Karana, and Vara (day). We will understand the Vedic unit of measurements- muhurta-kala, vara, etc. This is a small introduction of about 8 minutes. Hope you enjoy it.
If you are a gardener, healer or a spiritualist, or a student of any Vedic arts like Ayurveda or Jyotish-the MOON -Chandra is very important to you. If you tend to live on mental platform, moon is important to you. If you tend to be anxious or stressed, moon cycles are important to you. Listen to this short and sweet podcast to learn why.
Think of karma as a line of credit from an issuing bank—except where the issuing bank is higher grahas/planets—and it is an exhaustive
source. We also have a negative line of credit. In this podcast, we will talk about the modern mainstream meaning of karma vs the philosophical meaning of karma. We will talk about three types of karma mentioned in Jaiva Dharma and Bhagavad Gita. How can we get rid of this bad karma--some ideas will be shared.
Karma has become a mainstream word. I have heard people say"karma is ..ich" so many times. It is now a common phrase used by everyone—in movies, in tv.
It seems that the concept of karma is created by a very judgmental superior person waiting around to punish us as soon as we do something bad.
I think in this world of instant reaction—when everything is instant—we want result of karma also instantly. In reality, it is not really like that.
You took my parking spot—just as I was about to park in that spot and did not even apologize—now Providence will punish you and take away your parking spot—no, nope—that is simply rude—not karma.
How many of us have seen ghosts, believe in ghosts? Have you ever had a paranormal experience? How does someone become a ghost? What are the mechanics of becoming a ghost from a Vedic Perspective? According to Vedic literature or Hinduism, why, what and when does someone become a ghost and for how long? Is the appearance of sightings of ghosts different in different countries?
DISCLAIMER: The information in this Podcast is spiritual and Vedic in nature. It is based on Vedas, and principles of Hinduism. This is a spiritual lifecoaching podcast.
By Monica Groover
Meditation is a practice that can help you cultivate mindfulness and inner peace. There is a common misconception that meditation means emptying our minds. Ah huh? No. That's not the aim and object of meditation. The word meditation stems from meditatum, a Latin term that means 'to ponder.
To think very deeply, to focus very deeply on anything--focusing on a person, a thing, a word, a phrase, or anything really is meditation. When a person is in love and they are suffering from separation from this loved one, because you are unable to meet, all your attention is only on that person that you are in love with--we can say you are meditating on that person.
When we are thinking deeply about a book, a topic, or a place that we loved when we were kids--and we are totally engrossed in this place--this is a meditation. However, cultivated meditation can be used to help balance our doshas, mind, and spirit. Let's talk about meditation for peace, and, wellness. Let's talk about the three stages of meditation that I follow.
I do a meditation called mind traveling-I taking my mind to the same place every day--that I am actually there. That is a story for another time. Another meditation I follow is a body scan meditation to help with mind-body balance. I also use this to teach nadi pariksha (pulse) to my Ayurveda students.
1. Warm-up
Find a quiet and comfortable place to sit or lie down without being disturbed. If you can light a lovely fragrant candle, or use a rose or lavender essential oil that's a plus. I use sandalwood incense or masala agarbatti before I meditate. I also make sure I am not in a well-lit room. It should be slightly dark.
Set a timer for the desired length of your meditation session (start with 5-10 minutes and increase as you get comfortable).
Here we breathe and ground ourselves and get ready to go deeper if we want to. We can also do some yoga asanas or some cardio--then sit down and breathe not deeply, but consistently.
2. Second stage is the actual meditation
Before we move forward--let's talk about different meditation techniques. I do not do Shavasana (corpse pose) and close my eyes while lying down--chances are my mind will wander or I will fall asleep. I want my meditation to heal my mind and spirit. Allow me to witness myself, divine and so I do a body scan and do some loving and kind invocations.
I start by focusing my breath for 5 to 10 seconds. Bring the focus to the center of the forehead to the third eye. Now move to the heart area and then back to the forehead. Staying in this area, we start our word or phrase. I like to say HARI OM or RAM. You don't have to, but if you want to practice with me, you can repeat it now.
Let us start our body scan.
Let us bring our attention to the area around above our heads. As you breathe in --and say OM--visualize healing light entering the top of the head or hovering there.
On our second OM, gently guide this healing light from the top of our head to our third eye.
Now breathe in this light, rub your hands, and visualize the light entering your palms. Breathe out and put your warm palms to your eyes. Stay there. OM. OM. OM.
Put your hands on your throat and say OM again. Visualize the energy from your hands and the healing light vibrating the throat. OM. OM. OM.
Put your hands on the heart and say OM three times. Just let the vibration OM reverberate through your heart. OM. OM. OM.
Put your hand on your navel area. Again, we say OM three times. Visualize a fire or a light that represents your vitality and digestive fire in the navel area. OM. OM. OM.
Now bring your hands back to a prayer position or namaste. Imagine a healing hoola hoop vibrating with the sound of OM moving from our head to toe. This time we will do a quick body scan from the head, to the forehead to the eyes to the heart and stomach--then down to thighs, knees, legs, and feet three times. OM. OM. OM.
Conclusion
Take a few breaths and slowly open your eyes.
Remember, When your mind wanders (which it will), gently bring your attention back to your breath or your chosen point of focus.
Be patient and persistent with your practice. The benefits of meditation come with regular exercise over time.
Remember that there is no "right" way to meditate, and it's okay if your mind wanders during practice.
The key is to be gentle with yourself and bring your attention back to your chosen point of focus whenever you notice your mind wandering.
Monica Groover is the director of Narayana Ayurveda and the author of ESSENTIAL GUIDE TO AYURVEDA; A Textbook for Students & Counselors and AYURVEDA AND THE FEMININE.
https://www.amazon.com/Ayurveda-Feminine-Goddess-%C4%80yurveda-meditatio...
https://www.amazon.com/Essential-Guide-Ayurveda-Part-Counselors/dp/17350...
