Yoga Asanas ~ Why I’m Finally Going to Do Some!

No, not the cold, slushy kind…a Snowball microphone is on its way! Why, you ask? Well, over the years, I’ve found myself involved in teaching seekers how to chant and pronounce mantras and prayers in Sanskrit. I’ve done this through one-on-one tutoring and also through chanting booklets that I created for Amma Sri Karunamayi’s bookstore. I consider it a great honor and blessing to do this, and have felt very gratified by people’s sincere appreciation for my help.

Obama’s choice of Rick Warren to give the invocation at his Inauguration caused a minor uproar among many liberal progressives, but after some thought I find myself truly inspired by Obama’s choice. There is a beautiful saying in the Vedas, the ancient spiritual scriptures of India — “Vasudhaiva kutumbakam.” In this short and sweet sentence, the enlightened Vedic rishis, or seers, have given us a profound truth as well as a lofty standard for our conduct.

Our food choices have a tremendous effect on our physical and mental health, the quality of our subtle energy, our meditation practice, our karmic balance, the economy of the nation and the world, and the ecological health of Mother Earth. By becoming more mindful and aware of our food choices, we can help to address many issues facing humanity today. My approach to diet has always been to find the common thread and look for general principles that simplify matters and allow me to fulfill multiple goals at once. There is a way to improve health, heighten spiritual consciousness, reduce karma, reduce water pollution, reduce animal suffering, reduce rainforest destruction, AND reduce global greenhouse gas emissions.

Over the past few years, I have felt called to create a life of balance, one that allows me to seek enlightenment while also doing something for the planet. A life in which I seek to serve others without losing my health and my sanity. In which I meditate and purify my subtle body but also take care of my physical body and mental balance. In which I listen to both my heart and my head, and in which I balance faith and tradition with my God-given reason and intelligence.

When I first entered the spiritual path, I was not interested primarily in meditation. Oh, meditation was nice as an idea, a kind of delightful fantasy of yogis and yoginis meditating peacefully in the forest. But my main interest was in things like devotion, chanting, or selfless service. Because I had read about the importance of meditation, I did try half-heartedly to meditate, but I never was able to achieve any kind of concentration, peace or bliss. I ended up deciding that meditation simply wasn’t for me, and that I would reach the ultimate state in some other way, like devotion or service. Then I met Amma.

The sacred element of fire has probably always fascinated people, and lightning has certainly always been a source of terror and awe. I’ll never forget one of my earliest experiences with Amma, when a sacred fire ceremony seemed to call forth an incredible response from Mother Nature. My inner and outer worlds seemed to merge as lightning flashed without and subtle energy flashed within.

Last Sunday was Maha Sivaratri, or the Great Night of Lord Siva. This is the most auspicious night of the entire year for worshipping Lord Siva, and for performing austerities. These practices are not for the purpose of glorifying some deity; they are designed for our own spiritual benefit, as they purify us and prepare the way for more and more divine energy to shine through our very being. By doing practices on Sivaratri, we are given a great opportunity to purify any negativity or darkness that is holding us back from embracing our true goals in life.

In an effort to purchase more organic products, I’ve been making a foray into organic chocolates, and wasn’t so crazy about a few that I tried. Well, all that changed as soon as I tried my first square of Terra Nostra Chocolate’s Intense Dark Chocolate bar. Let me just say, Wow, that is an incredibly good dark chocolate bar, and yes, “intense” is an apt description. My love of this chocolate bar stems from the fact that: (a) it is made from 100% organic chocolate that is produced and obtained through equitable trade practices; (b) it is made with 100% renewable energy; (c) it has a 73% cacao content which provides outstanding antioxidant capacity; and (d) it is 100% yummariffic.

Lately I’ve had a yen for some cute spiritual or yoga-inspired jewelry. It seems to be a cyclical thing, where I lose interest in jewelry for a while, and then suddenly become interested again. So when I saw these adorable silver butterfly earrings offered at www.satyajewelry.com, I was just sucked right in. Not only are they super-cute, but they also help raise money for research into a rare children’s disease, epidermolysis bullosa.