A beautiful  acrostic poem  written by one of our contributors. Each sentence is like a bead packed with   knowledge, strung into a necklace of wisdom. Enjoy~
Non-Violence: What it means to me

N-  is for not letting things get to you.  Realizing that there is a greater purpose in life.

O- is for openness.  Being open to resolving conflict.

N- is for natural.  There is an inner beauty in everyone and everything.  You just have to seek it out.

V-is for versatile.  Doing many things and doing them with grace.

I- is for having individual thoughts but respecting the thoughts of others.

O- is for outside.  Finding balance between inside and outside your comfort zone.

L- is for laughter.  It prevails everything.

E- is for energy.  Let there be abundance of positive energy that encompasses your being.

N- is for neutral.  When things are extreme and emotions run high, stay neutral.  Often, the middle of the road will take you where you want to go.

C- is for cherish.  Cherish the goodness in the world.  There is more than enough.

E- is for eternity.  What we do, what we say, what we think stays with us for eternity.  Make it peaceful so there shall be no regrets.

Love and Peace,
Waterfall


 The Art of Living has launched a nationwide campaign for non-violence. see www.nonvio.org

Join our movement for non-violence and take a pledge today,become a part of ONE BILLION ACTS OF NON-VIOLENCE,visit www.nonvio.org

 

SMILE and take a deep breath~

 Smile and take a deep breath~ our instructor kept gently reminding us before and after each activity. This was going to be our mantra for the next 4 days.

 By the end of the course the smile that had become like a recluse for years, sprang back to the forefront of my expressions! This was the first gift among many that I received from doing the Art of Living Course.

I had registered for the course more out of curiosity than anything else – reading other people experiences with Sudarshan Kriya and how it had benefited them at various levels was intriguing to me. 

I wanted to check out, how the power of breath could bring about such a positive change not only at the physical level but mental, interpersonal and the spiritual self.

Apart from the inquisitiveness, this time period was like a phase in my life where I was ready to explore and incorporate a more holistic lifestyle, something which could bring a more meaningful expression to my mundane life.

 So with few objectives in my mind, I went ahead and registered for the Art Of Living course which included among many other things, learning the technique of the powerful Sudarshan Kriya.

From the first day of the course to the last, there was so much learning, each topic touching a different aspect of our lives, but in all it lead us to learn how to live a life without stress- if fact if anyone of us, got too caught up in the process, our kind teacher would repeat the mantra “smile and take a deep breath”, and it would do the magic trick!

My firsthand experience with Sudarshan Kriya was so amazing that I plan to dedicate an entire blog page to describe it! All I can share now is that it was the most powerful experience that I went through- I gave in all I had to the power of my breath and it did wonders in return!

Not surprising to say that it was also a life changing event for me, the Art of Living course truly directed to me towards the real art of living!

It is an integral part of my life now –with each passing day my commitment towards the organization (one big family) grows stronger and what I get back in return is truly invaluable!

Divya Swami Attri

Eating for Enlightment

Eating for Enlightment: An Ayurvedic Culinary Experience

Cooking is an art. Ayurveda Cooking is a sacred art.

Ayurveda cooking focuses in bringing energy and vitality to the physical, nervous and endocrine system through principles in food preparation and life habits that are in accordance to every individual's inborn constituents. Having the right food is important, but also having the right combination and proportion of food in accordance to the time of day and season of the year is considered equally significant in Ayurveda. As complicated as it may sound to a beginner in Ayurveda cooking, these principles are easy to understand and practical to apply in our day to day life. Inquisitiveness into the effects of food on the body-mind complex is all an Aryuveda course calls for.

We at Princeton area had a chance to ring in our new year with a wonderful Ayurveda cooking course by Divya Khurana. She translated three evening hours of the fourth of January evening into a magic medley of Ayurveda knowledge and cooking. She shared in great detail, principles of Ayurveda - namely, dosha prakritis (body and mind type), gunas(qualities), virkrutis(imbalances in body-mind type), various food types, and finally significance of choosing the right food habits and dhinacharya(daily regimen) according to the individual constituents and ongoing seasons.



Participants received rare insights into the range of unusual nutritious dishes made out of lesser known but nutritious rice substitutes like quinoa, local greens, seasonal squashes and digestive green teas (to enhance the digestive fire for a happy belly and a singing mind). Knowledge on how the prana varies with respect to eating good grown locally as compared to shipped, frozen and canned food was discussed in great detail. Divya epitomized the use of ghee(helps the plasma in cells to absorb nutrients) and warm water (retains prana) in cooking.

At the end of the course, the participants enjoyed the luxury of a winter-season-special tri-dosha balanced Ayurveda meal finished with delicious fruit salad.

Here is what the participants has to say at the end of the course-

Very Enlightening. Cooking perspective has changed. - Vineet Singh

The teacher imparted the knowledge on Ayurveda so effortlessly. The food tasted so good. Yummy!! -Raksha Rupani

Wonderful experience!! Good Knowledge and ease of cooking were the highlights. - Sam Minhas

If you didn’t get a chance to be part of this enlightening course, stop by to discuss the course firsthand with a course participant . Or better, take a fun filled enlightening Ayurveda course when it happens next.

Ritucharya - Paush

Ritu means Season and Charya means following. Ritucharya is the observance of diet and regimen according to the seasonal changes. Paush is the 10th month of the ancient calendar i.e December of the present day calendar.

In the month of Paush, effects of winter deepen, colder winds blow and cool the atmosphere, which causes our limbs and flesh to contract and resist the cold. This contraction uses up the nutritious elements in our bodies. If these elements are exhausted without being replaces, the limbs dry out, which leads to various pains and diseases in the joints know as vata* vyaadhi (diseases due to the aggravation of the vata)

General care during Paush

In this season the digestive activity becomes more powerful. Vayu is accentuated and needs to be satisfied by a heavy diet. The following lifestyle changes will help align the body to the changes in the nature undergoes.

• Massage with til oil followed by steam bath
• Exercise (vyaayaama).
• Exposure to sunlight and fire to keep yourself warm. Enjoy indirect sunlight everyday - Sunlight is rich in Vitamin D – Lack of sunlight brings in Seasonal Affective Disorder.
• Avoid laziness and dryness increasing activities.

The following diet will help pacify vata

• Intake of sweet, sour and salt taste food helps reducing the vata.
• Wheat/gramflour products, milk products, sugarcane products and corn/edible oils can be taken as a part of food.
• Indian clarified butter.
• Carrots, tomatoes, figs, dates, cane sugar, nuts to be taken. Intake of warm water should be taken as it aids digestion and also increases life span.
• Bitter, astringent and pungent food must be avoided.
• Light and dry diets should be avoided (For example, popcorn, salads).

Special additions to diet

Til Gud Laddoos (Sesame Seed-Jaggery Sweetballs)

Til has important medicinal qualities in Ayurveda, and is widely used as a remedy for various diseases. Til oil gives nourishment and energy, removes vaayu and destroys kapha*. The oil also purifies skin by removing toxins, thereby brightening the color of the skin. Also, the use of til oil soaked cotton swabs reduces local pain. These characteristics makes til one of the chief food items in winter.

Jaggery supplies heat and energy to the body and should be consumed with til. As we know that anything that needs heat to ripen, the body also needs fuel in order to further internally “cook” digesting food and change it into energy. Jaggery acts as this fuel.

The properties of Til and jiggery balances each other out. Since til is heat dominant, it destroys the kapha in jaggery. Jaggery to its credit quiets the pitta* excited by til. Thus, til and jaggery supplement each other as excellent winter food items.

So be sure to share your til and jaggery with your loved ones, and enjoy a healthy Paush.

* Read more about the principles of vata, pitta, kapha at http://www.wisegeek.com/what-are-the-principles-of-vata-pitta-and-kapha.htm