5 Vedic Actions to Stay Centered This Holiday

by: Robin Mastro and Michael Mastro

Thanksgiving, which marks the beginning of the holiday season in the United States, is supposed to be a time where we come together to give thanks for the blessings and bounty we have received. However, the chaos of holiday travel, shopping for a large meal, or preparing for guests can distract us from the true meaning behind this season of gratitude.

There are effective ways to remain centered and energized during this busy time of year, including breathing and chanting techniques. Here are five activities to help you move through your day fully present with your heart open and feeling calm, peaceful, and productive.

Pranayama (Alternate Nostril Breathing)

Begin each morning with a few rounds of Nadi Shodhana Pranayama, a breathing exercise that steadies and calms the mind and body to help eliminate anxiety and stress. 

Sitting comfortably, with eyes closed, place the index and middle fingers of the right hand between your eyebrows, your ring and little finger on the left nostril, and the thumb on the right nostril.

Pressing the thumb down on the right nostril, breathe out through the left nostril. Do not strain. Breathe in through the left nostril; then press it with the ring finger and little finger. Lift the right thumb and exhale through right nostril.

Inhale through the right side and at the top, press the right nostril closed with your thumb, and breathe out through the left nostril. Inhale through the left, and gently press the left nostril closed with the ring and little fingers, lift the thumb from the right nostril, and breathe out.

Keep moving through the pranayama for nine rounds, breathing in through both nostrils alternately.

Om Namo Bhagavate Vasudevaya Namaha (Chanting the Moon Mantra)

Chanting a mantra fills the environment, and you, with its energy. The Moon mantra is “Om Namo Bhagavate Vasudevaya Namaha,” and chanting this opens the heart to the blessings of gratitude. Slowly chant this mantra nine times, once a day, each day.

It's best to do this first thing in the morning to experience its benefits throughout the day. This mantra aids in attracting positive relationships, successful communication, and mental stability. Mantra chanting, like alternate nostril breathing, is a form of Pranayama and will help bring your mind into the present moment.

Phonetic Pronunciation: Om Na-mo Ba-ga-va-tay Va-su day-vai-ya Na-ma-ha

Meditation

This ancient practice releases stress and induces deep rest, which supports balanced health in the mind, body, and spirit.

The practice of meditation is easier after alternate nose breathing or chanting because the mind becomes quiet following these techniques. Place your attention on your breath … and let go to enjoy the host of mind-body health benefits of meditation.

Give to Others

Many find the holidays a stressful time of year. Instead of reaching out, they withdraw, and isolate themselves. Volunteer your time at a homeless shelter, soup kitchen, or other charity. Go through your closet and donate extra coats, blankets, and warm clothing.A simple act of kindness to others is a blessing to you as well. 

Create a Vedic Gratitude Altar

Altars act as focal points for creating something positive in your life. Northeast energy is the confluence of the positive magnetic energy coming from the north and the positive solar energy that comes from the east. The Northeast energy is the most powerful and positive energy in your home and specifically supports your spiritual connection to the Divine and the unseen forces that guide your daily life. An altar built in this area of your home enhances that connection.

Creating an altar focused on gratitude sets in motion the energy of attraction and brings more of what you want into your life. Practicing gratitude helps you bounce back more quickly from challenging times, and strengthens the immune system. Gratitude can also strengthen your social relationships.

These five steps are powerful tools to use during the season of gratitude—and beyond. They will support you to keep your heart open, count your blessings, and remain energized and happy all year long.

http://www.chopra.com/ccl/5-vedic-actions-to-stay-centered-this-holiday

New Belly New You

Congratulations to all the Hot Belly Challengers! So proud of each and every one of you! This was a time of immense transformation and release for a lot of you. Understanding what your body is going thru is one of the hardest parts of making any sort of change. For a lot of you there were a few "adverse" effects, but rest assured, that these are all part of the transformation process.

In Ayurveda, we refer to toxins or any undigested material in the body as AMA. Now ama can come in many different shapes or sizes. Whether it is junk/processed food that is sitting in your stomach for a lot longer than you had hope, or a traumatic relationship that hasn't been fully understood and acknowledged. All undigested, uncomprehended, and unmetabolized foods, thoughts, desires, can all manifest in the body as ama. So when we underwent this hot belly program, the main ideology behind it was to increase the fire in your body or AGNI to help you break down all of the ama that has accumulated over the span of your life time.


One of the most comprehensive ways to understand what you need to do moving forward is to get an Ayurvedic consultation. This will allow you a chance to sit down and really make sense of your body and what you need to do on a daily/monthly/seasonal basis to keep it in balance. You will get both an immediate regimen to bring your body into balance as well as a long term plan of ideally what you should be doing in terms of diet, routine, exercise, etc.

For different people, there were different "releases" For some, they had an upset stomach, or others went thru a very emotional time because of deep rooted feelings being surfaced and purged. Others might have felt angry or easily agitated because of the increase of PITTA or fire in your body.

Whatever your release was, it is crucial to understand how vulnerable your body is right now. This is an outline of a diet that will help you regain some of the strength and vitality that was cast aside during this purgation process.




HOT BELLY GROCERY LIST

Protein: Chicken, Fish, Eggs, Yellow or Green Lentils, Mung Beans. NO: Red meat or Turkey

Veggies: Asparagus, Green Beans, Spinach, Cilantro, Bok Choy, Cucumber, Red or Green Chard, Zucchini

NO: RAW salads, Fruit Smoothies,

Grains: Quinoa, Couscous, Barley, Amaranth, Basmati/Jasmine

NO: brown rice or oatmeal.

Fruits: Cherries, Plums, Apricots, Melons, Berries, ANY SWEET fruits NO: raw apples, pears, or citrus.

Milk: Whole (for those with no sensitivity problems) coconut, almond, or rice.

Spices: cumin, coriander, fennel, cinnamon, cardamom, cayenne, black pepper, salt.

KEY POINTS:

1.   Warm, soft, unctuous foods and drinks. Think to yourself, How much of the digestion process can I do before the food enters my mouth.

2.   Fruits/Veggies, Protein, Grains. IN THAT ORDER!

3.   Incorporate all 6 taste in each meal!

a.   Sweet

b.   Sour

c.   Salt

d.   Pungent

e.   Bitter

f.     Astringent

4.   Without proper diet, medicine is of no use, With Proper diet, medicine is of no need!