#9 – New Year, New You
January 31, 2010
New Year, New You
Good health is a life-long process. Ayurveda offers us the inspiration and gift of a lifetsyle that can be sustained for an entire lifetime. This year, commit to moving slower and giving every task and person your full attention. Relish and savor your interactions and activities. Be present to yourself.
Consider the wisdom of doing less to accomplish more. Although this is contradictory to our social conditioning of constant activity, try it. Spend time taking care of yourself. Meditate, buy new japa mantra beands, learn one new mantra and chant it.
Focus on right speech. Good communication reflects well on us and brings us joy. This is a good way to generate saatvic energy and it is good for cultivating emotional health.
No matter what task is begging for your attention, give sleep a chance. Get to bed early. Adequate sleep is good for the nervous system and rejuvenates the body.
Eat vata pacifying food such as warm soup and sip ginger tea. Avoid dry foods such as popcorn, chips, crackers etc.
Relish in the healing fragrances of aroma oils. Vatas can use: basil, citrus, clove, lavender, frankinscence, jatamansi, vetivert and sage
Pittas will enjoy: ylang-ylang, sandalwood, rose, jasmine and neroli
Kaphas should favor: basil, ecalyptus, rosemary, tulis or holy basil, lemon and juniper
Do not skip meals because this aggravates both vata and pitta.
Spend some time learning pranayama. The breath can used to pacify the nervous system and to heat and cool the body depending on the technique you use.
Consider eating stewed apples each day for it is warm, nourishing and light. It has more fiber than a raw apple and is beneficial for elimination.
Continue to maintain your daily routine. Stay committed to being in alignment with cosmic rythmns. If your body experiences good routines, you will have better sleep, digestion and elimination.
Exercise everyday. 80% of all diseases are caused by stress. And exercising is one of the best way of reducing stress. Be in nature, talk a walk, go swimming, try doing yoga outdoors.
Give up coffee and stimulants or at least use in moderation. Commit to using fresh and organic foods as much as possible.
Stay motivated to make lifestyle changes. Go easy on yourself. One change a week is a good start and makes it easier to keep going with those good changes.
Spend time in silence reflecting on your experiences and life’s journey. Try to find ways to see it as a gift and treasure the wisdom you derived from it. And always remember to be grateful for what you have and enjoy it!
Mantras
Of course Ganesha is the best place to begin when you are starting something new and for the New Year we also need the blessings of Lakshmi to bring us wealth and abundance over the next 12 months. There are numerous mantras that invoke both Ganesha and Lakshmi together.
A simple one is OM Gam Ganapataye Vara Varada Gam OM
And there is a specific form of this mantra that is of particular importance in the alleviation of debts. It is intended to be practiced for 40 consecutive days in order to bear its full fruit. So get our your japa beads!
OM Shreem Gam Runa Hartaye Gam Shreem OM Ganapatayae Namaha
OM Shreem is a mantra that invokes Lakshmi, the goddess of abundance, Gam is Ganesha in seed form, Runa is that which sticks to me…debts, Hartaye means to destroy, Gam is Ganesha again to remove obstacles, Shreem is Lakshmi again to bring wealth, OM Ganapayayae is Ganesha and Namaha means to honor or to bow down….in essence the way we say please in a mantra.
Aparna Khanolkar is an Ayurvedic lifestyle and culinary coach in Santa Barbara and travels throughout the LA region to teach workshops. She offers Vedic cooking classes in Santa Barbara and is always available for phone consultations. Contact her at 805-698-5630 or aparna@themistressofspice.com.
Aparna’s new cookbook, Happy Belly, Happy Soul is available here.
#8 – Ayurveda and Spices
January 17, 2010
Spices and Cooking the Ayurvedic Way
Spices are revered in Ayurveda for their concentrated form of intelligence. Spices help with digestion, asssimilation, cleansing and healing. Spices are always cooked in oil or ghee and added to the grain or vegetable. Spices can be used in preparing teas or in the morning in stewed apples or oatmeal.
Spices to add to your cooking include:
Warming spices:
cardamom, clove, cinnamon, nutmeg, cumin, black pepper, sea salt, ginger, cayenne, saffron, mustard seeds and asafetida
Cooling spices:
coriander, turmeric, fennel
Spices have a shelf-life of about 6 months. Becuase they are potent in medicinal and flavor properties, you want to use fresh and organic spices. Store them in stainless steel containers so they have minimal exposure to light and air.
Mantras for Empowering Spices
The process of cooking is very much one of imparting prana or energy into the food. The three forms of the goddess; Durga, Kali and Saraswati represent the three elements of air, fire, and water, and Vata, Pitta, and Kapha respectively. So this mantra begins with the bija or seed mantra for each.
OM A-eem Hreem Kleem Chamundayai swaha
or if you prefer
OM A-eem Hreem Kleem Chamundayai namaha
You can start with OM or not as you like.
Aparna Khanolkar is an Ayurvedic lifestyle and culinary coach in Santa Barbara and travels throughout the LA region to teach workshops. She offers Vedic cooking classes in Santa Barbara and is always available for phone consultations. Contact her at 805-698-5630 or aparna@themistressofspice.com.
Aparna’s new cookbook, Happy Belly, Happy Soul is available here.
Daily pujas
January 10, 2010
Since most of our priests come from the Shankar Mutt, they perform their daily pujas in the way that was originally proscribed by Adi Shankara. They do abishekam for Ganesha, Shiva, Vishnu, Shakti, the Navagraha, all of which you can see on the puja plate in this image. There is one extra murti for Annapurni, a form of Parvati who feeds the universe. She is the family deity of Seetharama Sastry, our Chief Priest.
Chanting the Vedas
January 9, 2010
During the time of the 10 day yagyas, our priests spend two hours every morning chanting the Vedas. We started with the Rig Veda, then Sama Veda, then Yajur Veda. So far we have made one complete cycle through all three.
Parvati
January 8, 2010
The Ekambeshwara temple is whereParvati sat under a mango tree and did long tapas/meditations in order to attract the attention of Shiva. Shiva decided to test her and sent a big river rushing towards her. but Parvati just clung to the Shivalingam. This painting is found near the main entrance to the temple. That’s my daughter Anna standing in front.
Temple
January 7, 2010
Generally one thinks of Kanchipuram and the temples that come to mind are Kamakshi for the goddess and Ekambeshwara for Shiva. But there are so many fantastic Vishnu temples scattered around the city. This one is for Vishnu’s incarnation as Vamana and the murti inside is huge! Fantastic and inspiring place
Ghee lamp in a temple
January 6, 2010
Shiva Lingam in Bangkok
January 5, 2010
I found this lingam in one of the main Buddhist temples in Bangkok. It was obviously cared for with a garland on top and food offerings on the side. It is an inspiring example of the inclusive and tolerant attitude that I found everywhere I went in Thailand.
#7 – Ayurveda and Cooking
January 3, 2010
The Why’s and How’s of Vedic Cooking
We eat to sustain the body and to create balance in the physical, mental and spiritual states. Ayurvedically speaking, food purifies the body and prepares us for spiritual awakening. Vedic food is medicinal in nature while being delicious and pleasing to the senses.
In general, saatvik food supports spiritual practice. Saatvik food gives us strength, creates happiness and is nourishing to the heart. Examples of saatvik foods include organic milk, whole grains, ghee, almonds, saffron, mangoes and coconuts.
Rajasic foods are stimulating in nature, thus disturbing the relationship between the body and mind. Rajasic foods can agitate the mind and make one restless. Examples include garlic, onions, cayenne, coffee, black tea, fermented foods and chocolate.
Tamasic foods, it is said, benefits neither the mind nor the body. It creates a foggy mind, sluggish digestion and inertia. Examples include alcohol, meats, leftovers and stale food.
Practical tips:
Bathe before you cook. Cook in a clean kitchen. Light a candle and offer gratitude for the food you are about to cook. Cook in peace and leave worries or negative thoughts behind.
Offer your food to the divine as “prasadam,” and bless it. Be thankful for the food that you have.
Eat with loved ones. Eat slowly, chewing carefully, savoring each bite. Talk about pleasant topics or eat in silence. At the end of the meal, sit down for a few minutes.
Have adequate staples in your kitchen pantry. You are more likely to cook a fresh meal if you have all the ingredients. Organize it so it pleasing to the eye and functional.
Proper digestion is vital for good health. Eat a sliver of ginger before the meal with a few drops of lime and sea salt. This enhances your digestive agni or fire. Eat seasonally, and according to your dosha and eat only about half your capacity. If you must eat out, make healthy choices and order hot water with lemon for a beverage. Remember that your digestion can turn nectar into poison or poison into nectar.
Mantras for Annapurna, the goddess of food
So each time you eat or drink you can say “Annapurnayai namaha” It just means I offer gratitude to Annapurna.
Or if you want something more elaborate, you can use a longer mantra that includes some of the bija mantras for extra power:
“OM Hreem Shreem Kleem Namo Bagavatae Maheshwari Annapurne Swaha.”
The meaning is simply that I honor the goddess who is the wife of Shiva and who feeds the world. To her I offer my thanks for this food.
Aparna Khanolkar is an Ayurvedic lifestyle and culinary coach in Santa Barbara and travels throughout the LA region to teach workshops. She offers Vedic cooking classes in Santa Barbara and is always available for phone consultations. Contact her at 805-698-5630 or aparna@themistressofspice.com.
Aparna’s new cookbook, Happy Belly, Happy Soul is available here.