Fear of Death

Subject: Daily Yoga Scripture Study

Patanjali Yoga Sutras 2.9 – Life’s Teacher

Interpretive Translation by Joseph Le Page

Fear of death, because it is part of the natural instinct to survive, is deeply rooted even in the wise

Commentary by Joseph Le Page – Life’s Teacher

Let death show you it’s never the end; only a bend in a river, already flowing before time began, a never ending story, told again and again, until life’s lessons we fully understand.

Let death teach you to be grateful; offer thanks and praise, from watercolor dawn’s wake til sleep’s soft embrace, remembering the gift of grace that lights each new Day.

Let death show you how to live like the bee; sipping the nectar of life while barely touching the flowers on which you feed, and sowing fragrant blossoms while sharing the honey of life so sweet.

Let death teach you to see the mystery; to look out on the stary sky, and see your own face reflected in those infinite shining eyes, and learn from a falling star the secrets of life, death and time.

Let death offer lessons in simpicity; learn to live lightly and enjoy the ride, for the heavy cargo you carry will only burden your stride, and at journeys end will all be set aside.

Let death teach you to forgive, for in that healing, knots are unbound and room is found in which to fully live, and in that freedom, to receive and share life’s gift.

Let death show you how to use your time; each moment we follow the call of freedom, we are fully alive, and each time we mistake limitation as our fate, in that blindness, a small part of us dies.

Let death teach you not to grieve; life is an arrow shot from the dark that enters the light for a brief moment of being, then returns to the mystery to continue its journey to freedom.

Let death teach you to accept; life is not a game of failure or success, only learning listen to the inner wisdom that knows everything is perfect just as it is.

Let death guide you to your source; all creatures are golden vessels forged by the life force, they come and go, but not the gold, the Divine source from which all unfolds, the essence of your soul.

Let death teach you how to best use your life; yes, we are programmed with the instinct to survive, but it’s not just to outrun death’s stride, but to use our precious time to awaken to the true Self inside.

And let death teach you how to die; to close your eyes and go inside, to unite with the very heart of life, the Self that was never born and never dies, and there abide in the one life of the Divine.

Integrative Yoga Therapy is a Pioneer in the Field of Yoga Therapy,

contact Joseph at www.iytyogatherapy.com

Your Invitation

On a beach on Cortes Island ,sometime early September an idea was born to create a place of pampering and healing.  A special place where my friend Anita and I could combine our skills and knowledge in an offering that would be nurturing and supportive for everyone invovled.  Inspired by the warm beach, the radiant sunlight and the clear cold water at our feet , this idea sprang to life and flowed like water between us.  The idea still carries the magic of that place and moment in time.  The energy was so clear and true we both knew we were onto something important.  It was more than an intention devised logically, it clearly was an inspired 4 days that led us all over the island, picking up rocks and shells, designing the interior of our little wellness spa in all its details.

So, we are calling this Ayurvedic Massage Treatment room the ‘Cortes Room’ and it will officially open on February 12th. Like most renovations there have been months of hard work, many dolloars spent, and a few surprises that we simply could not have anticipated, but still,  from idea to opening we are at almost exactly 6 months. I  anticipate the next few weeks before that date will be filled with finishing details and the excitement of beginning the next stage of our Cortes beach dream.

The next stage of this dream involves you. This is the first invitation to the public to come and see our little oasis of healing that looks out over the ocean, just below the yoga studio.  The OPEN HOUSE is from 1-4 on Saturday Feb 12th and we will have the doors to the ‘Cortes Room’ open as well as ongoing demonstrations in the studio, including Tai Chi & Chi Kung. as well as Shiatsu   Anita will be leading a heart centred meditation using a fragrant blend of natural essences.

Please join us for the opening of the Cortes Room, meet the new staff  and celebrate Island Yoga Vista’s 14 years in business this February.  Island Yoga Vista was the first Yoga Studio in Nanaimo and has continued to grow and expand in a very gentle and solid way. This is a ’boutique’ style holistic center that offers Yoga, Ayurvedic Treatments, Art and Music . We think of it as an urban ashram for yoga and the arts, a community within a community.  Personal attention and loving service is at the heart of the studio and treatment room, as your wellbeing is the center of our work.  Please join us, bring your friends and family and allow us to share our creation with you and invite you to pamper and heal yourself.

Namaste   Sandra Sagarmurti Shotton

Daily Yoga Scripture Study

Patanjali Yoga Sutras 2.7 – 2.8 Likes and Dislikes

Interpretive Translation by Joseph Le Page

Attachment and aversion are conditioned patterns of belief and behavior created and sustained by identification with memories of past pleasure and pain.

Commentary by Joseph Le Page – Likes and Dislikes

Likes and dislikes arise the first time we laugh or cry, in the mirror of mother’s eyes, as if pleasure and pain lie in the world outside, until we find they are born and die within the confines of the mind.

Though a limited way of seeing, they are the ego’s main reason for being: “getting what I want is what I believe in”, proving just how easily that which binds us can be mistaken for freedom.

And they promise to give our lives meaning and direction, but when we look clsely at the path we’re following, it leads only to the ego’s own reflection.

Likes and dislikes even hide in the guise of the great national “I” for which we fight and die, and shed real blood for what, in the end, are passing thoughts in a confused collective mind.

And they do give flavor to life, but only as the added spice, never as a substitute for the taste of truth; nourishment we find only when we recognize the essential Self inside.

Yes, Likes and dislikes have their place in evolution’s plan for success, but there’s a fine line between striving for what’s best and chasing the mirage of “got to have it all” that only fuels stress.

And this roller coaster never stops, happiness on the way up, fear on the ride down, until we tire of the carnaval show and see that all the rides just go round and round.

For likes and dislikes are the story line of our lives, endless drama of love and strife; searching for what’s wrong or right, while our real life resides in the silence between the lines.

And they are sustained by identification with memories of pleasure and pain, and only remain until we renounce past loss and gain to claim the treasure of this very day.

But as we strive to release this pair, they seem like walls of solid stone, built from every victory and defeat we’ve ever known, until their illusionist trick is unmasked by the clear seeing soul.

And in the end, their promises to keep us safe and give us what we need are just dim echoes of the voice of wholeness, calling out from within our being, and wholeness wants nothing, not even to be free.

Integrative Yoga Therapy is a Pioneer in the Field of Yoga Therapy,

contact Joseph at www.iytyogatherapy.com

. . .  well let me say a few things and we will talk more about this later . . . .

Basically iit is a natural system of health care based on Vedic Science.

Alll  Ayurvedic knowledge is based on the philosophy of Samkya . The sanscrit word

samkya means sat: truth and khya: to know. To know the truth about creation. Ayurveda

is also a sanscrit word and its meaning is Ayu: life or daily living and Veda:knowing,

meaning ,the knowing about daily living or more commonly called the Science of Life.

Today this information is more relevant and accessible than ever as our western

science proves what the rishis or seers of yoga saw clearly thousands of years ago

through intensive meditation practices. This understanding of creation applies to our

daily living and as such is not just a system of knowledge like an intellectual pursuit but

rather a very practical presentation and understanding of manʼs relationship to nature

and the cosmos. A veritable ʻhow toʼ manual on living in harmony with the natural world

and with each other.

These rishis realized how cosmic energy was the source of all

manifestation. This healing system has been practiced in India for over 5000 years. It

teaches us that we are a universe within a universe, that man is a microcosm of the

universe around him, indivisible from the whole.    Ayurveda has described in detail the

capacity for each indivdual to heal themselves.

Five Elements?

The concept of five elements is at the heart of the Ayurvedic understanding. The rishis

or seers perceived that the cosmic energy manifested in everything through these five

elements; space, air, fire, water and earth.    The story goes something like this, first was

this unmanifested state of consciousness that produced the sound Om, the vibrations

from this sound created the most ethereal element,  space,  and as it began to move it

became air,  which is either in action.   This movement created friction which generated

heat and it was from this heat that intense light was formed which became fire.   From

here certain elements dissolved and liquified becoming water,  then solidified to become

earth.  That’s the short version of the story.  So in this order Ether manifested into the

other four elements.  It is these five elements that exist in all of matter and are the basis

for the theories in Ayurveda.

So how is this relevant to me?

This vast yet simple resource of self care guidelines and remedies can help anyone stay

healthy and feel good by understanding the needs of his or her own body and mind.

Ayurvedic treatments include skin care, diet recommendations, herbal remedies,

massage and yoga, meditation and lifestyle guidlines (routines) that are customized to

suit each persons unique needs.

Typically Ayurveda is part of everyday life in many Indian households and they may not

even know it, for example, many people drink water that is stored in copper vessels

because Ayurveda recognizes that copper detoxifies the body, assists digestion and

boosts the immune system.  Also in the kitchen, herbal remedies form a natural part of

the Indian diet using common items like tumeric and ginger both to cook with, for beauty

treatments and to heal minor ailments.  It is very simple to incorporate these healing

herbs and routines into ones daily life.

How does it work ?

Ayurveda teaches us that our health is the result of a powerful energy within us, often

called prana , chi or in Ayurveda, called ʼ Ojasʼ. The more Ojas we have, the better we

look and feel.   Ojas means “that which invigorates” and it is this force that makes us feel

happy and alive.   Signs of Ojas are shining eyes, a glowing complexion, a clear mind

and feelings of bliss and happiness.

Ojas is present in every aspect of life, connecting people to each other and to all living

things. When this force is low we feel tired and worn out becoming susceptible to

illness both emotionally and physically.

Maximizing Ojas is the main goal of Ayurveda and living in balance is the key to

achieving that goal. To attain balance, Ayurveda teaches us that we are each unique

in the foods and activities we like, how we react to stress and in every other way.

Therefore, for each of us balance will be different.    Determining your preferences and

general makeup is the start and then learning what to do or not to do to achieve balance

based on that knowledge is the next step.

Where did this information originate from?

This holistic medical system was a vision of the Vedic Rishis, the oldest physicians,

theologians and physicists of all time.  These Rishis understood the spiritual anatomy of

the universe and how it related to the human anatomy.   This knowledge is called the

Vedas and dates back over 5000 years making it the oldest known holistic healthcare

system and medical model. Its principles are rooted in our living in harmony with nature

to fully integrate mind, body and spirit.  By staying aware of the rhythms of the natural

world and living in harmony with the cyclical, daily, seasonal, lunar and solar changes

we connect to the potential for self-healing and blissful peace. When we fully realize

that we are one with this whole then we reach our optimal potential of health.

Where do I start?

Using food, massage, herbs, sound vibrations, yoga practices and breath awareness,

we connect with the healing power within us and become empowered through positive

changes in our lives.

In our modern times this process is often guided by an Ayurvedic Practitioner or if we

are fortunate to know one an Ayurvedic Medical Doctor called a Vaidya. These people

are trained to assess your constitution and provide seasonally appropriate dietary and

wellness guidelines which are uniquely suited to your constitution and lifestyle. Herbal

formulas are often prescribed as well as massage and other purifications practices.

Island Yoga Vista is fortunate to have a Vaidya visiting from India who is available

for you to begin this journey. Dr. Rajesh Kotecha has a thriving clinic in Jaipur and also

finds time to travel internationally speaking and offering individual consultations.

Sandra Shotton has studied with Dr. Kotecha both in India and in Canada and is

Certified to support your journey to wellness.

Anita Kalnay is a master masseuse and blender of the perfect herbal mixes for your

constitution.

Together we are a team inspired to support you in your wellness and healing.

Call today for an appointment  250- 754-0939

Get rid of the stress in your life through Vastu

By Robin Mastro

For more than 40 combined years, my husband, Michael, and I have been scholars and practitioners of Vastu Shastra. Vastu is where the popular Feng Shui came from, pre-dating it by several thousand years. The great seers and teachers of India spent their lives observing the workings of the universe, focusing on how an environment, especially where you live and work, influences your daily life and either supports or hinders your health, happiness, relationships, personal growth, and more. Vastu Shastra, which in Sanskrit means “the science of building”, explains how in nature, all five elements (earth, water, fire, air and space) are in perfect balance but when a building is constructed, that balance gets disrupted in a variety of ways. This disruption can have enormous impact on your ability to function optimally, think clearly, be productive and successful, and be happy.

You’ve probably walked into a home or office that just didn’t feel right to you. You might even call it bad vibes. There’s a reason for this: what you felt was the stress contained in the environment surrounding you. Vastu is the science that explains why this is so and remedies the stress, bringing you and the environment into harmony. Applying this ancient architectural science can give you more control over your destiny.

Energy & Vibration

At a basic level, everything in the universe is energy and vibration, all interconnected in a continuous, shifting and balancing act. When any structure is built, the universal balance becomes disrupted – the structure can be a house, skyscraper or even an office cubicle. When you move into the structure, over time, you may experience a litany of complaints including insomnia, inability to think clearly and feel productive, increased anger between family members, children with reoccurring illnesses, divorce, and more.

Consider how a chiropractor helps a patient once their spine is adjusted. After an adjustment, there is more flexibility in the body and the internal organs receive more energy when the areas of impingement are reduced. Vastu has the power to open up or “adjust” the environmental energy systems in your home or office by eliminating stress in much the same way. When this environmental energy is blocked your personal energy is also blocked, which prevents you from being as happy as you can be. With the Vastu that Michael does, there are no structural changes made to the physical space as in when you remodel a home. Everything is done using ancient technology, which is non-invasive, yet extremely effective. All work is done by appointment in your home or workspace in about an hour.

Harmony & Peace

You will experience harmony and peace in your environment and have access to more energy after a Vastu appointment/consultation. For some people an appointment results in clearer thinking, or a greater sense of physical of well-being. Clients even attest to a change in the behavior of family members, especially children, since they are the most sensitive to environmental stress. Even families with autistic children have noted improvement in their children’s behavior.

Michael is considered a master of Vastu. He has used this knowledge in working with corporate clients such as Microsoft, Boeing, Amazon, World Bank, NASA, and Intel and thousands of individual clients around the world. Now, more than ever, people are realizing that stress isn’t worth the negative affect on their health, personal relationships, happiness, and productivity. Most often people think of stress as being induced by other people or situations but let’s not forget the underlying environmental stress that can affect well-being.

Practical Tips

Here are a few practical tips you can implement now to experience the power of Vastu in your life:

For anyone over the age of fifteen, it is preferable to sleep with your head against a south wall. If you can’t sleep with your head on a south wall, east or west is fine, but never north. Children under the age of fifteen should sleep with the head of their beds on an east wall.

When paying bills, or working with numbers, face north at your desk. There’s something about the magnetic energy from the north that supports financial growth and feeds left brain activities.

To enhance the success of students or adult creative work, like writing or drawing, facing east will support your ability to function with much more ease.

By implementing Vastu principles, you will think and act more in tune with nature and you’ll experience a greater sense of ease, much like swimming with the stream as opposed to swimming against it. With your body, mind, and spirit aligned to these natural forces, you will feel more peace, and contentment. What’s not to love about that?

**********

Michael Mastro will be at Island Yoga Vista, Nanaimo, on Vancouver Island the weekend of March 18-20, 2011 to do on-site appointments for homes and offices. For more information and to schedule, please contact him directly at 206-661-1117 or email him at mkm@mrmastro.com

For information on Vastu products, books and services, please visit: www.vastucreations.com. For information on Vastu online classes and certification courses, please visit: www.americaninstituteofvastu.com.

Are you ready for a year of Bliss, Grace and Ease?

I don’t know about you, but I sure am. Last year was a bumpy ride. According to the Mayan calendar – (the whole 2012 thing, that we may or may not be watching or actively involved in following)– 2011 ushers in the next passage called BLISS.

All of us are the most affected by weather, seasons, geography, the held values by those who live in our community, the imprinting from how we were brought up – and – you guessed it – the movement of the planets. Try as we might, astrological information, provides us with fact, fantasy and sometimes a very accurate pathway to explain how we are relating to occurrences. Well, right now, some really distinctive occurrences are happening in the sky. We are about to come into planetary alignment with the galactic centre of our milky way. The actual ‘date’ is up for grabs. But the event itself is a significant journey for humanity.

In effect, our planetary cycle of movement is much like going through one of those infinity shaped egg timers. It takes 26,000 years for the ‘sand’ to fall through and create one cycle. Then the egg timer is turned upside down and the whole thing starts over again. Right now, we are in the very narrow middle of the last few grains of sand sifting through which is called the cycle of “Bliss and Oneness with Creation” according to the Mayan Calendar.

11:11:11

Yogi Bhajan, who popularized Kundalini Yoga in North America (and all over the world for that matter), has stated that the last sands will sift through the passage of time November 11, 2011. In effect, it will be the biggest New Year’s celebration in literally eons! All dates aside, because there seems to be some real discrepancies in them, I really like the idea that the focus for 2011 is BLISS.

What if we all set our personal New Year’s resolutions around the essence of ‘living in Bliss’ – feeling the connection to what we are experiencing in each moment – fully.

When I first started my massage practice – the one line that most described what I did with clients was guide them to Feel the BLISS of Healing and Balance”. In all these years, that hasn’t changed! There is no other word to describe that sense when everything is in perfect balance, even the imperfect things. They just are – and that is the observation point for ‘what comes next’.

As we move into the ‘Aquarian Age’ – as this new age is being called, the rules are different.

It’s like playing a game and while you are in the middle, someone changes the rules, but neglects to tell you. Until the majority start playing mindfully by the new rules, the game is very confusing – and that’s where we are now – moving from confusion and chaos – into a time when everyone will understand the new rules.

So what are the new rules?

Yogi Bhajan gave us some of the ‘common features’ of this New Age.

*In their hearts, people will understand what is going on.

*They may not find words to express themselves, but one day they will.

*They will like to uplift their fellow beings.

*The walls of hatred will fall down.

*Instead of ill will and gossip, there will be prayer on the tongues of everyone.

*Rather than competing for wealth, people will compete for spiritual growth.

*We will have a common belief of higher self, love for our Creator, and love for our consciousness and grace.

–Yogi Bhajan, September 24th, 2002

The race Toward Enlightenment

Personally, I find it reassuring that we are just making the transition into playing a new game with new rules.

In yoga and the healing arts, the premise has always been the same:

-that you are a spiritual being having a human experience

-if you step aside and out of your own way, the capacity to experience the Higher SELF that exists beyond the ‘survival self’ is an extraordinary experience

-we are held in perfection by the energy blueprint of the higher self – no matter how badly we screw up as ‘survivalists’, the opportunity exists to always move into that blueprint of ‘godlike’ perfection by choice, if only for a few significant glimpses at a time.

-most of the time, moving into that blueprint of the higher self – often called the ‘soul self’ – requires courageous acts of surrender

-there are no words to describe the process, because it exits beyond what can be discussed with words or vocabulary. It must be FELT as an insightful experience, which is significant to us alone and experienced as balance, oneness or truth.

Yogi Bhajan was a man of words that ring very truthfully for many.

He spoke so clearly from the heart, that those in his presence were able to hear his words with their hearts. Kundalini Yoga is full of song (being a NAAD yoga, or the yoga of sound) and in one song Yogi Bhajan speaks to the nature of these times we are now engaging in:

“All therapies and all health and all knowledge is going to be absolutely obsolete. People need immediately self-exalted experience. And that’s what all essence of human life is.”

Perhaps this is the Bliss of this next year – the opportunity for self-exalted experience – to be found in each moment.

As we move toward Bliss, we are also moving into times governed by the element of ether as in: earth, water, fire, air and ether. Ether is the most ‘unbound’ of the 5 elements that make up our nature. Expanded awareness emphasizes ether as an element. The Hindu chakra system (energetic anatomy) clearly progresses through biological life as ascending both UP and DOWN through these elements.

As above, so below has always been the motto.

In my work with clients everyone runs a perfect, yet different combination of the elements within the character of their own personal make up. The system of health that speaks to this constitutional make-up is called Ayurveda in India; tattwas in Tibetan; 5 elements in Chinese Medicine and earth elements in Indigenous cultures.

Clients that are very earth centered find that moving UPwards is much more challenging and clients that are very star centered, find moving DOWNwards much harder. And so, we keep the universe together as One. The challenge being to stand in the center and be able to ‘access’ the above, while living in ‘the below’ at any time, by choice, and do it effectively while existing in a body, on the planet. ..and that is what all the mystery traditions have developed tools and techniques over the centuries to try to do.

Distilled plants, by nature, are the ethers of the universe with their scent-filled subtle beauty. Aromatic essential oils contain all of the elements of the cycle of growth – earth, air, fire (warmth/sun) and water. The final distillation produces ether – the subtle fragrance – and ether feeds the soul directly.

How lucky am I to be working with essential oils in these times. So, next time you have a massage or use essential oils in your daily routine – consider the context of the times – the opportunity for bliss – and to engage each moment in a self-exalted way.

Visit Anita at:    http://genieinabottle.ca/Genie_in_a_Bottle/Massage.html

From the desk of Dr. Kotecha

Dear Readers,

The pattern of the winter is different from the last year. It has a great variation which is more unpredictable. The effectivity of dryness though; have been more rougher on the skin than the previous season. We thought of providing more useful information for this season hence it is ‘Skin care for the winter’.

We have incorporated a few simple home remedies that can help you tackle the impact of harsh weather on our dear readers. And we have a steaming recipe for this cold month and means to get your customized oil formulation. The alarming health news “Wi-Fi radiation killing trees” is worth knowing in interesting health news section. We also have more news update on the 4rth World Ayurveda Congress And Arogya Expo 2010. Read on to know more.

We heartily welcome your suggestion on our newsletter how to make it more useful and knowledgeable. Read on and enjoy.

Best Regards and Namaste.

Dr. Rajesh Kotecha ‘Vaidya’, M.D. (Ayurveda)

Director,

Chakrapani Ayurveda Clinic and Research Center

Skin Care in Winter by Dr. Sijay Dev

Skin is the largest organ in the body and is the outer covering of the body that bears the external environment, and feels the sensation of the body. In summers the body gets subjected to heat as result get sunburns, and sweats as a result gets dehydrated. As a result the skin requires nourishment and rejuvenation in the winter. Though felt good in beginning, winter when it takes its true impact it again dries our skin and makes it scaly. Humidity also gets reduced too the least in some areas that it cracks our heels and chaps our lips. Most of us buys a heater and switch it on in room to keep ourselves warm but unfortunately that again worsens the condition. When the heater is switched on it takes in the remaining traces of moisture left in our skin and further dries up our skin. This skin which is cracked, chapped, and dry skin then becomes a portal of skin infections. So the skin has to be rejuvenated and care should be taken to nourish the skin to make it soft, smooth, moist and supple.

In Ayurved a year is having two solstices called as aadana kala (sun solstice) and visarga kala (moon solstice). The two solstices are based upon the Mother Nature’s impact. In aadana kala the sun is very powerful and absorbs the nutrients and moisture.

While in visarga kala moon is powerful and it gives back the nutrients and moisture. Even the digestive fire is stronger in visarga kala and weaker in the aadana kala. In winter season the body has stronger digestive fire and our body has a counter mechanism to maintain warmth within the body and skin being the barrier to the environment which is colder outside. For the working of this mechanism our body requires more energy. More energy means more food that is why in winter one is hungrier than in summer. When one doesn’t take sufficient food required by the body then it depletes the nutritive source in the body leading to vata dosha vitiation causing coldness, dryness and roughness. Henceforth the skin that has to be taken care of gets diseased in this season. But some places just taking the amount of food needed alone seems to be ineffective owing to the dryness and sub zero temperatures.

So to tackle such extremes this time we have come up with simple home remedial measures and few dietary and daily regimens that has to be followed. The skin appears lack of luster looses its brightness, there is redness of skin, and skin becomes dry and tight. Patient gets dry and even wrinkled skin at the early ages if not taken care.

Do’s and Don’ts

• Bath should be in lukewarm water, because hot showers in winter feels good but there’s nothing like it that can remove natural oil and sebum from the skin. 2 drops of olive oil can be added to water to induce mild moisture to the water. Not more than 3 minutes should be taken to bath. The sebum is produced from the microscopic glands – sebaceous glands. Sebum is a secretion, an oily/waxy matter, to lubricate the skin and hair of mammals. In humans, they are found in greatest abundance on the face and scalp, though they are distributed throughout all skin sites except the palms and soles.

• Scrub: The purpose of using scrubbers is to remove the dead skin and to remove the cosmetics that remain after cleaning with water. So a good scrubber should have exfoliated ingredients too. Beware of face packs though they claim to remove dead skin but it also rips off the live skin too. 1 tbsp sea salt in warm water and can keep legs dipped in can remove the dead skin.

• Moisturizer: Recommended to apply 4 times a day. When applied immediately after bath it helps in trapping moisture more. Oil based moisturizers are good as the oil in general are warm. Almond oil, green tea oil and Shea butter are a few good moisturizers. Massage using rose water and glycerin twice a week as it can tone your skin and draws moisture. One should use petroleum jelly to moisturize the parts with hard sin areas like heel, soles and palm.

• Water intake: In winter generally one does not get thirsty as he gets in summer season. So that also becomes one among the ingredients to dry skin. Normally an individual should take 8 – 10 glasses of water to keep his skin soft and supple.

• Diet: Should include almonds that moisturizes body both external and internally. Should use nuts, legumes, eggs, soya, rice, carrots and fishes. It is said fish eaters have good skin as fish is a good source of Omega fatty acids.

• Sleep should be 7-8 hrs would be mandatory for a healthy skin.

TIPS

• 1 tsp of lemon and avocado is mixed well and applied is good for dry skin.

• Half tbsp of honey when mixed with 1 tbsp of rose water applied and washed on just before drying can tone ones skin.

• 1 egg yolk, half tsp of milk powder, and honey is good for dry skin and it has to be applied for 10 to 15 minutes and washed with cold water.

• Cucumber and cream of milk when mixed and applied is good for dry skin in winters.

Recipe of the month- Mung Bean Soup

You will need:

1/2 cup mung dhal (split hulled mung beans),

4 cups water

1/2 tsp turmeric

1/2 tsp cumin seed

1/4 tsp Hing (Asafetida)

1 tsp chopped fresh corriander

2 tbsps ghee

Rock salt to taste

Method : Wash the mung daal. Add water and the turmeric and salt cook until daal is tender. Stir occasionally and remove any scum that forms on top. Puree in a blender to a smooth consistency.

Heat the ghee until it is clear. Add the cumin seed, currypatta, Hing (Asafoetida) and stir briefly to release aroma and flavor. Remove from heat. Pour the ghee-spice mixture over the soup. Stir. Garnish with corriander and serve hot.

http://chakrapaniayurveda.com

I am writting this entry on the eve of Winter Solstice, December 2010 during a full moon, hours before a lunar eclipse, apparently the first in over 300 years on the solstice,  I can feel the intensity of this changing time right down to my toes.

Solstice is a time for planting new seeds, letting go of the past, releasing old stories that are no longer a fit and exalting in new life. It seems an auspicious time to introduce to you the seeds of a new community growing here at Island Yoga Vista in Nanaimo.

First I would like to share with you a little about myself, it is part of the new story, to share more, be more open with people.

Fourteen years ago I left a significant relationship with two young children to raise, mostly on my own.   At the same time I started Island Yoga Vista.

Yoga has been the foundation of everything that has passed in that time. it is how I raised my children as well as being what supported us. I worked at home, studied on-line, read hundreds of books and attended dozens of workshops as well as teaching 8-13 classes a week and seeing up to 10 individuals privately each week.  In that time I have hosted monthly events mostly around yoga, music and painting and have travelled to India twice, being blessed with the opportunites to study Yoga, Ayurveda and Vastu Shastra with masters.

It has been an incredibly full and productive time and when I look back at it from this end I am amazed at the beauty of what has been created.  Amazed mostly by these two young adults whom I respect and cherish more than anything.   Amazed also by the wonderful community that has developed around this Yoga Studio.

This community is about to sprout new wings, in the form of a few of my closest friends joining me to offer their services and energy.   In addition to this, I finally feel ready to step out and share with you more of the skills and knowledge which I have aquired over the past decade. It feels timely to join with others now after being on my own for so long. I am thankful that these people are in my life and sharing some of their time with me.  Now they are here to share with you as well.

This ‘blog’ will now become the Communications pathway for you to join Thommas Michaud with excerpts from his emerging book that will allow us to journey with him and the holy people of India that he lived with during the many years that he spent there.  Thommas will be teaching Chi Kung, Yoga and Tai Chi in four new classes starting this January.  He is a skilled and gentle teacher.

Journey also with Anita Kalnay as she shares her lively musings on Ayurveda and Essences from her perspective as a Natural Perfumer, Master Blender, Yogini, Masseuse and Kundalini Yoga Teacher.  Anita will be here one week per month offering her Ayurvedic Treatments and insightful  Lifestyle Counseling.  She has been my personal masseuse and healer for many years. We are cooking up some enticing workshops together that will be available in the new year.

My friend and teacher Dr. Kotecha has been writting on the benefits and practices of Ayurveda for countless years from his desk in Jaipur where he is a respected Vaidya (Ayurvedic Medical Doctor).  He is here as a link and resource for the community so please ask questions, his answers will benefit us all.

I will be making an effort to share more from my perspective as an Ayurvedic Yoga Therapist,  Lifestyle Counselor, Yoga Instructor,  Artist and student of Vastu Shastra.

The four of us have independently been focusing on these Vedic Sciences for decades and have much to share, now is the time when it is most needed and now we are ready to make this offering. I believe that what Yoga, Ayurveda. Vastu and The Arts have to offer is what the world needs most now and I am deeply grateful that my life and chosen work have such purpose and meaning.

There will be educational opportunities for you to learn what Yoga, Vastu and Ayurveda actually are for those not familiar and plenty of practical offerings where you can experience and start to make this perspective work for you in your own life.

These are the Sciences of Life, of how to live in harmony with the planet, each other and ourselves. Our own bodies and minds are nurtured and healed with simple methods and every day lifestyle disciplines you can cost effectively do at home.

Keep checking in, our new story will engage  this communications pathway as an active part of the centrer. . .Your Center for Living Yoga.

Thank you for being here, reading this and being interested in our growing community of Artists and Yogis.  We hope we can serve you, meet you, share time and experience with you.

Namaste and Blessings to you at this auspicious time.    Sandra Shotton