December

Hello everyone, it’s your host Sevina. We lived through another year! Good or bad, 2021 added unique experiences to our lives. Here is my wish for you for 2022, which I choose to believe will be a great year!

“May Peace prevail, Love conquer, Tranquility and Success follow, and Unity and Compassion for Mankind bloom and spread like wildflowers all over the world!”

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Life really worth living because there is Love, Beauty and Compassion among people. Just slow down, relax, and let it go. Life is so precious; we just have to open our eyes to see it!

Please enjoy the articles below.

Namaste!

Greetings and Salutations, On my morning walk yesterday, I found myself wondering how many days I have been alive? Upon getting home, a quick calculation came to 27,178. That’s 652,272 hours; or 39,136,320 minutes. My guess was that each respiration encompassed around four seconds. Google affirmed this a reasonable estimate. So I have taken nearly 600,000,000 breaths while alive on this jewel of planet we call Earth.Do you believe in miracles?I have experienced around 600 million of them.For what are the odds of elements coming together to enable human life, and then sustain it? How fortunate we are to have this opportunity!Last winter found me in Oxnard rather than in Antarctica for the first time in thirteen years. Being here was surely different, absent the stimulation and inspiration the ice continent had infused into my life for all but one of the previous sixteen austral summers. Happily, I was comfortable and content at home, though.After exclusively driving vans since getting one to travel from Florida to Alaska in 1987, I purchased a 2006 Prius in February. It’s surely quieter and smoother than my nearly 25 year old Dodge RAM 3500, with a much more environmentally kind carbon footprint. An added bonus: I’ve recouped nearly one-third of the vehicle’s cost already due to its fuel economy.February also brought me two doses of the Pfizer vaccine. (I’ve since gotten the booster, as well.) This has afforded me a sense of comfort to again do things like outdoor photo shoots and join friends for lunch; activities I had put aside for safety’s sake during the previous year. My sister lives in Israel. March found her visiting two of her sons in Texas. Using 69,000 frequent flier miles, I was able to bring her, my brother-in-law, one of my nephews and his wife to California for a couple of days. A short but very sweet visit. (An interesting aside: I was offered a mileage credit card when booking their flights, with a bonus of 60,000 miles if I spent $3000 with it in three months. So the four flights from Houston to Santa Barbara only ended up depleting my account 6000 miles. Thank you American Airlines!)After a hiatus of 22 months, September and October found me again exhibiting my work at art shows. Both went superbly, with my sales at each being nearly double what I was accustomed to at them. This plus orders from the new website I built last spring, along with receiving pandemic assistance through the end of summer have kept my life afloat financially. Yet another addition to the long list of things for which I am grateful!Eleven months of three brisk 1.5 mile walks daily and not eating any sweets found me weighing 165 pounds for the first time since I was probably around 15 years old. I’ve continued walking (though other activities cause me to only get out twice some days). An occasional slice of pizza, bar of chocolate, and Indian or Thai meal has my weight is back “up” to 175. As this is what I weighed when I was discharged from the Army in 1969, I’m not in the least concerned about these ten pounds. I’d not seen my longtime teacher Prem Rawat since shortly before Covid-19 became a worldwide concern. So having the opportunity to attend three special events with him in just over a month this past summer was as a breath of the freshest air. For as has been the case for the past half-century, he managed to direct my focus to that which I understand to be the essence of my life: the peace, joy and clarity which dwell within my (and every human) heart.In just over seven months I will have been alive for three-quarters of a century. This seems incomprehensible. For I feel ageless. And life continues to be extraordinarily kind to me. Somehow time has smoothed out many of the rough edges of my existence, leaving me increasingly content. This is a gift I never might have imagined in my restless, confused youth. But I believe it suits me to a T.   I suspect this well-being to be everyone’s birthright, and am saddened by the discontent which often seems prevalent in others. For I am sure this is unnecessary. If only people could understand how simple life can be, absent of the complexities we bring upon ourselves.  Along with 600 million previous ones, experiencing the miracle of this breath brings me a deep sense of gratitude. For in the vastness of the cosmos, against all odds, everything has come together perfectly not only for us to be; but to be cognizant of our being. To know the joy. To see the beauty. To taste the sweetness. To feel the richness. To experience the wonder… of human life.Miraculousness, to the nth degree.May the holiday season and new year bring you the best of all things good in your lives… and an ever increasing awareness of how fortunate we all are.Stay safe/ healthy, always! Ira http://www.irameyer.com

Staying Balanced Over the Holidays

By Dr. Sheila Patel

In the Northern Hemisphere, fall is coming to an end and we move into the winter season. During this time of year, people all around the globe are also preparing for a season of holidays. Many cultures organized rituals and celebrations around seasonal transitions that honor the cycling of nature, and the end of the year brings us opportunities to connect and celebrate.

As with all transitional times, this has the potential to be a time of some turbulence and overactivity, however, if we stay balanced in mind and body, this can be a season of beauty, joy, and self-reflection as well. Ayurveda gives us many tools and practices to stay healthy and balanced during the winter and holiday season.

Mindful Eating for a Balanced Body

During the holiday season, we have the potential to fall out of the healthy eating habits that we have cultivated the rest of the year. At times, we are thrown off our usual eating habits and it can take some time after the holidays to get back on track.

Instead of deprivation and completely avoiding your favorite foods, which doesn’t work very well, or suppressing the desire to eat the meals that family and friends create, you can enjoy the delicious flavors of the holidays while maintaining balance using mindful eating techniques. Mindful eating means you are paying attention and are present with your food when you eat. You aren’t thinking about what happened in the past or planning for something in the future, but you are present with your meal, in the moment. When you do this, you slow down, enjoy your food, and listen to the signals of your body to tell you when you are full. You can make conscious choices about what, and how much, you eat because you are paying attention.

Here are some tips to eat mindfully during the holidays:

• Pay attention to all your senses when you eat.
• Eat slowly, chew your food, and savor the tastes.
• Put your fork or spoon down between bites.
• Eat until you are satisfied, but not overly full. When you eat slowly, you have a chance to feel full before overeating.
• Feel gratitude with every bite.

In addition to mindful eating, this is a good time to keep your digestion balanced and your digestive fire burning brightly by sipping on warm ginger tea in the morning to get the digestive fire started for the day. You can also sip CCF teabetween meals to keep digestion balanced throughout the day. Be sure to include warming spices in your foods and drinks such as cinnamon, nutmeg, black pepper, and cloves.

Using these techniques over the holidays will allow you to savor delicious meals and enjoy the holidays while keeping your body in balance.

Healthy Emotions

Although we often associate the holidays with fun and laughter, this can actually be one of the most stressful times of the year. We may see family or friends that we haven’t seen for some time, or find ourselves spending time with people with differing beliefs and ideas. We also may find ourselves spending time with people with whom we have had challenges in the past. Or perhaps we are not able to see the people we love due to physical distance or other circumstances.

From a spiritual perspective, we often create our own suffering by not accepting what is, by resisting the present moment. The holidays can bring up memories from the past, good and bad, that impact how we experience the present. If we have had challenging experiences or trauma in our family relationships, this time of year can cause a resurfacing of emotions we have buried. Also, if we perceived our holidays as perfect childhood memories, we may put undue stress on ourselves to make the holidays ‘perfect’ for our current families.

From an Ayurvedic lens, we all experience things differently, depending on our primary dosha, and whether we are in balance or not. Sensitive Vatas love connecting with others but may find themselves taking in the emotions and stress of others around them. Pittas are the ideal planners, but may strive for perfection as hosts, or feel the need to outcompete. And laidback Kaphas may enjoy from afar or find themselves wanting to retreat and avoid social interactions altogether.

For everyone, keeping your emotions balanced over the holidays can be as simple as focusing on an open heart and accepting every moment as it is. Notice any emotions that may be coming up as you move through the holidays, allow them to arise, and without attaching to any particular emotions, allow it to subside. It may be useful to do a little journaling at the end of the day to release any emotions that are coming up. Here is a simple journaling practice you can use:

• Find a quiet space at the end of the day to reflect on the day.
• Feel emotions as they arise in your body.
• Try to identify the emotion and the story that is attached to it.
• Write down what you are feeling with the intention of letting the story and emotions go.
• Once the feeling subsides, bring your awareness to your heart, and close your eyes.
• Bring in a feeling of gratitude. Just say silently “I am grateful.” Repeat this a few times.
• Then, write down some affirmations in your journal, such as “I accept everything as it is,” or “I surrender,” or “I love myself and others exactly as they are.” Use an affirmation that allows you to accept how you are feeling while also tapping into a more expanded perspective of your experience.
• Do a few minutes of slow, rhythmic breathing to close the practice.

You can practice these techniques whenever you become aware of emotions arising during the holiday season. Allowing yourself to accept, be grateful, feel love and compassion for yourself and others, and fully surrender to the present moment will keep you balanced and peaceful now and all year.

Positive Reflections for Lightness of Being

One of the best ways to enjoy the holidays is to take the opportunity to reflect on the previous year. Although our minds have a tendency to remember the negative experiences, we can cultivate gratitude for all the positive experiences as well as create a new perspective on those things that we perceived as negative. After all, every experience gives us some opportunity to grow and evolve, especially the hard ones.

From an Ayurvedic perspective, our language creates our reality. What we tell ourselves about our experience shapes our experience. As Buddha said, “what we think, we become.” It is important to take some time periodically to pay attention to the good things that happen to us, the times we feel joy and peace, and the times we are feeling connected to others and our inner self.

Take some time this holiday season to reflect on some experiences that brought you joy in the last year. It could be something in nature that you observed, a fun experience with family or friends, a delicious meal, or anything else that brought you joy. As you make this a regular practice in your life, notice how you begin to create a more positive perspective on your life experiences and the expansion of joy and peace in your day-to-day life.

By having tools for body, mind, and spirit, you can stay healthy and balanced throughout the holiday season and all year long.

Cauliflower, kale and pepita soup

• 10 Ingrediencies

• 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil, plus extra, to serve
• 20g butter
• 1 small brown onion, finely chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, chopped
• 1 head (about 750g) cauliflower, chopped
• 1.5L (6 cups) chicken or vegetable stock
• 150g pre-chopped kale leaves
• 80ml (1/3 cup) thickened cream, plus extra, to serve
• 1 tbsp pepitas, toasted
• 20g (1/4 cup) finely grated parmesan

• Step 1

Heat the oil and butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion and garlic. Cook, stirring often, for 5 minutes or until soft.

• Step 2

Add the cauliflower and stock. Cover. Bring to boil. Reduce heat to low. Simmer, covered, for 15 minutes or until cauliflower is tender.

• Step 3

Add kale and increase heat to high. Bring to the boil then reduce heat to medium-low. Simmer, uncovered, for 15 minutes or until kale wilts. Set aside for 10 minutes to cool slightly.

• Step 4

Use a stick blender to blend until smooth. Add the cream. Cook over medium heat, stirring, for 5 minutes or until heated through. Drizzle over extra cream and oil. Top with pepitas and parmesan. Season and serve.

HAPPY HOLIDAYS! 🙂