LAKSHMI MOONS
The Pink Moon
PINK MOON BOOK
Mantra
CHAITRA NAVARATRI
New Moon Ritual: Navaratri
Food as Ritual
Sacred Earth Activism
Elemental Ishtadevi
Ayurveda: Spring Cleanse
Full Moon Community Council
Further Study for April
Conversation: Jyotish Astrology with Swati Jr.
PINK MOON BOOK
April Initiation
This is precious time for communing with Nature. Get out and witness the new growth happening all around you.
Allow yourself to be inspired to tend your own psycho-spiritual seeds of development.
…and beyond your personal growth, the feminine beseeches you to protect the abundance of the planet.
This month’s focus will explore new possibilities for ecological sustainability and attuning yourself with the rhythms of Nature.
Allow yourself to be inspired to tend your own psycho-spiritual seeds of development.
…and beyond your personal growth, the feminine beseeches you to protect the abundance of the planet.
This month’s focus will explore new possibilities for ecological sustainability and attuning yourself with the rhythms of Nature.
READ: PINK MOON BOOK
Lakshmi Altar
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For April, I replaced the Tara images on my altar with a depiction of Lakshmi and a photo I took of my teacher, Sreedevi Bringi, who embodies the sweet energy of the Earth Mother for me.
While Kali symbolizes the creation and dissolution of life's ongoing cycles, Lakshmi is the vision of pure abundance and radiant fullness. Therefore, I use abundantly flowering plants to adorn my altar, these days, instead of loose flower petals. Post a photo of your altar on Facebook or Instagram! ...and be sure to #rrshakti and #elevenmoons, so that I can find it and post it to our journal pages. Love to you! R.R. Shakti, PhD |
Mantra
Shanti Mantra
May the entire EARTH be full of PEACE.
CHANT: MANTRA—Shanti Mantra
ॐ द्यौः शान्तिरन्तरिक्षं शान्तिः
पृथिवी शान्तिरापः शान्तिरोषधयः शान्तिः ।
वनस्पतयः शान्तिर्विश्वेदेवाः शान्तिर्ब्रह्म शान्तिः
सर्वं शान्तिः शान्तिरेव शान्तिः सा मा शान्तिरेधि ॥
ॐ शान्तिः शान्तिः शान्तिः ॥
Om Dyau Shantir Antariksha gwam Shanti
Prithvi Shantir Apah Shantir Oshadhayah Shanti
Vanas Patayah Shanti Vishwed Devah Shanti Brahma Shanti
Sarvagwam Shanti Shantireva Shanti Sa Ma Shantir Edhi
Om Shanti Shanti Shanti
May there be Peace in Heaven, May there be Peace in the Sky,
May there be Peace in the Earth,
May there be Peace in the Water,
May there be Peace in the Plants, May there be Peace in the Trees, May there be Peace in the Gods in the various Worlds, May there be Peace in Brahman. May there be Peace in all things.
May there be Peace, indeed, within Peace itself, showing me the Peace which grows within me. Om, Peace, Peace, Peace.
This mantra is one of my favorites. It is a lullaby that I sing to my daughter each night as she falls asleep. It has become a living mantra within my heart that I summarize
in this way:
May peace which defies comprehension pervade the entire earth. May all things reflect the wisdom that peace begins within me.
पृथिवी शान्तिरापः शान्तिरोषधयः शान्तिः ।
वनस्पतयः शान्तिर्विश्वेदेवाः शान्तिर्ब्रह्म शान्तिः
सर्वं शान्तिः शान्तिरेव शान्तिः सा मा शान्तिरेधि ॥
ॐ शान्तिः शान्तिः शान्तिः ॥
Om Dyau Shantir Antariksha gwam Shanti
Prithvi Shantir Apah Shantir Oshadhayah Shanti
Vanas Patayah Shanti Vishwed Devah Shanti Brahma Shanti
Sarvagwam Shanti Shantireva Shanti Sa Ma Shantir Edhi
Om Shanti Shanti Shanti
May there be Peace in Heaven, May there be Peace in the Sky,
May there be Peace in the Earth,
May there be Peace in the Water,
May there be Peace in the Plants, May there be Peace in the Trees, May there be Peace in the Gods in the various Worlds, May there be Peace in Brahman. May there be Peace in all things.
May there be Peace, indeed, within Peace itself, showing me the Peace which grows within me. Om, Peace, Peace, Peace.
This mantra is one of my favorites. It is a lullaby that I sing to my daughter each night as she falls asleep. It has become a living mantra within my heart that I summarize
in this way:
May peace which defies comprehension pervade the entire earth. May all things reflect the wisdom that peace begins within me.
CHAITRA NAVARATRI
Chaitra Navaratri
This moon marks a time to start new ventures: businesses, relationships, routines, practices, etc.
Chaitra Navratri (also called Vasanta Navratri) is a nine-day festival dedicated to nine forms of the Goddess. Most celebrated in Northern and Western India, this festival marks the beginning of the Indian new year, the initiation of Spring, and the creative power of the feminine principle.
For many, these are days of fasting (generally one meal is eaten each day) and joyful celebration.
The celebration takes many different forms, from region to region. Goddess images vary as do the rituals. There are dances, fire ceremonies, mantras, decorations, and observances—every community in India joins the festivities in one form or another.
The festival often begins with the eating of a specific mixture called Bevu-Bella, consisting of neem and jaggery, two different tastes symbolizing the merging of bitter and sweet, happiness and sorrow. It is a ritual that reminds us that we must accept both qualities with equal openness.
According to Hindu Mythology, each goddess is related to a specific color, which is associated with certain attributes and invokes specific energies or states of mind.
Each Goddess archetype offers an opportunity for introspection, contemplation…and growth!
HAPPY SPRING!
R.R. Shakti, PhD
For many, these are days of fasting (generally one meal is eaten each day) and joyful celebration.
The celebration takes many different forms, from region to region. Goddess images vary as do the rituals. There are dances, fire ceremonies, mantras, decorations, and observances—every community in India joins the festivities in one form or another.
The festival often begins with the eating of a specific mixture called Bevu-Bella, consisting of neem and jaggery, two different tastes symbolizing the merging of bitter and sweet, happiness and sorrow. It is a ritual that reminds us that we must accept both qualities with equal openness.
According to Hindu Mythology, each goddess is related to a specific color, which is associated with certain attributes and invokes specific energies or states of mind.
Each Goddess archetype offers an opportunity for introspection, contemplation…and growth!
HAPPY SPRING!
R.R. Shakti, PhD
New Moon Ritual: Navaratri
APRIL NEW MOON RITUAL
Celebrating Chaitra Navaratri
(Please review your April Journal for full content.)
(Please review your April Journal for full content.)
For this month’s New Moon Ritual, you are invited to participate in the observances of Chaitra Navaratri by cleansing your body and mind with nourishing and detoxifying foods, as well as life-transforming thoughts and practices. The celebration extends from the new moon until the ninth day of the Shukla Paksha, invoking and honoring the principles of a different feminine archetype each day.
In your Navaratri Journal, below, you will find the goddess archetype, mantra, soul questions and empowerment action for each day. I have also provided the color that is associated with each matrika (little mother). Wear that color, or burn a candle of that color on your altar, to invite the corresponding energies of empowerment and grace.
In your Navaratri Journal, below, you will find the goddess archetype, mantra, soul questions and empowerment action for each day. I have also provided the color that is associated with each matrika (little mother). Wear that color, or burn a candle of that color on your altar, to invite the corresponding energies of empowerment and grace.
LISTEN: Ya Devi Mantra
Ya Devi Sarvabhuteshu NIDRA (SLEEP) Rupena Samsthita।
Namastasyai Namastasyai Namastasyai Namo Namah॥
Ya Devi Sarvabhutesu CHAYA (SHADOW) Rupena Sansthita |
Namastasyai Namastasyai Namastasyai Namo Namah: ||
Ya Devi Sarvabhuteshu SHAKTI (POWER) Rupena Samsthita।
Namastasyai Namastasyai Namastasyai Namo Namah॥
Ya Devi Sarvabhuteshu TRISHNA (THIRST) Rupena Samsthita।
Namastasyai Namastasyai Namastasyai Namo Namah॥
Ya Devi Sarvabhuteshu SHANTI (PEACE) Rupena Samsthita।
Namastasyai Namastasyai Namastasyai Namo Namah॥
Ya Devi Sarvabhuteshu LAKSHMI (GOOD FORTUNE) Rupena Samsthita।
Namastasyai Namastasyai Namastasyai Namo Namah॥
Ya Devi Sarvabhuteshu DAYAA (KINDNESS) Rupena Samsthita।
Namastasyai Namastasyai Namastasyai Namo Namah॥
Ya Devi Sarvabhuteshu KANTI (GRACE) Rupena Samsthita।
Namastasyai Namastasyai Namastasyai Namo Namah॥
Namastasyai Namastasyai Namastasyai Namo Namah॥
Ya Devi Sarvabhutesu CHAYA (SHADOW) Rupena Sansthita |
Namastasyai Namastasyai Namastasyai Namo Namah: ||
Ya Devi Sarvabhuteshu SHAKTI (POWER) Rupena Samsthita।
Namastasyai Namastasyai Namastasyai Namo Namah॥
Ya Devi Sarvabhuteshu TRISHNA (THIRST) Rupena Samsthita।
Namastasyai Namastasyai Namastasyai Namo Namah॥
Ya Devi Sarvabhuteshu SHANTI (PEACE) Rupena Samsthita।
Namastasyai Namastasyai Namastasyai Namo Namah॥
Ya Devi Sarvabhuteshu LAKSHMI (GOOD FORTUNE) Rupena Samsthita।
Namastasyai Namastasyai Namastasyai Namo Namah॥
Ya Devi Sarvabhuteshu DAYAA (KINDNESS) Rupena Samsthita।
Namastasyai Namastasyai Namastasyai Namo Namah॥
Ya Devi Sarvabhuteshu KANTI (GRACE) Rupena Samsthita।
Namastasyai Namastasyai Namastasyai Namo Namah॥
TO THAT DEVI (GOD/DESS) WHO IS ABIDING IN THE FORM OF ALL, SALUTATIONS TO HER.
SOUL QUESTIONS & ACTION STEPS
- How can I embrace spiritual practice as a more consistent aspect of my every-day life?
- Commit to a daily meditation practice that includes mindfulness of your breath to cultivate patience and centered composure in all aspects of your life.
- Purge all excess! …from your closet, your cabinets, your shelves, your drawers, your refrigerator, your to-do list, your contacts, your desk, you life! Count the bags and boxes and let us celebrate the detox with you.
- Commit to at least one full day of digital detox per week. Let us know what day you have chosen so that we don’t send you any texts that day!
- Check in with yourself to see what creative endeavors you crave. Have you let go of a creative outlet or expression that once gave you enjoyment and satisfaction? Is there a new creative project that is calling for you to give it a try? Give it a try! Allow your radiance to shine through, without judgement.
- Am I engaging my relationships in a meaningful and truly balanced way that includes both collaboration and freedom?
- Where are you still holding limiting stories about your life? What still scares you to confront? It is time to awaken to your infinite potential. It is time to break free.
- Contemplate your greatest desires. What three things make you feel the most healthy, happy, and fulfilled? Make a point to include some form of each of those things every. single. day.
- What is your superpower?
Food as Ritual
Foor as Ritual
“From mother's breast to sacred rites our physical, emotional, and spiritual stress is answered with food. For it is through eating that we are reunited with nature.”
—Edward J. Dumke, The Serpent Beguiled Me and I Ate
—Edward J. Dumke, The Serpent Beguiled Me and I Ate
Your body’s metabolic rhythm directly connects to the earth’s cycles as you take in food and eliminate waste. Mindful eating is a practical way to give to the planet and commune with God/dess.
When you establish a sacred relationship to the foods you eat, you become awake to the needs of your body and the earth. Consequently, you recognize the value of composting uneaten food back into the earth: you reduce food waste. You realize the value of purchasing locally grown, seasonal, organic foods whenever possible and may even be inspired to grow your own, if garden space is accessible to you (Feuerstein, Green 144). Fast food becomes less appealing to your appetite while fresh food becomes more attractive.
Eating is an act of sustainability for your own body and the world when done with such reverence. There are several steps to becoming more ecologically (and spiritually) conscious of your relationship to food.
When you establish a sacred relationship to the foods you eat, you become awake to the needs of your body and the earth. Consequently, you recognize the value of composting uneaten food back into the earth: you reduce food waste. You realize the value of purchasing locally grown, seasonal, organic foods whenever possible and may even be inspired to grow your own, if garden space is accessible to you (Feuerstein, Green 144). Fast food becomes less appealing to your appetite while fresh food becomes more attractive.
Eating is an act of sustainability for your own body and the world when done with such reverence. There are several steps to becoming more ecologically (and spiritually) conscious of your relationship to food.
Food as Ritual
- First, slow down. Practice dirgha pranayama (the three-part breath) before you eat to prepare your body for digestion. Take your time and enjoy a healthy relationship with your food as you eat it. Delight in all the sensations that accompany eating—smell, sight, texture, and taste. It is important to chew thoroughly and feel relaxed to facilitate proper digestion; if you eat in a rush or under stress, your sympathetic nervous system will inhibit full breakdown of food.
- Eat as a celebration. Even a mindful process of setting the table and preparing your meal can become a beautiful ritual.
- When tuning into these natural rhythms of your body, it helps to record cravings and cycles in a food journal. Take note of the foods you eat, when you eat them, and how they affect you. Start to notice patterns: do you crave certain tastes in the winter or consistently need a snack at a certain point? Ayurveda (science of life) corresponds particular tastes with certain seasons, digestive activity with specific times of the day. With deliberate awareness, you attune to your own unique patterns, needs, and habits.
Eating consciously not only makes your body more active and vibrant, but also more awake to divinity within. Cognizant of your inner divinity, all other actions, choices, and relationships become infused with this grateful desire to contribute, sustain, and heal Mother Earth.
You become a participant in planetary sacredness.
Soul Questions & Action Steps
- What is your current relationship with food?
- Record what you eat this week and when/how you eat it.
- Notice any trends or eating habits and contemplate their value.
- Commit to eating more mindfully, as a celebration of life.
- Share your favorite recipes for balancing Kapha Dosha.
Sacred Earth Activism
Ritual of Choice
(Please review your April Journal for full content.)
“Earth provides enough to satisfy every man's need, but not every man's greed.”
― Mahatma Gandhi
― Mahatma Gandhi
The feminine side of our being is slow, spontaneous, natural, and receptive.
She accepts life as it is without delusion. In the wisdom of nature’s seasons, she does not waste any part of creation. Every process contributes to the dynamic cycle of life, death, and rebirth.
Sacred activism includes facing the truth of climate change without delusion: making empowered choices that contribute to planetary health. Georg Feuerstein’s outline in Green Yoga provides many opportunities to contribute to a conscious consumerism (142-148). I
It begins when you make a list of all the things you use daily and clarify what you truly need. When possible, buy second-hand products from local sources. Specifically look for products without packaging. Use only recycled paper and water bottles. Say NO to every plastic bag that is offered to you. Carry reusable bags to hold your goods. Choose ecologically non-toxic and efficient options for your home. When it comes to environmental activism, there is a best option for nearly everything, from light bulbs and cleaning products to floor tiles and paint. Make your environment a constant reminder of the sacredness in nature.
Honor mother earth by living your entire life as a ritual of non-dual awareness.
She accepts life as it is without delusion. In the wisdom of nature’s seasons, she does not waste any part of creation. Every process contributes to the dynamic cycle of life, death, and rebirth.
Sacred activism includes facing the truth of climate change without delusion: making empowered choices that contribute to planetary health. Georg Feuerstein’s outline in Green Yoga provides many opportunities to contribute to a conscious consumerism (142-148). I
It begins when you make a list of all the things you use daily and clarify what you truly need. When possible, buy second-hand products from local sources. Specifically look for products without packaging. Use only recycled paper and water bottles. Say NO to every plastic bag that is offered to you. Carry reusable bags to hold your goods. Choose ecologically non-toxic and efficient options for your home. When it comes to environmental activism, there is a best option for nearly everything, from light bulbs and cleaning products to floor tiles and paint. Make your environment a constant reminder of the sacredness in nature.
Honor mother earth by living your entire life as a ritual of non-dual awareness.
LISTEN & PRACTICE: Shopping for Lakshmi Ritual
WHAT DID YOU FIND?
Post a photo of your treasure as you found it in nature or on your Lakshmi alter, and post it to Facebook or Instagram with the tags: #rrshakti and #eleven moons. I'll collect the images here for all to see! ♥
Post a photo of your treasure as you found it in nature or on your Lakshmi alter, and post it to Facebook or Instagram with the tags: #rrshakti and #eleven moons. I'll collect the images here for all to see! ♥
Soul Questions & Action Steps
- List 10 things you already do to sustain the Earth’s resources.
- List 10 things you know you could do better to be an environmental Peace Warrior in everyday life.
- What plastic products do you use that could be replaced with more sustainable materials?
- What cleaning supplies can you replace with environmentally friendly options.
- Post your favorite recipe for a natural cleaning solution or your favorite strategy for ecological practice in the comments below.
- Practice Warrior Vinyasa every morning this week.
- Practice mindfulness meditation every evening this week for at least 20 minutes.
Together, we create community. Please share your answers below.
2018 COMMUNITY HIGHLIGHTS
4/7/2018 09:24:39 pm
Well, after finishing this exercise, I realize how much of my "dirt-bag, vagabond" ways have kept me close to the earth and protecting her resources. I'm a Taurus gal and the Earth is my serenity. My time spent in her woods and by her rivers keeps me conscious to her life-giving (and life-taking) power [sounds like Kali, doesn't it :)],Yet there is ALWAYS more I can do to protect her resources, to give her a voice. We are nothing without the Earth.
Ever since working in the woods for 10-day periods and living off the grid, I am ever-aware of our excessive disposal of precious drinking water. It is a lot of work to filter and conserve the water you will need to live when you are retrieving it from a stream. Yet, when it pours from the faucet at 1-2 gallons a minute!, it's easy to forget its preciousness. Now, renting an apartment while I go to graduate school, even I forget daily of my water conservation efforts. Yet, I wanted to share a few (simple and seemingly silly, but huge ways to conserve).
1.) Yellow is Mellow, Brown flush it Down! did you know we use CLEAN DRINKING WATER to flush our waste?! My biggest American pet peeve. It is absolutely outrageous, and the older toilets use anywhere form 3-7 gallons for one flush! So, one way to lessen this is to not flush every single time. This saves huge amounts of water and hopefully someone shares an organic cleaning solution for cleaning the toilet, because you will inevitably need to clean it a bit more often - but hey that's ok!
2.) Use a bucket to catch that extra water that just pours down the drain while we're waiting for it to warm up (like when we do dishes and shower) and put it on your garden or water a tree!
3.) Camp more often! Because this will inevitably require you to use less water - just going to the bathroom in the woods and having to ration water will be eye opening.
This exercise kind of reminds me of Shakti remembering she is Shiva. There is so much push to "transcend" to develop spiritually..."into Shiva", yet Shakti (the Earth, our earthliness, our humanness) has forgotten it IS Shiva! We're already everything we've been looking for, dirty toilet realities and all. So, let's turn our everyday material realities into actions that replenish the Earth! - that's how all natural cycles should be...growth, harvest, decline, decay, and back to seed.
I look forward to hearing other ideas that I can incorporate into my Earth consciousness! Happy April :)
–J. Allen, Santa Fe NM
4/29/2018 07:58:48 am
For helping my house to smell spring-clean, I mix up a "Carpet Powder." It's really simple, just baking soda to fill up the glass jar and top it off with your favorite essential oils (oil-blend.) Lemongrass and Lavender 40/42 are a really nice combination: clean and calm inspiring. Peppermint will deter spiders, in case you're afraid of them like me. :)
Another thing that is so simple, yet most humans don't even know about it is the power of cleaning with Eucalyptus pure essential oil! You can just drop a few drops in your toilet bowl and have it deep cleaned without nasty chemicals or containers to recycle... it takes stains out of clothes, shoes, floors, furniture (be careful and try this in an inconspicuous spot first), etc. AND is THE BEST at deep-cleaning a stove-top. Now that's power. Your house smells good, but you can be sure the release of this scent has antimicrobial and antibacterial properties in the air, too.
I love essential oils ;)
–J. Webb, Upland IN.
Well, after finishing this exercise, I realize how much of my "dirt-bag, vagabond" ways have kept me close to the earth and protecting her resources. I'm a Taurus gal and the Earth is my serenity. My time spent in her woods and by her rivers keeps me conscious to her life-giving (and life-taking) power [sounds like Kali, doesn't it :)],Yet there is ALWAYS more I can do to protect her resources, to give her a voice. We are nothing without the Earth.
Ever since working in the woods for 10-day periods and living off the grid, I am ever-aware of our excessive disposal of precious drinking water. It is a lot of work to filter and conserve the water you will need to live when you are retrieving it from a stream. Yet, when it pours from the faucet at 1-2 gallons a minute!, it's easy to forget its preciousness. Now, renting an apartment while I go to graduate school, even I forget daily of my water conservation efforts. Yet, I wanted to share a few (simple and seemingly silly, but huge ways to conserve).
1.) Yellow is Mellow, Brown flush it Down! did you know we use CLEAN DRINKING WATER to flush our waste?! My biggest American pet peeve. It is absolutely outrageous, and the older toilets use anywhere form 3-7 gallons for one flush! So, one way to lessen this is to not flush every single time. This saves huge amounts of water and hopefully someone shares an organic cleaning solution for cleaning the toilet, because you will inevitably need to clean it a bit more often - but hey that's ok!
2.) Use a bucket to catch that extra water that just pours down the drain while we're waiting for it to warm up (like when we do dishes and shower) and put it on your garden or water a tree!
3.) Camp more often! Because this will inevitably require you to use less water - just going to the bathroom in the woods and having to ration water will be eye opening.
This exercise kind of reminds me of Shakti remembering she is Shiva. There is so much push to "transcend" to develop spiritually..."into Shiva", yet Shakti (the Earth, our earthliness, our humanness) has forgotten it IS Shiva! We're already everything we've been looking for, dirty toilet realities and all. So, let's turn our everyday material realities into actions that replenish the Earth! - that's how all natural cycles should be...growth, harvest, decline, decay, and back to seed.
I look forward to hearing other ideas that I can incorporate into my Earth consciousness! Happy April :)
–J. Allen, Santa Fe NM
4/29/2018 07:58:48 am
For helping my house to smell spring-clean, I mix up a "Carpet Powder." It's really simple, just baking soda to fill up the glass jar and top it off with your favorite essential oils (oil-blend.) Lemongrass and Lavender 40/42 are a really nice combination: clean and calm inspiring. Peppermint will deter spiders, in case you're afraid of them like me. :)
Another thing that is so simple, yet most humans don't even know about it is the power of cleaning with Eucalyptus pure essential oil! You can just drop a few drops in your toilet bowl and have it deep cleaned without nasty chemicals or containers to recycle... it takes stains out of clothes, shoes, floors, furniture (be careful and try this in an inconspicuous spot first), etc. AND is THE BEST at deep-cleaning a stove-top. Now that's power. Your house smells good, but you can be sure the release of this scent has antimicrobial and antibacterial properties in the air, too.
I love essential oils ;)
–J. Webb, Upland IN.
Elemental Ishtadevi
Elemental Ishtadevatā
(Please review your April Journal for full content.)
Your Ishta-devatā is “an intimate experience of connection to life” —Shiva Rea
“We are born to live in the love that permeates all life” —Marion Woodman
“We are born to live in the love that permeates all life” —Marion Woodman
While Tantrik texts present many beautiful anthropomorphic visions of deities, you may choose an elemental experience of divinity in nature. Trees, rivers, flowers, the stars—everything in nature is animated with the divine light, and may become a personal symbol to bring you closer to the experience of Reality. Each of the elements provide archetypal qualities for personal connection with which you can interact and discover healing transformation. The element of earth presents cohesion, constancy, and support that you can relate to in a time of instability. Water might remind you to soften, slow down, look within, and “go with the flow.” The personality of fire provides warmth, activation, or clarity, while air inspires you to be creative, adaptable, and expressive. You can invoke each element with ritual.
Abhyanga: EARTH
Abhyanga offers a nurturing practice for connecting with the earth element. It is a ritual of honoring your dhatus (body tissues), and nourishing their structural integrity, health, and purity. The practice includes massaging your entire body with careful attention to your joints and specific marma points associated with subtle energy centers in your body. A ritual of massaging your feet brings awareness to the point of sacred connection, where your every step kisses the earth.
Abhyanga: EARTH
Abhyanga offers a nurturing practice for connecting with the earth element. It is a ritual of honoring your dhatus (body tissues), and nourishing their structural integrity, health, and purity. The practice includes massaging your entire body with careful attention to your joints and specific marma points associated with subtle energy centers in your body. A ritual of massaging your feet brings awareness to the point of sacred connection, where your every step kisses the earth.
Water Ritual: WATER
Water is my elemental ishta-devatā, and yet one of my most challenging ecological practices is conserving water. Bathing gives me a sense of deep connection to Reality. I feel grounded, centered, and inspired simultaneously. Water for personal cleansing accounts for an immense amount of the world’s water consumption, so I try to keep showers short. Instead, I enjoy a weekly water ritual of bathing. Using oils, candles, and pranayama practices to invoke all elements, I close my eyes and pay homage to the waters of the earth. We need water. According to the USGS Water Science School, as much as 60 percent of the human body is water (water.usgs.gov). This same water cycles through absorption and evaporation into the air around us and then rains down into the oceans. In this way, the water in our bodies unites us with the entire planet.
Trataka: FIRE
Trataka is a ritual to invoke the fire element and embody its sacred power. You gaze at a flame and then internalize your gaze to envision the fire within. Sit comfortably in front of a candle or a small fire. Consciously honor the qualities of fire cultivating gratitude for its warmth and illumination. With relaxed focus, settle your gaze upon the flame. Remain relaxed, with minimal blinking and complete your focus until a spontaneous meditative state arise from within you. Slowly close your eyes and turn your attention inward. Visualize an inner flame at your heart. Repeat this process, honoring any feelings that arise.
Water is my elemental ishta-devatā, and yet one of my most challenging ecological practices is conserving water. Bathing gives me a sense of deep connection to Reality. I feel grounded, centered, and inspired simultaneously. Water for personal cleansing accounts for an immense amount of the world’s water consumption, so I try to keep showers short. Instead, I enjoy a weekly water ritual of bathing. Using oils, candles, and pranayama practices to invoke all elements, I close my eyes and pay homage to the waters of the earth. We need water. According to the USGS Water Science School, as much as 60 percent of the human body is water (water.usgs.gov). This same water cycles through absorption and evaporation into the air around us and then rains down into the oceans. In this way, the water in our bodies unites us with the entire planet.
Trataka: FIRE
Trataka is a ritual to invoke the fire element and embody its sacred power. You gaze at a flame and then internalize your gaze to envision the fire within. Sit comfortably in front of a candle or a small fire. Consciously honor the qualities of fire cultivating gratitude for its warmth and illumination. With relaxed focus, settle your gaze upon the flame. Remain relaxed, with minimal blinking and complete your focus until a spontaneous meditative state arise from within you. Slowly close your eyes and turn your attention inward. Visualize an inner flame at your heart. Repeat this process, honoring any feelings that arise.
Breath Inspired Vinyasa: AIR
Pranayama practice brings conscious awareness to your breath—the air element as it circulates life force in and out of your lungs and all around you. Pranayama may be conjoined with conscious vinyasa (asana posture series), by instructing conscious attention on the flow of the breath in each movement. A simple vinyasa transitions from Tādāsana to a forward folding position called Uttānāsana. Begin in Tādāsana, (mountain pose) and bring your awareness to your breath. Inhale, lifting your arms overhead. Exhale, softly bending your knees “to the point of comfort,” fold forward at your hips. Place your hands on the floor in front of your feet or on a block, if necessary. Relax your head and shoulders. On your next inhale, raise arms and torso together to form a straight line parallel to the floor. Strengthen your leg muscles to support you as you rise to standing and lift your arms overhead (Whitwell 176).
As you practice this flow from one asana to the other, coordinate your movements to your breath. Maintain a steady pace. Feel air fill your entire body as you inhale, reaching upward. Enjoy the feeling of emptying the air out of your body as you fold forward. Slow your movements to explore a rhythmic and steady pace. Cultivate gratitude for the air element as a vehicle for prana and the divinity within. This ritual is opportunity to experience God/dess breathing you.
When you honor the elements in these ways, you become deeply connected to them. You become concerned with their purity and conservation. In his work, Green Yoga, Feuerstein offers daily practices for ecological action and preservation of the elements:
Once you begin to attune your rhythms to the rhythms in Nature, however, you find that she has been waiting all along. God/dess restores humanity to the healing power and deepest wisdom of the earth’s cycles. Woodman writes:
Anyone who has labored to release the Goddess from the darkness of centuries of abuse has returned from the excavation with a paradox. She who is dead is alive. All we have to do is open our eyes an extra sixteenth of an inch, and there she is, dancing in every apple blossom, in the song of every purple finch, as well as in the flames of passion that we call life. (Dancing 28)
There is a universal consciousness that pervades all of nature. We are reclaiming the immanent divinity of God/dess.
The feminine face of God is Love present within all matter. “She looks us straight in the eye, and though her love may manifest as rage at our self-destruction, she’s there” (Woodman, Conscious 47). She is the light in a rose bud, the feeling of energy in a tree. She is the love that animates all of creation.
Pranayama practice brings conscious awareness to your breath—the air element as it circulates life force in and out of your lungs and all around you. Pranayama may be conjoined with conscious vinyasa (asana posture series), by instructing conscious attention on the flow of the breath in each movement. A simple vinyasa transitions from Tādāsana to a forward folding position called Uttānāsana. Begin in Tādāsana, (mountain pose) and bring your awareness to your breath. Inhale, lifting your arms overhead. Exhale, softly bending your knees “to the point of comfort,” fold forward at your hips. Place your hands on the floor in front of your feet or on a block, if necessary. Relax your head and shoulders. On your next inhale, raise arms and torso together to form a straight line parallel to the floor. Strengthen your leg muscles to support you as you rise to standing and lift your arms overhead (Whitwell 176).
As you practice this flow from one asana to the other, coordinate your movements to your breath. Maintain a steady pace. Feel air fill your entire body as you inhale, reaching upward. Enjoy the feeling of emptying the air out of your body as you fold forward. Slow your movements to explore a rhythmic and steady pace. Cultivate gratitude for the air element as a vehicle for prana and the divinity within. This ritual is opportunity to experience God/dess breathing you.
When you honor the elements in these ways, you become deeply connected to them. You become concerned with their purity and conservation. In his work, Green Yoga, Feuerstein offers daily practices for ecological action and preservation of the elements:
- Plant trees.
- Drive fuel efficient vehicles, carbon neutral vehicles when necessary, otherwise walk, bike, carpool and use public transportation.
- Use less water.
- Spread the word.
- Encourage political leaders, businesses, organizations, family, and friends to take peacefulaction.
Once you begin to attune your rhythms to the rhythms in Nature, however, you find that she has been waiting all along. God/dess restores humanity to the healing power and deepest wisdom of the earth’s cycles. Woodman writes:
Anyone who has labored to release the Goddess from the darkness of centuries of abuse has returned from the excavation with a paradox. She who is dead is alive. All we have to do is open our eyes an extra sixteenth of an inch, and there she is, dancing in every apple blossom, in the song of every purple finch, as well as in the flames of passion that we call life. (Dancing 28)
There is a universal consciousness that pervades all of nature. We are reclaiming the immanent divinity of God/dess.
The feminine face of God is Love present within all matter. “She looks us straight in the eye, and though her love may manifest as rage at our self-destruction, she’s there” (Woodman, Conscious 47). She is the light in a rose bud, the feeling of energy in a tree. She is the love that animates all of creation.
Soul Questions
- What is your elemental Ishtadevatā? (With which element do you most resonate?)
- How do/can you honor the elements in daily life as a ritual of gratitude and connection to the Earth?
Ayurveda: Spring Cleanse
Spring Cleanse
(Find recipes in your April EARTH Journal.)
WEEK ONE
Eliminate sugar and simple carbs from your diet.
To sweeten life, opt for a piece of fruit. Kapha balancing fruits include: Apples, Apricots, Berries, Cherries, Cranberries, dry Figs, red or purple Grapes, Lemons, Limes, Mango, Peaches, Pears, Persimmons, Pomegranates, Prunes, Raisins, Raspberries, and Strawberries.
Use natural sweeteners: raw honey, apple sauce, or agave nectar.
Try to avoid white breads and pastas. Instead, continue to experiment with Quinoa and use spelt flour for baking.
Spelt flour is considered pungent, astringent, heating, light and dry, all qualities that balance kapha.
It is easier to digest and a great alternative to wheat flour which is sweet, cooling, and heavy.
Spelt is also an environmentally friendly, low-yield crop that has not been genetically modified.
Growing spelt does not deplete soils. It grows successfully without the application of fertilizers or pesticides. A hard outer husk protects it from frost, insects, and pollutants.
Eliminate sugar and simple carbs from your diet.
To sweeten life, opt for a piece of fruit. Kapha balancing fruits include: Apples, Apricots, Berries, Cherries, Cranberries, dry Figs, red or purple Grapes, Lemons, Limes, Mango, Peaches, Pears, Persimmons, Pomegranates, Prunes, Raisins, Raspberries, and Strawberries.
Use natural sweeteners: raw honey, apple sauce, or agave nectar.
Try to avoid white breads and pastas. Instead, continue to experiment with Quinoa and use spelt flour for baking.
Spelt flour is considered pungent, astringent, heating, light and dry, all qualities that balance kapha.
It is easier to digest and a great alternative to wheat flour which is sweet, cooling, and heavy.
Spelt is also an environmentally friendly, low-yield crop that has not been genetically modified.
Growing spelt does not deplete soils. It grows successfully without the application of fertilizers or pesticides. A hard outer husk protects it from frost, insects, and pollutants.
WEEK TWO
Less dairy means better digestion.
In addition to your new found freedom from sugar, youʼll feel amazing if you reduce the amount of dairy in your diet. Milk products are good for you in moderation, but
especially during kapha season, it is important to substitute for lighter ingredients when possible.
You may already be feeling a clearer respiratory and digestive system from the recipes we have been sharing so far, where a dollop of yogurt has been suggested in place of sour cream or cheese.
For milk substitutes try almond, coconut, or rice milks. Sometimes, instead of butter, I enjoy coconut oil on my toast! Walnut oil and avocado oils are also great for cooking. And then there’s GHEE!…
If you haven’t made your own ghee yet, it is much easier than you think and provides some benefits that you don’t find in butter. Ghee is butterfat without the lactose and casein so it’s easier to digest.
Less dairy means better digestion.
In addition to your new found freedom from sugar, youʼll feel amazing if you reduce the amount of dairy in your diet. Milk products are good for you in moderation, but
especially during kapha season, it is important to substitute for lighter ingredients when possible.
You may already be feeling a clearer respiratory and digestive system from the recipes we have been sharing so far, where a dollop of yogurt has been suggested in place of sour cream or cheese.
For milk substitutes try almond, coconut, or rice milks. Sometimes, instead of butter, I enjoy coconut oil on my toast! Walnut oil and avocado oils are also great for cooking. And then there’s GHEE!…
If you haven’t made your own ghee yet, it is much easier than you think and provides some benefits that you don’t find in butter. Ghee is butterfat without the lactose and casein so it’s easier to digest.
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WEEK THREE
More veggies, less meat.
If you have been serious about this Spring detox and have cut the sugar
and simple carbs from your diet, along with reducing your intake of dairy, let me just say: “Good Work!” Cutting back on sugars and dairy is not that easy! You must be feeling really great just about now. For week three, if you are not already a vegetarian, say “so long” to meat. Add more beans, lentils, and leafy greens to your diet. Use nuts and seeds for protein: almonds, pumpkin seeds, sesame, sunflower, flax, and chia seeds are all protein rich and come packed with loads of vitamins and minerals in their tiny shells.
1 oz. Almonds (23 count)=12% daily protein requirement, fiber, magnesium and vitamin E.
1 c. Pumpkin seeds = 12 g. protein, rich in iron, magnesium, potassium, and zinc.
1 oz. Sunflower seeds = 5.8 g. protein, full of vitamins and minerals, including vitamin E and selenium.
1 oz. Flax seeds = 5.1 g. protein best whole food source of alpha-linolenic acid (omega 3 fatty acid)
1 oz. Sesame seeds = excellent source of calcium, iron, magnesium, folate, B6, tryptophan, and zinc…
1 oz. Chia seeds = high in dietary fiber, antioxidants, omega 3 fatty acids, iron, and calcium.
More veggies, less meat.
If you have been serious about this Spring detox and have cut the sugar
and simple carbs from your diet, along with reducing your intake of dairy, let me just say: “Good Work!” Cutting back on sugars and dairy is not that easy! You must be feeling really great just about now. For week three, if you are not already a vegetarian, say “so long” to meat. Add more beans, lentils, and leafy greens to your diet. Use nuts and seeds for protein: almonds, pumpkin seeds, sesame, sunflower, flax, and chia seeds are all protein rich and come packed with loads of vitamins and minerals in their tiny shells.
1 oz. Almonds (23 count)=12% daily protein requirement, fiber, magnesium and vitamin E.
1 c. Pumpkin seeds = 12 g. protein, rich in iron, magnesium, potassium, and zinc.
1 oz. Sunflower seeds = 5.8 g. protein, full of vitamins and minerals, including vitamin E and selenium.
1 oz. Flax seeds = 5.1 g. protein best whole food source of alpha-linolenic acid (omega 3 fatty acid)
1 oz. Sesame seeds = excellent source of calcium, iron, magnesium, folate, B6, tryptophan, and zinc…
1 oz. Chia seeds = high in dietary fiber, antioxidants, omega 3 fatty acids, iron, and calcium.
WEEK FOUR
Coffee Addicts Anonymous.
I really hope you are getting into this cleanse preparation, because the first week of our May Journal will mark the blast-off into full detox mode. Are you feeling it?
For real transformation, it is important to be HONEST with yourself. Evaluate where you are resistant to change. These hang-ups point toward the habitual patterns that enslave you—holding you hostage—hooked! I value my freedom. I’ll bet you value yours too.
It is time to enjoy liberation from the snare of daily substances. It’s not about quitting everything.
I believe in enjoying life! After all, non-dual teachings and practices invite us to experience the infinite through the pleasures of being human. The challenge, of course, is to be mindful…a then HONEST.
What has you hooked?
For many, it is caffeine.
How are you with coffee? Do you drink a cup each morning just to survive the day?
I challenge you to take a good look at your caffeine consumption and be a slave NO MORE!!!
In your April EARTH journal are some possible substitutes for that wake up fix—options to help you honor your body AND bring rejuvenation to your morning mind.
Coffee Addicts Anonymous.
I really hope you are getting into this cleanse preparation, because the first week of our May Journal will mark the blast-off into full detox mode. Are you feeling it?
For real transformation, it is important to be HONEST with yourself. Evaluate where you are resistant to change. These hang-ups point toward the habitual patterns that enslave you—holding you hostage—hooked! I value my freedom. I’ll bet you value yours too.
It is time to enjoy liberation from the snare of daily substances. It’s not about quitting everything.
I believe in enjoying life! After all, non-dual teachings and practices invite us to experience the infinite through the pleasures of being human. The challenge, of course, is to be mindful…a then HONEST.
What has you hooked?
For many, it is caffeine.
How are you with coffee? Do you drink a cup each morning just to survive the day?
I challenge you to take a good look at your caffeine consumption and be a slave NO MORE!!!
In your April EARTH journal are some possible substitutes for that wake up fix—options to help you honor your body AND bring rejuvenation to your morning mind.
Full Moon Community Council
Full Moon Community Council
What’s in that giant egg underneath your tush?
Celebrating Hanuman Jayanti, the Pink Moon, Easter, EARTH Day!!...
This moon provides an opportunity to begin anew with fresh energy.
It is a turning point...an initiation into the full expression of your gifts, strengths, and creative power. 🌸
The time has come to clearly identify what you’re sitting on.
What’s the big, exquisite, soul-fulfilling idea you are hatching now?
In our Full Moon Community Council you will receive a special little gift to move you forward.
Celebrating Hanuman Jayanti, the Pink Moon, Easter, EARTH Day!!...
This moon provides an opportunity to begin anew with fresh energy.
It is a turning point...an initiation into the full expression of your gifts, strengths, and creative power. 🌸
The time has come to clearly identify what you’re sitting on.
What’s the big, exquisite, soul-fulfilling idea you are hatching now?
In our Full Moon Community Council you will receive a special little gift to move you forward.
Further Study for April
Further Study for April
Conversation: Jyotish Astrology with Swati Jr.
JYOTISH ASTROLOGY
w/ Swati Jr.
Vedic Astrology offers a means for connection to the emotional tides within you.
In this treasured conversation, Swati Jr. and I talk about the value of rituals to honor the lunar cycle and the rhythms of Nature.
For best video streaming, please be sure you have a strong internet signal and that all other applications are closed.
In this treasured conversation, Swati Jr. and I talk about the value of rituals to honor the lunar cycle and the rhythms of Nature.
For best video streaming, please be sure you have a strong internet signal and that all other applications are closed.
Swati Jr.
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"the moon does not simply disappear when we are not looking at it." –Einstein
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Saraswati J. is a Jyotish Coach and Consultant, bridging ancient Jyotish wisdom with embodiment and expressive art therapy resources. Her Jyotish work is especially well-suited to the extra sensitive artists, mystics, and healers—and those who need insights for their dharmic path and personal transformation process.
You can join her newsletter for special astrological insights or join her class list for workshops and online class updates.
You can join her newsletter for special astrological insights or join her class list for workshops and online class updates.
