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The Healing Power of Mudraby Vasant Lad, BAMS, MASc

Volume XX, Number 4

1 The Healing Power of MudraVasant Lad, MASc

8Practice and Non-attachmentBarbara Cook

12Inspiration of AyurvedaK.Karuna Fluhart-Nagrete

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DePArTmeNTS

142008 Summer Intensives

11 Food & Balance

152008 Spring Seminars

The SanSkriT word mudra meanS a geSTure or poSTure. It is the ancient art of communication between the body, mind and consciousness. There are physical mudras, which involve performing certain ¡sanas or postures. This cat-egory includes facial mudras as well as hand and finger mudras. These have a great impact on the human body. There are also non-physical mudras, used in tantra to chan-nel energy from mul¡dh¡ra chakra to sahasr¡ra.

Mudra also means a governmental stamp. If this stamp is on a piece of paper, that paper becomes legal and au-thentic. Similarly, an ordinary person receiving mudra from a guru can become an authentic master. Mudras tell their stories through the different gestures and postures, and they are the language of spiritual stories.

Mudra can specifically mean facial expression. In Kathak dance and other traditional Indian dance, the dancer tells the story by performing certain movements of the fa-cial muscles and eyebrows and expressing inner feelings, thoughts and emotions. The dancer can show people about humility, love, compassion, happiness, joy, sorrow, anger, fear and frustration by making these gestures. These are all the play of mudra.

MudrA ANd BANdhAStandard yoga books, such as Gheranda Samhit¡ and Hatha Yoga Prad£pik¡, speak a great deal about mudra. There are twenty-five mudras explained in Gheranda Samhit¡, and by performing these under the guidance of an experienced teacher, a yogi can attain enlightenment. These mudras open blocked kundalin£ shakti in the different chakras. Gh-eranda suggests simultaneously doing various bandha (locks) along with these mudras. The bandhas discussed include m¥la bandha (anal lock), udd£y¡na bandha (abdominal lock), and j¡landhara bandha (chin lock).

Hatha Yoga Pradipika gives a simpler list of important mudras and bandhas, including:

Mah¡ MudraMah¡ VedhaKechar£ MudraMah¡ Bandha (the great lock)M¥la Bandha (anal lock)Udd£y¡na Bandha (abdominal lock)J¡landhara Bandha (chin lock)

The last three bandhas from this list are par-ticularly important. Like the others, they are to be practiced under the guidance of a guru or teacher.

The Three Important BandhasIn m¥la bandha, the yogi gently presses the

left heel in between the anal orifice and genitals, and the right foot is placed on the left thigh. By performing special pr¡n¡y¡ma and contracting the lower abdominal muscles, the yogi can suck the anal sphincter inside. This bandha awakens kundalin£ shakti and stimulates ap¡na v¡yu. By controlling ap¡na, a yogi directs the movement of kundalin£ upwards.

After performing m¥la bandha, the kundalin£ goes to svadishth¡na and manip¥ra chakras, where the yogi then does udd£y¡na bandha. This is the famous abdominal lock, whereby the belly button and abdominal muscles are sucked in towards the spinal cord. By controlling sam¡na and ud¡na v¡yu in this way, it activates kundalin£ shakti to go still further upward. Kundalin£ from the belly button shoots up to the heart and throat chakras.

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There, the yogi performs the final bandha, j¡landhara bandha or chin lock. This uses pr¡na and ud¡na v¡yu from the heart and the throat chakra to send kundalin£ directly into the third eye.

While doing pr¡n¡y¡ma, the inhalation (p¥raka), reten-tion (kumbhaka) and exhalation (rechaka) should have a proportionate ratio of 1:4:2. For example, use a count of four for the in breath, then retention for a count of sixteen, and exhalation for a count of eight. For about six months, one should do this pr¡n¡y¡ma without any band-has. Then, when the person is well established in a natural suspension of breath, called kevala kumbhaka, he or she can add these three bandhas during the outer kumbhaka stage, which means the stage of holding the breath after exhalation. By and by, through persistent practice, a yogi can maintain these bandhas for a long time.

Bandha means to control the flow of v¡ta with effort. When a bandha happens naturally and spontaneously, with-out much effort, it becomes mudra. So in the beginning, mudra is used with bandha; then once kevala kumbhaka becomes prolonged, bandha becomes mudra.

Hasta Mudra – Mudras of the Hands and FingersThe hasta mudra are those mudras performed by the

hands and fingers. These hand mudras are relatively easy to do, so we often use them in ¢yurveda. They are par-ticularly important in ¢yurveda because they relate to the five great elements.

Sushruta divided the human body into six parts for the purpose of anatomical study. These are called shad anga in Sanskrit. This refers to the four extremities, with the trunk the fifth part and the head the sixth.

However, in ¢yurvedic physiology, the exterior surface of the body is divided into five parts, each related physi-ologically to one of the five elements. The head is related to ether, the neck and chest to air, upper abdomen to fire, lower abdomen to water, and the four extremities to earth element.

All the n¡dis of these great elements originate in the brain and terminate at the tips of the fingers. Hence, the thumb corresponds to the brain and ether element. The index finger relates to the lungs n¡di and the air element. The middle finger represents the small intestine and stom-ach, and the fire element. The ring finger is the kidneys and water element. Finally, the little finger represents the

heart and cardiovascular system, and earth element. By doing specific hasta mudras, the person activates a n¡di or channels of pr¡na flow connected to the five elements and thereby balances the related bodily organs.

Body AreA eleMenT FInger

Head ether ThumbNeck and Chest Air Indexupper Abdomen Fire middlelower Abdomen Water ringextremities (arms and legs) earth little

MudrA ANd MANTrAMudras are beneficial in mantra healing, in which healing occurs through chanting and sound. A mudra acts like a yantra, which is a geometrical figure, and this helps to attract certain energy fields or deities.

Every mantra has a rishi (seer), dev¡ta (deity) and chandas (pranic meter). By performing a specific mu-dra along with the mantra for a specific deity, the energy of this yantra comes to the tips of the fingers, which accumulate neuro-electrical energy. The deity becomes happy and is attracted towards the devotee and one can then see the deity. Note that one has to learn this technique from a spiritual master. If you practice this on your own, you may attract some undesirable energies.

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sure. A stage will come when you feel the capillary pulsa-tion between the thumb and index finger. When these pulsations are felt, it activates the cerebral cortex of the brain (the seat of knowledge) and upper lobes of the lungs, resulting in increased pulmonary and cerebral circulation.

Jñ¡na mudra is good for meditation and con-templation. Because the heart is in tune with this pulsation of the index finger and thumb, jñ¡na mudra enhances one’s ability to concentrate. It makes the mind keen and one can experience restful alertness. Jñ¡na mudra awakens kundalin£ shakti, and helps the person to focus at the third eye, making the mind quiet and peaceful. In jñ¡na mudra, you can say the mantra “Aum Hum Mah¡ ¢k¡sha ¢tmakam Pushpam Sam¡rapay¡mi”. This means that while doing jñ¡na mudra, you are offer-ing a cosmic flower to God. Hence, jñ¡na mudra unfolds the fragrance of supreme intelligence.

For Chit mudra, the index finger touches the root of the thumb, with the thumb resting on the end phalange of the index finger. Chit means awareness. When the index finger touches the root of the thumb, it activates the thyroid gland and balances its functioning. This is good to relieve tension and neck pain, and it helps to relax the shoulder blade area. Chit mudra also enhances concentration and activates meditation. When you do mantra meditation, chit mudra fixes the mind into the mantra. One can sit comfortably and perform chit mudra on both sides, letting the top of the hand rest on the knees, while keeping the spine straight.

There are specific mudras for the different dei-ties, such as Brahma mudra, Vishnu mudra, Shiva mudra and Ganesha mudra. Additionally, Brahma loves padma, jihva, bodhi and vajra mudras. Lord Vishnu loves chakra, shankha, gada and padma mudras. For Lord Shiva, one can do yoni, trish¥la and damaru mudras. Ga-nesha likes p¡sha, ankusha and d¥rv¡ mudras. Krishna is attracted by venu (flute) mudra, while for R¡ma, one can use dhanushya mudra and b¡na mudra. Pr¡rthana (prayer) mudra is done for all the deities.

When performing a p¥j¡ (sacred ceremony), abhaya, chin, varada, s¡ksh¡tkara and vidr¡vin£ mudras are all important. Abhaya mudra removes fear from the heart of the devotee, while chit mudra awakens cel-lular awareness.� Varada mudra showers benedic-tion and s¡ksh¡tkara mudra improves insight and gives inner vision (darshana) of the deity behind the eyelids. Vidr¡vin£ mudra helps the devotee and deity to merge together.

We will now look at some of these mudras as they relate to Ayurvedic healing.

Important Mudras in Ayurveda1. Jñ¡na Mudra2. Chit Mudra 3. Vishnu Mudra4. V¡yu Mudra5. Agni Mudra6. Amruta Mudra7. Prithvi Mudra8. Surabhi Mudra – Unilateral and Bilateral9. Tattva Mudra10. Ankusha Mudra��. Abhaya Mudra�2. Bodhi Mudra�3. Hridaya Mudra�4. Yoni Mudra15. Shankha Mudra16. Pr¡rthana Mudra

For jñ¡na mudra, one can sit in the lotus pose or svastika ¡sana. As you perform the mudra, pay attention to the breath. When you inhale, gradually increase the pressure between the thumb and index finger, and when you exhale, slowly release the pres-

� Even though ‘chin’ is correct because of the sandhi (Sanskrit grammar rule) that happens between the words chit and mudra, it has been changed to ‘chit’ so it is clear the name has to do with ‘chitta’ and not chins, as in what’s on the bottom of our faces.

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THe FIve vAyus

prana is present in the cranial cavity

and moves downward and inward to

the throat, heart, lungs and diaphragm.

because of this movement, prana

is responsible for inhalation. It also

governs higher cerebral functions,

including thoughts, feelings, emotions

and sensation.

udana is the upward moving energy

located in the diaphragm, which moves

upward through the lungs and chest

and into the brain, where it stimulates

memory. It governs movement of the

diaphragm and intercostal muscles, and

helps with exhalation. udana is also

responsible for speech.

samana is present in the small

intestine, liver and navel areas. It

stimulates the secretion of digestive

juices, including bile and liver enzymes,

so it is closely connected with agni

(digestive fire).

Apana is present in the pelvic cavity,

including the colon, urinary tract and

sexual organs. It moves downward

and outward. Apana regulates kidney

functions and stimulates menstruation,

defecation, and flatulence. It also

governs motor functions, especially from

the lumbosacral spine.

vyana is based in the heart and it

maintains cardiac activity, arterial

and venous circulation, lymphatic

circulation, and cellular nutrition. It

moves throughout the body and governs

all reflex actions and movements of the

joints and skeletal muscles.

By performing chit mudra and meditating for an hour in the morning and evening, one can attain the “chin ma” state—meaning a state of choiceless, passive awareness. One will then experience extraordinary joy and happiness in the heart.

Third is Vishnu mudra. The index finger and the middle finger of the left hand are bent, with the index finger touching the root of the thumb and the tip of the middle finger touching the heart of the palm. In the beginning, when you practice this mudra, you may get pain in the wrist area. Vishnu mudra is good when doing anuloma viloma (alternate nostril) pr¡n¡y¡ma. In this pr¡n¡y¡ma, the thumb touches the right nostril during inhalation, and the ring and little fingers touch the left nostril during exhalation. If you perform this pr¡n¡y¡ma with Vishnu mudra, it will awaken kundalin£ shakti and balance id¡ and pingala channels, and it may open the central n¡d£ called Sush¥mna. Lord Vishnu is the protective cosmic consciousness, so by performing Vishnu mudra, one can be in tune with cosmic consciousness. Vishnu mudra activates thyroid and thymus functions, as well as being beneficial to the heart. It tonifies the heart muscles and improves circulation, because the tip of the middle finger touches a marma point connected to the heart.

Next is v¡yu mudra, in which the thumb rests on the middle phalanx of your folded in-dex finger. The other three fingers are stretched and kept away from the thumb and index finger. V¡yu mudra calms down any

aggravation of v¡ta dosha. A good mantra for v¡yu mu-dra is “Aum Vam V¡yv¡tmakam Dhutam Sam¡rapay¡mi”. This means, “I offer the divine celestial incense to the Lord, through this mantra”. Doing this mudra and mantra together calms down v¡ta in the nervous system. It is also good for arthritis, sciatica, tremors and neuromuscular disorders.

Agni mudra is also called tejo mudra. For this, the tips of the thumbs touch the tips of the middle fingers. While doing this, one can chant the following mantra:

Aum Ram Tejomayam D£pam Sam¡rapay¡mi

This means, “I am offering the brilliant light in the form of tejas or agni to the Almighty”. Just by performing this mudra and chanting this mantra, you can activate your tejas and balance your jathara agni, dh¡tu agni and bh¥ta agni. Tejo mudra can enhance cellular intelligence and bring right actions in one’s daily life through pure awareness.

In jala mudra, also called amruta mudra, the tip of the thumb touches the tip of the ring finger. The mantra to use is:

Aum Vam Amruta ¢tmakam Naivedyam Sam¡rapay¡mi

“I am offering the di-vine celestial ambrosia to the Almighty Lord as naivedyam or pras¡d (holy food).” In this mudra, when the ring finger touches the thumb, it controls the water element of the body. If there is lymphatic obstruction or water retention due to kidney failure, this mudra helps to improve the functioning of the kidneys and the water system of the body (ambu vaha srotas).

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For prithvi mudra, the mudra for earth element, the tip of the thumb touches the tip of the pinky finger. One can chant:

Aum Lam Prithvi ¢tmakam Gandham Sam¡rapay¡mi

meaning, “I am offering the divine fragrance from the earth element to the Al-mighty Lord”. This mudra balances the functioning of the bones, cartilages and muscles, enhances mineral meta-bolic activity, and it improves the olfactory sense.

When all five fingers come together, it is called surab-hi mudra. Bilateral surabhi mudra can be performed by holding both hands together with the tips of each finger

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touching their matching finger on the other hand. Surabhi means all meridians come together. The mantra to use is:

Aum Sam Sarva ¢tmakam Tambulam Sam¡rapay¡mi

“I offer all elements to the Lord in order to re-ceive infinite joy and bliss, like chewing betel leaves after food.”

To make tattva mudra, the tips of the thumb, middle finger and ring finger meet together, and the index and ring fingers stand out, like the ears of a deer. This mudra is used to activate any of the bodily tattvas. Therefore, it opens any chakra, marma or energy field. Use the mantra of a particular chakra to help open that chakra if it is blocked. Suppose there is a blockage in the heart chakra, do tattva mudra and touch the heart, and chant the mantra of the heart chakra, which is: “Aum Yam Namah”. Likewise, to activate the solar plex-us, touch the navel with this mudra and chant “Aum Ram Namah”. To open the third eye, touch the forehead and

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chant “Aum Sam Ksham Namah”. And so forth. Tat-tva mudra is a key mudra to open the active principle (neuropeptides) of any chakra.

For ankusha mudra, the tip of the thumb touches the tip of the middle fin-ger, and the other fingers hug the root of the thumb. Ankusha means hook. This refers to the fact that a sharp hook can control a wild elephant, and similarly ankusha mudra can control the wild mind, which moves like an elephant. It is a powerful mudra that works on the limbic area of the brain. So, when the mind is hyperactive and there is bumper-to-bumper traffic of thoughts, ankusha mudra will help to calm down the thinking. Lord Ganesha loves this mudra.

Abhaya mudra is also called bhairava mudra. It is the ges-ture used in the West to say “okay”, and it is a modified form of jñ¡na mudra, where-by you show the jñ¡na mudra to another person. The same mudra with the palm facing the sky is actually jñ¡na mudra. For abhaya mudra, you have to turn your wrist in such a way that your wrist is flexed, with the palm facing forwards to another person. Abhaya mudra translates as the “fear not” mudra, as it takes away fear and anxiety. Abhaya mudra is used by a guru to bless a disciple, and many deities love this mudra, because it removes the ultimate fear, which is the fear of death. When that fear is removed, it may help to enhance the span of life.

Bodhi mudra involves one hand resting on the other hand, with the thumbs touching. This mudra brings en-lightenment and supreme intelligence. Lord Buddha loves this mudra, as does Brahma, the lord of creation.

For h r idaya mudra, the index finger is coiled and the thumb rests on the index finger and touch-es the middle and ring fingers. The pinky finger is kept away. If you touch this mudra to the heart, it will open the heart chakra and improve cir-culation. Hridaya mudra nourishes the heart and strength-ens the heart chakra. Hence, it is used in palpitations, tachycardia and anxiety.

Yoni mudra is complicated to perform, so I will explain a simplified version. The thumb of one hand touches the thumb of the other hand, one index finger touches the other index finger, and other three fingers of each hand hug together and fold. When you stretch the thumbs and index fingers, the space between the two hands looks like a vagina. For this reason, it is called yoni mudra, as yoni means the vagina. The yoni is a space of orgasm, birth and new life, and yoni mudra attracts divine souls. By performing this mudra, both men and women can enhance their sexual endurance and libido. Addition-ally, if there is a sexual trauma or blockage in the sexual chakra, causing fear of sex, anger associated with sex or other sexual disorders, this yoni mudra is most beneficial. It also helps the awakening of supreme intelligence and promotes ojas.

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Shanka mudra is the conch mudra. The four fingers of the right hand grasp the thumb of the left hand, as if you are making the shape of a conch. Tuck the tips of the fingers under the base of the thumb and touch the pad of the right thumb to the pads of the ring and middle fingers of the left hand. Shanka mudra is good for tin-nitus (ringing ears) and temporal headaches and, if you blow air thru this mudra, it improves the capacity of the lungs. Shanka mudra also regulates acid secretions in the stomach, so it is used for gastritis and peptic ulcers.

Pr¡rthana mudra is the ‘namaste’ mudra, whereby the palms of the right and left hands touch together at the level of the heart. Most people in India do this mudra as a greeting. It brings humility, love, compassion, dedication and respect. Just by looking at the other person doing pr¡rthana mudra, you feel the same thing in your heart. It is also used while doing prayer, and prayers done with this mudra will be more easily answered.

Other mudras are more complicated and they need a great deal of discipline, proper diet and lifestyle. However, these sixteen mudras above can all be used in an ¢yurveda practice. According to Yoga and ¢yurveda, ¡sana is an exterior management of disease, while pr¡n¡y¡ma is the internal medicine, and mudra is the anup¡na or media through which the medicine is given. So ¡sana, pr¡n¡y¡ma and mudra together heal the body, mind and conscious-ness. |

referencesVasu, rai bahadur Srisa Chandra, translator. Gheranda Samhita.

munshiram manoharlal Publishers Pvt. ltd., New Delhi, 2003.

Sinh, Pancham, translator. The Hatha Yoga Pradipika. munshiram manoharlal Publishers Pvt. ltd., New Delhi, 2002.

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pracTice and non-aTTachmenT

in The previouS arTicle, we Talked abouT The five vrittis, the movements or activities of the mind. These are: generating right knowledge, generat-ing wrong knowledge, imagining, dreaming and remembering.

Patañjali’s definition of yoga says it is the ces-sation of vritti, or activity. However, most of the following s¥tras offer things to think about and do, so there is a strong message that the path to yoga involves a lot of well-strategized activity. The practices of yoga are meant, in the short term, to manifest the best possible outcomes using the natural activity of the mind and, in the longer term, to bring about the cessation of the mind’s activity (chitta vritti nirodha)�.

After describing each kind of vritti, Patañjali goes on to discuss some ways of being that are useful for dissolving vrittis and bringing about

nirodha, which is the cessa-tion of men-tal activity that brings about yoga . Verse �2, Chapter � says, “abhy¡sa

vair¡gy¡bhy¡m tan nirodhah”, that is: Nirodha comes about through abhy¡sa and vair¡gya.

Abhy¡sa means repeated effort or exercise. Vair¡gya means non-attachment. So, the s¥tra says that nirodha comes through repeated practice and non-attachment.

To make any new way of being natural and easy, we have to practice it many times, pushing through the awkwardness of doing an unfamiliar thing, making mistakes, and picking ourselves up and trying again after relapsing into past behav-ior. Then, once it becomes natural, we can refine things further.

Yogic practices are no different. At this point in the text, Patañjali doesn’t specify what is to be

� “yogah chitta vritti nirodha”, Ch. 1, Vs. 2: yoga is the cessation of the movements of the mind.

practiced. Ideas and suggestions for that come later. He just introduces the idea that repeated practice itself is important.

Patañjali goes on to clarify his definitions of the terms abhy¡sa and vair¡gya. Verse 13, Ch. 1 says, “tatra sthitau yatnah abhy¡sah”, that is: Abhy¡sa is effort in maintaining steadiness or stability.

Sthitau yatna means effort in steadiness or stability. It takes effort to remain steady or constant (sthiti), because distractions, change and instability are such predominant qualities in the world. It may be difficult to find anything constant in life, but Patañjali’s yoga philosophy says that in each of us is a spark of purusha, the unchanging observer of all fluctuations. By maintaining a steady mind in the face of external changes, we start manifesting more of this unchanging witness that Patañjali calls the ‘svar¥pa,’ or form of the self, in Verse 2, Chapter �.

In the state of nirodha, there is no effort. However, leading up to that state, a person has to make efforts to cultivate a certain amount of inner stillness, just as one makes efforts to cultivate any new way of being.

Anyone who has implemented Ayurvedic lifestyle or dietary practices over time knows that even habits that are unusual for our culture and conditioning can become second nature after some repetition. Eventually, things that once required effort can become spontaneous.

Patañjali says more about steadiness. In the next verse, he describes how ‘dridha bh¥mi,’ a firm, steady attitude, or firm ground, is cultivated. Verse 14 chap. 1 says: “sa tu d£rgha k¡la nairantarya satk¡rasevito dridha bh¥mih.” That is: Helpful behavior (satk¡ra) practiced assiduously (¡sevita) and continu-ously (nairantarya), over a long time (d£rgha k¡la), brings a steady attitude (dridha bh¥mi).

Let’s look at some of the key words in this verse.

D£rgha k¡la: long time

Sometimes, people try something for a few days and then say, ‘Oh, this didn’t work for me.’ That’s not abhy¡sa and doesn’t develop dridha bh¥mi (a firm attitude). Firmness is cultivated when behavior is practiced over a long period of time—weeks, months or even years. In the same way that helpful habits become firmly established after a long time, habits that are cultivated unconsciously over a long period can also be in-credibly firm and difficult to break. Forced or sudden change

Y o G A S u T r A S

8

by Barbara Cook

A yogic practice that is based on

genuine interest and love is sustained

naturally and deepens over time...

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often doesn’t last long, because it causes a backlash as the unprepared personality, so long identified with the previous way of being, reacts strongly against it. Incremental, gradual changes are better integrated into the personality, and these can generally be sustained.

The timeframe of a process of change is different for every-one and every circumstance. A sincere person who is always looking for ways to improve what they do will naturally develop in a integrated way, as time and experience unfold their wisdom and bring about natural discipline.

Nairantarya: continuity

The meditation room is valuable as a place where a person can explore yogic practices in a more conducive atmosphere than is sometimes found in other places. However, there is no continuity in the practice of a person who sits piously at the altar in the morning and then goes to work and causes trouble for himself and others because of a lack of awareness and discipline in ‘worldly’ situations.

Continuity is about integrating yogic behavior into every situation, whether on the yoga mat or away from the meditation room, and even when the people around us don’t necessarily require or expect us to uphold yogic ideals. As mentioned pre-viously, the value of a meditation practice can be measured in the improvements it brings in one’s relationships with others and in the value of service that it enables a person to offer.

There are many stories about yogis who do their practice naked in the snow, or while sitting in the center of a circle of fires, or who maintain an ¡sana continuously for years on end. In this way, a yogi cultivates continuity, by ensuring the practice can be maintained even when comfort and other attachments are pushed to the limit.

In the world as it is today, we may not need to take such measures. If we’re really sincere about living our yogic ideals, we’ll notice that ordinary daily life offers an endless source of opportunities to implement them in difficult circumstances, and to refine them in situations of complexity and subtlety.

Satk¡ra: attention, care; ‘true’ and respectful behavior.

Satk¡ra is the balance for dridha bh¥mi (a firm attitude), because the care, consideration and respectful behavior that come from having awareness keeps one’s firmness and resolve from becoming rigid and fanatical.

To have a firm, resolved practice that is con-tinuous in all situations and is sustained over a long time does require that we implement good boundaries. We need to impose limitations on ac-tivities, places, people and thoughts that derail our attention. This cultivates steady ground for us to work from. However, when we talk about being firm and resolved, we also need to remember that the nirodha is an effortless state of no-thought, no action, no resistance—a blissful and silent oneness with the unmoving, passive witness (purusha).

Satk¡ra, behavior characterized by care and con-sideration, entails being vulnerable and accessible to the influence of spirit. It requires awareness, love, sensitivity, innocence and non-deterministic thinking. We can’t embody those characteristics when we become hard and fanatical.

Satk¡ra ¡sevita means to practice assiduously great awareness and care. It can sometimes be difficult to balance discipline with the vulnerabil-ity, innocence and flexibility that characterize a spiritual attitude. However, these words convey the possibility of establishing disciplined behavior without becoming a dictator and ‘should-ing’ the enthusiasm out of oneself.

In a previous article in this series, it was men-tioned that a person should take a passive approach in relation to spirit and an active stance toward material nature. In other words, one should ac-tively, deliberately engage with matter, time, space and energy and employ appropriate boundaries in that realm, and be passive, vulnerable and fully accessible in relation to that which is beyond those limitations. Balancing the passive and the active, the soft and the hard, firmness with vulnerability, is the essence of satk¡ra ¡sevita dridha bh¥mi.

People can be compelled by a dictator or by inspiration and love. Inspiration gives a person a natural, effortless dridha (firmness). Practices based on love and inspiration are more likely to last, because few distractions are more interesting. A yogic practice that is based on genuine interest and love is sustained naturally and deepens over time, becoming more intimately woven into the

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If one has become satisfied that there is no more to be gained from the material, then renunciation is automatic. If there is still an appetite to experi-ence something of material nature, then efforts to renounce it may not be effective. However, an appetite for one thing may be redirected or transmuted into an appetite for something else. In this case, Patañjali is saying that when one knows param purusha, the supreme purusha, the thirst for material nature is naturally quelled as one sees a superior truth.

We can experience some version of this in daily life. For example, the most sustainable way of implementing good dietary practices is not to forcibly deny oneself the natural enjoyment that comes from eating food, but rather to gradually simplify or refine one’s tastes. That way, the natural flavors of nourishing foods become more attrac-tive and pleasurable than the stimulating flavors of processed or unnatural foods. For someone experiencing the deeper pleasures of a really good diet, a bag of nutritionally-bereft, flavored chips or too sweet candy simply looks unattractive, so there is no real discipline needed to avoid it. The vair¡gya is natural. When a person sees the truth, then living that truth is more effortless.

In love, there is also a natural kind of vair¡gya. A woman who, before having a baby, would have balked at the idea of changing diapers several times a day, usually becomes quite unfazed about doing so after falling in love with her newborn child. Going without sleep is a hardship when it’s due to stress or illness, but it’s not in the least difficult for people in love, who wish to spend their nights getting closer to each other. Similarly, if you get caught in a downpour, it will probably be felt as a setback, but if the same thing happens when you’re with someone you like a lot, it’s kind of fun. In love, preferences and desires can change drastically and automatically.

In a similar way, Patañjali describes the automatic renunciation that comes from knowledge or experi-ence of spirit. Experiencing the silence and stillness of purusha brings a natural preference for things that cultivate a relationship with spirit. |

person’s life. You will soon find reasons to abandon a practice that is based on a dictatorial mindset.

Next, Patañjali turns his attention to describing more about vair¡gya. Verse 13, Chapter 1 says: “drisht¡nushravika vishaya vaitrshnasya vash£k¡ra sanj¡ vair¡gyam.” This describes vair¡gya (non-attachment) as full satisfaction with, or renunciation of, any object that can be seen or heard (vishaya vaitrshnyam). In other words, vair¡gya is

about shifting a material orientation to one that is more attuned to those things that can’t be perceived with the mind or senses.

Going back to the first s¥tra we looked at in this article, it is worth noting that Patanjali introduces abhy¡sa and vair¡gya together in a pair. They do have an important relationship.

It is difficult to remain steady in one’s practice if one is overly attached to getting, avoiding or otherwise react-ing to the various objects perceived in the outer or inner worlds. Vair¡gya is not just about not wanting things; it’s also about accepting what is without resisting or having great aversion to things. If we have become too rigid, it’s probably because we’re trying to resist something, or to push something away. Vair¡gya (non-attachment) supports abhy¡sa (repeated effort) by helping to bring flexibility to our firmly established practices.

Abhy¡sa, in turn, is the taming and training process that helps to cultivate vair¡gya. One Sanskrit text says, “na mantro naushadham tatra na kimchid api vidyate vin¡ j¡pyena siddhyeta sarvam ucch¡t an¡dikam”, that is: There is no mantra, no medicine, nor anything else known, by which non-attachment to all can be attained without repeated effort. (K£laka Stotram, Chandi P¡thah) There is no external ‘thing’ that will magically give a person non-attachment (vair¡gya). It comes through repeated effort (abhy¡sa).

Patañjali describes another way that vair¡gya comes about. Verse 14 says: “tat param purusha khy¡ter guna vaitrshnyam”, that is: From knowing the supreme spirit comes guna vaitrshnyam, the end of desire for anything governed by the gunas.

Contentment and renunciation are dual meanings of the word vaitrshnyam, and that may imply that the thirst for the material can’t just be renounced; it has to be slaked.

About the AuthorBarbara Cook’s San-

skrit studies led her to

Ayurveda in the mid-

1990’s. After graduat-

ing from the Ayurvedic

Studies Program in

1997, she continued

studying Ayurveda with

Dr. Lad and spent her

summers getting more

Sanskrit training with

Dr. Ram Karan Shar-

ma. Barbara taught

Sanskrit in the first and

second year programs at

the Ayurvedic Institute

for three years before

moving to New Zea-

land, where she now

co-runs AyurLab, a

company that facilitates

consultation and educa-

tion services, including

distance learning, in

Ayurveda, Sanskrit and

Jyotisha.

Practice and Non-attachment, Cont. from page 9

In the state of nirodha,

there is no effort.

��

Food & BalanceVâ Pâ Káâ

serves 4Creamy dandelion salad

Dandelion greens are among the first leafy greens to arrive at spring markets. Thanks to their bitter nature, they are a quintessential spring vegetable to assist the liver in its cleansing from the rich, oily and heavy foods of winter. As enticing as the cleansing action may sound, for some people dandelion greens are difficult to enjoy on their own. eaten with this sweet, light and creamy sauce, they are like a dessert. Additional spring benefits of this salad are daikon radish, which aids the liver in assimilating fat, and carrots, which help to cleanse and nourish the liver.

� bunch dandelion greens2 small carrots2-inch piece daikon radish�/2 cup almonds, soaked overnight and

peeled�/4 cup lime juice, freshly squeezed�/2 cup fresh coconut milk*�/2 tsp. cumin seeds, lightly dry roasted and

ground�/2 tsp. coriander seeds, lightly dry roasted

and ground�/2 tsp. mineral saltoptional garnish: �/4 cup unsweetened,

desiccated coconut, lightly toasted

remove the spines from the dandelion greens. Finely chop the green leaves and place them in a bowl. Using your fingers, work the mineral salt into the chopped greens. Set aside for 5 minutes to allow the fibrous nature of the dandelion greens to soften.

While the dandelion greens are resting, finely grate the carrots and daikon radish in a separate bowl.

In a blender, make a cream by blending the almonds, lime juice, coconut milk and spices.

To the chopped dandelion greens, add the grated daikon radish and carrots along with the coconut-almond cream. mix together gently. Garnish with toasted coconut, if desired. Serves 4 as a side salad.

Vata and pitta pacifying. To harmonize for kapha, add freshly ground black pepper.

Y For those who don’t have time to crack open a coconut, here’s a quick way to prepare fresh coconut milk: soak 2 cups unsweetened desiccated coconut in 2 cups boiling water for �0 minutes. blend the coconut and its soaking water in a blender or food processor for a minute. Strain the mixture through a cheesecloth-lined colander. Gather the cheesecloth to extract as much liquid as possible. Discard the squeezed coconut meat. The coconut milk not used in the above recipe can be refrigerated for a day or two and is delicious for use in sauces, smoothies, soups, grains or over fresh fruit.

Although Ayurveda discourages processed food, in a pinch should you need to use coconut milk from a can, dilute the coconut milk with water (�/4 cup water to �/4 cup coconut milk). |

mICHele SCHulz is an Ayurvedic yoga therapist and teaches Ayurvedic nutrition and hands-on cooking classes. She is grateful to her mother, from whom she received an initial infusion of holistic nutrition.

by Michele Schulz

�2

inSpirAtion of AyurvedA

my firST Seminar on ayurveda waS in 1986. dr. Lad’s teachings on Polarity were the perfect outlet for me to apply the laying on of hands healing I was gifted with earlier that year. The description of healing modalities such as herbs, yoga, diet, gems and color applied through Ayurveda, along with Dr. Lad’s beautiful soul and creative teaching style, drew me to New Mexico, where I lived for over 19 years.

Through those years, I gained a good foundation of Ayurvedic philosophy and the skills to practice ob-servation and assessment. I have always approached my clientele holistically. Ayurveda taught me the im-portance of identifying characteristics through the elements, their gunas and constitutional doshas. In any health modality, it is important to know whom we are working with. Only then can we recommend or apply the correct remedy to re-establish harmony.

Another pearl of wisdom I received early on from Dr. Lad was that, to become seriously versed in this healing system, it was important to embrace one’s spiritual path. This rang true to me and I took it deeply to heart.

In my clinical work as an herbalist, my Buddhist teacher’s words came to life: “In healing it is impor-tant to work with one’s mind. For it is from within the subtle layers of mind and spirit that many imbalances stem.” I witnessed that for people to heal, their state of mind required attention too.

So, I followed the advice of my Vedic astrologer and acquired professional licensure. What flowed naturally for me was a Master’s Degree in Clinical Counseling with simultaneous training as a Polarity practitioner. This combination covered the legality of maintaining hands-on healing and marma chikits¡ (acupressure) in my work with clients.

Eight years into my studies, I began weaving the re-quirements of allopathic medicine into an Ayurvedic-based holistic career. Manas (mind) and mano vaha srotas (the channel of the mind), a major srotas of Vedic medicine, were the modalities I used to imple-ment this integrative science.

The m¡rga or pathways to the body would be through m¡msa dh¡tu, majj¡ dh¡tu and the chakra system. Each of the psycho-emotional centers connects to a nerve plexus’s along the midline of the human body. I now had a format to integrate my world of psycho-spiritual healing within an Ayurvedic-based healing protocol. My intention and vision to heal with color and the five elements was not just an intention anymore. With Dr. Lad’s support and guidance, it manifested as reality.

I had subconsciously utilized color for self-healing throughout my B.A. training in Fine and Liberal Arts. In Kentucky, I had studied color and symbology and experimented with color in my environment and wardrobe. My relationship to color was not one of pursuit. Though pleasing, it was something I was drawn to through varied instances of divine guidance.

One instance stands out: I witnessed the most beautiful sunrise I had ever seen. It was unique, in that each color of the rainbow, all seven chakra colors, were shown to me individually. As a re-sult, universal pr¡na circulated throughout my entire being and I remembered my wish to utilize color as a healing modality.

A position opened within the Panchakarma Clinic at the Ay-urvedic Institute, and I shifted my role there from herbalist to therapeutic technician. It was time to present my desire to create a color therapy component to the Administrator. As fortune had it, I was blessed to find Dr. Lad shared my inspiration.

Dr. Lad worked closely with me for four years, as I researched and perfected a color therapy system that could be utilized above a massage table. He specifically chose the color combinations of one to three gels to get the right vibration and hue for each chakra as I held the gels up to the New Mexico sunlight through his office window. We had been discussing the marma protocol and dh¡tus or tissue layers that connected to each chakra color. I queried him on the specific protocols he would like within a color therapy session.

In the meantime, I had completed my Master’s degree in counseling at Webster University along with the clinical in-ternships I needed towards licensure as a professional mental health counselor. My focus was the process of death and dying, psycho-neuro-immunology and alternative healing protocols for women in depression.

On return from pilgrimage to India, I was hired as Panchakar-ma assistant. I worked part-time with Dr. Lad and Ed Danaher in assessing and counseling panchakarma clients. Because of my

Integrat ing Ayurveda

by K. Karuna Fluhart-Negrete, MA

�3

About the AuthorK. Karuna Fluhart-

Negrete, MA, NCC,

is a Certified Hakomi

Therapist. She provides

Integrative Counseling

and has taught Body-

Mind Integrated Heal-

ing for 20 years. See

her August 9th, 2008

at Naropa Institute.

Karuna practices in

Santa Cruz, California

and visits Albuquerque,

NM as well. Contact

her at www.colorheals.

com, (831) 535-8693

or (505) 252-4924.

The green ray of the heart chakra, as in my early morning sunrise experience, became a bridge for connecting the person’s physical experience and life’s difficulties to the comfort and inspiration of inner knowing, self-expression and spiritual support from the niguna, or higher centers.

Through color therapy, I focused on the five ele-ments throughout the chakra system to establish balance of sattva, rajas and tamas. It also presented a way to tridoshically approach the five types of v¡yu or air element.

M¥l¡dh¡ra (root) and Sv¡dhishth¡na (sacral) chakras both support ap¡na v¡yu. Manip¥ra (solar plexus and the agni chakra) helps to maintain balance within sam¡na v¡yu, especially with an application of clear yellow light to the hypogastric area. Emerald green light applied to An¡hata (heart chakra) circu-lates throughout the body-mind. It supplies cellular nourishment to the body through the support of vy¡na v¡yu. The chakra system completes its elemen-tal support at Vishuddha, the throat, with a brilliant sky blue color. The upper two chakras of ¢jña (third eye center) and Sahasr¡ra (crown) both support pr¡na v¡yu and the gateway to higher consciousness. The higher centers function beyond elemental correlation, without sensory stimulation of the elements.

Hakomi therapy, the body-mind based psycho-therapy I practice, can easily incorporate Ayur-chrome within its experiential format. First, I do a general assessment while meeting my client. Then I establish mindfulness within the client as we work in awareness towards accessing deeper states of consciousness.

Similar to working with the pulse, specific informa-tion is relayed that can then be addressed through integrative exploration. This can be done more tra-ditionally with the use of a massage table; perfect for incorporating the subtle ingredients of Ayur-chrome – sparsha (touch), shabda (sound) and colored light applications. I do so consciously, wherein at each step the client participants, thus signaling my choice of protocol to supply the missing elements.

At times, the client may need a more standardized setting and elements of an Ayur-chrome session could be utilized within the psychotherapeutic office. No problem. I have developed a five-element color exer-cise I find accurately displays imbalances supported

background in Polarity and psychotherapy, I received requests for “Body-Mind Synchronization” sessions. This combination of Ayurveda, Polarity and psychotherapy became an adjunctive service that allowed people to begin integrating their healing process more fully.

Eventually, I wove these integrative skills into Ayur-chrome, the color therapy treatments, and Dr. Lad suddenly began refer-ring clients for these sessions. He recommended treatments of one or two colors per person. Surprised but happy I began with a half-hour session. We had originally discussed two protocols: a seven-chakra treatment and an individualized session based on the person’s specific constitutional considerations. Under the influence of his referrals, I quickly created a one-hour standard seven-chakra protocol.

The healing invoked through these light sessions brought significant change and benefit to those who received it. For some, it lifted the weight of psycho-emotional trauma. For oth-ers, physical pain diminished. Many would find relief through the self-understanding attained during the session. Others re-ceived nervous-system rejuvenation from the experience of a deeply restful state. I can testify that everyone who received Ayur-chrome showed significant shifts, recorded by the light in their eyes (ojas) and relaxed facial muscles as they exited the treatment room.

Dr. Lad bestowed upon me the basic ingredients for a healing session. I then followed universal guidance, my own intuition and applied Ayurvedic wisdom. The combination of colored light, marma chikits¡, and recitation of b£ja mantra and chakra sounds, provided a ground for pranic energy to circulate and awaken the client’s body-mind-consciousness.

Gentle physical support, keen observation skills and psycho-spiritual attention from the therapist created an interactive field of non-judgmental healing for many. These became the basic ingredients to ground v¡ta or pitta and welcome the client to present experience.

I believe colored light has the ability to balance the agnis. Colored light activates one’s own internal source of tejas or light of wisdom as well. Combined with the touch of pr¡na, each colored ray penetrates the grosser layers of body-mind-soul. States of tamas (dull mind) are awakened and the clarity received offers a source of nourishment.

I have witnessed the combination of Ayurvedic assessment, subtle therapeutics and contemplative psychotherapy as a pow-erful combination for healing root causes of psycho-spiritual and physical imbalance.

Continued on page �4

through pulse reading. Within a psychotherapeutic session, I find the utilization of Ayur-chrome’s subtle components to be indispensable. Sometimes I turn on a colored light in the room. Often I utilize corresponding seed sounds to neutrally express an issue. Sparsha (touch) is sometimes introduced through the kinetic experience of Sand Tray Therapy in which the miniatures used are grouped in five-element categories dependant on their symbolic gunas. Otherwise, I may assign self touch-points within

a reflective experiment. I have also become adept at touching others energetically through focused attention of clear mind.

Whether someone needs stabilization or deeper psychologi-cal processing, my training in Ayurveda, Hakomi and medita-tion have been indispensable. I hope my story inspires you and supports the claim that Ayurveda is a truly holistic avenue for self-healing. |

Inspiration of Ayurveda, Cont. from page �3

�4

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THe AyurVeDIC INSTITuTe

2008 SPrING & FAll SemINArSTanmatra Chikitsa: Healing Through the doors of perception and Bringing right Action into life May 16 – 18 | vasant ladDoshas can be balanced with subtle therapies addressing the five senses, sound (shabda), touch (sparsha), form and vision (rupa), taste (rasa) and smell (gandha). Therapies discussed will include mantra, yajnya, marma, yantra, meditation, food, herbs and aroma.

Ayurvedic Beauty Concepts: special reference to Custom Blending and shirodharasept. 8 – 12 | sonia Masoccoenhance your knowledge with the fundamentals of a 5,000-year-old science while learning new techniques in health and beauty. under ms. masocco’s expert direction, you will rediscover and make yours the notions of beauty from the east. Improve your dexterity with prime materials such as herbs,

pastes, clays, essential oils and carriers. learn how to custom-make mixtures and preparations suitable to each individual client’s needs. limit 20 students.

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