Ayurvedic Tips and Reminders- Cleaning Out the Mind
Dear friends,
When you think of Spring don’t you think of cleaning out your space, your home, garden, office, closet, basement and attic?
But do you think about cleaning out your mind of frustrating emotions, relationships that are causing you to feel angry, agitated or unappreciated, and negative patterns that show up again and again? or do you just throw your hands up and say ” this again, I thought I dealt with that already”.
When we speak of the mind in Ayurveda we are not talking about a fixed place. The mind according to Ayurveda is in every cell, in every bodily channel and is affected deeply by sensory input. The mind has been said in Ayurveda to be an “image making machine” , filled with thoughts , feeling and images. Images are the sum total of all your present and past experiences/ trauma , creating memory. You expect a certain taste when you eat a blueberry, you watch a sunset to feel awe and beauty, you feel more calm when you apply lavender oil, you feel satiated after you eat. The mind plays a key role in how you interpret ALL of your experiences. You could have an abundant life but feel lack; isn’t it true?
So with that said, what do you do to clean out your mind of negative emotions, impressions and false beliefs or do you simply say’ That’s how I am, that’s how my mother or father was”, blame it on someone else. Just because you were once hurt in a relationship does not mean all relationships will be hurtful. Could it be your mind recreating the disappointment and expectation of hurt again and again only attracting those people who allow you to believe in your negative thoughts?? Think about it.
Why is it when you go on a vacation you give your mind permission to be at peace ? Why not cultivate this state in your everyday life?
If you truly want to evolve, and be healthy you must clean out the attic of your mind or at least be able to witness it enough to be able to uproot the negativity. This requires some practice. Here are a few tips to pursue a mind a free of clutter:
- Meditation- If you say you cannot meditate then you might as well say you cannot sleep. It is as natural as sleep. It is not forcing, trying or gripping thoughts. It is like a surfer on the ocean waves… riding the emotions and thoughts long enough to reach calm waters. Begin with five minutes.
- Pranayama breathing- particular breathing exercises that aim to balance one’s state of mind .
- Pursue creativity and being in nature– Creativity allows the mind to focus and relax where time flies by. Nature restores the mind, brings insights, promotes wisdom and freedom.
- Marma-marmani—a set of precise energy points on the surface of the skin that are connected to deeper, more subtle energetic pathways throughout the body. Each marma point offers an access point for shifting the energy within the channel of the mind. This is very powerful. In this way, working with the marma points can be an effective means of restoring balance to the mental/emotional channels. Many of you know I practice marma and especially for this reason; it changes one’s perception, in a good way. That’s pretty miraculous!
Remember, you are not your thoughts, emotions, images… you are pure awareness, whole and with a loving heart. By cleaning out the attic of your mind you are paving the way to a happier , healthier and more fulfilling life. Accessing this place is true health according to Ayurveda. Vasant Lad, a famous Ayurvedic teacher has said” it’s a moment to moment meditation”…. not just a seasonal practice.
Ps. New location on Wednesdays
Heal Center
270 Carpenter Dr. Ste 500
Atlanta, GA 30328 404-303-0007
Namaste’
Gedalia Genin
Ayurvedic Health Specialist