Ayurveda - removing obstacles!
So I returned home from 3 days of wonderful Ayurvedic treatments to find Elijah weaned. Just like that. No drama. No tears. Nothing. All that questioning I did about breastfeeding or not breastfeeding and it was done just like that.
Admittedly the first thing he said at the airport upon seeing me was "nooners", his word for Mama's milk, before showing greater interest in the "Welcome to Guernsey" booklets than at me at all!
Back home a little while later he asked again and I told him that I thought Mama's milk would not taste quite the same after Mama's treatments and he lay down to feed but must have got a sense that something had changed, or maybe I smelt different, or maybe he just decided, "nah, I'm done with this", because all of a sudden he moved away from me, no drama, no milk.
And that was that. I put him to bed that night without feeding him to sleep easy peasy. And he slept through until 3.30am, which is unheard of. In fact the silly thing is I kept waking up waiting to hear him cry for me!
Things are a changing. And gently too. As I always intended. Just not in the way I intended. But isn't that always the case! Note to self - remember to get out of your own way, stop being the obstacle. Ha! Funny really that I should have found myself practicing a whole 2 hour yoga session in honour of Ganesha with Stewart Gilchirst only a few or so ago now, see there is some benefit in sweating and surrendering in front of this deity (not that one realises it at the time!).
That Ayurveda is truly wonderful. I can highly recommend it. I thoroughly enjoyed all 9 hours of delicious treatments with all manner of oils and pastes in a wonderfully warm and womb-like room with gentle and ambient music played in the background so that I feel clean on the inside and out and with renewed energy and clarity. And a happy weaned son!
To me, Ayurveda is truly inspiring, the most ancient and authentically recorded health system in history, over 5,000 years old, it was created by yogis who spent their lives studying nature and the human condition.
Meaning “the science of life” it is exactly that, viewing health in four dimensions of physical, sensory, mental and spiritual and is centred on preventative medicine and bringing a person back to balance. It shows how an imbalance in one part of a person’s being will affect them in another, i.e. if a person isn’t being true to their life path (dharma) then physical and mental illnesses can arise which cannot be effectively treated with modern medicines but can be helped by Ayurveda.
Ayurveda uses elemental medicine which means that they balance out earth, fire, water, air and ether in the body. These are divided into three doshas, Vata, Pitta and Kapha, which are the basis of a person’s constitution and also the factors that can create imbalances.
Ayurveda places great emphasis on diet, lifestyle, yoga, meditation, massage and herbal medicines to bring a person back to health and keep them there - and health, to quote from the Ayurvedic Health Home in Kathmandu, Nepal (where I stayed many years ago now) is “a dynamic process, an inner joyfulness, like a flow of the river or a breeze of the wind.
Dr Deepika was recommended to me about 10 years ago now from a London-based friend I met on a yoga retreat in Bali and I have seen her a number of times ever since. I usually know when I need to see her because life has lost its flow or I am feeling a little out of sorts and usually my pitta gets deranged so that I start really pushing myself and getting angry and my skin isn't great and the thoughts are all consuming!
I have been feeling like this for a good old while, perhaps not surprising off the back of the IVF drugs, but also on some level, I suspect I was probably just exhausted by the feeding and also feeling a pressure to stop and angry at my inability to make a decision about it...the body has been trying to tell me for some time, but one can be ever so stubborn an caught in one's mind!!
Still we get where we need to be, even if we do make it a whole heap more challenging for ourselves in the process. And actually that is where Elijah is by far my greatest teacher, so much wiser than me, because he decided he wants to stop feeding and that's it, done and dusted...whereas I have been thinking about it way too much and giving it far too much energy and holding on to it...aren't children just amazing the way they just move on..."move on Mama", I can hear him say.
I am so grateful to Dr Deepika for sharing her gift, she certainly helps me (and others I know!) to keep our feet on the ground. And to Elijah for making me laugh at myself and my ridiculous resistance to change - despite praying for it (and more sleep in a gentle manner, no crying it out for us) on the other hand! It seems that grace works in ways beyond our control (and ability to control the process to reach an outcome), we are our own obstacle hey, thank you then Ganesha, Remover of all Obstacles. Ha!!
http://www.theayurvedicclinic.com/dr-deepika-rodrigo
Love and gratitude!
xx
Healing with crystals
I am absolutely passionate about crystals and am always keen to share them with others. I was initially introduced to crystals many years ago now by my Reiki Master who was a big fan and had them placed in every room of her house. To be honest I cannot believe it took so long for them to appear in my life.
We studied crystals during our Reiki 2 training and very soon they started to appear around my house too. In fact these days we have them in every room in the house, I even have a few in my car and I never travel without a few in my bag. I also wear them as much as I can, selecting those that resonate with my mood.
We even place them in plant pots to help energise the plants and assist their growth - Mum and Dad even have them in the greenhouse.They are magical and I am always keen to give crystals to others so that they too, can be touched by their healing and transformative qualities.
Crystals and frequencies
We live in a world of constant vibration, intelligent vibration actually, because everything that exists is really energy information, or energy in-formation – vibration.
These vibrations form matter, substance or intangible things. The key frequency of vibration of an object or an animal is known as its resonant frequency. Vibrating or oscillating systems will absorb energy if the energy is delivered in the resonant frequency.
Although they may seem like inert objects crystals are very much alive, they are both filled with energy and are conduits of energy – that is one of the reasons crystals are used in watches, radios and modern medical devices.
Crystals amplify their own energy as well as the Divine universal energy, which we already know as Ki, Chi, Prana, Love and Reiki. Crystals have been used for healing since before Egyptian times. With advances in geology and quantum physics, the structure and energy of crystals is beginning to be understood.
Like human beings that vibrate on their own individual frequency crystals vibrate on their own individual frequency. We have all had the experience of meeting a perfect stranger and either liking that person immediately or feeling an antipathy towards them – without in any way being able to explain our feelings or emotions – well that is all down to the resonance of vibration.
Choosing crystals
Crystals should be chosen in the same way. It is important that the crystals, which we choose and use should vibrate on a frequency as close as possible to that of our own. Individual methods of choosing crystals may vary from person to person but would normally include:-
Close your eyes and quietly meditate for a few moments. Then open your eyes and pick up the first crystal to which your eye becomes naturally drawn.
Run one of your hands over all the crystals available for selection. You will soon discover that one will cling to your hand – this is your crystal.
Intuitively you will “know” which crystal you should choose and which is right for you. You may feel as if the crystal is vibrating and sense that the crystal is saying ‘choose me, I am yours’. Or you might sense or even “see’” a strong crystalline light radiating from the crystal and attracting you like a magnet. Sometimes you will feel as if the crystals are actually choosing you!
If you have experience in dowsing then you will be able to select the most appropriate crystal by using your dowsing techniques.
Should you wish to choose a crystal for a friend, follow the same guidelines as if you were choosing a crystal for yourself but visualise as strongly as possible a picture of your friend within your mind’s eye. With a little practice you will soon realise that it is very easy to select a crystal for any of your friends.
Cleansing/energising crystals
Having chosen your crystal it is now important that you cleanse it. Crystals often attract all kinds of energy vibrations both negative and positive. Remember that your crystal may have travelled many thousands of miles and been handled by many people before you received it. Therefore your crystal may have acquired some negative energies.
It will not come as a surprise to you, therefore, that before you start to use your crystal it is very important that you remove all of these negative emotions and vibrations and re-energise it before you begin to use your crystal for healing purposes. This is to ensure that only the most natural and pure energies remain within your crystal. Choosing how and when a crystal needs cleansing is a personal decision as is the time required for cleansing. Be mindful of cleansing crystals after each client to release any energy residue.
There are several ways to cleanse crystals including placing them in sea salt, or in a natural water source (sea, stream, river), burying them in the earth, infusing them with sunlight or moonlight (particularly on a full moon), or holding them in your hand and setting your intention that they be cleansed by Reiki. Be careful if you cleanse them at the beach, I almost lost quite a few sinking in the sand of a rock pool once!
Crystals and colour
Another of the great things about crystals is their colour. Colour, through crystals, can be used to rebalance diminished chakra energies.
Putting the elements of natural earth product, colour and light together, we begin to see the mechanism by which crystals can help us to heal. It is said that there are almost 50,000,000,000 vibrations per second in the human body. Here are some examples of some individual body ‘parts’:
Blood – 82,500 million v.p.s.
Lungs – 67,250 million v.p.s.
Ear – 47,750 million v.p.s.
As the number of vibrations is so high a unit of 10 million vibrations per millimetre was established by Jonas Angstrom an astronomer and physicist, just over a hundred years ago. It is called the Angstrom Unit and has simplified the calculations of cosmic energy vibrations.
Colours are a woven network of vibrations and converted to Angstrom Units, the following are the colours of the chakras;
Base chakra, red, 8,000AU
Sacral chakra, orange, 6,500AU
Solar Plexus, yellow, 6,000AU
Heart chakra, green, 5,000AU
Throat chakra, blue, 4,750AU
Third eye, Indigo, 4,500AU
Crown chakra, white, 2-4,000AU.
Essentially crystals are a combination of colour and light therapy sending out the vibrational rate equivalent to their colour. Various types of crystals and gemstones are said to have special and subtle energy and healing properties. Certain crystals, most notably quartz, are also thought to be subtle energy amplifiers.
Healing with crystals
The simplest method of using crystals for colour healing (emphasis on resonant frequency) is probably the chakra layout pattern, which involves lying in a supine position on your back and placing the 7 different coloured stones on the 7 corresponding chakra centres of the body. It is suggested that you rest with the crystals in this position for a period of 15 to 45 minutes, but as with everything, it is best to use your intuition.
The following are examples of crystals that relate to your energy centres and what their properties are:
Clear quartz – crown chakra – this is the most powerful healer. It generates electromagnetism and dispels static electricity. It connects the physical dimension with the mind and will also stimulate the immune system.
Amethyst – third eye – this is a powerful healer and protector that can enhance psychic abilities and spiritual awareness. It calms the mind and can enhance meditation and visualisation, relieving physical and emotional pain.
Blue Lace Agate – throat chakra – this calms, cools, lifts thoughts and will work on the throat, heart, third eye and crown to encourage attunement. It is used to treat arthritis and strengthens the skeletal system. You can also use Lapis Lazuli
Jade – heart chakra – this crystal is a symbol of purity and serenity and it will release negative thoughts and soothe the mind. It will aid in emotional release and helps to remove toxins and thus heal. You can also use Aventurine.
Rose quartz – this is the crystal of unconditional love. It will heal and open the heart, calming, reassuring and giving deep inner healing. It aids in self-trust and self-worth, teaching us how to love oneself by encouraging self-forgiveness and acceptance.
Yellow Jasper – solar plexus – this protects us during spiritual work and physical travel. It will channel positive energy and energise your endocrine system, it will also help you to overcome exhaustion and revitalise you. You can also use Citrine.
Carnelian – sacral chakra – this grounds and anchors us to our present surroundings, improves analytical abilities, clarifies perception, motivates in business and will dispel apathy. It has the capacity to cleanse other crystals, heal lower back problems, rheumatism, arthritis and depression.
Red Jasper – root chakra – this grounds energy and rectifies unjust situations, also aiding in dream recall. It will strengthen the circulatory system.
Enjoy your crystals and share them with others as they do really enhance life.