 Happy New Year! 2012 is a "5" year. In Kundalini Yoga numerology, the number 5 is all about maintaining a disciplined balance. It's also the number which represents the Teacher, as in, if you want to master something teach (share) it! 5 is also the number of the physical body, as in learning to be comfortable in our bodies. The "5" apsect of ourselves reminds us that we have choices. There are two trends is each of us: sattvic (of the angels), or tamasic (wallowing in inertia). Let's cultivate the sattvic by doing something to move our energy every single day (Kundalini Yoga anyone?) and blast off to make beautiful breakthroughs for ourselves and each other in 2012 and beyond!
And talking of "beyond" 2012....the Mayan Prediction of a new age has often been erroneously interpreted as the "end of the world." Just because the "Long Count," calender, "times out," doesn't mean that our days are numbered! What it does mean is that time resets itself relative to a higher order of being! Here is what the Bible has to say about this transition to the Aquarian Age. In addition to astrological references, it sounds like a Kundalini Experience to us:
"Then he (the angel) showed me the river of the water of life bright as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb through the middle of the city; also, on either side of the river, the tree of life with its twelve kinds of fruit, yielding its fruit each month; and the leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations." Revelation 22, 1-2
(hint: "middle of the city," = the shushuma, the central energetic pathway of the spine. "...on either side of the river, the tree of life..." the nadi system of energy flows in the body. "Healing of the nations," = body, mind, soul, integration. Twelve kinds of fruit = astrological archetypes and talents brought to fruition by Spirit. And just for fun, re: the "Lamb." Lam is the Tibetan word for the Path or Way, and is a root syllable in Sanskrit. Lambda is the 11th letter of the Greek alphabet and is the symbol for the cosmological constant...)
We hope to see many of you on our " Southern Tour," : At Yoga Village in Clearwater, FL, Jan. 14th, Bija Yoga in Naples, Fl, and at Give Yoga Memphis for a weekend of Workshops (The Conscious Yogi) Jan. 20 - 22nd. Let's do some Kundalini Yoga Together! (For All Levels)
Sat. January 14th - Clearwater, FL - Yoga Village
Kundalini Yoga - Green Energy of the Heart 1:30 p.m. - 3:30 p.m. SPACE LIMITED
www.ayogavillage.com / 727.712.1475
Sun.. January 15th, - Naples, FL - Bija Yoga
Kundalini Yoga - Heal Yourself & Heal the World 5 p.m. - 6:30 p.m. (suggested 20 dollar donation) SPACE LIMITED
www.bijayoga971.com / 239.775.0888
Fri. Jan. 20th to Sun. Jan. 22nd, 2012 - Memphis, TN - Give Yoga Studio
The Conscious Yogi 627 South Mendenhall, Memphis, TN 901.493.1431 www.giveyogamemphis.com
Teacher Training in Memphis Begins Feb. 24th!!!
By popular demand, Teacher Training at Give Yoga in Memphis, TN starting Feb. 24th, If you attend the weekend Jan. 20th you can apply those hours towards the training. Now is the time to manifest Destiny and use your gifts to heal, uplift, and inspire. The Aquarian Age is dawning and YOU are here for a reason. Make the most of your time alive! Heal the world and so grow in Spirit! Memphis is a rocking soulful town where Elvis Presley made his first record. The yoga community there keeps that soulful vibe alive. Hope you can join us there! For more info and application contact: OliviaLomax@yahoo.com, 901.493.1431, www.giveyogamemphis.com You can also see all of the Teacher Training Info Here
Our Next Yoga Retreat: Lake Placid, NY Mar. 23-25!
Our next yoga weekend will be at the amazing Mirror Lake Inn in Lake Placid, NY, in the beautiful Adirondacks. This is an opportunity to experience a very high end resort (famous for its state of the art exclusive spa) at very affordable prices. The title for the weekend will be Shake Your Chakras & Rock Your Soul! Download a flier with all the details Here.
Navigate 2012 with some personalized guidance! Treat Yourself to a Phone Consultations with Ravi
Do you have specific goals for which you would like to apply the most appropriate inner technology? Would you like some clarity with regard to the person you're meant to be and your mission on this earth? Do you have an emotional or physical health issue which has resisted your best attempts? Ravi Singh will draw upon his long experience as a Teacher and Spiritual Advisor and provide counseling and a personal Meditation practice for 2012. Each consultation will consist of two phone conversations. The first to gather information, and the second to present Ravi's "findings," and to present and explain your personal Meditation for 2012. The cost for the overall consultation is 108 dollars. Please reply to this e-mail if you're interested.
|
|
Shallow Questions for Deep Women (and men too)
There are two types of reflection, one which we see in the mirror and the other in which we go within. Jan. is a time when we make use of both mirrors, one to get in shape, and the other to change our lives. Our newsletters deal with both all year round but in this issue we decided to get right to the surface of things and go skin deep with all natural topical beauty products we feel strongly enough about to recommend. Our skin is our largest organ. As yogis we twist and bend and breathe to keep our livers, lungs, kidneys and other vital parts doing what they are meant to do. The skin has important jobs too! Not only that but it actually absorbs what we put on it.
Its true! Kundalini Yoga and healthy lifestyle habits endow us with a gift of glow, but, all my (Ana) life, I have been fascinated with the various beauty products women rely on. Not new stuff they may be currently testing or trying, but their old tried and true standbys. As a yogi and vegetarian, I have grown more conscious about what I put in, and on, my body and my curiosity has transferred to what other women "on the path," use on a daily basis. This month we introduce, "Shallow Questions for Deep Women." Of course the title is tongue in cheek.Taking good care of oneself is one of the important ways to give expression to the soul.
Ana:
 I love beauty products and the rituals that come along with them. I love femininity. I love to mist my face, press oils into my skin or massage balms into my hair. Ravi jokingly refers to our bathroom as my "lab." The bathroom counter is always crowded with little bottles, tubs, pots, tubes, hair clips and ties. Actually, I feel my bathroom is my sanctuary. For those of us "on the path" everything we do has a deeper meaning. Putting on the day and taking off the day in my lab is its own meditation. I have quite a few MVP products that I have wanted to share for some time, but decided my criteria for sharing favorites would be long term testing on my own fussy hyper sensitive, sometimes oily, sometimes dry, formerly acne prone skin.
Skin is our largest organ. Its our largest elimination organ and knowing its permeability to chemicals, I wondered if I was slowly poisoning myself over time. But WooHooGuru! Natural Skin care has caught up! There have been incredible and sophisticated breakthroughs in organic skin care in the past few years! And I am super excited about what the future will bring! About three years ago, on a visit to my dermatologist, I was surprised when, instead of her usual recommendations of lines like Skinceuticals , or Roc, she, knowing that I prefer a more natural approach, handed me a bottle of Suki Pure Facial Moisture, and said, "I think you'll really like this oil." Oil? On my oily problem skin?? Really?? But.... huge revelation! Even oily skin can benefit from the right natural oils! From that day on, I made the quantum leap to only using all natural products on my skin. The way I use the oil is: after washing my face, and misting it well with spring water (long time habit to remove all traces of chlorine), I press just 2-3 drops into my skin. Instant glow! I wake up the next day with the softest skin! Another product of theirs I love is the Exfoliate Foaming Cleanser a skin clarifier, which, when used weekly, does wonders for my skin , but I have learned not to use it more than that, because, as they say in yoga, everything contains its opposite...and my skin gets super sensitive. I always use Suki Transformative Cleansing Clay on my face as a mask immediately after the scrub, or whenever my skin feels like it needs some extra nurturing. It's called a "cleanser," but I never use it for that. It's so super soothing that, for me, it works best as a mask because its like putting baby aspirin on my face! Another long time favorite for my hyper sensitive skin is Epicurean Colustrum Cream. Sometimes I place this over the Suki Pure Facial Moisture when my skin feels especially in need of a little extra nourishing. Another standby is the Epicurean Citrus Herbal Cleanser.
This next recommendation is not a long term product but it is already an MVP in my beauty arsenal. An all natural sunscreen that I feel really does its job and beautifully! I know January is a weird time to write about blocking the sunrays but I am kind of a fanatic about putting sunscreen on every single morning even throughout winter. There is indoor UV to deal with too! The more danger- as well (and many light bulbs are suspect too!). Anyway, my holy grail sunscreen is Josie Marans SPF 40. It is completely nonchemical, and contains the very skin compatible argan oil. It's also very moisturizing, so you don't have to double up your products. It even has a sort of sweet sexy smell.
I started life as a blonde, and when my hair started getting darker, I dyed it black on the advice of a friend. I wore it that way for six years, never feeling entirely myself, and finally decided to make the transition back to blonde. Over a year, I went from shades of reddish brown, to red, to strawberry blonde to golden blonde, then kept going, and now I am much blonder than my roots! My current colorist uses bleach which has nothing natural or organic about it but he doesn't get close to my scalp, so I always have a little bit of root, which I don't mind, and my scalp is never irritated. I know, I know... Bleach!!! The funny thing is that my colorist is an herbalist and, like me, loves natural organ- ic products. For the two hours it takes to lighten my hair we talk about all kinds of holistic things and discuss our favorite natural products and he teaches me things like how to make my own natural lipbalms, etc.. Anyway, I like that bleach gives my flat very fine hair some body and makes it fun to work with.
Hair this blond loves moisture! I avoid silicone products because they seal out moisture and eventually make hair snap!. I love phyto products. The Phytojoba Shampoo has an amazing butter rum type smell, is sulphate free, yet creates satisfying creamy suds,while being super gentle. The Phytojoba Mask is super-hydrating and a once a week must. The Phyto 9 Daily Ultra Nourishing Botanical Cream , or a couple drops of Josie Marans Pure Argan Oil, or Leonor Greyls Palm Oil is all my hair needs to stay frizz free and shiny!
Note: Some of these all natural skin creams and scrubs are pricey, I know, but there are less expensive alternatives I have often used with great results. Baking Soda mixed with a little water to make a paste is an excellent exfolliater (a tip I picked up from a well known makeup artist). Argan oil or jojoba or camellia oil make great moisturizers for skin and hair and can be found for all budgets.
Next month we ask Wah! about her go-to products. Wah, as you probably already know, is one of the most talented an important musician and singers in the yoga world. We can't wait!
|
|
Specials of the Month: It's Fitness Season!
 
∆ Our Two Newest DVD's!!! ∆
Here is a list of our 22 DVD's and links to Amazon.com where many of these are on sale! Give the greatest gift of all to the people you love: health, peace of mind, insight, creativity, inner strength, and Spirit!
- Yoga Total Tune Up -Four 20 min. segments. Powerful stuff!
- Yoga Cleanse - Perfect workout for your winter detox and more!
- Navel Power - For personal power, focus, will, stomach of steel!
- Warrior Workout - a non-stop high energy feast.
- Ultimate Stretch Workout - for longer leaner lines!
- A Journey thru the Chakras - Climb the ladder of lights
- Am/Pm Yoga - Start and end your day on a high note!
- Kundalini Yoga for Beginners & Beyond - A Kundalini "must have," featuring the classic basic spinal series and the Five Tibetans! A great daily practice!
- Fat Free Yoga - One of our most popular. Great to do during change of seasons to recalibrate the glands!
- Dance the Chakras Yoga Workout - Move thru the chakras, literally! Two sets: half hour chakra workout and sacred movement.
- Yoga Beauty Body - Featuring the "Magnificent 7," + much more!
- Yoga Bliss Hips - Let your energy flow in new and exciting ways!
- Yoga House Call - Yoga for long term issues, quick sets, more!
- Yoga Quick Fixes - Yoga fixes for on-the-spot self-healing, quick sets plus. Featuring Delete Depression, Headache Helper, more...
- Yoga for Beginners & Beyond: Stretch, Strengthen, Be Stress Free - Kundalini/Hatha fusion. Embody the basics and grow your Kundalini practice!
- Kundalini Yoga for Energy & Super Radiance -Kundalini Yoga to be the bright being you were born to be!
- Kundalini Yoga Cardio, Stretch, & Strengthen -Get set to sweat and grow!
- Kundalini Yoga Transformer All-In-One Workout - An amazing inner/outer workout. Featuring "Born Free," and more!
- Kundalini Yoga Solar Power All-In-One Workout - An amazing set to open the solar plexus plus Awaken Your Senses.
- Kundalini Yoga Meditation for Beginners & Beyond - Grow you inner life and burn brightly in this world!
- Kundalini Yoga Body Electric All-In-One Workout - Optimize your energy. Streamline your body. Glow!
- Kundalini Yoga Flow Bootcamp All-In-One Workout Turn the tables on inertia. Move your energy, move your life!
|
|
!
The Nerve of It
I'm writing because I really enjoy your videos and feel tremendous benefit. But I have some queries. One is that you claim that the sciatic nerve runs from hands to feet.You seem to be the only people on this planet who believe this to be so. Most medical people credit it to run from the lumbar vertebrae to the feet. Which casts doubt on your claim that this 'life nerve' has the role you suggest. This raises a question so fundamental that I began to doubt many of your statements. For example, when you say 'yoga says...' or 'according to yoga....' what authority are you quoting?Sadly, once having started down the road of scepticism, I'm dubious about many of your assertions. I begin to wonder whether the benefit I feel is simply placebo effect. I've trawled the internet, I can't find any proof of the great antiquity of kundalini yoga.Yoga Bhajan was plainly a very charismatic man - in common with a host of charlatans and snake oil vendors. I'm unconvinced that this ex- customs inspector was privy to the secret mystical knowledge upon which western kundalini yoga is based.Though I do believe that there is more to life than this age of science - whose mantra is 'prove it' - allows. I was brought up a catholic, for whom it is a mortal sin to question. I am now a buddhist, exhorted by Buddha himself to question everything and take nothing on faith. I'd like to be convinced, but require something more concrete than 'yoga says'. I hope that you will take the time to answer my questions.
Thanks for writing and for your thoughtful questions. The peripheral nervous system, the large nerves in the arms and legs and their tributaries, all connect (directly or indirectly) into the central nervous system housed by the spine. There is a long nerve in the arms which runs from the base of palm, through the shoulders, and connects to the middle back. The definition of sciatic is, "Long Nerve." The long nerve in the arms, along with the vagus nerve, and the sciatic nerve in the legs, is one of the longest nerves in the body. That's why we call the nerve in the arms a "sciatic," nerve. When we stimulate the long nerve in the arms, in the context of various Kundalini Yoga kriyas, it serves as an inroad to the entire nervous system, and energetic anatomy, in a manner which mirrors similar work on the long nerve in the legs. Calling the long nerve in the arms a sciatic nerve is our personal interpretation, but we feel it is an accurate one.
When we say "according to yoga," it means that traditional yoga lore has made those claims for that technique. We also say "according to yoga" because we are not doctors, and legally we can't make health claims without citing a traditional source. The claims we make on our DVD's have been verified many times over through our own experiences, as well as the experiences of thousands of students.
It is understandable that people are curious about the origins of Kundalini Yoga. We are writing a book which will help clarify these origins and place Kundalini Yoga in a wider context. There are many techniques in Kundalini Yoga (So Darshan Chakra Kriya is an example) which are well documented as being practiced in the 1400's and before. Yogi Bhajan had some important Teachers and we have been able to document their lives as well. Yogi Bhajan was a Master Technician and his contribution to codifying and simplifying techniques made it possible for Kundalini Yoga to be taught as we teach it. He has passed the baton (amazing gifts for healing and authentic Spiritual expansion). Lets take that baton and run with it!
One aspect of a Meditative Mind is to deconstruct things until we arrive at essence. Everything contains its opposite and the most stark example of that is the way in which the mind works. Healthy skepticism is one thing, but it is important to not to strip away layers of the onion until nothing is left! Trust you own experience, and use that experience to elevate Spirit and heal, uplift and inspire!
re: your statement about Yogi Bhajan, "..in common with a host of charlatans and snake oil vendors." If you scratch the surface of any great person's life, from George Washington, to Gandhi, to Albert Einstein to Martin Luther King, etc.., you may find things that seem all to human relative to their immortal stature. What matters is their legacy. If we have high standards for them we should transfer those expectations to ourselves. Going forward is what matters.
The Truth of Kundalini Yoga is that when people practice it, it works. We are continually inspired because we get e-mails like this one every day:
"Ravi & Ana, Several months ago I asked for some advice about helping with my kidney failure. I did what you suggested and have not missed a day of KY since. I am very happy to report that my most recent lab test indicate that everything is back to normal. I will continue to do KY and strive to reach ever greater & greater heights.Thank you & God Bless you."
We wish you joy, health, and abundant blessings!
Opening the Third Eye
Hi- Which of your videos would you recommend to help develop intuitive skills and the 6th chakra? Thanks for writing. The Third Eye, known as the Ajna Chakra, is the Command Center of our Awareness. It's function is not so much to see visions as to penetrate through illusion and see with perfect clarity. When we activate our Third Eyes we gain the power of discernment. and have the ability to mind our minds, which is the number one indispensable yogic attainment. The color which is associated with the Third Eye is electric blue. it's element is "manas," which translates as "mind matter." We recommend the upper chakra work on our A Journey thru the Chakras DVD, as well as a number of techniques on our Meditation for Beginners & Beyond DVD, notably All & Everything Meditation, Rewrite the Book of Your Life, and Opening the Third Eye segments. Of course So Darshan Chakra Kriya, and the Sa Ta Na Ma Meditation are great Third Eye openers. Even just sitting in a meditative pose, with Long Light Breathing, focusing at the brow, and inhaling "Sat," and exhaling "Nam," will help to open the Third Eye. Sat Nam can be said to mean "What Is." That is what the Third Eye helps us to understand and know. Yogi Bhajan said that when he first started teaching in the West, he had to work harder to close people's Third Eyes (which had been prematurely stimulated through drug use) than to open them. In that sense, we don't want to open our Third Eyes so much as streamline our inner vision, so that our minds can penetrate to what's really real. We wish you joy, health, and abundant blessings!
Breast Health
I have been doing various types of yoga at home for almost a decade. I am also a vegan, heading towards raw. Through the years, despite my veganism, I have over-indulged in coffee and wine. Often times I experience breast tenderness and lumpiness. Doctors have found nothing to worry about but I have had breast and ovarian cysts in the past. Is there a dvd that you would suggest I try to help keep my breasts healthy and at less risk of cancer? Also, As I quickly approach a life of sobriety, do you recommend another dvd or meditation to help detox my stressed liver and kidneys and to keep me focused on my goals? (Wow, I am burdening you with lots of questions!!) Thank you,
Thanks for writing. Your questions are important ones. To prevent breast tenderness and lumpiness, it's very important that you try to keep your diet alkaline. Of course coffee and wine are not in that category. If you are prone to the condition you describe, you should forgo those things, even in moderation. In terms of your yoga practice, we feel it's very important to work regularly on your lymphatic system. The lymph system is the network of bodily fluids. it doesn't have a heart to pump it, so what's needed is movement, so that toxins don't stagnate. Breathwork also prompts the lymph system to flush. A healthy lymphatic system is one of the most important factors towards maintaining breast health. Our Warrior Workout DVD is amazing for the lymph system overall. We also recommend the Awaken Your Senses segment on Solar Power and any ,or all, of our Kundalini Yoga Transformer DVD, especially the Born Free segment. In terms of lifestyle, it is important to research exposure to estrogen in pesticides, plastics, chlorinated water, and chemicals in our food and environment. Someone who would've been considered a health fanatic just ten years ago, is now someone who's just doing what's now required, as a matter of course, to limit their exposure to carcinogenic influences. Congratulations on giving up alcohol! Going forward, it's important to maintain healthy blood sugar levels. Include healthy fats in each meal. Have a few raw nuts between meals. Oatmeal for breakfast will stabilize blood sugar for much of the day. Eat it with fresh cinnamon and almond milk. Chromium Picolinate and L-Glutamine are very helpful supplements. Also, a consistent Meditation practice will, over time, give you a taste for a type of inner sweetness which will make outer cravings fall by the wayside. We recommend our Yoga Cleanse DVD to help the liver de-tox. For kidney detox, we recommend our Yoga Beauty Body DVD |
Meditation for Self-Mastery
 Sit cross-legged or in a chair. Your elbows are lightly contact- ing the base of your ribs. Your hands are at sternum level. One palm rests in the other with your fing- ers angling slightly inward. Your thumbs are crossed. Focus at the Third Eye, then draw your eyes down and focus at the tip of the nose, eyes barely open. Breathe in the following manner:
Inhale through your nose. Exhale through your nose.
Now, inhale through a rounded mouth. Exhale through a rounded mouth.
Next, inhale through your nose. Exhale through a rounded mouth.
Inhale through a rounded mouth, and exhale through your nose.
Continue this breathing sequence: Nose, nose, mouth, mouth. Nose, mouth, mouth nose. Each breath should be deep, complete, and powerful. Begin by practicing this Meditation for 3 - 11 minutes and gradually increase the time to half an hour.
Commentary: Before you do or say something which you suspect you'll regret later, or when you are in the throes of a negative emotion find a place to stop everything and breathe in this manner. Here we have a Meditation which can transform our personal realities and deliver us to Higher Consciousness within minutes. What a miracle! From that elevated perspective we can find safe harbor from emotional upheavals, stay steady, and do what we decide. What becomes of us is determined by our ability to maintain an overview and honor our own core values when life turns up the pressure. When everything seems out of whack, you can create harmony in and around you, by tuning the energy strings which vibrate this world and all worlds. Make Meditation a must. Sit on the throne of your discipline, take a stand against your mind's machinations, and be royal. Each time you turn negative emotions into Devotion, the Universe devotes itself to you! |
|
Ana on Twitter - Be the recipient of Ana's sky blue tweets!
Our Website - Check out our tour schedule, A - Z Health Archive, More!
RAVIANA NEWSLETTER ARCHIVE - Just click on this link to read past newsletters.
|
|
|
|
We wish you an exhilarating, fun, and joyful January!
 All Best, Ana Brett & Ravi Singh
www.raviana.com / ravianayoga@aol.com
Disclaimer: The advice we give is in no way intended as a substitute for medical counseling. Please consult your physician before beginning any exercise program or nutritional protocol |
|
|
|
|
