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Make a Clearing!
Greetings!
Vata is born from the elements air and space. We are smack dab into Vata season--October through February. [Note, Pitta is composed of mostly fire and some water and Kapha is water and earth.]
Air and space are not the same. Space is emptiness. Sometimes space is thought of as an empty container or the Zen  concept of empty bowl. Air has movement. We feel air as pressure on our skin. Air has capacity to move us. How are you holding the space of this time of year? Are you holding it with sacredness and clarity? Or...are you allowing Vata winds to blow mental chatter and physical clutter into your space? This is an especially good time to make a clearing so that your experience of expanded space is healthy. Otherwise, you may notice that your mind is chattering more than ever with worry and anxiety. Don't worry about your worrying---it can happen this time of year. In the Vata season, you can also accumulate physical toxins because Vata is dry and if our systems become dry, they are like the lint screen of your clothes dryer. |
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This is a good time to add some simple daily cleansing strategies to your diet to avoid accumulating toxins over this fall and winter. Consider clearing out a room in your home this month. You can affirm or expand your meditation practice or begin one to honor your sacred space.
Clearing space in your mind, body or environment opens energy flow, celebrates the idea of expanded Vata space, and leads you to the healthy version of Vata. Our health is not static. When a new doshic season comes, doing nothing takes us in reverse. We do better to make a few conscious adjustments. Homeostasis is a process that calls for our active participation. The reward is good physical, mental, and spiritual health.
Live with radiant intention and be well. Rhonda
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Clearing the Body: Complete Digestion
Herbs and spices are a diet mainstay for sustaining health in all cultures except the U.S. Here we may use spices for taste, but the value goes much deeper. In addition to making food inviting, Ayurveda recommends cooking with herbs and spices to awaken digestive juices, promote complete digestion, build strong immunity, and restore health when it is compromised.
Before we take our first bites, the aroma of herbs and spices releases digestive juices in our mouth. Spices continue to signal the release of digestive juices and stimulate digestive processes to break down the food we eat into forms that can nourish all seven layers of tissues and promote healthy elimination.
Mos  t spices enhance digestion and remove ama (toxins), but these are particularly great at promoting complete digestion: Black Pepper, Cardamom, Cayenne, Cinnamon
, Coriander, Cumin, Fennel, Ginger, Mint, Nutmeg, and Turmeric
Interested in weight loss? Complete digestion is a winning strategy. See the workshop on Healthy Weight with Ayurveda
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Clearing the Mind: Types of Meditation,
Meditation is one of the very best practices we can do for our overall health and well being. When it comes to meditation, you have choices. The meditation practice that you choose will depend on the purpose you have in mind. Here are 5 forms to consider:
- Mindfulness Meditation - To practice mindfulness, you open your awareness to the sounds and activities around you. You allow your mind to be fluid and flow from one thought or one sound to the next.
- Prayer or Spiritual Meditation- In a calm, quiet space you commune with God. you may offer prayer or listen for guidance.
 - Mantra Meditation - Mantras are sounds which resonate to higher consciousness. The purpose of mantra meditation is purification through inviting the presence of the mantra which can "bump into" our thought forms/beliefs and release them as we journey to pure consciousness. This is the type of meditation that I teach.
- Focused Meditation - You focus on a sound or a candle, or another object. This practice leads to a more refined sense of concentration and clarity.
- Movement Meditation - This type can involve a walking meditation where you focus on the movement of the body or a breathing meditation where you focus on breath awareness.
Bonus--check out this list of 10 Unconventional Habits to live Distraction-Less |
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Clearing Your Environment: One-Thirty Minute Clutter Clearing and a Vision
I have clutter in my home. I have done well with restricting clutter to my office (also known as the walk-in storage room), the basement and my closets. I can tell though, that the clutter comes at a cost.
This is a little bit humorous....well only sort of. The other day as I was going through my books and getting rid of ones I have never read and never will read, I noticed that I had two copies of "The Feng Shui of Clutter". This ironical finding has helped me to lighten up about releasing, no... pushing out the clutter.
I have found a few strategies that work for me when it comes to clutter. One I got from "The Happiness Project" by Gretchen Rubin. If you are drowning in clutter she says to employ the one minute rule. Rubin says if you can do a task in less than one minute, go ahead and do it--don't procrastinate. You can decide on a piece of mail, put a dish in the dishwasher instead of the sink, or find other ways to Just Do It!
The other strategy I have found helpful is to set my oven timer for 15 or 30 minutes depending on mood. I commit to cleaning and clearing until the buzzer sounds. Somehow having a time limit helps me to get motivated in the first place.
The third strategy that I am about to use in my "walk-in closet" office is to set a vision for the end product. My strategy is to clear everything from one area such my file cabinet or desk top. Then I will put only those things back that I really want to see in that area. Everything else...I need to toss or give away. I'll let you know how that goes!
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Classes in Kalamazoo, MI & Oak Park, IL
Rhonda Egidio, Ph. D. is a Registered Ayurvedic Practitioner with great passion for sharing the wisdom of Ayurveda and the simple yet effective practices that can make important upgrades to our digestion and overall radiant health. For more info visit: http://RadiantLifeAyurveda.com 
Lean Into Healthy Weight: A Fresh Start Ayurveda Approach
January 15, 22, 29, and February 12, 2014 6:00-8:00pm at Radiant Life Center in Kalamazoo.
With Ayurveda you can learn to live a healthy lifestyle with weight loss as a result and not the purpose of your efforts.
We will meet for 3 weeks of class, skip 1 week so you can experience your new choices on your own, then return for a follow up class.
Cost is $120 for registration by January 10. $140 thereafter. Fee includes hands-on churna/tea/food preparations. Class size is limited to 8 so please register early. Details and registration
- Herbs for Digestion, Healing, and Raising Consciousness
- Meditation
- Happy Hour for your Skin
- Spring Detox
- and more ... watch for announcements
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Personal Ayurveda Assessment
Rhonda Egidio Ph.D., provides Ayurvedic assessments of primary health concerns, diet, sleep and lifestyle and offers Ayurvedic recommendations. It's a good idea to get a baseline assessment to help you to apply Ayurveda knowledge in a customized way to your particular needs. Check out assessment and session options.
Rhonda Egidio, Ph.D., Registered Ayurveda Practitioner
269-345-2991
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Upcoming Events
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Lean Into Healthy Weight with Ayurveda, January 15, 22, 29, and February 12
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Are Your Taking Triphala or
Triphala Guggulu?
The most popular Ayurveda formula is the powerhouse called Triphala. Most herb formulas either cleanse and detoxify the system or rejuvenate and fortify. Triphala does it all!  With the addtion of Guggulu, the formula called Triphala Guggulu is extra powerful at removing deep-seated toxins in the system and is especially helpful for removing ama (toxins) in the joints which causes joint stiffness and pain. Taken 30 minutes before bed, these formulas work through the night to support healthy digestion and elimination. Your bowel movement should come easily in the morning and be softly formed. Here's to a healthy rise and shine!! |
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Terrain of the Mind
Check out the yogic explanation of the landscape of the mind by Rolf Sovic
The Mediator's Mind
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Ritual--Clearing Spirit
Integrity
"When you are not taking actions that you feel you need to be taking or when you are taking actions that are in conflict with your values, there is often a tremendous drain on your sense of wholeness and well-being."
From Calling In the One by Katherine Woodward Thomas
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Amazing A Capella Hymn
All 9 parts of "I Need Thee" sung by one young man with power and passion.
Listen in for a moment of spirit refreshment
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| Hot Spice Water and
In a liter/quart thermos:
1/2 tsp fennel seeds
1/4 tsp cumin seeds
1/4 tsp coriander seeds
slice of fresh ginger- optional  Add seeds to thermos and pour boiling water into the thermos. Sip this hot spice water throughout the day. I often insert this recipe as this is such a simple daily cleanse and healthy lifelong practice. For more info on this, check the archive. |
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Pass It Along
Perhaps you know someone who may find life benefit in Ayurveda knowledge? Please forward this eNews.
You may unsubscribe at the bottom of this email. This mailing list will not be sold or shared with others in respect for your privacy. Rhonda
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Ayurveda information shared here is for general educational purposes and is not intended to substitute for medical or psychological advice. Please consult with a qualified medical professional in these matters.
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Save 25%
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Turn all this good Ayurveda Information into customized health changes for you. Make a customized plan, keep it moving, smile. Personal Assessment Session +
3 Coaching Sessions +
Radiant Life Ayurveda thermos. for $245
Value is $320. Arrangements need to be made in November for appointments completed as needed. The thermos is ideal for hot spice water--see the tip--as it keeps water hot 7-8 hours or more and has a pop-top. Ongoing coaching can make all the difference for change. Otherwise, it's just information. If you want to make the commitment, I will work with you. Here's to your health!!!
| | Offer Expires: November 30, 2013 |
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