| Sat Nam Dear ,
the beginning of Spring is March 21st, the time of the spring equinox, when day equals night. This is a good time to take a look at your life and make a new plan. What do you want to clear out of the past in your environment and within yourself - and what do you wish to see happen this year? This can be a new start. Take a little time to write a new health/life plan; commit yourself to a body cleansing, and let those dreams blossom.
In the Chinese system of the five elements, the spring season is correlated to the element of Wood, which governs the gall bladder and liver, and relates to growth structures; the roots, trunk and limbs for trees and plants; the spine, limbs and joints in the human body. A Wood imbalance can result in spinal problems, poor flexibility or weak rootedness in an individual. In the Chinese system arthritis is viewed as a Wood problem.
In the other hand we have Ayurveda, the ancient and profound Indian science of health and longevity, Ayurveda is the science of life which relates to life as a state of balance between the body, mind and consciousness. It recognizes that food is medicine therefore can be used to purify and heal. Cleansing has become very popular in our society in these times.
For cleansing, Ayurveda recommends a sattvic diet with some rajasic foods. Sattva, or purity represents calmness, alertness, kindness and compassion and examples of these foods are fruit and vegetables, nuts, avocados, dates and coconuts (sun foods). Rajasic foods are stimulating herbs and spices (earth foods) and are to create, complete and accomplish but in excess may cause indecisiveness, hyperactivity and anxiety. Sattvic foods and small amounts of rajasic foods are effective together with raw foods for cleansing and renewal.
Often dis-ease in the body is due to sluggish digestion (Agni) and elimination (Apana). A protein dish that is very easy to digest is Kitcheree (Mung Beans and Rice).
Ayurvedic Kitcheree aka Mung Beans and Rice
Mung Beans
 | 1/2 cup basmati rice
1/2 cup mung beans
6 cups filtered water or more if want it soupy
2 stalks celery
1 carrot
1/2 bunch kale, broccoli, chard or other greens
Spices 1 tsp of each; cumin powder, coriander, turmeric, curry powder, black pepper or chili pepper or flakes
2 onions
1 inch ginger grated
2 cloves garlic chopped finely
2 tablespoons Braggs or Tamari
1 stick of Kombu or other sea vegetable
1 pinch of hing (Asofoetida) to prevent gas
Garnishes: 1 Tbsp Olive oil or ghee*, ¼ cup cilantro, ¼ cup onions
Rinse mung beans and rice. Add mung beans to water and cook for ½ hour. Then add the rest of the ingredients and continue to simmer for one hour stirring often. Cook until the mung beans have opened up. You can soak the mung beans overnight to make them even easier to digest. Garnish and serve warm. Yields 2-3 servings.
Kitcheree is a complete protein; all essential amino acids are contained.
The oil or ghee is added after cooking because cooked oils cause free radical damage, which can lead to premature aging. Buy unrefined oils as most commercially refined oils are rancid and a source of immune-inhibiting free radicals.
One of Yogi Bhajan's recipes for mung beans and rice is to boil 2 tablespoons cumin seeds and oregano seeds in 6 cups of water for one hour. Then use this tea to make the kitcheree. Trinity roots in Ayurveda are garlic, ginger and onions. Garlic is antiviral. Ginger aids digestion and nourishes the nerves. Onions purifies the blood, attacks bacteria and balances blood sugar.
Liver Flush
To cleanse and support the liver and gall bladder
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1/4 cup purified or spring water to facilitate the blending process
- 1/4 tsp whole cloves
- 1 pinch of cayenne pepper or a small piece of a fresh jalapeno
- 3 sprigs of parsley
- 1 clove of garlic
- 2 oranges or tangerines, peeled, (cut off the peel and leave the white stuff on and chop into pieces)
- 1/2 grapefruit, peeled (cut off the peel and leave the white stuff on and chop into pieces)
- 1/2 lemon, peeled (remove the peel and leave the white stuff on and chop into pieces)
- 1-2 inches of fresh ginger, peeled
- 2 Tbsp cold pressed extra virgin olive, flax or hemp oil
Drink first thing in the morning. Start adding the ingredients listed above one at a time while blending. Add olive oil last. Blend, approximately 1-2 minutes, until smooth. More water may be added if it is too thick. If you have a known sensitivity to oranges use 2 grapefruits instead. Personally I prefer it unstrained and then it is like a smoothie.
2 Top Pranayam (breathing techniques)
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Long, Deep Breathing is an amazing method of moving energy!
This is the basic breath of Kundalini Yoga and Meditation!
It moves stuck energy, allows you heal, and to move on. Do this whenever you feel anxiety or fear to move the energy of the solar plexus and the rest of your energetic system, or just when you need an energy boost. It works wonders!
TO DO LONG, DEEP BREATH:
Please make your spine straight, whether you are sitting, standing, or lying down. This whole breath is done very slowly and consciously, and the air moves in and out through your nose, not your mouth.
INHALE
Then slowly move your belly outward. As you do this, you are autmatically drawing your diaphragm down. Your diaphragm is that amazing horizontal sheet of a muscle that is attached all around the edges to the inside walls of your torso. It is placed like a muscular round pizza just above your abdominal organs--stomach, liver, spleen, adrenals/kidneys and just under your lungs.
As your diaphragm moves down, it pulls the bottom of your lungs down, thereby pulling air into the bottom of your lungs as a bellows action. Allow your bottom ribs to expand, and then expand the upper ribs to bring air into all of your lungs!
EXHALE!
Now slowly move your belly in. This pushes your diaphragm up, and pushes the air out of the bottom of your lungs. Contract your bottom ribs, and then the upper ones for a full exhalation.
Once you catch on, it is quite easy! And if you do this often, you will find out how powerful it is!
Breath of Fire, it is fundamental to the practice of Kundalini yoga. In Breath of Fire, it is a rapid breath through the nose with the navel point pumping in and out with equal emphasis on both the inhale and exhale. The easiest way to learn Breath of Fire is place your hand on your stomach and stick out your tongue, and begin panting like a dog. You'll notice that your navel point is moving in and out rapidly with the breath. Then, take it through the nose.
What Breath of Fire Will Do for You?
- Cleans the blood in three minutes
- Stimulates the solar plexus to release natural energy throughout the body
- Raises the voltage of the nervous system
- Produces a global alpha rhythm in the brain when practiced correctly
- Increases physical endurance when needed in a survival or competitive situation
- Strengthens shaky nerves
- Stimulates the navel point to generate constancy in both your mental and your physical realm. For example, it can help correct inablility to keep a promise, inability to concentrate through distracting factors, etc.
- Can help overcome addictions and cleanse you of the bad effects of smoking, drug-taking, sugar, alcohol, tobacco, and caffeine.
- Expands lung capacity for all round better health and happiness
- Helps focus the mind
- Expands lung capacity in a case where someone wants to suspend breathing for a longer period of swimming underwater
- Produces energy, mental and physical for the entire system
- Releases toxins and deposits from lungs, mucous lining, blood vessels and cells
- Helps you regain control in a stress or survival situation
- Charges your aura and circumvent force to give you greater protection against negative forces
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