When we step back and look at all that is happening in the world at once it can be dizzying. We have insufficient and incompetent leadership, corruption at an all-time high, an environment that is transforming before our eyes due to human recklessness and a pandemic that has brought to the forefront a shining reality that all of us are expendable. In an instant. Ayurveda discusses health and healing in the Charaka Samhita as: “Any condition that restores the mind, body and spirit to their naturally balanced states.” And then continues by saying: “Any treatment that attends only to the symptoms is not a good therapy. The best treatment is one that balances the whole and does not create other disorders.” That’s loaded. Simple. But loaded. Especially in times like these. Disorder is everywhere around us in this moment. Maybe the highest it has ever been. I was having a discussion both in person and over text messaging the other day with a few students that are currently participating in a seasonal Ayurvedic cleanse with me and the question came up about the state of health and wellness in our country with the direct and wonderful question - What is the endgame here? We all agreed that the posed question was a much larger conversation for sure and that it needed the respect of more time to process, filter, research and express a myriad of thoughts and ideas. The topic that spurred this engaging question was the current push by Bill Gates and his team of wealthy and influential payroll recipients on vaccinating/immunizing the world. I want to be clear and direct that the purpose of this blog is not to promote views that are pro-vaccinations or anti-vaccinations but rather to look at it from a larger perspective - the relationship between our health and control. Those of you that know me know where I stand personally on the topic of vaccination-immunization but again, I want to examine what is behind this beyond the surface discussion that is being presented which is only keeping us distracted from what is really happening in our world and what is preventing us from returning to the Charaka and Ayurvedic definitions of health. Disease exists or rather, dis-ease exists, in many forms. My student reflected on the idea of vaccinations-immunizations developed to prevent the once-deadly spreading of such things as small pox, measles and polio. Was that not a good thing she asked? I answered: Maybe. Maybe not. If we are looking at it from the perspective of preserving the body then maybe your answer is yes. But, if you are looking at it from the angle of control of one group over another then maybe not. We do have to remember how and who those diseases were introduced into our populations. Was this a form of control? Hmm. We also have to examine the technology and scientific research that is now being poured into all things dis-ease and its tie to big money and those that have it and wield it. Native Americans and many indigenous populations treated their people with natural herbalism and the like - things that came from the natural environment. Yes, people died - no doubt. AND, if you look at that from a yogic and Ayurvedic view this is what kept population control and a cap on things like greed and environmental distraction. I realize that this is not a popular talking point but it is a reality nonetheless and an expression I have heard from many people in recent weeks. We are so attached to the material body that we will do anything, at any cost, to save it. Including giving over our power to demagogues with money. What exactly are we trying to save and for what? To continue to hoard wealth and power? To what end? Krishna talks to Arjuna in the Bhagavad Gita about the investment in the body by saying in summary that the body is going to die - that is a guarantee. Your soul however will live on and that's the important part - the part we should be cultivating in this life. The whole point of this material existence is to burn off our karma by doing our dharma so we can go back home. Instead, what happens is that we are pulled away by the senses and the three modes of material nature and get stuck in believing we are that. That is what is happening right now. We believe in the body so much that we are willing to hand over our mental, emotional and spiritual existence to someone that we would never listen to in the first place had they not acquired huge sums of wealth to get a seat at the political decision-making table. What then does this lead to? It leads to the destruction of the environment and no natural controls or checks and balances on the flow of things. It leads to investment in things that don’t matter. It leads to control of individual bodies and minds (something women have been dealing with for decades). It leads to the cultivation of fear. It leads to hate and discrimination. It leads to increased anxiety. It leads to having no control over what you do with your own life in this material existence. It leads to not living your dharma. It leads to subjugation. It leads to fascism. The list is endless... Whether it is Bill Gates, Donald Trump, Mitch McConnell, Nancy Pelosi, Joe Biden, Hilary Clinton, Elon Musk, Jeff Bezos, etc. is actually irrelevant. What is relevant however is the future of dis-ease in our world because we handed over our power to those with material wealth and snubbed that which is the natural order of things. We are at a crossroads. How are we going to show up? How are we going to be? As the great yogic scriptures say, only Kala will tell. Isn't that interesting? Jai Bhagwan!

Learn about the importance of Spring in Ayurveda and best practices that can be performed to maximize digestion, survive seasonal allergies and cleanse the body.

Join Dr. Heather Lowe, Dr. Michael Bittner, Dr. Satyavani Gayatri and Jyotishi Casey Scott As they discuss what is happening with our respiratory systems as a whole from a Vedic and western perspective and what we can do collectively to address it.

Join Michael, Kamesh and Satyavani in this cross-country grounding practice of Qigong, Pranayam and Yoga Nidra to connect with source and discover who you really are. This session will combine the ancient wisdom of Taoism and Tantra for 75-minutes of spiritual practice that will leave you feeling lighter, enlightened and joyful. Monday, May 18, 2020 4:30pm-5:45pm MST $10 Zoom Link provided upon registration.

Finding clarity, contentment and compassion with and within oneself. Through meditation we create the foundation and sustainable energy for a healthy, new order. Change truly begins at home with ourselves and flows outward. We are part of the global web of nature, not separate from it. Let us reconnect and live in and with nature, coexisting, vibrant, celebratory and symbiotic. Join me for weekly yogic and Taoist meditations to heal the body, calm the mind, balance emotions and awaken the spirit. “We are one brief generation in the long march of time; the future is not ours to erase. …. At this turning point in our relationship with Earth, we work for an evolution: from dominance to partnership; from fragmentation to connection; from insecurity, to interdependence” Health, Happiness and Harmony to You! Sundays: 9-9:30am MST Beginning on April 19th $8 per class Zoom Link provided upon registration.

Take some time to listen to the wise words of Swami Kripalu as he shares in a Darshan (holy sighting) on Sattvic (balanced and whole) Giving. Then take those words and insights into a Pranayam and Nidra practice.

How do Ayurvedic and Yogic principles apply to our society? Listen to this episode with guest Dr. Michael Bittner and hear about how Panchakarma and the spiritual shastras give us guidance to live better.

Moving from the Vata season to the Kapha season can trigger respiratory issues in general. We have moved from the time of heightened air + space - the Vata season and have moved into the season of heightened water + earth - the Kapha season. What we also need to take into consideration is that despite what the calendar says the season may not have completely shifted and in many parts of the northern hemisphere it is still cold and still has many of the Vata qualities present. That being said we are in this “inter-season” stage and as a result are experiencing the effects of 4 main elements at the same time and in a very strong fashion - Air + Space + Earth + Water. The combination of these 4 elements have a deep effect on the respiratory system and as a result the immune system. But taking it a step back, from an Ayurvedic perspective, in addition to all of these external conditions we have to go back to the core, literally, and that is our Agni - our digestive fire - and assess what condition that is in. Gut health is linked to the immunity and as a result our respiratory health - close neighbors and a domino effect. As an example, during this inter-season, allergies and asthma become a very dominant concern and we are now seeing this brightly in light of the current Covid19 pandemic. It’s all respiratory. Ayurveda looks at it dis-ease from what is known as Satmya and Asatmya - the dosha, or our constitution’s ability, to tolerate or not tolerate medicine (in all of its forms), dietary and environmental changes. This starts with the gut. Agni, maintains our natural resistance and immunity by producing balanced Ojas (mojo/immunity itself), Tejas (our solar energy / heat) and Prana (life -force) which destroy or neutralize any invaders. Each of the layers of tissues in the body known as the dhatus has their own agni so if it is indeed low, compromised or not functioning optimally, the tissues are compromised and cause, as in this example, respiratory reactions. When a bacteria, virus or toxic substance invades the tissues the three energies I mentioned - Ojas, Tejas and Prana move to the affected area and address it by destroying the bacteria, virus or toxicity or neutralizing it with the help of Agni. However, if Agni is compromised then their ability to do their job is limited. Prana, life force, promotes the secretion of Ojas and Tejas into the cells to heal but if that environment is already compromised it will have little effect. Similarly, with conditions such as asthma and respiratory compromises, the Samprapthi or pathogenesis starts in the stomach as well. In this case the sub-dosha of Kapha, Kledeka, which is responsible for the moisture in the stomach lining that helps us break down our food, undergoes a compromise and eventually spreads to the lungs - hence we get fluid in the lungs and it narrows the bronchial passages causing compromised respiration. So what can we do? Recommendations: Herbals-

• Gut health - Triphala, Ali-Balance (alma, licorice root, cove and ginger).
• Respiratory herbs- Amalaki, Bibhataki, Haritki (just like Triphala), licorice, pippali, Trikatu (ginger, black pepper, long pepper), Tulsi (holy basil).
• Immune Boosting: ashwagandha, alma, ginger, licorice, brahmi/gotu kola, immunity formulas.

Diet-

• Avoid heavy, dense foods such as meat and cheese.
• Avoid fatty, fried foods.
• Eliminate dairy.
• Sip hot water with lemon and honey with meals and throughout the day.
• Include warm digestive spices in your diet such as ginger, cloves, cardamom, and black pepper.
• Do not overeat or drink in excess.
• Have your mid-day meal be the largest, eating a lighter breakfast and dinner.

Lifesyle -

• Nasya oil—lubricates the nasal passages and supports un-congested breathing
• Neti pot—removes mucus and pollution from the nasal passages
• Yoga, Meditation, and Pranayam practices that calm the nervous system and ground the mind, body and spirit.

Baked Red Beets Serves 2 Ingredients 1 large red beet Fresh thyme (6 -10 individual sprigs) Coconut or olive oil (1/8 cup max) Himalayan Salt Pepper Instructions Preheat oven to 400 degrees Place baking sheet in pan and coat with coconut or olive oil Wash the beet Trim away leaves and slice off top and bottom to create flat surface. Peel the beet. Square the beet by slicing off edges. Begin to cut ¼” sections, and then again, eventually cubing all pieces. Place cubes in bowl and drizzle with coconut or olive oil Strip thyme from stem, chop coarsely, and sprinkle over the beet cubes. Add salt and pepper to taste (not too much) Mix all together. Empty the beet onto the baking sheet, spreading out the cubes. Cook for 10 – 12 minutes Remove from oven and serve with basmati rice.