7 Steps to an Ayurvedic Lifestyle. Step 6 - Surrender your Heart.

"And then you see things, the size of which you
have never known before."*

Ayurveda includes moksha as the fourth goal of life.  Moksha is a Sanskrit term meaning: freedom; liberation; emancipation; surrender; letting go; release; salvation.  While the other three goals of life (dharma, artha, and kama) are concerned with this life, moksha is the freedom of the soul from the compulsions of birth and rebirth.  It is the attainment of cosmic consciousness.  Moksha is freedom from attachment to the first three gross states (dharma, artha, and kama) and is a state of inner peace and joy.  This quadrant of existence is most frequently associated with religious activities and spiritual aspirations.

Moksha is achieved by fully surrendering to God’s will, subduing the desires of the ego.  The higher function of moksha is the evolution of the soul.  Ayurveda teaches us that the ultimate goal of life is moksha, liberation, which is our natural state and results from a sustained awareness of the divinity that resides in each of us.  Ayurveda offers a profound understanding of the components necessary to encourage our process of awakening.  It should be clear that the goal in achieving longevity is not to further indulge our senses but to attain liberation, which can only be achieved by becoming God-conscious.

Moksha means liberation of Samsara, the cycle of birth, death and reincarnation.  It is the final release from our illusion of duality, accompanied by the realization of our fundamental nature:  oneness with the Creator and all of its creations.  When there is ego, there exists the notion that we are separate.  When there is ego, every action we take is directed toward protection of this self, which we consider different from others.  Reinforcing the “self” only separates us more from others.  Only when the ego is dissolved can we see the ones surrounding us.  This is the ultimate destination of yoga.  It is easy, however, to become distracted along the path.

By including moksha as one of the four goals of life, Ayurveda enters the realm of Yoga and spirituality.  The combined study of Ayurveda and Yoga is of great importance for self-disclipline and helps us to understand the potential of life addressed in such a profound manner.  Together Ayurveda and Yoga are a complete discipline, which can transform our existence from the physical to the deepest spiritual level with creativity on all levels.

Ayurveda accepts the yogic principle that the health of the body depends upon the health and balance of the mind.  The mind is easily agitated and disturbed.  Regular yoga asana and the practice of pranayama or yogic breathing techniques help us control the mind and is used for this purpose in Ayurveda.

Without proper physical and mental health, we cannot effectively pursue a spiritual life.  Moving into the field of health, Yoga enters the domain of Ayurveda.  For maintaining health, Yoga recommends a diet and lifestyle following one’s Ayurvedic constitution.

There are four paths of attaining liberation from the cycle of birth and rebirth:  selfless work; self-dissolving love; deep meditation and discernment or good judgment.

We are divine at the cores of our being; we are one with the Divine.  Ignorance of this can result in bad karma and trap us in the cycle of reincarnation.  Ayurveda believes that moksha or salvation is achieved by our own efforts. Ayurveda works at healing and purifying the body and mind while Yoga aims at taking us to self-realization, which depends on a purified body and mind.  The foundation of Yoga is Ayurveda and the fruit of Ayurveda is Yoga.

Source:  Beayurvedic, Dr. Beena Vesikar

*Song Lyrics, Crazy (Seal)

7 Steps to an Ayurvedic Lifestyle. Step 2 - Find your Dharma and Perform it with Love.

It is the dharma of the sun to shine.

In Ayurveda, there are four goals of life.  One of those goals is dharma.  Dharma means service, your contribution to the world, your reason for being.

When you are living your dharma, you are able to express yourself fully and completely.  Your life force or prana is stronger.  You become more energized and you have a greater capacity to enjoy life.  When you are not living your dharma, things seem more difficult.  Your physical health is more likely to suffer and your well-being is diminished.  In other words, when you are aligned with your dharma, everything flourishes.  When you are not, you feel stuck.

There are many translations of the Sanskrit word dharma.  It is translated as religion, path, natural law, righteousness, duty, truth, virtue, correct action, and personal ethics. 

Dharma includes your spiritual purpose, a higher purpose beyond your desires.  This is the purpose that you are assigned by the Universe.  It is the purpose that matches your unique gifts and abilities.  It is a gift to know one’s dharma.  In order to know and live one’s dharma, all that is necessary is that you surrender and serve.  Following one’s dharma takes great courage and faith.  Don’t let self-doubt sabotage you.

Success has many measuring sticks.  Most measure it based on money and power.  Few measure it based on service and accomplishment.  Surrendering to your dharma assures a balanced success based on all parameters.  The Universe supports those who align with its intention. 

Harmonious fulfillment of dharma is a gentle loving process built upon consistent hard work and devotion to higher principles.  As human beings, we easily fall back into the dark shadow of the ego.

Dharma is “the way”.   It is what is naturally right.  It aligns mind, body, and soul in harmony with nature. 

In Ayurveda, dharma is to serve, to give of yourself with love.  Simply, dharma means to be your complete self.  In the ancient Indian scripture, the Bhagavad Gita, Lord Krishna said to Arjuna, “It is better to strive in one’s own dharma imperfectly than to succeed in the dharma of another”.  In other words, it is better to be true to your own self imperfectly than to try to emulate someone else perfectly. 

Ayurveda believes that living one’s dharma is essential for happiness.  Dharma comes from the Sanskrit root meaning “to be established” and has to do with being fully established in the truth of who you are—living each moment in fulfillment of your inherent nature and individual aptitude.

Dharma is the way, the natural law.  It is the dharma of the sun to shine.  To follow your dharma is to follow the cosmic flow.  Following your dharma is following what you ought to be, what you are meant to be.

If you want to find your true purpose, you must first empty your mind of all the false purposes you have been taught.  Surrender your ego and open yourself to the Universe and your Dharma will be revealed to you.  Follow it with love and service.