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)

Yoga and the Breath: The Body's Built-In Stress Reliever

In yoga, we coordinate our movement with breath, inhaling when the body expands and exhaling when it contracts.  The difference between exercise and yoga is the breath.  The breath is considered to be the bridge between our body and mind.  Breath awareness allows the mind to become steady and strong and increases awareness (the ability to “live in the now”). 

The benefits of breathing in a yoga posture include: (1) increases focus on the pose; (2) improves overall concentration; (3) helps eliminate stress; (4) calms emotions; and (5) improves physical coordination.

Most of us breathe shallowly; depriving our bodies of oxygen while insufficient exhalation causes toxins to build up in the body.  In yoga, we learn how to use a three-part breath to engage the lungs in the abdominal, intercostal and sub-clavicle regions. 

Unlike modern medicine, which is largely based on disease and treatment, yoga encourages us to improve our health and vitality.  Regular practice of yogic breathing techniques will calm and relax the mind.  A recent NPR piece promotes the breath not only as the body’s built-in stress reliever, but also as scientifically proven to affect the heart, brain, digestion and immune function.  “And the best part is that the ingredients are free and literally under your nose.” 

Yoga Sun Salutations: Revive the Vigor of Youth.

Yoga sun salutations offer a complete low-impact workout for your body.  Start with four rounds (right and left) and work up to twelve.  Sun salutations combine resistance training (traditionally weight training) with cardiovascular training.  You can adjust the pace to suit your fitness level; a faster pace produces a good cardio workout while a slower pace is more meditative and grounding.  Done properly, sun salutations stimulate and condition all systems in the body.  They strengthen all major muscles; improve balance and flexibility, oxygenate the blood; strengthen the heart and ventilate the lungs; improve digestion; and if breath is coordinated with the movements, improve memory.   This says nothing about how they trim your waistline or bring an ageless quality to your skin.  Think of the money you will save when you no longer have to invest in skincare products promoted in books like “The Wrinkle Cure” or those of similar ilk.  Time is a wasting.  Get down to your local yoga studio and observe the postures and breath coordination and wake up to your dream body.  YouTube has plenty of demos; search “sun salutation” or “yoga sun salutation.”  Beware however as YouTube makes no guarantee that the performer is certified.