Spring Intentions!

The 21st - 22nd September is the Spring Equinox and symbolise the Seasonal and Sacred New Year.... and as much as Spring is a time of Gratitude for all that you have experienced, all that you have, and all that you’ve enjoyed in the past year, it’s also the time to be clear about your intentions for the following Seasonal Year!

Spring is also a time when there is new growth, and there are changes and transitions all around us, even as we experience new ideas and a different perspective.... so life can become confusing and even more chaotic if we are unclear about what we want and what we want to do!

Usually during Spring, I take a day to reflect with gratitude all that I have experienced and enjoyed in the past year, and I also re-evaluate my priorities and those projects that are complete and those that I am still busy with...... So, I took time from my busy day, and soaked and lounged in the bath for a few hours, tried to clear my mind, and struggled with my intent, thinking and making plans to accomplish my goals, resolve problems and face current challenges and events. While I was relaxing in the bath, a wonderful peace and joy filled my heart, washing away my troubles and concerns as I reflected on the things I was most grateful for... filling me with an awesome serenity and utter contentment.

That’s when I realised the intentions I was trying to make were worldly and of my mind rather than my heart. So I relaxed within the embrace of this cocoon of contentment and allowed myself to listen to the wisdom of my heart and realised my true intentions for this Seasonal and Sacred New Year.... My intentions are to be honest and truthful, courageous and strong.... To be bold and to be daring, to dream and to do.... To be loving and to be open in giving and receiving of love... to share more love and laughter with my family and friends, that we may heal and realise that we are incredible, unique, special and wonderful, each and everyone, as individuals and as we share together. To realise my own potential and be responsible, tolerant and kind. To stand in my own truth and have courage to share what I know. It was a magical moment that filled me with love and joy and allowed me to feel whole and complete.

Each time I have struggled to finish a task, or failed to complete a project or even when I get frustrated at work... and my thoughts are chaotic and confused, I am reminded once more to ‘Get Out of My Mind’ and to ‘Listen to My Heart’ ....that’s when my thoughts are stilled and I remember my intentions, and I take a deep breath and follow my own wisdom.... and usually what I am trying to do, just happens naturally and I complete my task almost effortlessly. *Grin*

When we follow our thoughts, plan and set goals with dates and time lines, life simply happens and when we fail to reach a predetermined goal at a certain date, we can feel as if we are a failure, and simply discard our aspirations and resolve to never even try again. However, when we are clear about our intentions, what we want to do and why, listening to our heart, and resolving to be the best that we can, and doing the best we are able to do.... no matter how long it takes and no matter what happens in our daily circumstances, then our body, mind and heart are in synchronicity with our intentions and our thoughts, and that’s when the miracle of fulfilling our dreams and reaching our aspirations becomes a miraculous reality!

So during Spring, the time of New Beginnings, take care of yourself and be more aware of your intentions, those of your Mind and those of your Heart and find the balance and synchronicity in harmonising both.

Love and Laughter to You and Yours
Mands

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Spring Updates

Self-care!

“Ayurveda's strong point is the education of the client into a life of ongoing self-care. More than a health care system, Ayurveda is a lifestyle. Halpern asserts that “the best at-home care is to create a lifestyle that is in harmony with your environment through the principles and practices of Ayurveda,” such as daily oil massage, meditation, yoga, and healthy eating habits. He stresses the value of simply resting 15 minutes after eating. Remember, Ayurveda sees indigestion as the beginning of disease.”

-- Pamela Miles, healer and writer for Yoga Journal

The role of an Ayurvedic doctor or practitioner is to empower and educate his/her clients to be able to take better care of themselves:

• Recognise your own signs of stress such as changes in breathing patterns, digestive or skin problems, irritability. Listen to your body.
• Develop healthy routines to anchor you through the stressful times and to help prevent imbalances from occurring. Treat your body as a temple, take time to breathe deeply and cleanse your mind on a daily basis.
• Learn and practise relaxation which is a focused, intentional period of withdrawing from daily activity and external stimuli to tune in to your Self. Become more self-aware.
• Sometimes we feel guilty when we do something for ourselves. On the contrary, we can feel very good as we are freeing those around us from needing to take care of us.
• Every time you take care of yourself, you heal and recover from the times in your life when you did not receive the care you needed. You build a sense of trust in yourself, and the world becomes a friendlier, safer place for you.

Following certain Ayurvedic principles of conduct helps to keep our minds healthy and strong:

Practice Non-Violence

“If the other person injures you, you may forget the injury;
but if you injure him you will always remember”
-- Khalil Gibran

Ayurveda considers killing or doing bodily harm for pleasure or out of habit, is a crime, which is believed to cause suffering to the killer as well as the victim. It may also, create harmful traits in an individual. Only if necessary to save somebody's life that Ayurveda recommends meat or animal body-parts as medicine. By avoiding violence, you save your own mind as well as the other person’s.

Avoid Stealing
Stealing induces fear and anxiety in the person conducting the act. When it becomes a habit, the person may have to live in constant fear, which may not be good for the person's mental and physical health. Also, it harms other people, which ayurveda strongly advises against.

Abstain from Telling Lies
Telling lies induces fear, which creates negative vibrations in a person's mind and consequently, their physical health is affected. Though Ayurveda does not strictly advise against telling a lie as it may be done for a good cause, the circumstances under which a person may have to tell a lie should always be avoided.

Avoid Consuming Addictive Substances
Addictive substances such as alcohol, nicotine, sugar are considered as Tamasic or lethargy inducing both for body and mind. Ayurveda advises against the consumption of these because of its adverse effect on the normal functioning of the body and the mind.

We wish you all a smooth an enjoyable transition into the next season and the willingness to take extra special care of yourself during this time.

With love, the team
Nalanda Ayurvedic Centre
Kronendal Heritage Guesthouse
Southern Cross
Valley Road
Hout Bay
7806

Phone 021 790 4200
Fax 021 790 4202

Email [ Nalanda ]
Website [ www.nalanda.co.za ]

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