Another gooey Ayurvedic substance....

A delicious breakfast  is to toast whole grain bread with a little almond butter and a teaspoon of a dark brown gooey substance called Chavanprash.  It's an Ayurvedic Jam that is mostly made from amla fruit paste, also known as Amalaki and Indian Gooseberry.  Amla is one of the three fruits found in the Triphala that we use during the Elemental Cleanse™.  

Chavanprash doesn't just contain Amla.  Depending on the recipe, it can contain up to 50 other Ayurvedic herbs.  It is very satisfying because it contains 5 of the 6 tastes of Ayurveda.  In Ayurveda, if you have a balanced meal that includes all 6 tastes, you will feel satisfied and maximize digestion.  The tastes included in Chavanprash are sweet, sour, bitter, pungent and astringent.  You are missing the taste of salt which can be found in the almond butter and bread. 

Amla is soothing to The Fire or Pitta dosha and is therefore wonderful for digestion.  It contains extraordinary amounts of vitamin C making it a superior antioxident.  A few of the other 50 ingredients that you will recognize include pepper, sesame oil, ghee, honey, sugar, shatavari, ashwagandha, ginger, licorice and clove. 

A dose = 10 grams or 2 teaspoons.  Take one in the morning and one at night.  Your total Vitamin C content will be around 150 mg. 

In Ayurveda, Amla is considered a Rasayana.  Rasayanas increase strength, vitality and minimize the effects of aging.  Chavanprash is eaten daily because it tastes awesome and helps out with the following:

• Constipation
• Gastritis
• Peptic Ulcer
• Intestinal cramping
• Cough
• Asthma
• High Cholesterol 
• Diabetes
• Acidic Belly
• Pregnancy and nursing
• Anti aging
• Immunity Boost
• Libido boost
• Lowers blood glucose levels
• Stimulates hair growth

Chavanprash is a tasty way to facilitate healing and prevent disease.  

You can purchase Chavanprash in the studio or online>>>

Can a black sticky tar-like substance really be good for you?

Stress causes you to age the most.

The studio in Montgomery has been open for a little over a year now.  Our yogis, especially those who have participated in the Elemental Cleanse,  have received a  foundation in Ayurveda and they are starting to explore further.  That means that I have been making some decisions on herbal supplements and some of the more interesting oils to stock in the studio.   

Most recently, I started carrying a supplement called Shilajit.  The California College of Ayurveda, in clinical studies, have confirmed that Shilajit acts to counter ulcers, anxiety and stress.  I don't know about you, but they had me at stress.  Studies out of India are showing a reversal of the aging process in rats.  I'm going to assume that the rats are experiencing less stress and therefore less aging.

I'm all in.

Now here is the weird thing.  Shilajit is not an herb.  It's a sticky tar like substance that oozes out of the cracks and crevices of the rocks of the Himalayas.  It's called "rock sweat."  It contains at least 85 minerals that are naturally occurring  in what is called "ionic" form.  That means that it has a negative charge.  Negative charge is a positive for humans especially as it relates to aging.  The free radicals that are inside of you running around causing damage will attach to the negatively charged ion and become neutral.  Hence, anti-aging. 

I've just added it to my anti-aging routine which also includes yoga, meditation, Sesame Oil massage on face, neck and body daily, Neem, Triphala, B-Complex, RejuvenAge Ultra and Hyaluronic Acid.  Eating sattvic foods and sticking to your daily routine are also critical success factors to anti-aging.

If you want to learn more about Ayurveda, meditation, yoga and anti-aging, join us at the studio or sign up to experience the Online Elemental Cleanse.  learn more>>>

Can you have wealth and simplicity?

When I teach the Elemental Cleanse™, we spend time making a plan to achieve our heart's desires.  This is the idea of manifestation or getting what you want.  This portion of the Cleanse can make people uncomfortable because the language of spirituality in our culture is simplicity.  People who have attained great wealth are thought to be less spiritual than those who are living more meagerly.  The idea that the meek will inherit the earth has translated to guilt around material possessions.  To be meek simply means to be humble and non-power seeking.  Americans view material possessions, especially money, as power. 

A person cannot incarnate into this world and immediately get on the path to spiritual evolution.  There is a process of living that creates the yearning for union with spirit… Atha Yoga Anushasanam….after the letting go of the primary stages of life, the practice of yoga begins.

Once a person meets certain basic needs, then they are open to working on themselves and embracing a spiritual practice.  This person will have experienced childhood and early adulthood.  If this person has chosen the path of the householder, then they will have children of a certain age that are less demanding.  If this person has chosen the workforce, then this person will have received higher education and be established in their career.

Ayurvedic philosophy includes the accumulation of wealth.  There is a process of life as follows:

Dharma or life’s purpose: This is why you incarnated or why you were born.  You are here for a reason.  You are here to help and serve humanity using your intellectual, emotional and physical assets.

Artha or wealth:  You need material possessions to fulfill your Dharma.  Let's face it, you aren't going to get very far spiritually if you are struggling to pay the bills.

Kama or desire:  God’s desire created the entire universe.  Desire is not a bad thing.   Your desire is part of the creative force.  If you manifest your desires using right action and spontaneous heart-centered choice making, you are using this creative force appropriately.  If you expect rewards, fame or wealth, you are not using your desire appropriately.

Moksha or freedom:  This is the highest goal.  You are working to be free of your delusions, your maya and your misunderstanding that you are separate from spirit.  You realize that there is more to life than dharma, artha and kama.  You can’t get here without those, however.  It’s a process. 

You have to go through the process.  Spend time thinking about what you want and desire.  What does it mean to you?  Is it in alignment with your purpose?   

The Elemental Cleanse is changing lives.  learn more>>>

A 12-year old's essay on yoga...

As parents we wonder if our children are listening.  We encourage them to make good choices and pray that they find their way.  This is the persuasive essay my 12-year old daughter wrote for 6th grade.  She's a budding yogini.  

Yoga

By Katie

You’ve had a long day. You spilled you coffee, lost your car keys, screwed up at work, and you still have to get your exercise in. What you need is a stress reliever. What’s the best way to relieve stress? The answer to that is yoga.   

Yoga is a calm, quiet outlet for relieving stress. In almost every yoga class, you’re going to meditate. Most people think of yoga as a complex of poses and exercises that improve strength and flexibility. But what they don’t know it that meditation is a huge part of yoga. Meditation really rounds out the benefits of stress relieving in yoga. It trains your mind to slow down, relax, and stay positive.  Yoga actually improves your mood. Scientists at the University of Maryland have proven that yoga increases pleasure in the neuro chemicals in your brain that elevate your mood. Different types of breathing are exhibited in yoga. Pamela Quinn, owner of her own successful yoga studio as well as a trained ayurvedic specialist, makes sure her students put the anuloma viloma breath in full spin. Anuloma viloma is Sanskrit for alternate nostril breathing.  This is where you breathe in through one nostril and out the other.  The breathing balances out your brain to help keep focus and release stress. 

As well as a stress reliever, yoga is a wonderful form of exercise. Who wouldn’t want to be relaxed as well as healthy? Yoga supports your digestion. You see, with stress certain chemicals are produced that compromise your digestive system. As stress is relieved, through yoga, of course, your digestive system is greatly improved. Yoga has better results as a workout then other forms of exercise. Scientists at the University of Maryland also compared yoga to other forms of exercise such as running or aerobics. It outperformed them in improving strength, flexibility, balance, and reducing pain or menopause symptoms. 

Yoga also helps you focus. Meditation not only dismisses stress, it also focuses you. With a clear mind after a meditation session all your thoughts aren’t scattered. Yoga helps ground you.  Nothing gets you more in touch with your body and mind than an hour with nothing to think about but yourself. All the different types of breathing in yoga help focus you.  What’s great about the breathing is you don’t have to be in a class to use it. You can breath in your car, at school, or anywhere else. There is many different kinds of breath such as breath of fire or the one I mentioned earlier, anuloma viloma breath. 

Yoga is easily one of the best stress relievers out there. Ask anyone who has experienced a class for themselves. It’s wonderful and also a workout that gets you focused. Give yoga a try. You won’t regret it.

Who has time to run off to an Ashram?

 I got a call yesterday from a wonderful woman who has been following Deepak Chopra for many years.  She loves his books and has dreamed of going away on retreat.  Like most of us, however, she has neither the time nor the means by which to do so.  Looking for a creative way to connect, heal and learn about Ayurveda without quitting her life, she search "Ayurveda and Cincinnati" which took her to Elemental OM and me.

You may not realize it, but Elemental OM is a very unique yoga center.  There isn't another center in the city or state (and probably most states) that is offering Ayurveda, meditation and multiple disciplines of yoga including Kundalini.  Our offerings are incredibly special and specifically designed to support not just our yogis, but our students who decide to participate in the Elemental Cleanse™.  

At Elemental OM, we teach Raja Yoga, known as the Royal Path of Yoga.  This includes yoga, meditation and Ayurveda.  Our yoga is Hatha based.  It is expected that students will progress in Hatha and meditation with Ayurveda as the foundation of the physical body.  These three aspects of Vedic philosophy work in union to facilitate happiness and health.

But I digress...

Wouldn't it be lovely if we could all run off to an Ashram for a month to get our habits under control, learn to meditate, focus on breath, move our body and embrace holistic nutrition? Wouldn't it be lovely if someone was in charge of us encouraging us to make good choices, follow a sensible routine for sleeping and living,  and help us to explore our emotional state and heal?  

It sounds so wonderful, but few can do that.  We have spouses, children and work obligations.  To be honest, I have had the experience of running off to retreat and doing just that.  The problem is, you return to your life and you go back to your habits.  I've found that it can actually create suffering because you remember how good you felt when you were there and how impossible it is to maintain once you are back in the real world.

This very situation is why I love my Cleansing program, The Elemental Cleanse.  You don't get to run off anywhere.  You get to learn how to incorporate movement, meditation, right choice making and much more into the life you are living.  The difficulties and situations in your life get addressed while you are living that life.  You get to shift and feel good living your life and you are empowered to continue your practice because your practice IS your life.

Another wonderful way to create your own experience of an Ashram in your life is to come to the studio once a week.  Elemental OM's class schedule in Montgomery is designed so that you can pick one night a week to be your "self-healing" night.  Tuesday is gentle yoga and medition, Wednesday is Kundalini and Yin, Thursday is flow and Kundalini.  You can stay for both class and have one physical and one more spiritual class.  Make it a weekly habit and it will change your life!  class schedule>>>

If you would like to learn more about the Cleanse you can read more here>>>

Going potty...a discussion of...well, you guessed it!

I know it's not something that we love to talk about, but it is something that we all do and when we are not doing it, it can greatly impact our level of happiness.  Teaching the Elemental Cleanse, I've gotten used to talking about, well, going potty.  (I'm not talking about pee, here.)  It's critical to have regular elimination.  Getting up in the morning and going first thing is ideal.  As you sleep, your body is hard at work digesting the food that you have consumed during day.  In the morning, you simply want to release the digested food and not allow it to sit in your system for any length of time.

Believe it or not, if you don't or can't go to the bathroom your body using it's innate wisdom and efficiently will actually notice that you have bile sitting in your digestive system and decide that it should reuse that bile rather than waste energy making more.  This means that the bile that was previously used to remove fat and toxicity including LDL cholesterol will be retrieved.  In retrieving this, the body also reabsorbs some of what it was trying to release...toxicity. 

We've all had the feeling of constipation at some point in our lives.  It makes you miserable, not just in your body, but also in your mind.  It can make you grumpy, not sleep and diminishes sexual energy.  In Ayurveda, constipation is termed a "Vata" or "Wind" disorder.  The energy of The Wind is responsible for movement in the body.  The act of pushing digested matter from your body is The Wind at work.  When the Wind becomes aggravated by lifestyle, routine or nutritional choices, it can become too high or too low.  Either way, you suffer constipation.

Things that aggravate The Wind include:

• Excessive amounts of dry and light food
• Not enough lubrication through appropriate water intake
• Staying up late and sleeping in
• Traveling
• Worry and anxiety accompanied with racing thoughts
• Lack of routine and too much running around and stimulation

Here is the program to ground the energy of The Wind and what you can do daily to facilitate elimination:

• When you go to bed each night, place a glass of water by your bed.  Drink the room temperature water first thing in the morning.
• Sit on the potty after you drank the water and tell your body that it is time to eliminate.  You may or may not go in the beginning of this practice.  Give it a few days.
• Daily you can take triphala in the morning and at night.  Triphala is an Indian blend of three fruits that acts as a very mild laxative.  It also is an anti-oxident and is awesome for skin, hair and nails.
• Eat three meals each day around the same time each day.  Cook your food and eat it warm.
• Choose foods that are "sattvic" or pure.  These include beans, vegetables, whole grains, fruits, nuts and seeds.  Meat and dairy should be avoided as they are interfering with your digestion.
• Drink hot spicy decaf teas.  Add fresh ginger for an extra healing zip.
• Before you go to bed each night, take up to 1 tablespoon of sesame or almond oil.

If you are in serious discomfort, you can turn to Castor Oil and Senna Tea for quick relief.  You don't want to rely on these daily, however.  Fix the root cause of the problem instead.

If you want to empower yourself in the potty, not to mention flush the whole system...body, mind and spirit... and learn a ton about meditation, yoga and Ayurvedic philosophy, participate in the Elemental Cleanse™.  

Cleanse online>>>

Cleanse in person>>>

 Om Shanti,  Pamela

Eat more honey

Each morning I start my day with a balancing and grounding Cleansing treat called the Yogi Breakfast.  I love it because it’s warm, nourishing and includes one of my favorite Ayurvedic secrets…raw, unfiltered, organic honey.

Ayurvedic philosophy designates honey as a “sattvic” or pure food.  Your body knows exactly what to do with it.  It promotes digestion and facilitates healing on multiple levels.  Think about it, it’s baby food for bees!  That means that it is pre-digested by a bee before it enters your bloodstream.  It is made from the pollen of plants.  That means that it is made from the portion of a plant that creates life. 

Honey is used as a rejuvenative.  That means that it nourishes the body and mind.  If you are feeling ungrounded, anxious, worried, stressed or recovering from illness that is Vata related, take a teaspoon of honey daily. 

Honey, because it is pre-digested, is used to transport healing herbs throughout the body.  In my Yogi Breakfast, I add both cinnamon and nutmeg because they are anti-inflammatories, control blood sugar levels and fight cancer.  These healing herbs attach to the honey allowing me to better digest them and utilize them to heal. 

Cool things to know about honey and Ayurveda:

·      Honey is called “madhu” in Sanskrit.  It means “perfection of Sweet.”  I love that.

·      Eating honey makes the ego sweet.  If you are participating in the Elemental Cleanse, add honey to your morning as we work to cultivate purity in our ego.

·      Honey is an aphrodisiac.   It is made from the semen or “shukra” of plants.  In Ayurveda, like increases like so eating shukra makes more shukra.   After making love, drink some non-milk milk with a bit of honey to recharge. 

Science facts about honey:

·      The American Medical Center in Amsterdam found that honey contains an antibiotic called defensin-1.  The bees actually need this to protect themselves and they pass it on to the baby bees through honey.

·      Honey does not spoil.  When King Tut’s tomb was unearthed, archeologists discovered edible honey. 

·      A honeybee will visit up to 2,000 flowers in just one day. 

·      Honey comes in different colors because of the different flowers that it is made from.  You might notice that “forest” honey is very dark.

·      Honey contains the beneficial bacteria that help you to digest. 

·      Honey is an effective cough suppressant. 

Eat more honey!  One teaspoon daily is the Ayurvedic recommendation.

To learn more about Ayurveda and Cleansing, take the Elemental Cleanse.  learn more>>>