Materialism vs. Spirituality

We are midway through our cleansing program and this is when we really start to get in touch with what we want out of life. We establish intentions and desires to manifest the things we want in life. I call it “Building your Foundation”. During this process, you can ask for anything you want. It doesn’t matter if it is a new Ferrari , a new home or a new lover. The sky is the limit.

The premise is that the Universe is a cornucopia and you are here to reap the rewards of unlimited creation and expansion. You are one with the Universe and therefore you are a creative force that is continuously expanding. You have desires that are good and appropriate and you deserve to have everything you want. Wow!

That’s truly how I pitch it. (think used car salesman here). Well, the other day, I had a concerned participant ask a very good question. Everything she knows about being Spiritual includes austerity. She has been taught that wanting less, giving more and walking a simple path is the road to enlightenment (use the work happiness here). I had to pause. You see, that’s what I have been taught too. That’s what the great Spiritual works profess.

A lot of what we have learned about walking a Spiritual path and living an enlightened life (think happy life here) is superficial. We have missed a a very important piece and that is the fact that you are born in this life to have a certain life. You are predisposed to wanting and desiring certain things to fulfill your purpose and to allow you to learn your lessons. We are not all here to run off to an Ashram and become a monk. Some are here to have a totally different experience that could include driving a red convertible Ferrari.

You create your life. You have certain boundaries and foundations that must be in place so that you feel safe and secure. When your boundaries and foundations are solid, you can let your guard down and relax. When you relax, you begin to get happy (think enlightened here). For example, I am a person who owns a home and has a mortgage. I must be able to pay my mortgage every month and this requires a certain income. If I am not making enough money to pay my mortgage, I have to worry. I begin to suffer. I cannot meditate and I cannot connect with the Spirit that leads me to enlightenment (think happiness here). A foundation for my happiness is the ability to pay my mortgage without fuss or fanfare. I just want it done. I don’t want to worry or stress over it.

I am a person who needs to look a certain way. I like to weigh between 125 and 130 pounds. I like to have good muscle tone, good skin and I want to be 5’5”. Go ahead and laugh. I used to be 5’6” and shrinking an inch over the course of my life caused me undue stress so that is part of my foundation for happiness. When I start to push beyond 130, I get muffin top…you know…when your love handles hang over your jeans. I hate this. I become very concerned with my clothing choices top and it takes me twice as long to get dressed in the morning. I don’t want people to see my muffin top and judge me. I need to look good to be happy.

As you grow spiritually, your desires do change. I find that I do want less volume. Know that I used to live in an 8,000 square foot home with marble floors and crystal chandeliers on a golf course. I had a convertible sports car, a mink coat and an AMEX with no limit. It didn’t make me happy. It didn’t make me happy because I was spiritually unfulfilled. I do want to live more simply now, but more simply to means that I want an eco-home on a big chunk of land with a pond and a meditation hut. I’d like part of the property to include a healing retreat center. I’m thinking this should be in the mountains somewhere. “More simply” is way “more expensive” than the house I lived in on the golf course. The difference is that my desire is now in line with my life’s purpose of teaching and healing. It facilitates my happiness and allows me to connect to Spirit. It allows me to do my work. It’s my dream, but is it a “foundation to happiness”?

It is not. It is not a foundation; it is a dream. It is still on my list. The McMansion on the golf course was a foundation. At the time, I really needed it to be who I was. I needed to prove something to others and to myself. Now that I have grown spiritually and know who I really am…Spirit…I know that I simply need to feel safe and secure which is simply paying my mortgage. I also know that I can have whatever I want and its fun to dream. I want the healing center…I’m detached from the healing center. I want it. I’ll get it. It doesn’t change who I am. I do not want the eco house because I need approval from other people. It isn’t a foundation because I know that I’m the only darn thing that can make me happy. Happiness is within me, not outside of me.

In a nutshell, you can see that this is a process. You must begin where you are and allow yourself to gradually accept that you have no foundation. This will happen organically as you unfold in your spiritual growth. You have no boundaries. You have no borders. It’s all an illusion. I’m assuming that for me there will come a day when I don’t have to look a certain way. I won’t care how others perceive me. I will be completely ego free. I’ll grab a hold of my muffin top and wonder in amazement at how soft skin can feel. We will all still have our mortgages though, because we all live in this world!

Meet yourself where you are. Accept that what you want is appropriate. Build your beautiful foundation based on your unique needs and desires. As you grow spiritually, they will change. They will simplify, but don’t be surprised if they become big beautiful dreams that allow you to serve humanity.

Is your body releasing?

The Elemental Immersion is well under way for fall! Many participants are starting to experience symptoms of detoxification! This is good. As the body releases toxins stored in your cells, they enter your digestive system. Through meditation, your mind begins to release accumulated bad thoughts and memories. In a nutshell, your toxins, physical and emotional, are activated as they push from your body. As you release, you may experience the following:


Clogged sinus
Constipation
Cough
Diarrhea
Depression
Fatigue
Fever
Flu symptoms
Cold symptoms
Gas
Headache
Irritability
Moodiness (extremes of sadness and happiness)
Skin rash
Stomach ache

This is part of the process. If you are having this experience, it's time to rest. Be gentle with your body and mind. Nourish yourself. This is a great time to receive a professional Abhyanga massage, take a day off, journal and even nap! It's likely that you have been pushing yourself very hard for years and years. Let your body and mind heal.

Butterflies lifting off

Just when the caterpillar thought the world was over, it became a butterfly ~ proverb




Today I had the pleasure of having a conference call with Pamela Slim and Charlie Gilkey. If you aren't familiar with them, both are amazing and talented people that help business owners realize their Dharma. Dharma is your life's purpose and actually translates to "that which you must uphold". That means that you MUST fulfill your Dharma or else you are probably coming back to this earthly realm for act 2 of this life's Dharma.




I needed to talk to them because my business is in the process of dramatically changing...think caterpillar to butterfly and I'm all wrapped up in a cocoon undergoing dynamic change in a liquid ooze. When you are in this zone of change, it is easy to get off track. Lots of people want to help you change. Lots of people want you to change the way that they changed. There's loads of advice out there on this year's "in" colors for wings. It's confusing. It's easy to get off track.





It made me think about how important it is, whether you are on a business or spiritual journal, to surround yourself by like-minded individuals who support you and lift you up. You see, Charlie and Pam don't care what I do; Charlie and Pam care that I am happy. They want me to succeed because their Dharma is to educate, motivate and uplift. When they are helping me, they are helping the entire planet. It makes them happy.




On your journey, as you shift from caterpillar to butterfly, you may find that you need to reach out to new people to uplift you and motivate you. Choose people who want you to be happy. You may also notice, that others in your life who liked you more as a caterpillar will go away. Let them go.



Enjoy the journey.

Fire Pages...get it out, burn it up

Many of the thoughts roaming your head are Fire or Pitta thoughts. These thoughts tend to be heated; complaining, criticizing and judging. Many of the thoughts are aggravated by the Wind or Vata in our brain. We worry. We stress. The thoughts go and go and go and continue to build steam until we want to explode or collapse from exhaustion.

When you are establishing a meditation practice, your thoughts can drive you absolutely crazy. I find that in my moments of imbalance, it is very productive for me to journal in a crazy way that I call Fire Pages. Before I meditate which for me is in the morning, I sit down with pen and paper and write down absolutely anything that is flying through my head. I may write one to three pages of complete and total nonsense. I get all the Fire out of my head. The sentences don't have to make sense. Spelling does not count. No one, including you, ever has to see these pages. In fact, when you are done, burn the pages....Fire pages...get it?

Here's an example of my head.... my leg itches. i hope the dog doesn't have fleas again. i hate fleas and I hate chemicals even more. oh noo my eye itches now. must not be fleas. perhaps its an allergie. i should have the ducts cleaned have thay ever been cleaned i wonder. i have somuch tpo do today. i hope i get to yoga tonight its yin and i love yin and i haven't seen stacyt forever and i want to give her a big hug. did i pay my amex bill? i think i did. i should cancel the other one. i never end up with a fee ticket to anywhere anyway it really isn't worth the feee. ........

You get it?

Try this before you meditate and see if it calms your thoughts. This is also a fun way to enhance your creativity as it is very freeing! Write down your innermost thoughts and feelings. Don't judge yourself when they are "negative". All your emotions are perfect, good and wonderful! You just need to honor them and then move away from ones causing stress and unhappiness.

Favorite Recipes for Health & Healing

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GINGER AS A DIGESTIVE AID

• Fresh Ginger
• Fresh Lemon or Lime
• Organic Salt

Peel and grate the ginger into an airtight container. Add Salt to taste and cover with lemon or lime juice.

Place sealed in the refrigerator and gently shake the mixture once a day for 3 days. The marinated Ginger will keep in the refrigerator for up to 3 weeks.

Take a small amount prior to eating each meal.

You may place a small amount in hot water for a refreshing ginger tea.

Elemental OM’s favorite easy easy detox dish: KICHARI -----google for more recipes

• 1 bag mung dal, if split, you do not have to soak. If whole, soak for an hour or even overnight. Mung dal or lentils are red, yellow and green. Choose whatever color speaks to you.
• Vegatable broth or water
• Garlic, minced
• Onion, chopped
• Celery, chopped
• Carrots, chopped
• Organic Salt/Pepper, to taste
• Cumin, 2 or more Tablespoons
• Cayenne Pepper, to taste
• White or brown rice, prefer Basmati

Put mung dal (lentils) in pot and cover lentils with vegatable broth. Bring to boil and then reduce to simmer. You may cover with a lid. You will have to keep checking the liquid level and adding broth or water to keep moist. Add garlic, onions, celery, carrots, salt, pepper, cumin and cayenne pepper. Simmer on low until beans are cooked through. This should only take 40 minutes or so.

Serve with brown rice!

Gingered carrot salad:

Organic Carrots, peeled and sliced thinly

2 tbsps of olive oil with an infusion of garlic

1 teaspoon or more of fresh ginger root

1 tablespoon of poppy or sesame seeds

pepper

Mince a clove of garlic and mix it with olive oil. Set aside to marinate. Peel and slice your carrots thinly. Toss with grated ginger root and seeds. Add pepper. Strain the olive oil and poor on salad and toss.

GHEE AS A DIGESTIVE AID

1 pound of unsalted butter

Place the butter in a heavy, medium-sized pan. Turn the heat to medium until the butter melts.

Turn down the heat until the butter just boils and continue to cook at this heat. Do not cover the pot. The butter will foam and sputter while it cooks. Whitish curds will begin to form on the bottom and top of the pot.

The butter will begin to smell like popcorn after a while and turn a lovely golden color. Keep a close watch on the ghee, as it can easily burn. After a while it will become a clear, golden color. You will have to take a clean, dry spoon to move away some of the foam on top in order to see if the ghee is clear all the way through to the bottom.

When it is clear and has stopped sputtering and making noise, remove from heat. Let it cool until just warm. Pour it through a fine sieve or layers of cheesecloth into a clean, dry glass container with a tight lid. Discard the curds at the bottom of the saucepan.

The ghee is burned if it has a nutty smell and is slightly brown.

1 pound of butter takes about 15 minutes of cooking time. The more butter you are using, the more time it will take.

Ghee can be kept on the kitchen shelf, covered. It does not need refrigeration. The medicinal properties are said to improve with age. Don’t ladle out the ghee with a wet spoon or allow any water to get into the container, as this will create conditions for bacteria to grow and spoil the ghee.

Two pounds of butter will fill a quart jar with ghee.

CRANBERRY BLISS BALLS

* 1 cup pine nuts

* 1 cup sunflower seeds

* 1 cup almonds

* 2 cups dried cranberries

* 2 tablespoons or more of maple syrup

* 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

* 1 teaspoon or more nutmeg

* ½ cup shredded coconut flakes

Place the pine nuts, sunflower seeds and almonds in a food processor and pulse until coarsely ground. Add the dried cranberries and pulse again three to four times. Then add the maple syrup, vanilla and nutmeg. Continue to pulse until the mixture begins to stick together. Taste for sweetness. Add more maple syrup if necessary to hold the bliss balls together.

Place the shredded coconut flakes in a flat bowl. Roll the nut and cranberry mixture into 1-inch balls, dip in maple syrup and roll them in the coconut flakes to coat. Store in an airtight container.

Play around with these, you may use any dried fruit or nut combination that you love. Consider figs, dates, raisins and other nuts. You might also consider adding Carob or a high quality dark chocolate.

A magical cure....Ginger

Most days of my life you will see me walking around with an insulated water bottle. In the bottle is one of my favorite cleansing secrets…ginger tea. I make my own by simply boiling water and pouring it over some fresh grated ginger. When I get bored, I may add some lemon or a tea bag of some other flavor. I find that the ginger tea keeps my digestive fire high. It soothes me when my tummy hurts and I find it very effective at soothing the cramps I get “once a month”. Every sip is also a wonderful reminder to me to make good choices and to nourish my digestive fire.

When you begin the practice of drinking herbal tea 24/7, you will notice that you become very thirsty and that you are urinating ALL the time. This only lasts for 2 – 3 days and then your body will be done with that initial flush of toxins.

I also have a practice of taking some “Ginger Elixer” prior to eating my meals. I find that it begins to heat up my digestion before I’ve taken my first bite. Honestly, the smell of it alone will fill my mouth with saliva and make my tummy start to grumble.

Ginger Elixer: Peel and grate a nice chunk of ginger root. Add organic salt or sea salt to taste. (a tsp or so) Add lemon or lime juice to cover. Shake the mixture up and put it in the fridge to marinate. The Elixer will last in the fridge for up to 5 weeks. It gets spicier as it marinates. 15 minutes prior to your meal simply take a little pinch of it. You can also add it to whatever you are cooking.

Ginger is one of those herbs that simply make everything better. You can hardly find an herbal holistic cure coming out of India that doesn’t have some ginger in it. Ginger is thought to enhance other herbs and bring out their healing properties. In Ayurveda, ginger is deemed “sattvic” which means that it is pure. It is used to tame the Wind in your body, invigorate the Earth and stoke that Fire! It’s heating and its wonderful for digestion.

Ginger is commonly used to treat nausea and vomiting, not only in day to day life, but also in patients being treated with chemotherapy. Researchers from the University of Michigan Comprehensive Cancer Center have found that ginger not only kills cancer cells, it also prevents them from building up resistance to cancer treatment. The American Cancer Society, concurs wit UM having done preliminary research on animals that show ginger may be useful in treating cancer through chemotherapy.

In a double-blind, comparative test at Brigham Young University, Utah, researchers found ginger root to be more effective in coping with motion sickness than the popular, over-the-counter drug, Dramamine. Cornell University study reveals that gingerol, an active ingredient in ginger, prevents abnormal blood coagulation, guarding against heart attacks.

Ginger is used holistically for the following
cold and flu		vomiting
indigestion		burbing and gas
abdominal discomfort from gas and bloating		abdominal discomfort from menstruation
arthritis		hemorrhoids
headaches		heart disease
diarrhea		cold, cough and flu
asthma		bronchitis
depression		mental stress
exhaustion		restlessness and anxiety

The most powerful thing I ever heard Deepak say

My certifications for teaching yoga and Ayurveda are through the Chopra Center for Wellbeing. I've had the amazing experience of getting to sit in front of Deepak and learn from him. The first workshop I ever went to was called "Seduction of Spirit". I believe we were in Texas or Florida...I really can't recall now. There were well over 300 of us there to learning to practice meditation, yoga, Ayurveda and the Seven Spiritual Laws of Success.



Now let me tell you, no one goes all the way from Ohio to Texas or Florida for an entire week to learn how to heal themselves unless something nasty is going on in their life. My life was a wreck at the time. I had suffered a back injury that left me in chronic pain and depressed. My marriage was falling apart. I was wallowing in the abject misery of my existence. If I had not had my kids to think of, I would have driven off a cliff. Needless to say, I was very focused on me and not to concerned with the other 299 folks there.



Now this is a seven day event. I think we were on about day 3 and I was already starting to shift. I was getting excited and could envision that the sun would come up over that horizon every day of my life and it would be good. Every time Deepak walked in, I just knew I was going to get something awesome. Day 3 Deepak walks in and sits down. Instead of lecturing, he opened the floor to questions. That's when she stood up.



She stood up in front of 300 people who were there to only hear Deepak's wise words and she started talking about her life. She talked about her bad marriage, her crappy job, her needy kids and her poor health. She talked for 20 minutes about her freakin' life! That's eternity in workshop time. I kept looking at Deepak and mentally screaming for him to interrupt and shut her the hell up. Lord!!! He did nothing. He let her go on and on and on. I nearly blew an artery! Finally, she winded down. Finally, she stopped talking.



Deepak paused. Deepak looked at her. Deepak took the microphone up to his lips. Deepak said.......



"So?"



The room of 300 people went silent. I went silent. A blanket of total silence and awareness enveloped me. I thought..."Holy shit...that was cold.....hmmmmmm....So? So what? so so so so so so so.....so what? her life sucks...my life sucks...300 people's life suck right now or we wouldn't be here. Her story is different than mine, but its the same frickin' story. Drama and misery and blame. Sit down. Shut up and do your work. DO YOUR WORK!"



Everyone has a story. Yours is special and unique because you are special and unique, yet they are all the same in that the cure is the same. The cure for every single human story is the same. That cure is what we are doing in our 28 day body, mind & spirit makeover. Meditate. Move. Make good choices. Awaken your Spirit.



I love Deepak so I have to follow up with the fact that after his long dramatic pause, he did speak to this woman's suffering in a very kind and compassionate way. He is truly a caring a man. He is also a man that expects each person to take responsibility for their life. He expects you to do your work.