Happy 2021!
This past year has been full of many lessons and opportunities for growth. It is my deepest wish that we have learned our lessons so that we do not have to repeat them. My prayer for 2021 is to put the wellbeing of humanity and the planet before the economy. That we grow in kindness and compassion for all beings rather than our own personal gains.
I would like to start this new year by exploring The Purusharthas. Purusha means person, Artha is a goal. There are four universal aims that each human has in their life. We may not be aware of it, but we all share the same goals. These are the driving forces of our life. Literally what we are here to explore and experience. These become the guides (or guardrails) as we evolve on our spiritual journey. They are Dharma, Artha, Kama, and Moksha. We will spend the next four months unpacking each one.
We begin with Dharma. Dharma can be viewed as the inherent characteristic or value of something. For example, the dharma of fire is to burn and for wind it is to blow. So, your dharma is your natural path that you need to follow in life. It is the reason that we were born. Jai Dev Singh, my Kundalini teacher, says: “If you have a mind you have a mission”. That could be a great bumper sticker for Dharma. You were born at a specific time, in an exact location and into your unique family. This is the defining singularity of “YOU”. It is now your mission to evolve, discover your true nature, and live your purpose. That is the reason you are in the here and now.
Sounds easy but Dharma realization also presents us with some of the biggest questions we face. “Why am I here? What am I doing? What is my purpose?” Humans have struggled with these existential challenges for millennia. It is our life job to figure out our path. The responsibility to ourselves and others is to discover then live our dharma. If you have a mind, you have a mission.
But you may ask yourself, how will I know if I am living my dharma? Will life be a bowl of cherries and will everything come easily to us? I think we can all agree that is a firm no. Look at some of the saintly greats of the last century. Gandhi, Martin Luther King, and Mother Teresa were all living their Dharma. None of their journeys were easy or cushy.
Sometimes finding one's Dharma begins with a hunch. It is an inner drive that tells you there is something you should be doing. This knowing will allow for certain attributes to begin evolving. As these attributes expand our minds and thought processes will include one and all. Think of it as less me and more we. We will no longer see people as “not like us ”. There will be a steadiness of mind and a sense of stability. We will know that all dharma is about service and caring for and serving others. Other traits that will develop when we are living in dharma are patience, forgiveness, self-control, non-stealing, cleanliness, control over the sense organs, higher intellect, spiritual knowledge, truthfulness rooted in kindness, and being slow to anger.
When we take a deeper look, we find dharma is fourfold. First, there is Swa-dharma. Swa refers to the self. This is a person's own unique role in life or way of being in the world. It is your duty to realize and fulfill your Swa-dharma. In a broad sense this is what we have already spoken about.
It is wise to live according to the seasons of our lives. Our roles will change as we age. We need to evolve and modify the way we live to support the current stage we are in. This is especially important for our wellbeing. As a woman in my fifties, it will not serve me to act as if I am 23. I need two honor the season of my life. This is called Ashrama Dharma.
It is also particularly important for us to pay attention and learn what our strengths and talents are. We need to grow them so that we can be of service to others. This is called Varna Dharma.
The fourth type of dharma is called Sanatana Dharma. It is regarding our responsibility to the planet. We have a duty to all living beings that we share our world with.
To have the clarity and discernment to know our dharma, it is beneficial to have regular practices in place. Our daily sadhana will help us maintain a steady mind, have balanced and healthy sleep, and create a feeling of ease in the body. All of this can be found in the science of Ayurveda. I am excited to have some new workshops to give structure to your practice.
One of the best ways to begin your Ayurvedic journey is by implementing practices called Dinacharya. These are daily routines that help us tune into circadian rhythms, boost our immune system, and help us to feel bright and shiny. Are you ready to feel better and more connected to your true nature? Please join me on Zoom Sunday, January 17th from 1-3 mountain time to explore these ancient practices.
On Sunday, January 24th I will be teaming up with my Metta Yoga family to teach an online workshop covering Ayurvedic detox practices. This is NOT an ayurvedic cleanse class. We will be exploring what and why we need to detox by uncovering several ayurvedic and yogic practices to cleanse the body, mind, and emotions. We will also delve into the stages of disease through an Ayurvedic lens. I hope you will join me for these two fun and informative workshops.
From: January 2021 Newsletter