With all that we have going on in life, it’s easy to get distracted and forget things.  We’re stressed, and it takes a toll on our memory and concentration.  As we get ready for back to school, we see all that our kids have to deal with, too.  We can take a cue from yogis who use Gotu Kola to improve their meditation practice.  Gotu Kola, also known as Brahmi or Indian Pennywort, is a traditional ayurvedic herb that has been used for centuries as a tonic for overall brain and nervous system support.  Gotu Kola improves circulation and oxygen flow to the brain.  Clinical studies have shown that Gotu Kola improves concentration; one study showed student test scores improved after taking the herb.  Gotu Kola has also been shown to have a calming affect on individuals prone to anxiety, and may also be useful in treating depression.  In addition, Gotu Kola has been used to relieve high blood pressure and help the body defend against various toxins.  For ages 12 and up, Organic India’s Gotu Kola Formula is a balanced blend of herbs to especially help support memory and enhance physical, mental, and emotional clarity.

Gotu Kola Formula from Organic India

Russill Paul is the author of one of my favorite books, “The Yoga of Sound.”  Now he has a new book out: “Jesus in the Lotus: The Mystical Doorway between Christianity and Yogic Spirituality.”  Paul, who trained as both a Christian Monk and a yogi, says that both of these powerful spiritual traditions offer important insights that can benefit each other.  Yoga is derived from Hinduism, the third largest religion in the world behind Christianity and Islam.  Yoga is far more than the practice of therapeutic postures that most Westerners associate with the term.  Yoga is universal in its application, and is not a religion.  But Paul says it is important to remember its roots.  “Jesus in the Lotus” presents a pathless path that blends the wisdom of Christianity and the spiritual teachings of yoga for a holistic daily spiritual practice.  By demonstrating that these two seemingly separate and irreconcilable traditions can actually unite in one person’s spiritual practice, Paul offers an alternative to religious intolerance and strife as well as a means for personal liberation.

Kosha in Sanskrit means layer, sheath, or subtle body.  It also means, “to unfold.”  The koshas were first written about in the Upanishads to explain the five layers of subtle energy from the outer, physical body to the inner core.  The layers exist like the layers of an onion, becoming more subtle until the center layer is reached.  The five koshas are:

1. Anna-maya kosha: the physical body, skin, muscle, tissue, and bone.  The expression of this kosha shows up in the movement and workings of the body.

2. Prana-maya kosha: the vital body, or breath.  In this layer is the circulation of the breath and of the life-force energy.

3. Mano-maya kosha: the mental body.  This kosha encompasses the nervous system and is expressed through thought

4. Vijnana-maya kosha: conscious, or intellect.  This kosha observes, and is aware.  It is also known as the “witness” which gives us the ability to stand outside the self and watch without judgment or attachment.

5. Ananda-maya kosha: bliss.  This is the innermost layer where we live in present-moment awareness, without thought, sensation or judgment.  We become joy rather than just feeling it.

Dr. Vasant Lad is one of our greatest teachers in Ayurveda.  He runs the Ayurvedic Institute in Albuquerque, New Mexico (www.ayurveda.com).  I read his books over and over again to be reminded of all that ayurveda can do for us, as it applies to every area of our life.  Here is a passage that I particularly love from his most recent book: “A famous sutra says “Ayurveda amrutanam.”  Amruta means eternity, immortality and eternal bliss.  To attain that eternal bliss is the foundation of Ayurveda.  One interpretation of this short sutra is that Ayurveda is for those who are seeking immortality.  In effect, this means that Ayurveda is for those who want to balance their three doshas and attain perfect happiness, perfect health and a blissful state of being.  In that sense, to become enlightened you must know your constitution.  Your constitution is unique, which is why Ayurveda says that every individual is indivisible – a complete, unique expression of Purusha.  Love yourself as you are.  Don’t compare yourself with the person sitting next to you.  He or she may be prettier according to the standard of society, but you are equally beautiful and you are equally a total expression of consciousness.  An individual is a localized expression of the cosmos.  What you are is simply beautiful, so be one with what you really are.”

Textbook of Ayurveda

The morning is the start to our day, and when we get a good start, it’s likely that we’re going to have a great day!  Yet waking up can be a challenge for some.  Here are tips for how to wake up the Ayurvedic way:

-Wake up before sunrise.  This is Vata time, and because Vata deals with movement, it helps to get your body going.  Once the sun comes up, it’s Kapha time, time to exercise!  If you’re already up, this is much easier to do.  Start with some breathing exercises, and easy yoga, or begin your morning meditation.

-Drink a glass of warm water with some fresh lemon or lime.  The warm water stimulates the GI tract, and the citrus helps to loosen up the ama, or toxins, in the digestive tract.

-Splash your face with cool water.  This helps to disperse leftover Pitta and prepare the skin for the day ahead.  Morning hydration is very important.  Rinse your mouth with cool water to get rid of the trapped heat that has dried out the mouth during the night.

-Brush your teeth.  Massage your gums.  And use a tongue scraper to get rid of built up ama on the tongue.  Ayurveda also recommends rinsing your mouth with warm olive or sesame oil – spit it out, don’t swallow it.  The oil strengthens the teeth, gums and jaw and also helps to protect the voice.

-Massage the circumference of the ears, starting at the top of the ear, with the thumb and index finger.  Rub a few drops of olive or sesame oil just inside the nostril to help moisturize and clean the sinuses.

-Exercise the eyes.  Roll the eyes up and down, side to side, and also diagonally.  Rotate them clockwise and counterclockwise.  Squeeze shut, then release.  Repeat several times.  Splashing open eyes with cool water helps to balance the doshas.  If your eyes are puffy, cover them with slices of cucumber.

-Aromatherapy.  For Vatas, ginger, cardamom, or orange are most balancing.  For Pittas, choose sandalwood or lavender.  Kaphas are most balanced by the scent of eucalyptus, rosemary or sage.  Massage a little bit of aromatic oil onto the third eye point in a circular motion.  Breath slowly and deeply.  Lightly massage the temples with the four fingers.

-Eat breakfast.  The morning meal is important for getting your metabolism started, so never skip.  But don’t overindulge, either!

Ayurveda says that it is good for us to give our feet as much air as possible.  Shoes trap energy around the feet and can make you feel more tired.  It is also believed that shoes collect negativity, which is why they are never worn in Indian temples.  Feel free to walk around your house barefoot.  A foot massage is truly lovely and quite beneficial, yet bathing the feet can also help to refresh the body.  There are a variety of foot soaks to help relieve and invigorate the feet.  Use a small tub or a bowl large enough to that you can fill it with water to cover up to the ankles.

-For Sweaty Feet: fill the bowl with warm water, and add 6 drops each of lavender, sage, juniper and cypress essential oils.  To help deodorize, add some rock salt and bay leaf to the mix.

-For Tired Feet: use the essential oils of juniper, rosemary, and lavender in your foot bath.

-To Calm and Cool the system: use the essential oil of sandalwood in your cool water foot bath.

-For a Head Cold: add ginger (either fresh grated or ginger essential oil) or mustard powder to a hot foot bath.  Leave your feet in until they turn red, then put on warm socks.  This warms the whole body and helps to drain mucus and congestion from the head.

-For a Restful Sleep: Massage the feet with warm sesame oil or ghee.  Then soak the feet in a hot herbal foot bath with warming spices such as ginger.

“Om Mani Padme Hum” (Ohm Ma-Nee Pod-May Hum) is one of the most prevalent mantras in Tibet.  It is recited by Buddhists, and painted or carved on rocks, prayer wheels, and wall hangings.  This mantra is known as the mantra of Chenrezi, the Bodhisattva of Compassion and the protective deity of Tibet.  The practice of the mantra is said to relieve negative karma, and help rescue us from suffering.  The mantra is more powerful when we think of the meaning behind these six syllables.  Om symbolizes transformation.  Mani means the jewel.  The Dalai Lama says: “Just as a jewel is capable of removing poverty, so the altruistic mind of enlightenment is capable of removing the poverty, or difficulties, and of solitary peace.  Similarly, just as a jewel fulfills the wishes of sentient beings, so the altruistic intention to become enlightened fulfills the wishes of sentient beings.”  Padme means lotus and symbolizes wisdom.  The lotus frows out of the mud, but is not affected by the mud, indicating the quality of wisdom, which keeps you out of contradiction.  Hum represents inseparability, and purity, which can be achieved with the unity of method and wisdom.

The classic paintings of Indian gods and goddesses are filled with symbolism.  Every item depicted has meaning and serves a purpose in telling a story.  For example, a snake is wrapped around Shiva’s neck.  It symbolizes the cycle of time, the kundalini shakti and release from the bondage of nature.  Shiva also holds a trident, which represents the threefold aspect of creation, preservation, and destruction.  Durga holds a sword, which cuts the knot of illusion.  It shows that we can free ourselves from error and ignorance.  In one hand, Ganesh holds a goad that offers encouragement to follow the path of righteousness.  In another hand, Ganesh holds a Modhak, a sweet that represents knowledge and wisdom.  The rat shown with Ganesh symbolizes the crafty intellect, which is dominated by Ganesh’s wisdom.

Karma is action, the cause and effect of what we do.  According to the classical scriptures from India, there are four types of karma:

-Sanchita Karma: This is basically all-inclusive karma.  It is what we have accumulated from previous lifetimes, and past actions in this lifetime, good and bad.  It is everything we need to work out eventually – now or later.

-Prarabdha Karma: This is the karma that we are working off in this lifetime.  Since we choose our birthtime, we also choose the planets that are there at the time of our birth, which affects our karma. 

-Agami Karma: This is the more immediate kind of karma.  When we do something and see the effects right then and there.

-Kriyamana Karma: This is how our purposeful actions affect our future karmic return.  If we are more aware of the actions we take, and act out of kindness we will be able to improve our future karma.

The Panchatantra (the five books) is a collection of ancient Indian folk tales, originally written in Sanskrit sometime around 200 B.C. by the Hindu scholar, Pandit Vishnu Sharma.  But the origins of some of these stories go back as far as 1500 to 500 B.C., during the time of the Rig-Veda and the Upanishads.  As time went on, people traveling through India took the stories around the world where they was translated into many languages.  The Panchatantra is said to be a part of the science known as “Nitishastra,” which translated from Sanskrit means “book of wise conduct in life.”  The stories are actually lessons that teach how to understand people, to to choose reliable friends, how to solve problems with tact and wisdom, and how to live in peace and harmony despite life’s challenges.