Bodhimed

Sometimes the signposts that re-direct our lives come in unexpected ways.  We always have a choice – to acknowledge and follow those signs, or to ignore them because they don’t fit in with our “plan.”  Especially when it comes to discovering our ultimate purpose in life, it’s never too early to pay attention and change the game plan.

Why wait until you’ve spent 30 years in the wrong job to discover what the universe has been trying to tell you?

I truly believe that we’re constantly being sent messages to guide us on our path, and we just have to look for them to know what our path is.

Sometimes these signs come in disguised packages.

One of the things I’m most grateful for in my life is that I discovered Ayurveda when I was 22 years old.  Though I had planned to do community development work in South Africa, my life took a turn when I became introduced to Ayurveda  through The Yoga of Herbs by Dr. Vasant Lad.

Here’s the juicy story:

It is said that it takes feeling 50,000 pulses to get really good at Ayurvedic pulse diagnosis.  After almost 20 years of practicing Ayurveda, I'm probably closing in on that huge number, but sometimes I still find myself doubting whether I'm really feeling what I think I'm feeling.  Driving back to Santa Fe from my recent weekend Ayurvedic pulse seminar with Dr. Vasant Lad at the Ayurvedic Institute, I remembered the profound truth that when we trust ourselves to listen to our intuition, we access a level of knowing that is usually hidden from our over-thinking, analytical mind.

While stress gets a lot of press because of its harmful effects on your health, guilt is usually overlooked as being equally destructive.  Whether someone tries to make you feel guilty or you succumb to it yourself, what good comes from feeling guilty?  Remorse for hurting somebody is one thing, but oftentimes we feel guilty because we ate cake, or because we think we're not doing something well enough.  What if we turned guilt around and practiced loving kindness toward ourselves, accepting that we are good enough and that we're all doing the best we can?  We might finally experience a new level of well-being and breathe a huge sigh of relief.

Guilt-Free Eating

One of the worst things we can do during a meal is to feel guilty about what we're eating.  Think of the mental stress we create if we're not enjoying our food, but rather feeling stressed about it?  I'm not advocating that you eat junk food and feel good about it, but that you choose food consciously and then savor it.  One of the explanations I like regarding why French people are generally thin is that they take time to really enjoy their food. In my blog post about learning this lesson with donuts, I share how I had to confront my desire for donuts so I could then let go of it and move beyond the guilt I had created around it.

Do you, or someone you love, suffer because of a past trauma or a current addiction?  The two often go hand in hand with depression.  The healing involved in such profound life situtations is very difficult and, unfortunately, often temporary.  The powerful healing sciences of Ayurveda, yoga and meditation can actually change the mental, physical, and energetic patterns that keep a person in a state of post-traumatic stress, or depression, or addiction.  Here's some insight into how a holistic recovery program in Santa Fe that incorporates these mindfulness practices can bring about genuine growth and healing.

Do you believe that everything happens for a reason?  If we choose to have this faith, then even an accident is no longer just an accident.  It can be seen as a warning sign that we're not paying attention to something important.  I never thought I'd be thankful for an injury.  But surprisingly, having a sprained ankle the size of a grapefruit has helped me to appreciate the power of slowing down. 

Running on Adrenaline

According to Ayurveda, my own genetic constitution is predominantly Vata, otherwise known as Wind.  By nature I tend to be active, verging on hyper if I don't take care to stay grounded.  As I discussed in "The Yoga of (Un) Multi-Tasking", I usually operate by doing several things at once, especially with my kids.  Like many people in our fast-paced society, I can thrive on an energy level that is akin to an adrenaline rush.  There's an illusion in this way of life that we need to be super busy and fast in order to be productive.  This can be described in Ayurvedic terms as a systemic Vata imbalance in Western society.  Everyone is rushing around like the wind, doing too many things at the same time and often missing the joyful subtleties that only stillness can reveal.  Especially in the dry, high-altitude climate here in Santa Fe, it's easy for the wind element to become aggravated.

If you're one of those people who'd rather be happy than miserable, then this post is for you.  I'm going to share the absolute key to happiness. This is something that anyone can do, and it is always available to you no matter what is happening.  You definitely want to read this and watch the following video if you've ever had the feeling that you wished things were different.

The key to happiness is gratitude

Thousands of years ago, the Buddha taught that human beings suffer because we pursue pleasure and avoid pain. In other words, we are dissatisfied with what we've got and are always wanting things to be different. We are never happy with things as they are. Imagine being grateful for everything that is good in your life, rather than griping about what is wrong! Even when things seem really bad, I bet you can find at least 10 things you have to be extremely grateful for. Compare your situation to that of people less fortunate, and your mood instantly changes.

Watch This

This video started circulating recently, and I believe many people are having spiritual experiences while laughing at this. This comedian, Louis CK, is funny because what he's saying is profoundly true. Incredible miracles are happening before our very eyes, but we get frustrated at the most minor inconvenience!  Everything's amazing, but nobody's happy!

Experiment and share what happens

It takes practice to train our minds to focus on what we've got instead of on what we're missing. Try it today. Try to catch yourself when you start to feel dissatisfied with something. Switch to thinking about what's great in your life. Maybe you don't have a million dollars but you have a healthy family. Give gratitude a go, and please share your experiences in the comments below.

When it comes to health and healing, I choose to put myself in situations that push the limits of the rational mind.  Growth comes from taking ourselves to the edge of our comfort zone, both mentally and physically.  Since I alway get sick when I go to India and Nepal, I'm given a great chance to be the patient and see what works.   So when I heard some other travelers talking about going to see the Tibetan sucking lady, I didn't hesitate to tag along.