Cooking with love
In this article, LLEWELLYN VAUGHAN-LEE ignites our sense of wonder with his personal experiences of a deepening relationship with food over the course of his life. He also offers us...
Be inspired, November 2019, VOLUME 4 / 04 Nov 2019
Yogic psychology
This is the last article by DAAJI in his series on the fundamental principles of psychology, with its foundation in the ancient wisdom of Yoga, as compiled in Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras, and supported by the modern methods of Heartfulness. So far, DAAJI started the journey from pure consciousness, the foundation of a healthy mind, and then proceeded to explain how the various mental imbalances arise. Along the way, he has also given us solutions to regain mental well-being using the Heartfulness practices. In this article he explores the vighnas, the 5 conditions that accompany and are symptomatic of the obstacles and distractions. These vighnas are so evident in modern humanity – pain, anxiety, depression and despair, as well as problems with irregular breathing and nervous disorders. In fact, the World Health Organization has said that these symptoms are the epidemic of the 21st century. Finally, DAAJI explains to us how simple daily practices of meditation can dissolve all these imbalances, leading to a focused mind, which in turn leads to a contemplative mind, which in turn leads to harmony and peace, ultimately allowing joy to express itself. PART 11 – VIGHNAS AND SOLUTIONS VIGHNAS Remember for a moment that the base of your consciousness is pure and still. When you have some time, perhaps this evening when you have wound down from the day, or early in the morning when the surroundings are also still, take a few minutes to dive deep within your heart and find that stillness. And then, during the day, witness for yourself what prevents you from being in that peaceful state all the time. Once we remove all the complexities, our inner nature returns to that peace and stillness. Meditation propels our consciousness towards the core of our being. It is the Center of our…
November 2019, Thought in action, VOLUME 4 / 02 Nov 2019
Leadership from the heart – part 2
PRAKASH SESHADRI takes the reader from survival mode to a mature leadership model, by sharpening Emotional and Spiritual Quotients through the practices of meditation, introspection and inquiry. Is there a way to move from a survival mindset to a growth mindset? Do we understand how human beings evolve their competencies? Are we clear on the role of Emotional Intelligence in leadership? Does the heart have a role to play in sharpening our leadership skills? Challenges to Graduating Up the Competency Spectrum Why is that some people do not learn fast, and what stops them? I was reading an interesting article recently, in which it was suggested that everyone in the world who has ever been born or will be born has the same hardware as Albert Einstein or Newton, and our brains are also wired in a similar manner. Einstein could achieve so much in his lifetime, but most of us are ineffective though we have the same set of capabilities. What is the difference? For hardware to work efficiently we need software and unfortunately people are never taught how to build it. I may buy readymade Windows or Mac software and install it, and it works. But how do I write my own code, build my own operating system, or write my own app? These are the biggest challenges. Today we cannot build our own software because we are not inquisitive; we have lost the ability to ask questions. Every question you ask can be replaced by a higher level of questioning, which will expand your consciousness, your state of being and your awareness. The second biggest challenge is to look within and introspect, and we do not make the time to do so, so we have lost the art of introspection. Looking within with distractions is very different…
Focus, November 2019, VOLUME 4 / 02 Nov 2019
Food as prana
DAAJI brings another angle to our relationship with food. It is not only for physical and mental health and well-being; it can also nurture our spiritual growth if we understand the science of vibrational compatibility and resonance. There is a universal principle that offers us great insight into our relationship with food: Anything coming directly from Nature is pure, because its basis is purity. Over millennia, this principle has led thinkers to have a special regard for the value of food in our lives. And in particular, those who were interested in spiritual evolution developed a deep respect for the role of food. Here are some of the important concepts: First, there is the matter of hygiene. Food needs to be grown, stored and cooked cleanly in a proper manner. This is common to all cultures and is not only restricted to those people who are interested in spiritual growth. What comes from Nature is pure, but we can contaminate it if we disrupt the purity during the process of growing, picking, storing, processing, cooking and eating. Second, if the food is also sattvik in nature, and prepared in the remembrance and love of God, its effect on the human system will be surprising. Sattvik food is light, fresh, simple and subtle. It is vegetarian. Meat may be good for physical strength, but it is heavier food, bringing heavier energies to the system. And not all vegetarian food is sattvik either. Choosing a sattvik diet is about the vibration of the food, which also depends on our vibration. The lighter and purer the vibration, the more it will resonate with subtler spiritual states. There is a good analogy in the physical realm: babies are given light food suitable for their developmental stage, and the elderly also eat less and lighter…
It changes everything, November 2019, VOLUME 4 / 02 Nov 2019
Cooking with love
In this article, LLEWELLYN VAUGHAN-LEE ignites our sense of wonder with his personal experiences of a deepening relationship with food over the course of his life. He also offers us some valuable tips in “The Practice of Cooking with Love.” Let dharma be the same as food, and let food be the same as dharma … This food is the fulfillment that is the joy of dharma and the delight of meditation. Dogen When I was in my teens and began to practice meditation, I also learned to cook. I have an instinctual belief that to prepare and cook one’s food with attention is an essential part of spiritual life that provides a necessary ingredient for the journey. When Dogen, the founder of the Soto Zen school, went to China to rediscover the roots of Zen, his most instructive meeting was with an old monk who was the chief cook of the monastery, who rebuked him for not understanding that cooking was a spiritual practice. Maybe it was this ancient tradition that returned when, along with meditation, I learned to chop vegetables and bake stoneground bread. I had been brought up without any consciousness of food, in the English style of cooking, in which cabbage is boiled for twenty minutes until all the goodness has long gone. With my chopping board, knives and wok, I learned to bring attention to cooking and eating. It was also an excellent silent rebellion against my middle class family background. While everyone was eating their Sunday lunch of roast beef and roast potatoes, I was sitting at the same table eating a bowl of rice and vegetables with chopsticks! I learned to cook with awareness, with a sense that food is not just something we eat but also part of a spiritual practice, a…
Interview, November 2019, VOLUME 4 / 31 Oct 2019
Where history intersects with myth – part 1
ASHWIN SANGHI is an Indian author in the intersecting genre of mythology, fiction and thriller. Here he is interviewed by RUDY SINGH at Kanha Shanti Vanam about his formative influences, what brought him to writing, and the gray area intersecting mythology and history. In Part 2, the conversation will also move to his own work and his latest books. Q: Welcome to Kanha Shanti Vanam. What are your first impressions of this place? AS: I am absolutely fascinated by my surroundings. Before I arrived here I didn’t know the scale of Kanha Shanti Vanam. It has been an incredible experience not just because of the infrastructure, which is obviously still coming up, but even what is there is world-class. More importantly, I think what is fascinating is just the amazing environment that you have created. I am told that you have planted over 100,000 trees and plants in this place, which was barren land. That the water table is changing because of the number of reservoirs and the rainwater harvesting that is being done here. The fact that this place is energy self-sufficient because of the number of solar panels that are used. And of course the fact that there have been so many trees that have been translocated, or transplanted, here from other road-widening projects etc. So when you add all of it up, it makes for a fascinating place. And then of course when you factor in Daaji and his vibrations, and the vibrations of all those people who happen to be here meditating, it’s a magical experience. So to sum up: it’s a magical place. Q: Ashwin, I read that when you first started writing, you faced almost 40 rejections for your work, and then you decided to self-publish. Now most of us have a terrible time handling…
November 2019, Taste of life, VOLUME 4 / 31 Oct 2019
On the go
From the Travel Bag of a Solo Biker SUHAS RAMAKRISHNAN is a quintessential biker, who loves to venture on his beloved Harley. In one of his recent expeditions, he finds inspiration at the famous Uluru in Central Australia. Through one of the most punishing deserts on Earth, this expedition is as much about courage as it is about perseverance and unwavering self-belief. Suhas also shares some valuable tips, especially for those bitten by the solo travel bug. More often than not, we tend to forget that we need to venture out into the open, which helps us have a different perspective to life! Mid last year, while I was flying out of Australia, I looked down from my window and saw this glorious red rock glowing in the late afternoon light. It planted the seed in my head of traveling to Uluru on my Harley. In my last solo expedition from Sydney to Perth, between the East and West Coasts of Australia, I had covered a distance of approximately 7,000 kms. But this time it was going to be over 8,000 kms of the unforgiving Australian desert. I slowly started working towards it, as each and every detail of my journey needed to be laid out and meticulously planned. I wanted to do a round trip from Sydney, covering the legendary Australian outback and seeing the World Heritage site of Uluru and the Kata Tjuta National Park. I wanted to push my boundaries, ensuring that this trip was more challenging than my previous one. And what better way to do it than being alone on the road, with my bike, in the middle of nowhere! Life according to me is a celebration: the more you celebrate, the more there is in life to celebrate. So I decided to “celebrate life”…
Focus, November 2019, VOLUME 4 / 28 Oct 2019
We are what we eat
LUKE COUTINHO is a holistic lifestyle coach, practicing in the field of Integrative Medicine. Here he shares his experiences and knowledge of how what we eat makes a difference to physical, mental, emotional and spiritual well-being. I believe that right nutrition, cooked and served the right way, within the framework of the laws of nature, has the ability to shape us, heal us, and prevent problems in so many ways. It stands to be one of the most important verticals of holistic health. Each of us have 5 selves – physical, emotional, mental, spiritual and intellectual – and everything that we put in our mouths helps shape each of these selves; right from the way we look, think and speak to the way we fight or prevent illnesses, age, feel, and so much more. What we eat is not only manifested physically in our body but also mentally in our thoughts. Decades ago, when food was much cleaner, more wholesome, closer to nature, and naturally grown, diseases and mental stress were rarer and milder forms were known. With the gradual decline in the quality of food and the prevalence of processed and refined foods in every home, we also started to see a gradual increase in diseases, poor immunity, skin and hair health, infertility, metabolic conditions, obesity and emotional ill health. Yes, there are other factors responsible, but nutrition has a major role to play. “Food is medicine” – not just for our body but also our emotional health. Foods contain energy, and the right kind of food is what fuels every cell the right way. While a clean and wholesome diet contains highly vibrational foods, processed, putrid, burnt, refined foods are low vibrational foods. This impacts every aspect of our body, mind and spirit. This fact was also known…
THIS MONTH'S ISSUE
Thought in action
Leadership from the heart – part 2
PRAKASH SESHADRI takes the reader from survival mode to a mature leadership model, by sharpening Emotional and Spiritual Quotients through the practices of meditation, introspection and inquiry. Is there a...
Focus
Food as prana
DAAJI brings another angle to our relationship with food. It is not only for physical and mental health and well-being; it can also nurture our spiritual growth if we understand...
Be Inspired
Yogic psychology
This is the last article by DAAJI in his series on the fundamental principles of psychology, with its foundation in the ancient wisdom of Yoga, as compiled in Patanjali’s Yoga...
Taste of Life
Heartfulness Yogasanas
NAUKASANA STEPS Lie flat on your stomach with your legs straight and your soles pointing upwards. Bring your legs and feet together and stretch your hands straight in front of...
Interview
Where history intersects with myth – part 1
ASHWIN SANGHI is an Indian author in the intersecting genre of mythology, fiction and thriller. Here he is interviewed by RUDY SINGH at Kanha Shanti Vanam about his formative influences,...
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