BEING IN HARMONY WITH NATURE

Modern living has taken us away from the natural world and from our own natural self. We have forgotten that we can bring ourselves back into balance by listening to nature, to her wisdom and to our own inner voice or heart Essence.

“Mother Earth”, with her “big heart”, showers many blessings upon all living things. We are all the living elements of nature, inter-connected with Earth and all of creation. We can sustain Earth by living in harmony with her in a way that doesn’t harm her, not to take more than we need and to give back to Earth.

It may seem complicated with the many pushes and pulls in life and the changes occurring on our planet at this time e.g. climate change, political changes and social changes, with everything speeding up at an astronomical pace.  The internet itself is a vast web of communication and knowledge that is growing experientially fast and influencing our lives. We start to feel that we have little control over what happens in our lives.

So it is time to regain our own feminine power and take responsibility for our lives and the well-being of Earth, to build a better future for our children and the generations to come. Yoga, Meditation and Ayurveda show us how to be in balance our body, mind and spirit. Ayurveda is the Sister science of Yoga that the ancient yogis developed after having observed nature’s laws and rhythms, with our bodies being made of the 5 elements – earth, water, fire, air and ether. Each person has a unique combination of these 5 elements that vibrate in us. Ayurveda has a preventative and natural approach to keep the body in balance as well as ways to purify the body.

We are a unique combination of three doshas (body-types) and they have a specific influence on our physical, mental and emotional tendencies. By identifying our body type we can find the right food and lifestyle choices e.g. exercise, sleep, relaxation etc. that will maintain balance and promote health and well-being.

As we are not separate from nature, the way we manage the elements is how we treat nature. It is important is to listen to nature’s message to us in any given moment. For example, on a very hot and humid summer day it is important to drink lots of fluids, eat cooling foods and limit time in the sun so as not to increase the fire in our body (Pitta). On a larger scale we are seeing the effects of a very hot, dry summer in North America, leading to many wild fires that are ravaging nature and communities. So being in harmony with nature is both on a micro-level (our own bodies) and not separate from the macro-level (nature itself). The heart of Earth and our individual heart are linked. Our outside world is not separate from our inner world.

In yoga we teach children how to recognize the 5 elements in their body with different walks, yoga poses and even the breath. And certain yoga poses are better for children depending on their dosha or body type.  To learn more about Ayurveda please visit “Berdhanya’s Book of Taste”.  https://thebookoftaste.blogspot.com