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Namaste
Nature is truly a great healer. I have spent many
days hiking and weeks backpacking learning to
understand nature in a way that goes beyond words.
It is a great place to let go of unnecessary baggage
and to find the stillness inside which is truly who we
are.
Read more about nature's healing properties below.
I went on two business trips the past month. The
first was to the California College of Ayurveda in
Grass Valley, CA. I attended additional teacher
training
under
Dr. Marc Halpern which will enable me to co-teach
the internship classes which are part of the school's
curriculum which leads to becoming a Clinical
Ayurvedic Specialist. This teaching will be in addition
to the first
year classes that I am already teaching for the
college. A new California College of Ayurveda
class starts Jan 20, 2007
and meets in Seal Beach one weekend a month.
The second trip was to Boulder, CO to attend the
American Herbalist Guild
17th Annual Symposium. I
attended four days of intensives and seminars to
deepen my knowledge of herbology and learn how to
effectively use them in my practice. In attendance
were some of the most respected and knowledgeable
teacher, including Christopher Hobbs, Michael Tierra
and David Winston. One of the most enlightening
sessions by Shelley Torgove
was entitled “Healing The Spirit: Using Plants, Song,
and Prayer in Modern Clinical Practice.” I hope to
include more of this knowledge in my practice in
coming months.
"The measure of mental health is the disposition to
find good everywhere."
- Emerson
May all beings be with Peace,
Rob
| How Nature Heals Us |
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New evidence that natural beauty, even in small
doses, reduces stress
Can contact with nature relieve anxiety and stress,
aid healing, and increase concentration? It appears
that it can, even when “contact” is defined in the
loosest way. Some researchers now suggest that
passive contact with nature, like looking at trees
from a car, can be as therapeutic as a walk in the
woods. It appears that nature can really provide
nurture for the young and old, healthy and sick, alike.
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| How is health and wellness created? |
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Ayurveda recognizes that each person has a unique
mind-body constitution. Ayurveda then identifies the
various components of that individual's constitution,
determines where imbalances and disturbances exist,
and provides education, guidance and a plan for
helping the individual bring about their own
improvements in health and wellness.
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| Calming Fall Aromas |
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Aromatherapy uses essential oils made from flowers,
plants, trees, and grasses to relay fragrances
through the olfactory sense to the brain, in order to
bring healing energy to mind and body. Ayurveda
teaches that smells are directly related to doshic
balance and imbalance, and that certain aromas are
heating, cooling, or neutral.
Dr. David Frawley said, "Flowers are a recent part of
nature to evolve. They parallel the evolution of
mammals and reflect the entrance of the soul into
the creation. Many have evolved under human
cultivation. Hence, they carry a greater power of the
soul within them and aid in its unfoldment."
Fall is the time of Vata (space and air). Vata is light,
dry, mobile and cold, and is balanced by oils that are
wet, heavy, calming and warming. Essential oils that
sooth vata are sweet and spicy aromas such as
sandalwood, cinnamon and orange. Tulsi (Holy Basil),
rose, and lavender are also beneficial.
Essential oils are blended in Ayurveda according to
their properties. A good vata reducing blend would be
2 parts orange, 7 parts cinnamon and 1 parts
sandalwood. This blend would have an overall
tonifying and calming effect on the nervous system
which would thereby calm vata's worrying mind.
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Free Introductory Lecture |
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Nov 14th, 7-9 PM in Laguna Beach
Topics include:
- Introduction to Ayurveda
- Constitution and balance
- Food as medicine
- Balancing through opposites
- 14 tips for healthy eating
- Questions and Answers
Download PDF flyer and directions
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