Cultivating Balance
We can learn how to adapt our lives relative to the rhythms of time, which are always changing with natural and human cycles, the ebbs and flows of life, gain and loss, advance and retreat, coming and going.
Shift your frequency and you shift your world. Helen Keller has assured us that rhythm is the mode that changes things, although the world is full of suffering, it is also full of the overcoming of it, which is why Ritual is so very important to those who have the higher calling, the deeper destiny. Ritual itself comes from the Sanskrit word “rita” meaning many things—art, ritual, discipline, the dance, the grace that allows us to move from one stage or plateau of life to the next. Rituals illumine our transitions and are the practices that create the field of possibility. A sadnesses of our time is that we have lost a lot of these rituals. Young children used to go through tremendous rituals to release their childhood and then become upstanding members of their society.
Rituals teach us how to understand the realities of the outer world, the world of nature, but as a means of directing us inward. It teaches us that the outer world exists for inner experience and self‑knowledge. It reveals to us that when we approach anything in nature through direct perception, we find that on the deepest level it is intrinsically one with our own consciousness. It guides us back through the fundamental laws and powers of nature to return us to our own Self and seeing nature.
Much of our unhappiness in life arises from the inability to adjust to changes in time. Time affects us through the rhythms of the day, month, seasons of the year and our own ageing process. The traditional Vedic teachings contain two basic principles. The first is Ahimsa which translates as non-violence, or not causing harm; and the second is Sadhana, or devotion, believed to help cultivate a balanced and harmonious state of being.
Ahimsa (non-violence, or not causing harm to ourselves and others) is the foundation for establishing mental peace. It is based on the idea that we can’t triumph in this life at the expense of the world around us. Ahimsa extends to the way we use our intellect. Wrong use of intellect is believed to be one of the root causes behind a lot of diseases. That is, acting in a way that repeatedly causes harm to yourself. Knowing that an action will not have desirable consequences and continuing to do it. It sounds simple, and yet if we look into our everyday actions there are probably numerous cases where we have acted in ways that cause harm to ourselves. Not causing harm to ourselves and others requires a certain amount of awareness. By slowing down we are able to observe what we say and do, we become mindful of our actions. We can go behind our emotions and disentangle our emotions from our actions. Often misunderstood, ahimsa does not imply passivity. Protecting yourself and others, or acting in a way that can prevent harm is also ahimsa. We are not trying to stop negative emotions but rather break the habitual cycle, so that we can act rather than react to situations. By practicing ahimsa we become more conscious of our actions and also improve our health.
The second is Sadhana or devotion. According to the Vedas, our individual soul or reincarnating consciousness is called the “Jiva” or Jivatman, the individual Self. It is our individual portion of Divine consciousness. It is generally identified with the spiritual fire within the heart. The soul as our true individuality apart from the false personality or separate self of the ego. It leads us back to unity whereas the ego drives us into division and multiplicity. In our souls, we feel that we are one with all beings. This is the identity of consciousness, not the self‑image or ego.
There are powerful moments in time, like sunrise, sunset, new moon, full moon, solstices, equinoxes, eclipses and powerful conjunctions, in which special energies move. Most common is Brahma Muhurta or the period about an hour or two before sunrise. It can be useful to learn how to access these energies of time to our creative advantage.
The Vedas teach that our ultimate happiness and well-being lies within our own consciousness. It cannot be produced by anything external. The pursuit of happiness inevitably leads to sorrow because it places happiness outside of ourselves. Rather than pursuing happiness on the outside, we should be givers of happiness from within; then happiness will always be ours and will come to us from all things in life.
Where does your true happiness dwell? As apart from where we may derive the most pleasure or feel the most comfortable.
The true spiritual alchemy is to learn to extract the inner Soma directly, apart from any external stimuli, through the light of awareness hidden in our own hearts. This involves discovering deeper inner contentment, detachment, peace, and bliss through creative practices, through our own individual experience, and direct perception of life that itself is a movement of joy.
Understanding the nature of our mind:
The mind while emanating from the body is neither the body nor the brain. Our mind helps us understand the world. It’s the intangible component that makes the tangible known. The mind makes things happen, it perceives and is the source of judgment. In Ayurveda, it’s said that to know the mind, we must first know ourselves.
Learning to use our mind, as opposed to our mind using us, can alleviate a lot of the psychological issues we are faced with today. Just as we can see and use both of our hands, through awareness we can perceive and use our mind. The brain is the physical organ through which our mind works. We are not conscious of the brain, we are conscious of our thought process. The mind has comparative functions of reason, feeling, will, and sensory perceptions. We can direct our attention, we can use reasoning, we can develop will, and we can cultivate our feelings, etc. Notice, we are the ones using the mind, and we can master it, rather than letting the mind tell us what to do. To do this, we must go beyond our mind, which means disengaging from its involvements.
Our minds are constantly giving out and receiving in thought-forms that either elevate or depress them. As we become aware we can learn to change the habitual thought forms, and project positive ones. Sound easy enough? The difficulty is, there are many types and layers behind our thoughts, only if we change our deepest thoughts can we really change ourselves.
Our mind is organically related to our physical body. We have all experienced how our mind changes when our diet, exercise patterns, or sensory stimuli changes. Like our body, our mind has its metabolism, appropriate food, waste product, and diseases.
Ayurvedic Diagnostic
Many forms of traditional medicine have five element theories in various formulations, including Traditional Chinese medicine, older Greek medicine, western astrology, and Native American traditions. The five elements are a kind of universal dialogue that all creatures naturally understand. They relate to our natural realms of experience through earth, water, fire, air and ether. In Ayurvedic medicine, we work to balance the five elements within us at a biological and psychological level, mainly through the three doshas or biological humors that are composed of them – Vata dosha of air and ether, Pitta dosha of fire and water, and Kapha dosha of earth and water.
If you are interested in learning your about your Ayurvedic constitution, you can complete the Dosha Quiz here.
Vata Psychology
Vata (air) with emotional tendencies towards fear, anxiety, insecurity and ungroundedness. They will be mentally changeable, excitable and indecisive with quickly fluctuating and unpredictable moods and interests. Their minds and senses are sensitive, usually excessively so, but unsteady.
Vatas have good but erratic mental powers. They are quick to perceive and to react, but not always consistent in their judgements and opinions. They can be very comprehensive in their views or very superficial. They will have many ideas and speculations but lack in practical application, being easily influenced by threats or promises. Their intellect is often well-developed with a grasp of much information. They are able to develop the abstract and philosophical part of the mind once they gain control of their wandering thoughts.
Vata minds are good at both grasping and forgetting. They are quick at both attachment and detachment, fast at getting emotional and expressing emotions, as well as at forgetting them. They do not have much courage or daring and tend towards cowardice. Yet they seldom become vindictive and usually blame themselves.
Generally, they are not good at forming long lasting relationships. They will be solitary or have many friendships of a more transient nature. However, they are good at forming friendships with people outside their social sphere or age group and may have many acquaintances. They do not make good leaders, but they will not be good followers either. They will not be very materialistic and are not so concerned with accumulating possessions or money. They spend money quickly and easily, but also make it quickly and easily.
In Balance: Energetic, adaptable, flexible, quick in comprehension, good in communication, strong sense of human unity, strong healing energy, good enthusiasm, positive spirit, able to initiate things, good capacity for positive change and movement
Out of balance: Indecisive, unreliable, hyperactive, agitated, volatile, restless, disturbed, distracted, nervous, anxious, overly talkative, superficial, noisy, disruptive, false enthusiasm, excitable, fearful, depressed, self‑destructive.
Pitta Psychology
Those with Pitta physical natures will tend towards fiery emotions like irritability, anger and hatred. Their minds will be sharp, penetrating and aggressive. They will be logical, critical, perceptive and intelligent. They are quick to get emotional, though they usually do not consider themselves to be emotional (in this regard they are seldom sentimental) and have no trouble expressing anger. They have difficulty, however, in controlling anger.
Pittas are determined, articulate, convincing and usually get their point across, dominating others with their ideas. They often become self‑righteous, sometimes fanatical. They usually possess strong wills, are dignified and make good leaders. They are ambitious, have great goals in life and work hard to achieve them.
While very helpful and kind to friends and followers, Pitta types can be cruel and unforgiving to opponents. They are bold, adventurous, daring, and reckless and like danger and challenges. They are inventive, ingenious, and possess good mechanical skills. They enjoy the use and expression of energy and technology. Their memory is sharp and not sentimental. They have much clarity but may lack compassion. They are more concerned with the accumulation of power than with material resources but will gather material resources to gain their ends.
In Balance: Intelligent, clear, perceptive, enlightened, discriminating, good will, independent, warm, friendly, courageous, good guide, and leader
Out of balance: Impulsive, overly ambitious, aggressive, controlling, critical, dominating, manipulating, angry, reckless, proud, vain, hateful.
Kapha Psychology
Those with Kapha constitution tend towards watery emotions, like love and desire, romance and sentimentality, or, on the negative side, toward greed and lust. They will be kind, considerate, and loyal, but not always capable of change and adaptation. They can be slow to respond, conservative, shy and obedient.
Kaphas usually have many friends and are very close to their family, community, culture, religion, and country. They can be closed-minded outside their sphere of habitual activity, however, and tend to be suspicious of strangers. They travel less and are happier at home. They easily get attached and find it hard to let go of the past. While they can display affections easily, they are slow to express negative emotions, particularly anger.
Mentally, Kapha types are steady with good forethought but need time to consider things properly. They find it difficult to grasp abstract ideas and learn better through something practical. They are not always sensitive or perceptive but are seldom negative, rude or critical. They may throw their weight around, however, and like to expropriate things for themselves. They accumulate possessions and value material objects and resources.
In Balance: Calm, peaceful, content, stable, consistent, loyal, loving, compassionate, forgiving, patient, devoted, receptive, nurturing, supportive, strong faith
Out of Balance: Controlling, attached, greedy, lustful, materialistic, sentimental, needing security, seeking comfort, lethargic, depressed.