ReflectionsonWriting“Sun,MoonandEarth

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MasVidalAyearagotoday,mybookSun,Moon,andEarth:TheSacredRelationshipofYoga&AyurvedawasreleasedbyLotusPress.Iwaselatedtohavefinallycompletedaprojectthatreflectedover20yearsofstudyandserviceintheVedicfield.ThebookpresentsanumberofboldthemesthatIfeelarepertinenttobringinggreaterunderstandingtotheyogaandAyurvedatraditions.Tobeginwith,IwantedtoendorseaunifiedrelationshipbetweenyogaandAyurvedainpracticeandlifestyle.Inthecommercialsense,manyyogaenthusiastshaveassociatedyogawithfitnessandhavefailedtorecognizeitsspiritualandlifestyleaspects.Iexplainthatinorderforyogatotrulybeeffective,onemustembraceanumberofimportantprinciplessuchasselfstudy(svadhya)asaformofinnerreflection,establishingdiscipline(tapasya)betweenthemind-bodyrelationship,andlearningthehighestprincipleofyoga—surrendering(ishvarapranidhana)totheDivinewithinalllivingthings.IntegralYogaIntegralyogaisaboutcultivatingalivingrelationshipwiththeDivineforceormahapranathatabidesinallthings.Thetaskofyogaistolinkustothesehigherandsubtlerforcesoftenhiddenwithinthematerialormundaneworld.Thebasicpremiseisthatexistenceonplanetearthhasamuchhigherpurpose(thanwhatwecurrentlysee)inthatlifeonearthprovidesusawonderfulopportunitytoexplore,enjoy,andlearnaboutourselves—andso,theearthitselfcanbecomeagreat

teacherorgurutous.Suchathemeisaimedatpromotingourrelationshipwithnature(prakriti)andherlawsasessentialmeanstohealth,wellness,andspiritualevolution.PowerofRelationshipIntellingthefascinatingstoryofyogaandAyurveda,Ibeginwithhowthesesciencesarebornofthemovementsofthesun,moon,andearth.Thesethreeplanetsreflectthetrinityoflifewiththesunbeinglinkedtothesoul,themoonwiththemind,andearthwiththebody.Planetsalsoshareabinaryrelationship,whichproducesasimilareffectforuslivingonearthinthatrelationshipsofalltypesaresacredtous.However,personalrelationshipsarethemostvaluedinthattheycanbringusgreatjoyandultimatelyprovideuswithourgreatestlessons.Relationshipslinkustoafamilytree,aculture,andageographicalarea.InthisregardIexplainthatyogalineagesarecrucialtoboththepreservationofyogaandespeciallytoitsefficacy.Whenwestudyyogafromalineage(sampradaya)-basedtradition,itlinksustoitsKriya-shaktiorpowerofconsciousness,whichmagnifiesourawarenessandpromotesourspiritualevolution.Thisisanimportantconsiderationforyogateachersandpractitionerswhoarefindingthemselveschallengedwithmentalboredomandredundancy.Atruelineagerootsusinthepowerofanintegralpractice,keepingusevergrowinginoursearchforDivinelove.Today,manypractitionersofyogaasanaaremotivatedbyitstherapeuticvalue.However,anypracticeofyogaasatherapyisactuallyrelatedtoAyurveda.AsthesisterVedicsciencetoyoga,Ayurvedaismainlyfocusedonbalanceofthebody(tri-dosha)throughbalanceddigestionforthepromotionofayusorlongevity.Yogaisactuallyascientificmeansformanagingtheongoingwarbetweentheegoandourtrueinnerbeing(soul).TheRealBenefitsofYogaAsanaIwantedtoeducatereadersonthefourfoldbenefitsofyogaasana.First,themythologicalmeaningandsymbolismofthemostcommonposturescanprovidedeeperinsightsintothenatureofthemindtoovercomeitscomplexities.Second,asanashaveadirectinfluenceonthedoshasandtheirrespectiveorgansandsystems.Posturalyogaalongwithpranayama(breathingtechniques),whenpracticedcorrectlymassagestheinneranatomy,thusstimulatingtheorgansandkeepingthemvitalandhealthy.Third,instructionsaregivenastohowtoperformthesesignatureposestogainthegreatestbenefit.Lastly,Iexplainthemysticalinfluenceofasanayogaandhoweachposturecanbeusedtopromotesensorywithdrawal(pratyahara)toenhancemeditation,thehighestlimbofyoga.Yogaworksquiteefficientlyasacompletesystemtobalanceourentirebeingbybridgingthemind-bodyrelationshipandthen

establishingadeepenoughstateofrelaxationtoleadusintothemultitudeofbenefitsfromthepracticeofmeditation.TrueMeaningofEcologyMuchtomysurprise,oneofmyfavoritechapterswasthelastoneonSpiritualEcology,whicheducatesreadersandstudentsofyogaandAyurvedaontheunderlyingbasisforecologyasaspiritualpractice,atermIcoinedasspirit-ecos.Thebasicideaisthatecologyisnotmerelyapracticewedoforsustainabilityoftheenvironmentwiththeideathatweneedpreservetheworldforourchildrenandgrandchildren;ecologyisaboutspirit.GodisnatureandHeexistsinalllivingthingsandbycultivatingacompassionaterelationshipwithnature,itselements,animals,anditsmanyqualitiesitnurturesthelawofattractionwithin.Yogaisfoundedonthemagneticpowerofthesoul;andtherelationshipwesharewithnatureisbornofthecyclesbetweenthesun,moon,andearth.Themind-bodycomplexiscontinuouslystrivingforbalance;however,inthewhisperofthesoul,wecanallfindtruecontentment,love,andhappiness.Ayurvedateachesusthathowwetreattheplanetisareflectionofhowwecareforourselves.Together,yogaandAyurvedaprovideuswiththehighestprospectsforhealthandwellnesswiththeintentionofseeingtheunitybehinddiversity,whichessentiallyproclaimsthatthereisnoonewaytohealthandhappiness.Mayweallfindourownuniquecycletoalignwithagranderpowerandthepotentialofthesun,moon,andearth.