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Pratyahara – developing inner awareness

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Pratyahara is one of the Eight Limbs of Yoga from the Yoga Sutras. It is the linchpin between working with the outer physical world and going to the more inner, subtle senses. This is relevant to both Ayurveda and Shamanism.

For Ayurveda, it works at awakening to the Atman, the Highest Self.  This is the source of Truth, Light, and Love.  It supports a sattvic mind, leading to better lifestyle choices.

For Shamanism, developing our inner senses allows us to sense the subtle Upper, Middle, and Lower Worlds. This allows us to bring more information back to this world.

The first steps to Pratyahara involve learning how to properly deal with relationships. These are the first limb – the Yamas and Niyamas.

Yamas

Yamas focus on our behavior and thoughts towards others.

  1. Ahimsa is non-harming, non-violence. It is being loving and compassionate.
  2. Satya is truthfulness and honesty.
  3. Astya is non-stealing.  We develop healthy interchange with others. This means not just avoiding thievery, but also avoiding being a taker or user without giving back somehow.
  4. Bramacharya is moderation of the outer senses.  This means controlling your sensual cravings and addictions.
  5. Aparigraha is non-hoarding. We avoid unnecessary materialism and selfishness around sharing our time and energy with the world.

Niyamas

Niyamas help us learn to maintain a positive environment and develop self-discipline and inner strength.

  1. Saucha is purity and cleanliness. This involves physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual levels.
  2. Santosa is contentment.  Learning to accept and enjoy what is now.
  3. Tapas is heat or fire of practice. Using our best efforts even when we don’t want to develops the discipline needed for deep inner work.
  4. Svadhyaya is self study. We contemplate ourselves– mind and body – to find our own truths.
  5. Ishvara Pranidhana is surrender to Higher Self. We may surrender to Nature, a personal god or the higher self as spiritual practice.

Asana

Asana is another limb of yoga.  As a spiritual practice it is more than poses.  It liberally means “to sit calmly.” Through asana we become aware of our bodies, emotions, and minds. We become healthy, balanced, calm and disciplined enough for further inner work.  Prana – the life energy- can where we put our attention. Asana helps us become aware of our whole body. It also releases stuck areas that inhibit the flow of prana.

Pranayama

Pranayama is meant to allow prana to circulate freely through our body-emotion-mind- spirit system. It is opening up to allow the flow to happen. Being able to sit (or live) calmly and allow our prana to nourish every cell, give us the energy and safety to move on to pratyahara.

Pratyahara

Pratyahara can happen when the prana flows. We need to be in a safe place in the external world. Then we can practice opening up and strengthening our internal sense organs.  Next blog, we’ll delve more into the practice.

I highly recommend the Pratyahara class by Dr Claudia Welch and Dr Robert Svoboda

Part 2 will delve into more about developing Pratyahara

Embrace the Sun Light

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There is no better time to become aware of the importance of Sun light to our lives. Now that the Winter Solstice has passed, we in the Northern Hemisphere are leaning more and more towards the Sun. This life-giving star of our Solar System gives us our light, gives us our warmth, and feeds all living beings. It’s no wonder that our ancestors carefully watched and worshiped the Sun! Science too shows us the importance of the Sun to maintain our health with Vitamin D.

Roles of Vitamin D

Our individual bodies can use the sun’s light to create Vitamin D. It’s now considered more of a steroid hormone in its actions within our metabolism than a vitamin. Vitamin D has multiple roles in the body, helping to:

  • Maintain the health of bones and teeth
  • Support the health of the immune system, brain and nervous system
  • Regulate insulin levels and aid diabetes management
  • Support lung function and cardiovascular health
  • Influence the expression of genes involved in cancer development.

The Alchemy of Sun light into Vitamin D

Sunlight converts cholesterol on the skin into calciol (vitamin D3). The liver then converts Vitamin D3 into calcidiol. The kidneys then convert calcidiol into the active form of vitamin D, called calcitriol. As such, statins and other medications or supplements that inhibit cholesterol synthesis, liver function or kidney function may impair the synthesis of Vitamin D. Diseases of these organs also inhibit it.

Blocks to Vitamin D from the Sun

Scientists who study this process tell us that to absorb and convert into Vitamin D we need to allow sunlight to touch our skin. The cholesterol on our skin may be lacking if we just bathed.

Sunscreen may also inhibits this process. But as a practical matter, very few people put on enough sunscreen to block all UVB light, or they use sunscreen irregularly, so sunscreen’s effects on our Vitamin D levels might not be that important. An Australian study that’s often cited showed no difference in Vitamin D between adults randomly assigned to use sunscreen one summer and those assigned a placebo cream.

Unfortunately, studies have also shown that being obese is correlated with low vitamin D levels and that being overweight may affect the bioavailability of vitamin D. Since Vitamin D is so intertwined with health, this may be a contributing factor to the worse health outcomes related to excess weight.

Theoretically, age may be a factor. Older people have lower levels of the substance in the skin that UVB light converts into the vitamin D precursor, and there’s experimental evidence that older people are less efficient vitamin D producers than younger people. Yet the National Center for Health Statistics data on vitamin D levels don’t show a major drop-off in levels between middle-aged people and older folks.

Another factor is the latitude and season of the year. When our hemisphere is tipped away from the Sun, the rays are not as potent for creating Vitamin D. The further from the equator we are, the less the Sun will feed our Vitamin D in the winter season. In Boston, for example, little if any of the vitamin is produced in people’s skin tissue from November through February.

The further from the equator we are, the less the Sun will feed our Vitamin D in the winter season.

Terra

Interestingly, warm skin is a more efficient producer of vitamin D than cool skin. So, on a sunny, hot summer day, you’ll make more vitamin D than on a cool one.

Don’t worry if you live in a cloudy place – the UVB radiation, which can also cause sunburn, is still there to create Vitamin D3. However air pollution is a factor. Carbon particulates in the air from the burning of fossil fuels, wood, and other materials scatter and absorb UVB rays.

To maintain healthy blood levels, aim to get 10–30 minutes of midday sunlight, several times per week. This is if you’re wearing shorts and tank top with no sunscreen. People with darker skin may need a little more than this. Your exposure time should depend on how sensitive your skin is to sunlight. A fair skinned person in summer dress will get about 10,000 IU Vit D from 10 minutes exposure.

Maintain Your Vitamin D Level

Winter is another story. Studies consistently show that vitamin D status drops during the winter, with levels peaking in September and at their lowest in March. So for some people at least part of the year, it may be important to rely on dietary sources of vitamin D or supplements. Being covered and having cold skin, along with being tipped away from the sun all contribute.

Good digestion, as always is important when vitamin D that is consumed in food or as a supplement. It is absorbed in the part of the small intestine immediately downstream from the stomach. Stomach juices, pancreatic secretions, bile from the liver, the integrity of the wall of the intestine — they all have some influence on how much of the vitamin is absorbed. Therefore, conditions that affect the gut and digestion, like celiac disease, chronic pancreatitis, Crohn’s disease, and cystic fibrosis, can reduce vitamin D absorption.

Levels also drop if you are confined indoors. One study on Vitamin D levels of hospital patients showed that however high their Vitamin D was on entering the hospital, it was down to one half of that level within just 24-48 hours. This is concerning since immunity and healing are both greatly effected by Vitamin D.

Vitamin D is so important to our health, even helping protect us from serious COVID. Be sure you have healthy levels through lab tests in September to see your peak amount for the year. Inexpensive supplements are also highly effective, when needed to maintain healthy levels. A meta-analysis published in 2007 showed that vitamin D supplementation was associated with significantly reduced mortality.

Do embrace the Sun light – finding your healthy balance.

Sources:

https://www.health.harvard.edu/healthbeat/9-things-that-can-undermine-your-vitamin-d-level

https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/vitamin-d-from-sun

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3356951/

Strengthen Support from Ancestors

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We can strengthen the support of ancestors who have gone before us. Certainly, they already pay attention to us at times. Yet we can develop our relationship with them. Many cultures have traditions that do this and the fall is the general time of year especially attuned to this work. Helpful ancestors can include unknown ancient ancestors with various talents, teachers and dear friends, as well as blood relations we have lived with and known.

Strengthen by Celebrating All Saints / Day of the Dead

Two well known traditions in our culture revolve around the ancestors.  My friend Kathy recently shared that in New Orleans it is a tradition on All Saints Day (the day after Halloween) to visit and bring flowers to the tombs of ancestors. Similarly, this is celebrated around this time in Mexico as Day of the Dead. People gather at the graveyards, even picnic there with some favorite foods and drinks of their departed loved ones.

Strengthen by Prayers, rituals and charity to support Ancestors

In the Hindu tradition this time of year is Pitru Paksha. It follows the moons and this year it fell September 20 – October 6.  This time of year is for mourning the dead, doing prayers and rituals to support them in the afterlife, and doing acts of charity in their name.  These practices an certainly work at any time as well, but go with the energies of the year at this time.

Strengthen Relations with Ancestors on Samhain / the Roots of Halloween

Ancient Celts believed that on Samhain (now celebrated as Halloween) the good departed souls came back to earth to visit their living relatives.  Honoring and welcoming them, you can make a special altar – photos of them, some of their favorite foods, a candle, and maybe some rosemary sprigs, symbolizing remembrance. You can also do some of their favorite activities in memory of them, giving them a chance to re-experience them through your actions.

Strengthen by Celebrating Your Ancestors’ Death Days

You can do all these activities on the person’s death day as well, to honor them individually. Some traditions do this very importantly on the year anniversary of the death.

Following these traditions will amplify your relationship with helpful ancestors. You may then notice little signs of their input through signs and intuitions. Or you may hear or see them in a vision.  You can call on them for support when you are feeling low or facing a big challenge.  The give and take between you and your helpful ancestors is supportive to both of you!

For more work with the unseen realm, including farther back helpful ancestors you may not know about, consider the Shamanic studies and support offered by Terra.

Connect with the Feminine Power of the Moon

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Women are naturally connected with the Moon. When unexposed to artificial lights, women tend to bleed on the new moon and ovulate on the full moon. Our female cycles mirror the Moon cycles. The creativity of our wombs is strongly related to the power of the Moon. And the creativity of our wombs goes far beyond the creation of physical children – all our creative endeavors gain force from our womb energy.

By becoming more aware of the Moon cycles we can ride the tides of the creative Moon energy – enhancing our own part in the web of life.

How to Connect to the Moon

Some women sleep where the Moon light will shine on them. In fact, to get menstrual cycles to follow the Moon, it works best to sleep in total darkness except for during the full Moon, then having light shine on you while you sleep. Some women finds this gets irregular cycles synced up, giving them more awareness of when they are fertile.

I seem to often wake when the Moon is at her zenith, at the top of the sky. This means about midnight at Full and about 3 am when Half Moon. I see her out my bathroom window and say hello. Sometimes I chant to Her.

Following the Moon Cycles

Traditionally, the New Moon is a time of inwardness and contemplation. A good time to do intuitive, shamanic work. Time to talk with the spirit world, with the spirits of plants. Women in the Moon Hut would share their dreams to increase the tribe’s wisdom. They would isolate, not so much because bleeding was nasty but because at this time the downward flow of the blood would open them so much that they might pull energy from others. By staying near the Earth, they could draw on the deep energies of Mother Nature, renewing their physical and spiritual selves. Setting intentions for the following Moon cycle works well at this time.

With the waxing, growing Moon light, a woman becomes more outward, bringing her intentions more into reality.

At the Full Moon, women may find themselves ovulating – and full of pheromones and the desire to mate. This brings her out into the light, out into social settings to find the proper way to express her fullness. It’s a great time to give birth to the projects of intention, as well as is often a time for childbirth to happen.

With the waning, declining Moon light, women may complete what needs to be completed, let go of what needs to be let go of, culminating in the deep inner state of the New Moon, associated with menstrual time.

Other Ways to Connect

There are many other ways to connect to the Moon Power-

~Drinking pure water that was left in the Moon light overnight.

~Chanting “Chandra Shakti” (power of the Moon) especially when gazing at the Moon.

~Watching for the Moon to appear in the sky. I love my first siting of the “Baby Moon” which is when it is a new sliver after the New Moon.

~Journeying to the Moon in a shamanic journey – What does Her Spirit look like to you? What does She have to tell you? What guidance does She give you to personally connect more fully with Her power?

Watch for upcoming live classes on Women’s Womb Power

Ayurveda and Shamanism

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As an Ayurveda & Shamanism Practitioner, I’ve been asked how they go together.

Shamanic Roots of Ayurveda?

I’m quite confident that the sages who originally received the teachings of Ayurveda did so from the unseen world. Shamanism is an ancient tradition throughout most of the world…we all have shamanic ancestors. Hunter gatherers seem to have tuned into Nature (as the Ayurveda Sages did) to know what was safe to eat, where to find their food, and how to heal those with disease.

Subtle causes of disease addressed

Ayurveda makes it clear that most disease starts with disturbances of the mental, emotional, and/or spiritual bodies. Shamanic healing follows time-tested processes to strengthen our spiritual energies to repel such assaults. And when that doesn’t happen, shamanism give us ways to repair the energetic template. It does not require a person to subscribe to spiritual practices outside their own religion.

Connecting to our Highest

Shamanism is best practiced as self care on a daily basis. It is about connecting to the highest in ourselves and in Nature, just as Ayurveda is. Simple ceremonies focus us on the forces of our lives. Inner journeys can connect with the Lower World of Nature, the Middle World of Human, and the Upper World of Spirit and Soul. Our spiritual life is then based on our personal direct experience, rather than belief in what others tell us.

Progressing through our Experiences

Shamanism realizes the blessing of being incarnated here on Earth and facing our challenges here to learn what we came here to learn and progress – the experience of the senses, responsibility, respect, and Love. Journeying is much like a guided meditation, while ceremonies abound in both Vedic and Shamanic realms.

Connecting

Through journeys we can tune into ourselves and others on a subtle level. Slowing down enough and being quiet enough we can hear the wise spirits of plants to support the physical beings. The Spirits of the Elements can speak to us – guiding everyday choices. We can meet our Atman or other spiritual beings in the Upper World. All this I have done.

This is why I am sharing shamanism with people – it has strengthened my life and feels in accord with using Ayurveda techniques to support them.

For More about on-going shamanic experience group

For a Basic Shamanic Journey