search blog posts
Ojas Milk Recipe
This recipe for ojas milk has lots of brmhana (building and nourishing) ingredients and is great for balancing out the depleting qualities of winter. Banyan Botanicals is a great source for ashwagandha and shatavari, and if you use the coupon code RACHEL15, you will get 15% off your order. Ashwagandha is an adaptogen that helps the body heal from stress. The etymology of the word is associated with the strength and vitality of the horse, and it imparts those same qualities. It is also sometimes called Indian Ginseng because it promotes mental focus and clarity. Shatavari is also an adaptogen whose name means "100 spouses." It is a replenishing herb that helps the organs and tissues of the body retain their juiciness. Both herbs are calming for the mind and nervous system as well.
tapas: The friction that happens when an old habit and a new habit rub up against each other
Tapas is the fire of transformation that sparks positive change. It is the commitment and discipline we need to break free of habits, or samskaras, even when it is difficult or uncomfortable. We experience tapas when we choose to stay with challenge and not back away.
Small Changes over time
Yoga Sutra 1.14: Practice that is done for a long time without a break, and with sincere devotion, becomes a firmly rooted, stable, and solid foundation.
Basic goodness
One of the foundational principles of Buddhism is that we all have an inherent, basic goodness. Our truest self is loving, joyful, and open-hearted. Our practice can help us learn to trust this basic goodness, and to keep our hearts open, even in the face of challenge. The Buddha compared this goodness to the sun. No matter what kind of weather there is in the sky, the sun is always shining behind the clouds, just as our foundational goodness is always present.
daily practice
It all begins with an idea. Maybe you want to launch a business. Maybe you want to turn a hobby into something more.
the art of meditation
It all begins with an idea. Maybe you want to launch a business. Maybe you want to turn a hobby into something more. Or maybe you have a creative project to share with the world. Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference.
The mud & the lotus
In Buddhism, there is a story about the lotus and the mud. The lotus must rise up out of the muck of the mud to blossom in the light of the day. The mud is equivalent to the parts of ourselves that are "sticky." We all have habits of thought and behavior that don't serve our higher purpose. We all have parts of ourselves that we try to hide. Our practice can help us to rise up out of our contracted, suffering selves, stuck in the illusion of separateness and unworthiness, and to connect to our basic goodness.
like facilitates like
Change can be hard, and transformation isn't always comfortable. Change can often generate tapas, which is sometimes translated as heat, but is really the friction that occurs when an old habit rubs up against a new habit. If you have ever tried to make changes in your life, you might have experienced this friction, and possibly some resistance! Some of that resistance comes from inertia, or tamas. We may feel comfortable maintaining the status quo, but often what we need is the opposite of what we feel. When we are in a balanced state, our instincts are accurate, and we should listen to them. But when we are in an imbalanced state, our instincts will continue to pull us out of balance. Like facilitates like.
revolutionary love
It all begins with an idea. Maybe you want to launch a business. Maybe you want to turn a hobby into something more.