I just finished eating the most delicious, juicy peach. It must be summer in Oklahoma! The sense of taste is one of the most precious, but often underappreciated, abilities we have as human beings. To jump-start awareness and boost enjoyment, Yoga and Ayurveda have some suggestions:

Scrape your tongue Oh, yeah, the tongue carries a lot of bacteria, not all of it the bad kind. First thing in the morning, however, is another story altogether. From lack of swallowing, mouth breathing and use of a CPAP, unhealthy bacteria proliferates on the tongue. This contributes to bad breath and makes seasonal allergies worse. Scrape the tongue from back to front seven times first thing in the morning, even before taking a drink of water. Copper tongue scrapers are the best because they’re antimicrobial, but a stainless steel one does the job too. Follow up with

Swish some oil The lipids which make up oil are amazing at releasing and removing bacteria in the mouth and especially at the gum line. Personal testimony: When I swish oil regularly, my visits to the dental hygienist are much more pleasant because I have less plaque on my teeth and my gums don’t bleed during the cleaning. You can buy flavored oil pulling oils, but it’s just as easy to make your own with sesame oil or coconut oil (the same oils you cook with) mixed with a very small amount of essential oils. Plain oil works great too. Place 1-3 teaspoons of oil in the mouth and swish it around and through the teeth. Start with a minute or two and work up to 20 minutes. You can brush your teeth afterwards if you like, but it’s not necessary.

Eat the six tastes Ayurveda recognizes six tastes: sweet, salty, sour, pungent, bitter and astringent. Each one is associated with a different stage of digestion, so eating all six every day not only keeps the taste buds sharp, but also keeps the digestive system humming along nicely. Try these healthy choices:
-Sweet fruits and vegetables, sweeten with honey or maple syrup
-Salty in moderation, especially if you have heart issues or retain water
-Sour citrus, yogurt, cheese
-Pungent radishes, wasabi, salsa, peppers
-Bitter greens, turmeric, dandelion tea
-Astringent pomegranate, unripe banana, black tea

May your tongue be a source of vitality and joy.

The aroma of bread baking on Sunday morning. The scent of a cologne or perfume worn by a love interest. The familiar smells of the holidays. All of these bring memories to the forefront and solidify the nose as one of our favorite sense organs.

What do Yoga and Ayurveda have to say about our sense of smell?

As one of the five senses, we have the ability to differentiate between many different types of scents. The senses of smell and taste are very much connected too which is why losing the sense of smell often results in loss of appetite as well.

The olfactory nerve travels into the brain very close to the memory center. This is why a certain scent triggers a memory that can transport you to an earlier time. For example, the scent of lily of the valley takes me back to my front yard in Chicago where these lovely little flowers were planted.

Yoga and Ayurveda suggest that we care for our nose in very specific ways:

Neti pot has become quite popular in recent years, especially in areas with high allergens. Truly anyone can benefit from the practice as it can make our nose more sensitive to the variety of scents it will encounter. This little pot looks like a genie bottle with a long spout. Gently pour salt water in one nostril so it flows out the other side. Blow the nose and repeat on the other side. I use mine every morning without fail. And if you are outside all day, you might like using it at night too to wash the allergens away. Look for some instructional videos on YouTube.

Oiling the nose is nice if you tend to get dry nasal passages, especially in the winter months. Sesame oil is a good choice because it is all natural and not too heavy. You can also order Nasya Oil online, a specially formulated sesame oil also that has essential oils and herbs cooked into it. Place a drop or two into each nostril, sniff strongly to draw it in, then gently massage the outside of the nose. This is best done in the morning or afternoon, but not at night because the oil can go into the lungs when you’re lying down.

A scent workout for your nose is helpful in keeping your sense of smell more discriminating. I like to use bottles of essential oils, but you can gather other smells like fruits, spices, herbs, flowers, etc. Choose 5-10 different types of scents: flowery, sweet, hot, spicy, woodsy. Close your eyes as you smell each one; when you can’t see your nose’s abilities become sharper. You might practice with a friend who can mix them up and see if you can guess which one you’re smelling.

May your sense of smell and memory stay sharp!

The ancient writings of Yoga have A LOT to say about the five senses because this is the way we take in information from the outside world. Taking care of the five sense organs—eyes, ears, mouth, nose and skin—is paramount for physical and mental health.

It’s springtime in Oklahoma, so smoke from wildfires, allergens from trees and grass, and a little too much screen time are causing my eyes to be scratchy and blurry. Can you relate? Thank goodness Yoga and Ayurveda can teach us how to show our eyes some love.

Try some of these yoga-approved ways to care for your eyes:

Splash some cool water. The eyes are considered “hot” organs, so splashing them with cool water will keep them in balance. When you get up in the morning, wash your hands with soap and rinse them well. Then splash water into your eyes. Blink them rapidly at least seven times and make circles with the eyeballs several times in both directions. This will wake up your eyes and get the fluids moving after a night of sleep.

Gaze into a flame. Trataka is an ancient meditation practice that cleanses the eyes with tears. It also challenges your will! Light a candle and place it about 12 inches away from your face. Gaze into the flame without blinking until tears form in your eyes. Close your eyes and you’ll continue to see the flame behind your eyelids. Practice 2-3 times per week.

Oil your eyes. If you tend to have dry or irritated eyes this time of year, try placing one drop of organic, cold-pressed caster oil in each eye at bedtime. If you do this regularly you’ll discover you won’t need to use eyedrops any more. *Caution: Do not do this practice if you have had any type of eye surgery.

May your eyes always see beauty!

“People say that walking on water is a miracle, but to me, walking peacefully on the earth is the real miracle. The Earth is a miracle, each step is a miracle. Taking steps on our beautiful planet can bring real happiness.”
-Thich Nhat Hanh, The Long Road Turns to Joy

The warmer, dryer weather has brought me a greater appreciation of walking barefoot. As yoga practitioners, there are many good reasons to do so:

Better balance and posture When we practice yoga we always have bare feet. We take off the “sensory deprivation chambers” known as “shoes” so that all of the sensors (nerves) in our feet can feel the floor. The information gathered by the feet travels up the whole body contributing to better balance and an aligned posture.

Strong ankles and less foot pain Being barefoot increases the strength of the muscles in the feet, ankles and calves; wearing shoes actually decreases the strength of these muscles because the shoe is doing the work for the muscles. It’s common for muscles that are getting a workout to be a bit painful at first, but this will ease as the muscles get stronger.

Restoration of nerve impulses For those people who experience neuropathy, here is a reason to rejoice. Studies confirm that walking barefoot on the earth—with skin to grass contact—for just 10 minutes a day, restores nerve impulses in the feet due to the powerful electromagnetic pulse of the Earth.

Walking on the earth is a spiritual practice which reminds us that we are earth creatures made up of the very same elements. What we do to the earth affects us all, so let us all take greater care in loving and preserving our beautiful earthly home.

This is my birthday week and, wow, what a week it is! I am turning 60 years old, which is itself a significant milestone in my life. But in addition, this is the start of eclipse season with a powerful New Moon Solar Eclipse in the sign of Taurus on April 30th. As astrologer Lynn Hayes explains:

“New Moons are highly charged portals of energy where old patterns can be cleansed away with new intentions, and that is even more true at this lunation because Uranus, the planet of radical change and authenticity, conjoins the Sun and Moon. This eclipse is loaded with abundant positive energies since the Moon’s ruler Venus conjoins Jupiter – the two benefics, as they are called, working together for a burst of optimism and good fortune.”
(Her blog is astrodynamics.net)

Even if we don’t understand all the jargon, some points really jump out –

“old patterns can be cleansed away with new intentions”
“radical change and authenticity”
“abundant positive energies”
“a burst of optimism and good fortune”

I am feeling every single one of these aspects this week. Are you?

Take some time away from your regular activities, since our busy-ness can become a distraction from seeing what it is real and true in our lives. Go someplace quiet, it could be a favorite meditation spot at home or out in Nature, even sitting alone in your car. Focus on your breath as a way to calm your nervous system and to attune your attention. Breathe in for a count of 4 and breathe out for a count of 6. After several minutes, become aware of the energy signature of this time we are now in. Reflect on each of these four statements:
“old patterns can be cleansed away with new intentions”
“radical change and authenticity”
“abundant positive energies”
“a burst of optimism and good fortune”
 
What do you feel in your body?
What emotions come up for you?
How are your thought patterns affected?
What actions are you feeling led to take?

Sure, you can stay busy and let this eclipse season pass you by, like so many others in our world. But why be ordinary when you can be extraordinary?

Sometimes when you hear something, it just rings true. I’ve been thinking about something I heard this week, and I wonder if it rings true for you too. We hear so much about people caught up in a specific worldview, something we often refer to as a “wing.” For example, those who are “right wing” are conservative and those who are “left wing” are liberal. What if, instead of being devoted to one wing, we decided to be the whole butterfly and used both of our wings?

This image really makes sense to me because, in nature, a butterfly cannot fly with just one wing. A bird cannot fly with just one wing. Even an airplane cannot fly with just one wing.

Why do we think that we are any different?

If we think we can fly with just one wing, with just one understanding, with just one unopposed commitment, we are deluding ourselves and helping to create the situation we currently find ourselves in now where divisiveness and misunderstanding rule the day.

To use both wings means
• Actively seeking out opposing views to get the bird’s eye view of any issue
• Imagining yourself being in a different life situation to consider how your actions, thoughts and beliefs would be shaped accordingly
• Representing the beautiful colors of humanity (just like the whole butterfly) rather than the broken body of a being that cannot reach its full potential

Here are two Yoga practices that can support your efforts to be whole:
Practice a yoga pose you don’t like for 30 days in a row. This practice helps you overcome your negative feelings to something by consciously choosing to engage with it every single day. Over time you will discover that you actually begin to like the pose and, if you stick with it a bit longer, you’ll likely become indifferent to it. Once that happens, you are free.

Meditate on shape-shifting. In your imagination you get to be anything you want to be. Choose something from nature such as your companion animal or a favorite tree. Close your eyes and imagine this being in front of you. Switch places with this being, imagining that you are observing yourself through its eyes. What does it see when it looks at you? When you return to your own body, reflect on what you learned.

Ancient Yoga writings tell of three types of happiness. Which type of happiness are you seeking? In the first type of happiness you increase the pleasures of life, such as eating delicious food and drink and buying new things. A great example is going on vacation! How much fun it is to be away from home and work, but in the end you have to pay the bill and return to everyday life. What begins in sweetness ends in bitterness.

The second type of happiness is seeking solace in all the wrong places—hanging with the wrong crowd and getting caught up in activities that you think will make you happy but which are only bringing you down. An example of this is addictions and other bad habits. There may be temporary relief from your troubles, but in the end they are still there. Going back again and again the cycle strengthens, sadness and loss increase. What begins in bitterness, also ends in bitterness, giving you a false sense of happiness.

The third type of happiness is different still: By seeking that which is lasting and fulfilling, you guarantee that happiness will blossom and grow within and around you. For example, when you go to college or pursue a trade, you put in a lot of hard work, but when you graduate you can be proud of your accomplishment. When you volunteer for an organization, you have to give up some time and conform to their guidelines, but the joy of helping others is wonderful. And when you commit to practice meditation or Yoga, you struggle to put it consistently in your schedule, but it becomes easy when you experience all the benefits. So this type of happiness can be bitter at first, but has the sweetest outcome.

Which type of happiness are you seeking?

Quantum physics teaches that thoughts and words have physical weight. Oh my, don’t you just know this to be true? Consider the way words like anger, fear and sadness feel heavy in body and mind, while words like peace, love and understanding feel light and free. Respecting the energy in words can change your life.

Many years ago psychiatrist and spiritual seeker David R. Hawkins created a “map of consciousness” that laid out the energy signature of various thoughts, words and emotions. What he discovered, using applied kinesiology and muscle testing, is that concepts like anger, fear and sadness have a very low energy vibration, while expressions of peace, love and understanding have a very high energy vibration. The lowest of all is HATE while the highest of all is UNITY CONSCIOUSNESS.

In the Yoga tradition we have a similar teaching from Patanjali, writing the Yoga Sutras around the first century CE. He offers this gem: When thoughts that are “perverse, unwholesome, troublesome or deviant” arise, “contrary thought should be cultivated.” (Sutra 2.33 translated by SwamiJ) We often call this “opposite therapy” which replaces negative thoughts with positive ones.

It’s important to understand that Patanjali isn’t merely advocating positive thinking as if that would make our problems magically disappear. No, he is not promising that here. Rather, he is calling our attention to the energy signature of our thoughts. We are always in a much better place physically and mentally if our energy is high rather than low. From a higher vantage point we can see our situation more realistically and respond in helpful rather than hurtful ways.

Try it for yourself!

One of our favorite meditations is CPR – Calm Peaceful Relaxed. Tune this simple mantra to your breath whenever you are in need of “opposite therapy.”

Breathe in “I am,” breathe out “calm.”
Breathe in “I am,” breathe out “peaceful.”
Breathe in “I am,” breathe out “relaxed.”

Now you can think clearly. Now you can act wisely. Now you can be of service to the world.

When my children were young, they would get into disagreements as children often do. Once everyone cooled down, we would take time to talk it through, shake hands or give a hug and leave as friends. After all, we’re family!

Watching world events unfold, I can’t help but yearn for a similar approach among the diplomats and national leaders. Can’t they also see that we’re all family? We can’t help or harm another without it coming back to affect each of us.

I have been feeling quite helpless in the face of such momentous events, and maybe you have been feeling the same. I am glad that I study and practice Yoga because there is much in this tradition that can help us at a time like this.

Practice, practice, practice. Practicing yoga postures is a great way to work off nervous energy that gets trapped in the body and head. You might like to dedicate your practice to world peace this week.

Another wonderful practice is chanting the Sanskrit word for peace. OM SHANTI is an ancient prayer for peace on every level—within the individual, in families, between nations, in Nature and throughout the Universe.

And breath practices have the power to calm and center when we feel angry or afraid. Try the simple pranayama exercise known as Sama Vrtti, or “even breathing.” Breathe slowly and deeply for just a few minutes trying to make the in-breath and out-breath exactly the same length.

Another way Yoga speaks to us in times of world change is to

Take the long view. From a philosophical perspective, the Vedic tradition sees things in very long stretches of time, literally tens of thousands of years. Everything that happens and every person involved in these actions are part of a much larger story that is unfolding in history. World leaders may think they are important players, but that really is all they are—players in a drama in which everyone must play the part they were given. This isn’t to say that we should not speak out against injustice; of course, we have a duty to prevent suffering if we have the ability to do so. The problem is that there is often very little we can do. Rather than feel helpless or hopeless, however, Yoga leads us back to

Practice, practice, practice, whether that involves prayer, meditation, dedication, protesting, making donations, or whatever your practice may require you to do. After all, we are all family.

There are many things that we each love in this beautiful world—people, companion animals, places, activities and (my personal favorite) food. Over the years of practicing and studying Yoga I have come to love it very much and feel so fortunate that I can make this my life’s work. Let’s consider some of the ways Love and Yoga go together.

Yoga teaches us how to love ourselves more. For the past decade I have struggled with hip, back and leg pain. Over time I developed a good program of massage, acupuncture, chiropractic, floating, meditation and yoga to help me cope. Then the pandemic hit two years ago and I lost access to all the outer supports that helped me. I learned about self-reliance; only I have the ability to save myself. When I asked myself “why do I want to get out of pain?”, once I got past the obvious answers of “I want to practice yoga, walk, sleep better, etc.”, the true reason rose to surface: “I want to love myself more.” For the first time, I have pain relief.

How can you love yourself more?

Yoga expands love in our hearts. Yoga is part of an ancient tradition that includes devotional chanting and honoring one another. Have you ever said “Om” and “Namaste” in class? These are really important practices because they increase love in our hearts and show us how to send it out to others. If you want to connect with this energy even more, try chanting this mantra: AHAM PREMA (uh-hum pray-mah). It means “I am love.” I once did 10,000 repetitions of this mantra and it really helped me see and understand the energy of Love in the world.

How can you expand love in your heart?

I am touched by this quote from the Persian poet Jalal al-din Muhammad Rumi:

“Love is the water of life; jump into the water.” -Rumi

I hope your explorations of Yoga bring you more deeply into this amazing realm of Love.