The Shakti School

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The Real Fountain of Youth – Oil Your Machine

Despite the ancient Charaka’s beautiful promise of trimmed, strong, charming bodies, the western woman seems intent on buffing, exfoliating and dermabrasioning oil from her skin. As I work with women, I keep pleading with them, “Please mama, oil your body,” and yet it seems like one of the hardest premises to integrate into the daily routine. This may be because it seems hard to believe that by lovingly massaging a clean oil into the body, many diseases and imbalances can be both prevented and treated.

Our lack of love for our innate oiliness may also be partially to blame. Our current cultural paradigm sells us the myth that oily is gross. Anything unctuous or juicy is to be promptly waxed, astringed and exfoliated away, leaving no sign that we may be, underneath our expensive designer beauty products, a juice-producing, oil-secreting woman. Ladies of the land, may we let this idea die, and may our new mantra be, “Oily is Beautiful.” Repeat – “Oily is Beautiful.” In fact, oil is what keeps the skin young, taut and supple. Have I convinced you yet? If not, read on.

The simple truth is that the simple practice of oiling the physical machine is, quite possibly, the best thing we can do for the body, and the nervous system, on a daily basis. In fact, there is a phrase in traditional Indian healthcare that says, “Either pay the oil man today, or you will be paying the doctor tomorrow.” And as our skin is the largest organ of the body (in fact, it weighs anywhere from 6 to 10 pounds), we may do well in caring for this large biologically active organ.

Why do it? How about:

  • a boost in your skin’s ability to breathe
  • baby’s-ass smooth skin
  • less cellulite
  • a deep feeling of self-love – touch is ten times stronger than verbal or emotional contact. The skin is one of the primary seats of emotion, feelings, and desire.
  • a release of a feel-good-hormone cocktail – the skin is as rich in hormones as the hypothalamus in the brain. When we self-massage, we literally release a cascade of feel-good, life-enriching growth-factor chemicals into our bloodstream.
  • boosts vitality by preventing dehydration and providing deep nourishment
  • stimulates the immune system
  • cleanses the lymph – the rubbing and stroking actions dislodge accumulated toxins and impurities from the body and move them into the digestive system.

How to Oil Up – Ayurveda Style

  1. Choose an oil. If you tend to run hot, coconut oil is cooling. If you run cold, sesame oil is warming. Sunflower oil is a good oil to blend with either of these two as it lessens their smell and heaviness (if you find them too intense). If you run really oily already, you may try dry brushing your skin instead of using oil.
  2. Start by warming up your oil. When you warm the oil it “cures” it, allowing your skin to better absorb it. You can heat your oil in a small sauce span on the stove. I usually just put some boiling water in a glass measuring cup. Then, I put the smaller glass bottle of oil into the measuring cup and let the oil heat for about 15 minutes before applying it. You can also just simply place the glass bottle directly in your bathroom sink. Close the drain and fill with the hottest water possible. Allow to sit for at least 15 minutes before applying to the body. Truth be told, sometimes I don’t have time for curing it, so I just rub it strong in my palms to “heat it” before applying.
  3. Get naked. 
  4. For the full bliss treatment, you can start at the top of the head and pour the oil directly onto the crown. If you are doing this before work and do not want an oily head for the rest of the day, you can skip this part and save it for a day when you do not need to be “presentable.” That said, Ayurvedic tradition placed heavy emphasis on massage the head and neck. Of the 107 energetic points of the body (called marmas), 37 are located on the head and neck.
  5. Continue onto the face (gently) and the rest of the body.  On the long arms and legs, use back-and-forth strokes. On the joints, use circular strokes. If you are looking down at your belly, do circular strokes in a clock-wise motion, as this is direction in which our long intestine moves, and will stimulate proper digestion.
  6. How long should you spend massaging the body? Ideally, 15-20 minutes. If time is an issue, spend at least five minutes in total communion with your body vehicle. And by the way, notice the spots of the body you avoid. The thighs? The feet? Spend the most time there, as these are the bits that need the most love.
  7. Sit for some time. I recommend 20 minutes. Why not use this time to do some meditation?
  8. Rub off any excess oil with a towel and then take a shower. It may be a good idea to have a few towels designating for oiling, as they will not be of much use for drying the body after a few weeks. Showering causes the pores to open, allowing the herbal oil to penetrate even deeper into the skin. You do not need to soap-off the oil. The body will, most likely absorb it all, especially if you are quite dry.
  9. Make sure not to leave the oil on for more than 45 minutes as this can actually clog the channels we are trying to cleanse. Also, make sure to use chemical-free, organic, cold-pressed oils.
  10. Leave the house covered in a layer of L.O.V.E. (well-oiled).

~Katie

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Ayurveda Can Change Your Life – Ten Things You May Not Know About Yoga’s Sister

The yoga world has a lesser-known sister and her name is Ayurveda. For thousands of years, yoga and Ayurveda were seen as necessary compliments to one another. But somewhere along the way, we fell in love with yoga and yet forgot about Ayurveda.

And although some famous mamas like Madonna, Christy Turlington, and the Grand Priestess of Get-Your-Act-Together (Oprah) have touted its health-boosting benefits, Ayurveda remains largely an exotic Indian mystery.

I heard about Ayurveda in India. I was studying with a sweet old Brahmin man named A.G. Mohan. I remember thinking, wow, this is amazing and its never gonna’ be applicable to my life back in the U.S. But the more I studied it, the more I realized that it was all about developing deep self-awareness. It was also about humbling the ego (that tells you that you really deserve an entire bar of dark chocolate) to the laws of Nature.

I feel like its time for yoga’s powerhouse sister to come out of hiding and begin infusing our practices and lives with rich, time-tested wisdom.  I wanna’ help her, so here is my mini-Ayurveda primer, just for you.

Ayurveda – which means “Science of Life,” holds the following premises as true:

1.  If Ayurveda were a religion (it’s not), Nature is God and the only sin is not listening to your higher-knowing.

2.  Nature has cycles – daily and seasonal. When we learn them, we can ride them and glean some of their power. When we ignore them, we suffer. When we tune to natural rhythms, our body becomes more balanced naturally. (e.g. being in bed asleep by 10 p.m. instead of surfing Amazon is one example of tuning to natural rhythm).

3.  The body is a wise, Spirit-infused, breathing-animal, mind-matrix charged with an electro-intelligence called prana (energy).  When prana is flowing where it should, you GLOW. Plain and simple.

4.  You are a unique, special snowflake, just like everybody else. Because each individual is unique, you will have different needs. This holds true whether we are talking about what you eat, how many times a month you have sex, or how often and what you do for exercise.

5.  Disease can be caused by a number of things – but at its core, disease is caused by forgetting who we are  – A Timeless Spirit Being.

6.  There is one answer to any question in Ayurveda: It depends.

7.  Energy follows focus. Our experience of life, how we see the world “out there,” and whether we are happy or not, is largely determined by our energy. When we change our energy, our thoughts change. When we change our thoughts, energy shifts in that direction.

8.  Oil your machine – don’t wait for your body to start creaking and cracking before you oil it! Like any fine-tuned instrument, the body needs to be oiled. So go slap some coconut oil on your fine thighs. Now.

9.  Many people are fatigued and depressed/anxious because they aren’t living the life they want to live.

10.  You can’t stop constipation by eating more raw cauliflower. Okay, this one is a stretch, but raw food, if you are already constipated, ain’t gonna help. Ayurveda understands that anything can turn to poison in the body if your metabolism can’t digest it. Yes, even raw organic goji-berry-acai-kale smoothies. Lay off the cold beverages, cold sandwiches, carrots, raw nuts and raw veggies if you suffer from anxiety, insomnia or constipation. Drink some warm ginger tea, eat some soup and rub your body in oil.

I hope this list will get you started on at least becoming curious about what this philosophy and science has to offer your life.

Share it! Live it!

~Katie

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Recipe for Getting More Core Vitality

Here’s my go-to list for getting more core vitality – essential for being healthier, happier, and a whole lot sexier!

Go organic: Eat foods that are seasonally-aligned, organic and when possible, local.

Cleanse and purify, then rebuild and renew: If you are full of toxic gunk from over-indulging in meat, sugar, drugs, alcohol or processed/fried foods, don’t start eating a ton of ghee and dates. First, take a few days to eat super-simple and clean – mainly whole grains, lentils, vegetables and high-quality fats such as olive oil and avocado.

Stop eating out so much: Ojas lies in the love of home-made meals. By and large, restaurant cooks don’t pour their love into your dish.

Avoid overeating: This depletes the digestive fire.

Get rid of excess stimulation while eating: If you want to build core vitality, no more watching the evening news, or eating lunch in front of your computer at the office.

Sleep “your” hours: You know what your hours are. Some women need seven to feel perky, others thrive on nine.

Oil the body: Use an oil that is appropriate for the season and/or your body constitution. If you have alot of mucous or are extra toxic, start by dry brushing your body for a few days, while eating clean and simple foods. Then, begin to oil up.

Rest: Do deep, restorative yoga, yin yoga and yoga nidra (checkout our workshops page for yoga nidra)

Love the one you’re with – Any form of real love and devotion boosts our vitality and immune health.

~Katie

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A Morning Ayurvedic Routine for Lasting Change

It’s so easy to get excited about a new lifestyle change at the beginning of the year. But once February hits, that bright fire of desire may start to burn out, leaving our new life goals a bit cold.

Ayurveda understands this, and encourages us to work slowly and consistently with our life changes. Its better to throw a little stone into a pond daily than try to heft a huge rock once! With little daily-routine pebbles, waves of consistency will ripple out and create a new set point for your life choices.

This slow, steady path is achieved through daily routine (or dinacharya in Sanskrit), and it is essential for real, lasting change. Here are some of the steps in Ayurveda for a bright awakening, that can help set your day on course. Print this list up. Post it in your bathroom or refrigerator until it becomes second nature.

The night before  Try to be in bed by 10 or 10:30pm (it can be a little later in the summer). The body renews and detoxifies itself between the hours of 10pm and 2am.

Rise and shine!  Generally, waking around sunrise is ideal. People who need a little more sleep are children, pregnant women, folks who feel exhausted or burned out, the elderly, or anyone who is sick. Upon waking, try not get out of bed right away. Try to be aware of your body, your breath, and a connection to gratitude. Ayurveda understands everyday as a diamond opportunity inspiring thanksgiving.

Scrape your tongue  One of my favorite Ayurvedic health tools! Buy a silver tongue scraper and scrape from back to front 10-12 times. The tongue is a mirror of your intestines. If you notice a thick coating, it may mean you may want to eat a more cleansing diet, as toxins may be present. Tongue scraping has been shown to help prevent diseases of the oral cavity, improves our ability to taste, gets rids of old food debris and prevents bad odor in the mouth. Plus, if you dont get rid of that gunk first thing in the morning, it will end up back in the body.

Brush your teeth  Check out an herbal/Ayurvedic toothpaste at your local health food store. Look for ones containing neem, triphala and/or peelu.

Washing the face, mouth, teeth and eyes   Splash some cool water on your face, or cleanse with a nice Ayurvedic soap containing neem or sandalwood. If your eyes feel dry or red, you can splash them with a little rose water. Massage your gums with warm sesame oil. This improves oral hygiene, prevents bad breath, boosts circulation in the gums and helps us maintain strong healthy teeth.

Drink warm lemon water  Squeezing half a fresh lemon into some warm water will help to wash the GI tract, flush out the kidneys and stimulates good bowel health. If your digestion feels slow, add a splash of cayenne or 1/2 tsp. of ginger root powder.

Nature calls   Going to the bathroom upon waking will help clear your digestive system. A healthy “motion” will have a soft brown log quality, little odor, and will be well-formed (like a banana). Undigested food, foul smell, mucous, blood, excessive dryness or “pellet-like” quality, as well as “sinkage” indicates digestive imbalance. Altering diet, lifestyle and using herbs will help better this.

Get oily   Self-massage, or abhyanga, is one of our best allies for radiance. In fact, the old texts say its better to pay the “oil man” today than the doctor tomorrow. Massaging your skin daily nourishes and soothes the nervous system, stimulates lymphatic flow and aids in detoxification. It also improves circulation, boosts your vitality, and makes you feel more balanced emotionally and mentally. Use a high-quality organic oil such as sesame, sunflower, or coconut. Warm the oil in your hands, then rub down, making sure not to skip any parts. Let the oil soak in for at least 20 minutes and then shower.

Meditation, prayer, devotion   I like to meditate after I’m drenched out in my warm oil.

Get your body moving   Do some exercise that suits your mood and the season. When done regularly, exercise grounds us, boosts the digestive fire, and burns up any extra fat and toxicity. Adding yoga to your routine will open and clear your energy channels, as well as your physical body.

Bathe  Use non-toxic, all-natural soaps without chemicals. Look for soaps with sandalwood, neem, and other skin-friendly herbs.

Nourish your belly  Eat a healthy, seasonally appropriate breakfast. The best time? Eating around 8-8:30 in the morning will give your agni (metabolic fire) time to be strong for lunchtime.

~Katie

This article originally appeared on the Yoga Journal Blog on February 1, 2013.

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Fierce Mother Goddess of Love

Thank you sweet Sianna, for your contribution to The Shakti School and Healthy Happy Sexy - Here is Sianna Sherman's take on the mythic story of Durga - Fierce Mother Goddess of Love

 

The Story of Durga

Once upon a time long ago, and not so long ago, because its happening right now, there was an evil demon named Mahisha, who often took the form of a bull. Day and night, for years and years, he did his acetic yogic practices with a strong ekagrata - one pointed focus, with the hopes that one day Lord Shiva would appear and grant him his wishes. After many years, finally Lord Shiva took notice and came to Mahisha.

“Okay,” Shiva said, “Your practices have been very steady - now what is it that you want?”

“Well,” said Mahisha, “I want to be invincible to all beings.”

“Fine, you shall have your wish,” Shiva replied, “but there has to be one caveat. You have to make yourself vulnerable to at least one class of beings.”

“Well, that's easy,” said Mahisha. “Let me vulnerable to the class of beings called woman.” A woman would never be able to touch me.

This was the first mistake Mahisha made.

Now, with his new super-powers, Mahisha goes about becoming this great lord of the Universe, and he begins to plunder and terrorize everything and everyone. Soon the world falls into total darkness and destruction.

Amidst the chaos and misery, the gods and goddesses decide to get together to see if they can come up with a plan for dealing with this demon who is taking over the world and wreaking havoc.

The gods decide to gather together the three most powerful gods of all -Brahma, Vishnua and Shiva. These three gods come together to create the Triadic heart, and then all the gods and goddesses stand around them in a great community circle. The three most powerful gods begin to focus very intensely, creating a beam of light out of their 3rd-eye, blasting this laser beam of light right out into the center of the circle where they converge. From this ignited center comes an opening and from the opening appears a form. The form is the most lustrous, shining, brilliant thing the world has ever seen. It is the Goddess Durga riding fiercely, mounted upon her great Lion.

With a start, she rides off the base of the great mountain, her four priestesses attendants by her side. Everyone is shocked, expecting her to rush to fight off the evil Mahisha.

“I’m going to my cave now,” she says. “For now I must do my own practices first. Let no one disturb me.”

Once in her cave, she begins her practice by chanting the name of her beloved Shiva, over and over again. “Nama Shivaya, Nama Shivaya, Nama Shivaya.”

Her practice is completely motivated from the feeling of love itself, and she chants to Shiva out of deep and pure love. As she is chanting, the mountains begin to blaze and and goodness and wholeness is again restored to the Universe.

But as the mountain begins to blaze, Mahisha begins to take notice.

“Who is this who dares to make the world a shining, glimmering place? I have plunged the world into darkness and I want it to stay that way!

And with that, Mahisha, in a rage, begins to shape shift. First he becomes a beggar, because he knows whoever has set the mountain ablaze must be very powerful. As he approaches Durga, he looks at her and says, “Oh, I am just a poor beggar asking for some alms, Great Goddess.”

But it is too late for him, because the very moment he sees her, he falls desperate to possess her as his own.

“Great Goddess, I will give you everything. I am the lord of the Universe, you have to be mine.”

Durga smiles knowingly and replies, “No,  I am only for the one for who is pure of Heart.  My practice, Mahisha, comes from a place of Love. Your practices come from a love for power. I want nothing to do with you!”

So she casts him away, leaving him utterly infuriated. Mahisha runs off in a rage, casting the world deeper into darkness.

The gods and goddesses come to Durga and say, “What is happening? Why do you play with this demon and let him run amuck when you are so powerful and you could easily just slay him in a fraction of a second?”

To which Durga replies, “Do not worry, for surely this great Demon Mahisha rushes against his dharma even faster than a moth rushing towards a flame. He himself will be the cause of his own demise.”

It is at this point that the great battle emerges. Mahisha arrives at Durga’s doorstep and takes the form of the Demon Bull - which represents our most stubborn, habitual patterns. The patterns that do not serve us.

But Durga can meet him in whatever way he shape-shifts. He shape-shifts into a lion, and a blue striped tiger, and a great elephant, and she just keeps meeting him and meeting him and meeting him. And then, he takes the shape of a man but he’s still a bull. And right at that juncture where he is half a man and half a bull - she slays him and she puts the soft underside of her foot on the side of his head and subdues the demon and the world is restored to total order.

 

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Sleep Like A Baby

“There are three supports (pillars) of life. They are food, sleep and observances of bramacharya. Being supported by these, the body is endowed with strength, complexion and growth, and this continues up [until] the full span of life, provided that the person does not indulge in regimens detrimental to health.”

Charaka Samhita

This Ayurvedic quote reminds us that sleep is one of the most critical elements of health and well-being. Flip ahead a few thousand years to modern times, where lack of sleep tops the charts for chronic health complaints. Ayurveda holds sleep as the “wet nurse of the world.” It is a time when our body heals tissue, detoxifies and does a major sub-conscious dump on any undigested life emotions and scenarios. And so, if we aren’t satisfied with our nightly slumber, we just aren’t getting enough of the wet nurse.

In that light, I wanted to give you some super-practical, easy home remedies that will help ensure that you sleep like a baby this season.  These pointers will help you turn bedtime into sacred ritual:

Make it cozy. Make sure your body feels comfortable. Sometimes feeling cold is enough to keep your body from relaxing into dreamland. Invest in eco-friendly, soft sheets and other bedding.

Get rid of the clutter. There should be nothing in the bedroom that distracts the mind from relaxation. Remove stacks of papers you need to file at the office. Take any spare change and old piles of mail off the top of your dresser. Throw out anything that has lived under your bed for more than a year.

Eat light at night.  Have your last meal at least 3 hours before bedtime.

Set the mood for sleep. One of the first questions I ask insomniacs is, “Are your lights still on at 8 and 9 pm?” Start turning off overhead lights an hour or so before bedtime. Avoid fluorescent lights always, but especially at night. Low lighting helps inform the body that it is time to start turning in for sleep. Try using lamps and candles instead, and if you do have overhead lighting, think about installing dimmers.

Turn off the screens. Set an intention to turn off all electronic screens (computers, cellphones, TVs) by 9 pm. Screens and artificial lighting can disturb the circadian rhythms that produce sleep hormones.

Be in bed by 10 pm.  I know, I know, this one is tough. But have you ever noticed that you get a second wind around 10 or 10:30? That’s because the energy and metabolic processes your body normally uses for cleaning itself out while you sleep get diverted to mental energy if we’re awake. According to Ayurveda, our body detoxifies and rejuvenates from 10pm through 2 am. When we stay up late, we truly do miss out on beauty sleep. If you typically go to bed at midnight, try the 15-minute rule. Each night, head to bed a mere 15 minutes earlier. Within a few weeks, you will be soundly sleeping at 10!

Take a warm bath. Taking a scented, warm bath before bed almost always induces amazing slumber. Add a few drops of essential oils, such as myrrh, lavender, honeysuckle, jatamamsi (an Ayurvedic herb that grows in the Himalayas), sandalwood, chamomile, neroli, or pure rose.

Oil up. Rub some pure sesame oil in your ears, nose, on the crown of the head and on the soles of the feet before bed. This is a tried-and-true Ayurvedic sleep enhancer.

Unravel the day.  This powerful Tantric practice actually strengthens your ability to assimilate life, and can enhance your memory. Once in bed, mentally go back through your day in increments of 30 minutes. Try to simply register what happened during the day, in the 30 minutes before bedtime, then 30 minutes before that, et cetera, without judgment. Notice any feelings that come up as you go through the catalog of your day, then let them go. End with the point where you woke up in the morning. Gently drift into sleep.

Brew a cup. Herbal teas soothe the mind and body, and are a lovely way to wind down before sleep.  Try lavender, chamomile, oat straw, or lemon balm. Add a little ghee or coconut oil for added lusciousness, or a few strands of saffron and some warm milk.

This article originally appeared on the Yoga Journal Blog on November 15, 2012.

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How to Fall in Love Yogi Style

If you have ever been in love, you know that there is an incredible amount of power, or shakti, behind falling into the wild rapture of delighting in someone else. There is so much power in the experience of love, in fact, that we have created a whole culture and consumer landscape around trying to get more of it.

Yogis understand that where there is power, there is potential fertile ground for connecting deeper into our heart and soul. But the object of love was way less important than the act of loving itself. Yogis fall in love by realizing that what they love, and the part of themselves that is able to love, is actually the same thing.

A yogi also uses the remembrance of love to connect to the release of bliss-bombs in their own heart. Now, this may sound very “dolphins and rainbows,” but science supports the bliss-bomb theory. When we are in love (or feel deeply understood, or cuddle a kitty, or get a massage), there is an increase of the hormone oxytocin in our system. This blissful hormone has been shown to be the polar opposite of our stress hormones, allowing us to feel relaxed, safe, trusting and generous. Studies show that people with high amounts of oxytocin experience less loneliness and physical pain. They were also shown to be better communicators, and to feel more connected to their work and the people around them.

We can learn from the yogic philosophy of love. We don’t necessarily need an external event, or lover, to catalyze our own waterfall of juicy oxytocin and emotional fulfillment. We can use some simple yogic practices to fall in love from within. And the best part? When we fall in love from within, we may actually attract more love from the outside—teddy-bear-shaped hearts and all.

Four Tips on Getting More Yogi Love

1. The power of loving what already is. Take pause to appreciate what surrounds you in the moment. Gain pleasure from what already is, without grasping for what could be. Ask yourself, “What is it about this moment (or this room, person, place) that is absolutely worthy of my love and appreciation?” Feel that love fill you up as you express contentment with exactly what you already have.

2. The power of loving touch. Yoga teaches us how to soften ourselves enough to be touched by life. On a physical level, any kind of appropriate touching has been shown to increase oxytocin and reduce stress hormones in the body. Whether it be a gentle massage, a warm hug, or the intimate touch of a lover, fill your life up with opportunities for skin-rubbing sweetness. If you live with love ones, try giving more touch. If you live alone, surround yourself with friends who don’t mind doling out the tender embraces.

3. The power of loving selflessly. My teacher, Rod Stryker, encourages us to meditate on “love without ownership.” This is a beautiful practice for cultivating non-attachment around the people and things we already have in our lives. The yogis knew that we could love better, and more authentically, when we loved people without trying to own or change them. Practice daily acts of selfless love with no expectation for returns on investment. My fellow yogini, Rachel Meyer, used to make a love-filled cake every Saturday and give it to someone who may have had a hard week. Do you knowanyone who may need an unexpected and heartfelt treat?

4. The power of loving remembrance. There is a powerful Tantric practice for increasing the feeling of love in your life. Begin by allowing yourself to close your eyes and settle into your breath. As you become more and more relaxed, allow yourself to remember a time in your life when you felt very deeply and utterly “in love.” It may have been through the experience of a lover’s embrace, receiving a drawing from your child, or a sunset in your backyard that called your heart to open. Remember this, and feel the remembrance of the love in the body. Then, leave the memory behind and pay close attention to the feeling sensations of the “being in” love. Watch how it grows and expands on its own as you experience the delight of objectless love.

~Katie

This article was originally published in the Yoga Journal Blog on February 10, 2012.

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