The Science of Naad

All of life vibrates around sound. It has the power to transform, heal, uplift and have a lasting imprint in our subconscious mind.

Naad is a Gurbani word, the language of the Sikh's, meaning the "essence of all sounds". Kundalini Yoga's lineage has been passed down from the Sikh master's and Guru's. 

Now for the science behind Naad...

There are eighty-four meridian points on the upper palate of a human's mouth. You can feel that upper palate with the tongue and experience its different surfaces. There are two rows of meridian points on the upper palate and on the gum behind the upper teeth.

The tongue stimulates those meridian points, and they in turn stimulate the hypothalamus which makes the pineal gland radiate. When the pineal gland radiates, it creates an impulsation in the pituitary gland. When the pituitary gland gives impulsation, the entire glandular system secretes, and a human being obtains bliss. 

More than bliss. Sat (truth), Chit (Consciousness) Ananda (bliss). 

Have you ever had an experience where you are singing and you feel alive? Your heart is singing out and you feel amazing? Well chanting, reciting or singing Gurbani (or any other mantra) does that, but is also balancing your whole glandular system!

Gurbani is different from Sanskrit, the ancient Indian scripture which most yogi's are familiar with. It is not as old and there are a few more vowels added in, making it easier to recite or chant. You do not need to know what each word means for a change in consciousness to happen. It is more of a feeling your way into each word, stepping out of the mind realm and coming into the heart. It is here that the finite and the Infinite consciousness will merge.  

There are some amazing mantra's in Gurbani on the website:

www.spiritvoyage.com

Have a listen and see what you think. Mantra is a such a direct, quick route to experiencing your Self, Soul or Universal Consciousness. For me, chanting or reciting Gurbani (or any other mantra) is remembering. Remembering our Source. Our divine self. As we get lost in the world of experience and identity, any path which takes us back home is surely a good one!

Attitude of Gratitude

One of the most powerful memories I have is of laying under the blue sky on the grass one hot summer's day. The birds were singing and I could hear a plane go past in the sky. The silence behind that entered by whole being. I had no thoughts, no awareness of I, just a feeling of complete everythingness. I was listening yet part of it. I existed in that moment with the grass, the sky, the birds and the sun. The tickling of the ants on my feet were felt but no desire to react. I am free. This is heaven. This bliss. This is the space of non-duality.

When I go back to that experience in my mind it makes me cry. Not because it has gone. But it feels me with gratitude. And it feels like my heart is pouring out with thanks. Just one moment of pure clarity is a strong enough to stand as a reminder of truth.

Mooji says "tissues are for issues" but tears that come from the longing of the Divine, of God, of emptiness...these are holy waters. Allow them to flow freely. Blessed are these tears!

I believe we have all had these moments of clarity. Whilst we cannot re-create or go back to that experience, allow it to stand as a guide for you. 

Fill the heart with gratitude. 

Take some time out. 

Listen to the birds.

Immerse yourself in the perfect moment of silence.

Homemade Seitan Recipe: High Protein, Vegan

There is a lot of controversy about gluten these days. Gluten-free has become a popular marketing term and a "gluten-free" chocolate cake somehow seems to be a bit more ok than the non gluten-free version! If you suffer from gluten intolerance, then I would certainly avoid this, but for those who don't I see gluten as a very good protein source, especially if you are vegan.

Seitan, sometimes know as wheat protein, is very popular in the East. It is basically whole-wheat flour without the starch, leaving just the wheat gluten. Most of the veggie meat substitutes are made from wheat protein, but have a lot of sodium and other extra things added in for "flavouring" which alters the nutritional content of this food. Homemade seitan is super easy, very cheap and you can choose what flavours you want to add.

Nutritionally, this Seitan recipe has 28g of protein per 30g serve and 1g fat. I do not add salt in but I cook the seitan with dulse or kombu seaweed for it's iodine content and flavour. Miso also works well. 

Seitan keeps in the fridge for a week. You can use in stews, stir frys, anything really. It definitely has a meaty texture so makes a good meat substitute.

HOMEMADE SEITAN RECIPE:

Dough

• 6 cups Whole Wheat Flour
• 2-3 cups Cold Water (add slowly)

Broth

• 4 cups Water
• ½ chopped Onion
• 1 Tbs. Miso Paste
• couple strips kombu
• 2 cloves Garlic
• pinch of turmeric
• black pepper

Instructions

1. Combine flour and water. Mix until a stiff-but-cohesive dough is formed.
2. Form dough into a ball, place in a bowl, and cover with cold water. Cover and let stand 4-8 hours.
3. Knead the dough and rinse until water runs clear, about 10 minutes. Squeeze dough and press out as much liquid and air as possible. Use a sharp knife or a bench scraper to cut the gluten into bite-sized pieces.
4. Combine ingredients for broth (or use your preferred vegetable stock) and bring to a boil. Drop gluten pieces into boiling broth and return to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer. Cook, turning gluten pieces occasionally, until the broth is mostly absorbed and reduced, about 30 minutes. Discard onion.
5. To use seitan right away, drain. To store, cover with broth and keep refrigerated up to a week, or frozen. Thicken and reduce broth as a gravy if desired.

Making choices

I have often found myself saying things like "let God work for you" or "lets see how things unfold".

Acceptance and surrender are powerful ways of moving through life as they bring you to each moment as it is. We know that the mind likes to jump into the future, or get stuck in the past but both are still ok! There is no enemy here! I feel life is a journey of making choices and we can use lessons from the past or hope from the future to make these choices. Choices from the higher place.

Spiritual teachings talk about leaving all desire for the future as it only exists in our imagination. The mind likes to conjure up an image of yourself sitting on a couch like a sack of potatoes not doing anything. How do we make choices and live life if we don't have dreams or desires of the future?! But we can. If we listen to the heart, the heart guides us. It may not give you the result that the mind wants but we still have yearnings. As a human being we all have this inherent sense of evolving and to get away from suffering. Each moment gives you choices and it is the practice of listening to the heart that leads you to your dreams.

Dream big.
You can have success, money, good relationships, intimacy, health or a nice house. If that is what your heart really wants. If it is based around fear, conditioning, social conventions, lack of, then you know it is not fulfilling you.

I used to feel inadequate or not "spiritual" enough as I had secret desires of owning a converted barn with a forest garden to grow fruit and vegetables. I love fitness but kept it quiet as I thought it wasn't spiritual to push your body and mind with weights or cycling. I should be content with everything meaning I am a calm person who meditates and practices yoga all the time. Now, I embrace all my desires. I am content with them all. And I try as much as I can to be led heart over mind.

Play the game of life but AS life and in LOVE. Why not? Let's see what this year brings...

Find your Gift

Let's get straight to the point here and ask "the big one".....

What is your purpose?

What is your individual gift that you can offer? 

I love asking these questions to myself over and over as it changes so much depending on where I ask it from. If the mind is asking then it tends to think in a more logistical, practical and productive way like a set of certain skills I have. This is constantly shifting and evolving as I learn new things and become more experienced in the skills I do have.

If I ask from the heart, then it is always the same answer. My purpose is to realize my Self and live in love, from love and to love. Then your gifts just come out of this space.

When we add these two answers together, we get a nice little result. We are able to put out into the world what we have learnt or are good at on a practical level, but from the heart. You just know when things are in flow or not.

So with that in mind...ask yourself the questions. Write down answers, but also meditate on it and drop into the heart.

You just being You is the Greatest gift you can give. You are an embodiment of God. What greater gift is there than that?

For a Tantric Numerology Reading of your birth date which gives you your GIFT number, follow the link:

https://www.3ho.org/tantric-numerology-reading

x 

How to Overcome Winter Depression

Winter blues are most definitely a real thing!
If the sun is out, then it is getting shorter and shorter. The nights draw in and darkness prevails! But it's kind of ok because we keep busy and there's always Christmas round the corner.

I am a big lover of Xmas, not in the novelties and tinsel sense, but I love the SPIRIT of Christmas. A chance for all to come together, even if you are alone there is a sense of oneness. There is exchange of gifts and life is celebrated...together. Every culture or religion has their own version. The relentless ego is not at the forefront as much, as we contemplate, love and receive.

So why can't we do this more often? I believe it is because we forget who the true owner is. Our ego's play such a convincing game at being real that we cannot see the there is a Divine play unfolding in front of our eyes, and we are leading the starring role! It is like an actor believing that they are really in the film and take their character home with them.

We can still play out personality and different identities but when we become so entangled in them, it always ends in trouble!

So how can we keep this essence of Christmas, a remembrance of love and life, with us on a more permanent basis? Or just to beat that Winter Depression.
Perhaps for you it is to meditate 20 minutes a day (my current commitment!), or perhaps it is to meet someone truly in the eyes during your day, perhaps it is to have touch with someone who doesn't experience much love, perhaps it is to give some food to someone. Whatever gift you can give, just try it. Start from now!

Vitamin D: I don't personally take Vitamin D, but there is a lot of evidence out there suggesting that it can help out with lack of sunlight. I sometimes do a few minutes on a sun bed, but make sure you use responsibly.

Take herbs: St Johns Wort, Valerian, Liquorice, Mallow, Chamomile are all good herbs to make into a herbal tea or take in supplement form.

GET OUTSIDE: Just going out of the house certainly clears the cobwebs. Morning time is best.

Remember, just take one thing and keep it simple and rest assured you are not alone if you feel down during the Winter.

Lots of love and warmth.

I know you care for your friends, you care for your job, you care for your children, you care for your future. There's not one item on the menu that you do not care about. But I just want to tell you, don't forget the owner of the whole thing is God Himself—the spirit, the breath of life-Yogi Bhajan

Life in Love..with God

All Being's share one longing...to feel love, contentment and happiness in whatever expression that appeals to that individual. There is not one right way and there are certainly many many ways to go about this. I strongly believe we are multifaceted beings and different paths come to us at different times, but the difference between someone digging a hole to find the gold and someone digging many holes but never quite reaching gold is the key to true wisdom and understanding.

Speaking from my own experience, I have certainly dabbled here and there in spiritual and physical paths. Some have lasted longer than others. Some have taken a backseat then reappeared years later. But throughout, I have always been that person to go fully into whatever it is I am seeking. Over the years and after gaining experience, I now approach sadhana, or daily discipline training the body and mind to serve the soul, in a somewhat different space. 

Before, I was driven. Driven by strong identity with Jenni, yogi, devotee, cyclist, health foodie, meditator. If I missed a practice, there was a shame and guilt that was felt by the Ego. I never thought about who was practicing, who was eating, who was healing, who was developing. 

So how do things stand now?

Well, I do Sadhana. It is not always yoga. Most of the time it involves some body movement, either cycling, running or strength training. But I do it out of love for life. For my body, to focus the mind and to follow my heart. I feel aligned so I can make the best choices each day. And it is a DAILY practice. If it gets missed, then I certainly make "lower" choices throughout the day. There is quite a bit of dogma about what sadhana is and how "spiritual" it is. In my opinion, as long as you are identified with person then any practice you do will just go round in circles. 

Non-personal sadhana really has a different flavour. I can see the irony in this statement, and I know there are individuals out there who really DON'T need any sadhana. They have been kissed from within and that has had an everlasting effect. But for those with mind's like a spaghetti junction, sadhana is a start. 

So EVERY DAY, uplift your Self to your highest potential. It doesn't have to be big but keep it consistent. Keep refining, balancing, be steady and strong and surrender to life. 

Sadhana is a lifestyle which allows you to overcome low self-esteem or self-destructive tendencies. 

If you feel ready to start a daily sadhana then please get in contact and send an email. I can send you a Kundalini Kriya, Meditation or, if a workout programme is more aligned to you then that. I am trialing this out so it is FREE, I just need some information about what it is your heart is reaching for.

Email: jennicodd@hotmail.co.uk