Category: ayurveda

ASHTANGA YOGA – THE 8 LIMBS

The first in the series is on ASHTANGA YOGA – THE 8 LIMBS. The eight limbs of yoga are the yamas (abstentions), niyamas (observances), asanas (postures), pranayama (breath control), prathyahara (withdrawal of senses), dharana (concentration), dhyana (meditation) and samadhi (super consciousness).

COMMUNITY MEDITATION & SATSANG

Join Dr. Christie Smirl / Kalavati Devi for Community Meditation & Satsang.

Selected passages will be read from sacred texts followed by breathwork and meditative processes to reduce the effects of stress, clarify emotions, balance the subtle body, improve mental processes and increase the frequency of pure Soul radiations. 

When: Sundays 8am – 9am (Pacific time)
Next meeting: February 26th
Cost: Free

All are welcome.
No experience or lineage necessary.

Big Bear Yoga Festival

It is an honor to be teaching at Big Bear Yoga Festival this year. Join me Saturday, October 1st 2022!

The Science of Gratitude

Gratitude is a choice, an action, a state of mind that changes our physiology. Have you ever noticed that when you are actively grateful, that you feel happy? It’s actually quite scientific.

When we dwell on what is “wrong” the body experiences agitation due to the release of epinephrine and detrimental chemical cascades resulting in increased blood pressure, altered heart rate, altered digestion, anxiety, depression and insomnia… just to name a few.

Expressing gratitude regularly sends signals to the brain and increases feel good endorphins through the parasympathetic nervous system. Having an attitude of gratitude also neutralizes fight/flight stress reactions, calming the sympathetic nervous system resulting in improved mood, rejuvenation, better sleep, increased energy and more stable cardiovascular system.

The Power of Pranayama – Dharma Warrior TV

It was an honor and pleasure to be featured on Dharma Warrior TV to present “The Power of Pranayama” as part of the series “Yoga: Life Transformation Beyond Fitness”. For thousands of years, yogis have harnessed and manipulated vital life forces through breath control. In this podcast and blog I discuss the benefits of pranayama and teach two techniques to take back control over your physiology, mind and subtle body.

Tantra ~ “What it is and is not” with Baba KrishnaKali Das

Welcome back to Healthier Vibrations. Today I am delighted to have a special guest Baba KrishnaKali Das on Healthier Vibrations podcast to discuss TANTRA.

Baba has been practicing Eastern Spirituality for over 30 years, teaching internationally for 20 and years and initiating spiritual aspirants in Mantra Deeksha and Tantra Sadhana the past 10 years. Guruji is a devotee of the Divine Mother as Kali Maa. Baba initiates suitable candidates into Vaishnav Aghori, Nath Aghori, Kapalik and Kaula Tantra Lineages through direct guru parampara.

In this discussion Baba discusses how tantra has become greatly misunderstood, gives a short introduction regarding the history of tantra and speaks upon what tantra is and is not.

“Tantra is misunderstood and exploited both East and West. In the East it is at times misunderstood as black magick by the uneducated and superstitious, and in the West it is exploited due to ignorance and greed as sexual therapy and a mean to better orgasms. The aim of Tantra is none of these things.The aim of Tantra is none of these things. Tantra is derived from two Sanskrit words – Tanoti, meaning to expand, and Trayate, meaning to liberate. Tantra is the ancient art and science of expanding and liberating consciousness through soliciting Shakti, the Primal Energy of the Universe.” excerpt from Freedom is our birthright – read more from Baba at the website Empowerment Through Tantra.

https://www.empoweredthroughtantra.com/

LIVING SHAKTI

Happy Navratri! During this very auspicious time of year we celebrate and honor the divine feminine. As part of that celebration, it was an honor to be a guest speaker at the LIVING SHAKTI SUMMIT with Sri Maa Prem Gyan Publications. During the interview I discussed the journey of embracing the divine light and love of Shakti as well as the important role of Agni for the manifestation of Shakti.

Laser Mental Focus and Meditation

er meditational skills with a laser focused mind into stillness. Meditation is critical for mental health. Here are some quick tips for success.

A True Lectio Divina

It was an honor today to receive this feedback and review on the upcoming book Mother Gnosis. As of today, Mother Gnosis is in review and being considered by an esoteric book publisher. Very exciting!! Stay tuned. “This book is a profound and moving devotional song to the Mother. Truly, a gem from the heart…

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Ayurvedic and Yogic Self Care

Daily self care rituals can make or break your health, happiness and Self evolution. We discuss Ayurvedic and yogic self care routines for optimal wellness in the 50 hour, 200 hour and 300 hour Ayurvedic Yoga Awakening programs. Here is a short classroom excerpt. To learn more and enroll today, go to HealthierVibrations.com.

Dandelion Sauté – Recipe – Medical Properties and Nutritional Benefits

Dandelions, also known as simhadanti or lion’s tooth, are often viewed as weed, ripped out, thrown away or sprayed with weed killer. Before eradicating them from your yard, get to know their medicinal uses. Taraxacum officinalis, is the botanical name since one to the chief constituents of the plant is taraxacin, a bitter glycoside. In English it is also affectionately called blowball, priest’s crown, puffball, swine snout, wild endive or dandelion.

The whole plant is edible and nutritious. The leaves, flowers and shoots can be sautéed or stirfried. The leaves can be added to salads. I often place 1 cup of leaves into the blender with 1 cup water for a gentle detox juice. Or you can make a saute.

Navigating Health through Mother Nature’s Seasons

Did you know that for thousands of years, Ayurveda has illustrated the importance of living in harmony with the changing seasons. When we connect with Mother Earth through gardening and observation, we connect to Her changing seasons and witness what special nutrients are being offered during each seasonal shift. For instance, this summer, I look forward to enjoying the medicinal benefits of cilantro greens that I planted. Fresh cilantro greens help to regulate digestion, support the liver and reduce heavy metal build up in the body. Once the cilantro plant bolts, I will be able to harvest the coriander seeds which have their own unique medicinal profile.

Ayurveda and Yoga for Healthcare Professionals – 50 hour program

Healthier Vibrations now offers a 50 hour Ayurveda Yoga program for wellness and health professionals. This fast track program is designed specifically for health care professionals who want to learn the core fundamental sciences of Ayurveda, Yoga and Meditation. Whether you are a RN, EMT, NP, DO, PA, MD, RD, RT, PT, DC, ATC, LVN, DNP, LAc or therapist, this 50 hour program will give you immediate tools in the workplace for clients and patients.

Ayurvedic Oral Care

In this Healthier Vibrations education video, Christie Smirl, AyuD, NP will introduce the topic of Ayurvedic oral care. Mouth filling with proper herbs and spices along with oil pulling is excellent for preventing and treating many different conditions related to the head, neck and mouth.

Mental Mapping & Emotional Mastery

Maintaining mental stability through emotional mapping is a learned skill. In this video I discuss a technique that can be done hour by hour to overcome the emotions such as anger, jealously, guilt, anxiety and fear. Remember that YOU are in control.

Ayurvedic Mental Mapping, Insanity and Meditation

Ayurveda has a very clear understanding of the causes of mental imbalances and insanity. This video introduces the concepts of mental adaptation and tendencies based on Ayurvedic principles. Learn about how food and lifestyle can trigger emotional symptoms of vata, pitta and kapha imbalances. In this video I also discuss meditation, the experience of reality and developing a nondual state of awareness.

Yoga and Meditation Training from home. Enrolment is open!

The Healthier Vibrations Yoga and Meditation Training programs can now be done in the comfort of your own home, self paced with private mentorship. There are five training opportunities weather you want to become a practitioner for your own transformation or a teacher. Enroll today.

Chakra Alignment – Class 2

It was great to see so many of you for the second class of the Chakra Alignment Series as a supplement to the Chakra Alignment workbook. For anybody who was not able to attend live, here is the recorded class where we discussed the root chakra in detail, how to incorporate therapeutics into your sadhana and how to set up for ritual meditation in the upcoming classes. During the next three weeks, we will dive into ceremony and transformational practices. I look forward to seeing many of you in the next class. Details, resources and links can be found at HealthierVibrations.com

Chakra Alignment Class One

It was wonderful to see so many of you for the first class in the Chakra Alignment series. For those could not attend live, I have recorded the class. Feel free to join the upcoming classes . Details and recordings are posted in the Healthier Vibrations Learning Center at HealthierVibrations.com.

During this first class we reviewed the three key building blocks for establishing a strong meditation practice. Svadhyaya, sankalpa and sadhana are key concepts to explore as we begin exploring sacred practices and using the book – Chakra Alignment – A transformational guide and journey to reclaim control over your chakras and life.

Bhakti – The Most Sacred Love

It was an honor to be featured on Dharma Warrior TV to discuss my devotional art, music and latest article “Bhakti: The Most Sacred Love”.
Bhakti is to love for love’s sake and surrender to Divinity. “Bhaj” is to adore or worship God. The beautiful indescribable path of devotion cultivates a transformative peace, stability of mind, strength and inspirational bliss. Bhakti is much more than singing or chanting the Holy names.

Savory Quinoa and Green Beans

Having an Instapot pressure cooker saves so much time. Today I made a meal that was savory, sour, bitter, pungent, sweet and spicy. The science of Ayurveda understands that it is important to partake in all the different flavors and this recipe knocked them all out of the ball park. This quinoa and green bean meal was filling, bursting with flavor, agni stimulating and kapha reducing.

Brian’s Unfortunate Brainstorm – New kid’s book!

I’m excited to announce that Brian’s Unfortunate Brainstorm has now been published! This is the second kid’s wellness book I wrote this year. Brian’s Unfortunate Brainstorm helps families and friends weather through stormy emotions. This brightly illustrated book helps children learn simple mental health techniques when caught in a different mind storms. This is a perfect addition to the first kid’s book I wrote this year titled Cringy Cat – Ayurveda for children. One book examines food and lifestyle causes of mental “cringe” and the other teaches simple fun coping skills.

Cringy Cat – Ayurveda for Children – NOW AVAILABLE

Cringy Cat, an Ayurveda book for children that I wrote, is now published and available for international shipping just in time for Christmas. This is an easy and funny story with big print and bright illustrations to teach children basic Ayurveda and helps children problem solve the nutrition and lifestyle sources of 3 types of “cringy.”

Cringy Cat – Ayuveda for Children AVAILABLE SOON!

I am very excited to announce to publishing of my new book CRINGY CAT – Ayurveda for children.

Cringy Cat is a children’s book that helps families understand the basic principles of Ayurveda. This silly and fun story illustrates three types of “cringy” and how they feel physically and mentally. Meema helps the child figure out why she feels the way she does. Together they discover what nutrition and lifestyle imbalances caused the “cringe”.

Ceasefire into Ananda

In the day and age of modernity, peace is a priceless commodity.  Peace can not be bought, sold or traded. It is a state of being, a presence that can only be established inside oneself, then radiated outward. When searching for the elixir of peace there are several synonyms such as calm, restful, silent, bliss,…

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Free The Mind From Slavery

“…the emptying of all thought out of the mind so as to leave it a sort of pure vigilant blank on which the divine knowledge may come and imprint itself, undisturbed by inferior thoughts of the ordinary human mind and with the clearness of a writing in white chalk on a blackboard. You will find that the Gita speaks of this rejection of all mental thought as one of the methods of yoga… This may be called the dhyāna of liberation, as it frees the mind from slavery to the mechanical process of thinking and allows it to think or not to think, as it pleases and when it pleases, or to choose its own thoughts or else to go beyond thought to the pure perception of Truth called in our philosophy Vijnāna.” Sri Aurobindo