Vedic Chanting is not about sounding pretty. You don’t need to have a “good voice” (whatever that is), and you don’t need to be a good singer. That’s not the point. It is a healing practice. When we chant in this traditional way, our nervous system settles. Our breath changes. Our mind reorganizes. In this … Continue reading What is the benefit of Vedic chanting?
So many spiritual traditions emphasize the central importance of daily practice to our growth and mental stability. This is doubly true at times of intense change, upheaval and conflict, such as now. In addition to the current political turmoil, we are also in the window between two eclipses - the lunar eclipse a week ago … Continue reading Eclipses and a Secret to Mental Stability
Today is the first day of Pitru Paksha, a two-week period dedicated to honoring the ancestors in many communities throughout the Indian diaspora. While specific traditions and rituals vary, the common intent is to remember and make offerings to honor and literally "nourish" the ancestors, to acknowledge their contributions and to offer gifts of gratitude … Continue reading Honoring the Ancestors: the Observance of Pitru Paksha
I love the symbolism in the movie The Wizard of Oz. A whirlwind tornado takes Dorothy far from home to an unfamiliar land, and after a long quest, she learns that she had the means to get home all along. What if we all had our own personal Glinda, Good Witch of the North, who … Continue reading Glinda the Good Witch, and a Shortcut Back Home
This morning I awoke in the dawn-grey light to the most striking, luminous full moon setting in the west over the Jemez Mountains here in Santa Fe, where I'm visiting with family for the holidays. Oddly, a low-hanging cloud was covering the top half of the full moon as it set, so it looked like … Continue reading A Path through Confusion and Despair
Ivy Ingram, MA, AP 