It's another Friday night in the big city, and I'm at one of my favorite haunts, enjoying a tea latte and settling in for an evening of studying. But first, a blog update!
The intensity level has increased in the new semester. Dr. Lad is here, the second year students are here, the winter solstice has come and gone, the Sun is now in Capricorn, and last night brought the New Moon and a Solar Eclipse within a few minutes of each other. My astrologer friends tell me it's a very powerful, tumultuous time in the Cosmos.
I'm starting this new moon cycle with a move to a new place to live. The place I have been since late September has been ok, but challenging in many ways. Over the next 2 weeks I will move in with my friend Lisa, who is a graduate of both levels 1 and 2 here at the Ayurvedic Institute, and is now employed by the Institute. She and her dog Buddy, a sweet old Jack Russell Terrier, will be my new housemates as of Feb. 1. The house has a very calm and peaceful energy, it is homey and cozy and warm and fuzzy, and it is adjacent to a big open space area on one side and with walking access to the foothill trails of the Sandia Mountains on the other. How sweet is that!? So here's my new address: 4901 Noreen Ct. NE, ABQ, NM 87111.
Being with Dr. Lad is such an amazing experience, it is hard to put into words. His depth of knowledge, his humility, kindness and generosity are unique. He is not a young man, yet he moves with such grace and ease - sitting on the floor with us in a full lotus position, and popping up to draw his beautiful illustrations on the board (he is also a very gifted artist) with the ease of a child. Up and down, throughout the 3 hour lecture, speaking so eloquently, singing ancient Sanskrit sutras to us and encouraging us to join in, answering questions so elegantly and succinctly , and all the time smiling and joking and so joyful! He loves to talk about sex and it is quite hilarious to hear what he has to say some evenings.
Last night, we cut the lecture short for a puja to celebrate the Vedic New Year. Dr. Lad performed the puja, which was a sight to behold, then he played the drum and led the chanting, which became quite exuberant. The classroom was packed, as it was open to the public. It was quite the party and everyone left with smiling faces.
My knowledge and love of Ayurveda continues to deepen and grow, and I am so amazed by the beauty and simplicity of this vast treasure that is virtually unknown in the western world. Dr. Lad is renowned for his scholarship of the ancient texts of Ayurveda, and it is incredible to learn about what the ancient Rishis knew intuitively about the human body, not to mention the mind and spirit. They were talking about concepts 5,000 years ago that were once again "discovered" by modern medicine in the 19th and 20th centuries. They had full understanding of the different systems of the body, how they function and, most importantly, what throws them out of balance and how to restore that balance by following the laws of Nature. They recognized 6 distinct stages of disease, beginning the moment something goes out of balance progressing through to the death of the organism (the body). Modern western medicine doesn't even get involved until stage 5. Ayurveda does not define health as the absence of disease. Let me share with you the Ayurvedic definition of health:
"Balanced doshas (genetic constitution), agni (digestion), malas (waste elimination), dhatus (tissues), bodily processes, and the presence of bliss of mind, senses and soul in one established in the Divine."
Pretty cool, huh?
With that, I must get back to the books.
Hugs to all!
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