Ayurveda & Spirituality with Alakananda Ma

Thanks to your wholesome remedies, O God, May I attain the span of a hundred winters! Drive far away from us all hatreds and troubles Scatter to the four winds every sort of sickness Rudra, Rig Veda II 33, from Raimondo Pannikar,  The Vedic Experience What are common causes of memory loss? When should you be concerned about memory changes? What simple lifestyle changes will help your memory?...

“ January 14th is the day of transfer of the sun and is of great importance. Whatever is our state today, to change that and accept the opposite—the best, the highest state, means a transfer, and this day is meant for that .” Upasani Maharaj Learn the deep mystical teachings around January 14th, Makara Sankranti, and how to make the most of this cosmic opportunity. January 14th A Transformational...

What we call the beginning is often the end And to make an end is to make a beginning. The end is where we start from. TS Eliot, Little Gidding, Four Quartets Start your New Year with this beautiful reflection as Alakananda Ma weaves together her father’s wartime biography, Katha Upanishad, the teachings of the Bal Shem Tov, Mary Queen of Scots, TS Eliot and Rumi. Die before you die; resurrection...

“Once you get to be 74, and your potential remaining years are just in the teens, children and young people seem even more important, for you are handing the world over to them. You are exiting the stage and they are entering. They need a chance to play their part; to be the Prince or Princess of Peace in their own way. In 1959, when I myself was just a little child, bearing the future of the worl...

When I was a young man, I wanted to change the world. I found it was difficult to change the world, so I tried to change my nation. When I found I couldn't change the nation, I began to focus on my town. I couldn't change the town and as an older man, I tried to change my family. Now, as an old man, I realize the only thing I can change is myself, and suddenly I realize that if long ago I had chan...

“Of the hundreds of people who attend my Ayurvedic clinic in Colorado each year complaining of chronic illness, at least half mention recurrent or longstanding depression as a major symptom. Even of those who do not complain of depression, Ayurvedic pulse diagnosis frequently reveals a vitiated sadhak pitta (the fiery humor of the brain and heart), indicating that low-grade depression is present.”...

Alakananda Ma has been a healer since the day in 1973 when she walked onto the ward in her white coat, badge and stethoscope as a twenty one year old clinical student. Today she shares the tips and strategies she has developed over the last half century to care for herself as a healer and empath. Taking Care of Yourself as a Healer If you enjoyed this episode, be sure to leave us a 5 star review,...

O Śvetaketu, you have now become very serious and vain, and you think you are a great scholar. But did you ask your teacher for that teaching which what is never heard becomes heard, what is never thought of becomes thought of, what is never known becomes known? Chandogya Upanishad Ch 6 Just in case you, like poor Śvetaketu, don’t yet know this teaching, join Alakananda Ma as we begin a deep dive...

“ We know that they are lying, they know that they are lying, they even know that we know they are lying, we also know that they know we know they are lying too, they of course know that we certainly know they know we know they are lying too as well, but they are still lying. In our country, the lie has become not just moral category, but the pillar industry of this country.” ― Aleksandr Solz...

“Mind has two aspects, manas, the measuring mind and buddhi, the intellect. AI is all manas . True intelligence is buddhi.” Let’s think about how AI impoverishes us in terms of: Our brain’s connectivity Our educational development Our environment Our social connections Our understanding of what intelligence is How AI Impoverishes Us If you enjoyed this episode, be sure to leave us a 5 star review,...

“ Medicine is not only a science; it is also an art. It does not consist of compounding pills and plasters; it deals with the very processes of life, which must be understood before they may be guided .” Paracelsus What is the spectrum of healing and where does Ayurveda fit into it? Discover Alakananda Ma’s unique perspective on this fascinating topic. Reductionistic to holistic Mechanistic to bio...

From bliss all beings come, by bliss they live, and unto bliss they all return. Taittirīrya Upanishad Alakananda Ma first read these astonishing words from Taittirīrya Upanishad back in 1980, during her first months in India. She has been contemplating the Bhrigu Valli section of this Upanishad ever since. Journey with her as she discusses the famous third book of Taittirīrya Upanishad. Taitiriya...

“We stand at the threshold of Aquarius, an age whose highest potential is to manifest as the Age of Spirit and Truth. Yet we also stand in the long dark shadow of Pisces.  We see a reawakening of fundamentalism and duality and the belief that my watch alone tells the correct time.” In a time of renewed crusades and militant fundamentalism, there is no topic more crucial than this- how to reco...

“Creation, like a prism Fragments the pure white light of Truth. People in different lands Catching sight of different colors Have taught that ‘It is green’ Or ‘It is gold!’ Today, from the seeds of light Scattered over the Earth We reap a rainbow harvest.” Alakananda Ma Many of us today practice a tradition different from that of our own childhood, or have a life partner from a different religiou...

Aum. The knower of Brahman reaches the Supreme. The one who knows Brahman as the real, as knowledge and as the infinite, placed in the secret place of the heart and in the highest heaven realizes all desires. Taittirīrya Upanishad. Follow the journey through the five koshas to the realization of the Supreme in this amazing text. Taitairiya Upanishad 2 If you enjoyed this episode, be sure to leave...

“A woman's breasts are a key part of her experience of herself. More than just mammary glands, a woman's breasts are also a secondary sexual characteristic, contributing to her beauty, attractiveness and self-esteem as well as to her sexual arousal. Yet with close to a quarter of a million new cases of breast cancer being diagnosed in America annually, a woman's breasts may also be perceived as a...

Today we’ll look at ways to create community, connection, local resilience and a deeper relationship to food sources by going beyond the supermarket. How can you use the three Swahili priciples, umoja, ujima and ujamaa, to find new ways of relating to the food that sustains you? Sustenance Beyond the Supermarket If you enjoyed this episode, be sure to leave us a 5 star review, and share it with a...

   “Nothing that is worth doing can be achieved in our lifetime; therefore we must be saved by hope. Nothing which is true or beautiful or good makes complete sense in any immediate context of history; therefore we must be saved by faith. Nothing we do, however virtuous, can be accomplished alone; therefore we must be saved by love.” Reinhold Niebuhr When war, violence, pollution and cli...

   Burnout is a state of emotional, mental, and often physical exhaustion brought on by prolonged or repeated stress. Usually applied to work, it has been broadened to include other forms of stress. Chronic illness is extremely stressful as we try to meet the demands of everyday life and also manage  our condition. Chronic illness burnout also affects those caring for people living...

Here, in this bright space within the heart, is He, that Purusha, that Person, who is formed of thought, undying, full of light. ‘Om’ is Brahman. ‘Om’ is this all. Taittiriya Upanishad Join Alakananda Ma as she delves into the mysteries of Taittiriya Upanishad. We will explore the sacred utterances, the Vayuhrutis, and glimpse the space within the heart where Purusha, the supreme Person dwell...

“They wanted to forget that there ever had been, in Europe, any other civilization at all. There was so much beauty they had not made, so many books they had not written, so many records of wars in which they had not fought, and so many ideas of human behavior which were anathema to them.” Katharine Burdekin, Swastika Night Set in a stagnant male-dominated Fascist Empire seven hundred years into a...

“There are may siddhis that the yogis cultivate, but there is only one siddhi worth having—the power to take whatever comes.” At this season, on the festival of Rishi Panchami, we honour the Mahasamadhi of Raghudas, the day he departed his body and became available to all of us from the spiritual worlds. Let’s take a few minutes to relish some stories of Raghudas, Alandi’s guru, as told by Sadanan...

Once presented as near-miraculous tranquilizers that were completely non-habituating and free of side effects, benzodiazepines have become a tenacious burden for many, who stuggle to do well on or off these medications. Now, new guidance has been released for getting off benzodiazepines. Let’s take a look at what benzodiazepines are, why you should get off them, what the related ‘z-drugs’ are, why...

Aum! - This Imperishable Word is the whole of this phenomenal universe. Its explanation is as follows,  What has become,  what is becoming,  what will become,  - verily,  all of this is Aum. And what is beyond these three states of the world of time,  - that too,  verily,  is Aum. Mandukya Upanishad What is the deeper mystery of Aum? What does each of the th...

With the proliferation of cars, smart phones, email, and social media, our lives become increasingly busy and crowded. Is a life of peace and contemplation possible in the twenty first century? Learn how to create peace through these simple steps: ●      Prioritize ●      Empty ●      Abandon ●     ...