Hari Simran Ayurveda Blog: Writings on Living a Healthy Lifestyle

We have made it to 2019. With patience, compassion and a steady focus we journey forward. It takes just a few moments in time to wait, listen and then act. What are you waiting and listening for? Perhaps it is an intuitive message or simply letting the energy settle long enough to communicate with compassion and not in reaction. It is giving yourself a chance to get clear.
Taking just a few seconds before answering a question, replying to a text message or answering an email can make all the difference in the world, not only for you but for those around you.
Patience is about trust. Trust in yourself and trust in divine timing, where things work out more beautifully then you could have imagined.

There is no rush to live life.

The pause and the deep breath before taking action is our saving grace in this new year. Hold the space and let the space hold you. Wait, have patience and let the prosperity of your light, your beauty, your radiance lead the way.

Happy New Year from my heart to yours.

With Love,
Hari Simran

My dear friends and family. It is always an honor to start off each month with a note of inspiration. I have had the privilege of living a life inspired by yoga, meditation, Ayurveda and conscious living. Growing up with a spiritual teacher (Yogi Bhajan) right by my side was and still is a true honor. Year after year I continue to grow, learn and understand that life is about humility, connection and devotion to what makes us truly great. Yogi Bhajan spoke about this often and inspired us to recognize our greatness within each and every heart beat. He expressed it so beautifully when he said, “Every heartbeat is God’s name to me. Every breath of life is ecstasy”. I relate to these words so deeply, they bring me into the neutral mind to give me an attitude of gratitude, devotion and pure happiness. When life starts to feel like it is dragging me around, I slow down, take a deep breath and repeat this mantra. It reminds me to feel my heart, to remember its unlimited and unconditional capacity and every time I repeat these words, It is a guaranteed attitude adjustment.

We are deep into Summer and that means our energy is outward, engaged with the people and environments around us. As this outward energy continues through July and August, I encourage you to keep your meditation practice going as a deep connection to yourself. If you feel connected to these beautiful words of Yogi Bhajan’s you can put your hands on your heart, close your eyes and repeat them 2-3 times. You can also listen to Snatam Kaur’s beautiful version: https://open.spotify.com/track/1LuCmBDDutV5rUKYJ7NhUb?si=NaSSVdO5Q-Gn5yu3e3DJLg Experience these words and give yourself 2-3 days to feel a shift in your attitude and communication with others. Feel free to let me know how it is going for you!

As you flow with the change of seasons, keep your awareness, kindness and compassion steady. Live with a devotion to honor your true self that will always provide you with intuitive clarity and love.

Many blessings to you in this month of July.

With love,
Hari Simran

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Getting Inspired: The Summer Solstice

6/10/2018

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The summer solstice is one of my favorite times of year. There are so many things to celebrate and with the longest day of the year coming up, we have the blessing of the sun energy to help us feel vital, energized and focused. The summer solstice is all about being with community, connecting to each other, having fun and enjoying the warm nights under the stars. It can also be a time that pushes us to get out of our "comfort zones" and try news things or be with those we have not connected with in a long time. If you have felt heavy, sluggish, tired, unmotivated or sad now is the time to begin an invigorating practice that will get your blood moving and your endorphins going. This momentum will help you release stuck energy helping you to feel lighter and brighter It is a positive energy that will release you of feeling stuck or too stagnate. I suggest cold showers, hiking, running and dancing to invite in this healing lightness of being. The Sun has got your back! Allow it to be your constant and compassionate companion.
In the words of the beautiful poet Hafiz, "Even after all this time, the Sun never says to the earth 'you owe me'. Look what happens with a love like that, it lights up the entire sky."
May you always remember and trust the light
within you to "guide your way on".

Happy Solstice to you and all your loved ones.

With love and blessings,
Hari Simran

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5 tips for better digestion

4/26/2018

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For those of you who missed my instagram live session last Sunday, April 22nd it was all about digestion and using some simple tools to help ease any digestive troubles. Following up that live session, I wanted to share these highlights. Enjoy!

Good digestion is key to feeling happy, healthy and vital. When digestion is off, you may find yourself feeling slugish, uncomfortable, reactive, negative or experiencing brain fog. There are some simple practices that you can incorporate into your daily routines and eating habits. Although they sound simple, it takes awareness, consistency and commitment to implement these practices into your life. I highly recdcomend doing so as these 5 tips can help you set a solid foundation for healing any digestive issue. Once you can practice these things, the foods, diets and herbal support will have a much better chance of really working for you. If you find yourself unsure about what to eat, what diet to follow or the best herbs to support your digestive system or heal specific digestive troubles, you can contact me for a free 20 minute consultation to see if Ayurveda and my services can support you in feeling your very best. For more information head to the services tab on my website.

5 Tips for better digestion:

1. Take 3-4 sips of hot water before your meal.

   2. Eat in a calm environment without distractions.

   3. Go for a 10-15 minute walk after your meals.

4. Do not eat when you are overly emotional.

5. Take 3 long inhales and exhales before and after your meals.

Blessings, Hari Simran

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Honoring Our Earth Bodies

4/4/2018

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As we move into this month of April, I invite you to guide your attention to the sacred chemistry and intelligence that makes up the human body. As we celebrate the earth and all that it offers us, let us also celebrate and honor the physical body, our earth body.

Beautiful. Attractive. Radiant. Strong. Vital. Healthy. Vibrant.

These are words used to describe a physical body that many people strive to have or work hard to maintain. Body image is how you see yourself, what you believe about your physical appearance and how you present yourself. Many of us have had points in our lives where we may have felt awkward, uncomfortable, unattractive, insecure or different within our own bodies. A snappy remark or a rude comment on someone’s physical appearance or physical capacity can leave imprints on the heart that may take many years to heal.
My love for Ayurveda grew from this space of wanting to understand how to feel positive, healthy and radiant inside my own skin. How from a radiant heart, I could glow with confidence, stand tall and honor my physical body while remaining true to who I am. I felt that relating to my appearance had to be a deeper experience than trying to look like someone else.
How could I relate to myself with love and care?

When I began to study Ayurveda I learned first and foremost that the body is a temple. Like a temple we want to honor and respect it with intention and attention.

“Take away the pressure of being someone else and start being you!”

These words made so much sense to me and I practice this wisdom as best as I can, it has helped me see myself beyond the limits of expectations. Expectations not only from others but mostly from myself.
I am passionate about helping people relate to their bodies in a deeper way; and to understand that the physical body in all its capacity strives to work for us and not against us. When we understand how to work with our bodies, we are able to relate to it on a deeper level.

When we don’t feel vibrant or balanced, it is a sign to tune in, look at what may be causing dis-harmony and allow healing to take place. This “allowing” is an act of self-awareness and requires complete participation and courage. The physical body is in direct relationship with the subtlest parts of ourselves and when we begin to unwind unhealthy patterns, shed years of pain and change habits it is much like being born into a new life. Even simple changes like drinking more water, going for a walk every day or taking three minutes to breathe deep will begin to change the structure of your inner and outer appearance. Why does this happen? Because proper self-maintenance and care help release stress and when we are able to let go of stress on a daily basis, we can maintain a youthful glow that comes from deep within.

We are much more than skin and bone, we are an intricate and highly sophisticated play of moving energies, and within everybody there is a unique and special life being lived.
We are all different, there is not one human being on this earth made exactly the same. Just as every tree, flower, shrub and plant knows what it needs to feel vibrant and strong through every seasonal change and circumstance, we must reflect nature and get to know ourselves to be able to do the same. This personal relationship it is the most important of all!

In honor of mother nature and in Sprit of Earth Day on Sunday April 22nd, let us honor our earth bodies and relate to the divine play within and around every being.

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Patience of Peace

3/15/2018

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When I was immersed in the world of Ayurvedic medical school we used to have weekend workshops that were all about learning the science and healing properties of herbs. During one of these courses, a friend of mine asked me, "what herb heals all wounds?", I spent a good 2-3 minutes standing there thinking to myself, "I must know this!” Although I didn't recall the teacher saying anything. My friend stood there with a grin on his face, while I tried to recall the significant moment when our teacher relayed this very important information. Finally he said, "Thyme heals all wounds". Of course! We both laughed.

I always remember this because it is so true. Time is the ultimate healer and time is all about patience, trust and compassion. We can wish, pray, dream for change but it is not until we are truly ready do we experience the manifestation of our prayers.

Prayer and mediation are about training the mind to serve us, to heal us and to become our friend. Change is always occurring weather we pray for it or not. It is the power of your meditative and conscious prayer that can allow you to develop a trust and a relationship with change so that change begins to happen for you and not to you.

Our body's natural instinct is to change, to renew it’s self every 2 days. The feelings that were so strong yesterday maybe gone or totally insignificant tomorrow. To work through the challenge of change while releasing control of the outcome is a very conscious practice of self love and self forgiveness. Yogi Bhajan said, "Failure is when you do not put your full capacity into the possibility".

The true reality is that you are totally equipped with all that you need to be great! Within your intuitive, authentic, relaxed, capable self you have the capacity for significant change and growth. This type of self growth goes beyond the beyond because it is unlimited and unconditional. Once you trust in yourself, others will surely trust in you and your energy can be restored. The healing science of Ayurveda and Yoga support you in recognizing the unlimited happiness that is your birthright.

It is the yogis prayer that we all live in the gratitude of our every heart beat because it is a gift to be alive. "Every heartbeat is God's name to me. Every breath of life is ecascy". -Yogi Bhajan

It is the very breath of life that is a gift. When we are kind, simple, flowing, serviceful, graceful, grateful we become full of light. Let us be good to ourselves so that we may serve each other to achieve this state of higher being. May the patience of peace be with you always.

With love,
Hari Simran

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Meditation

2/11/2018

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I have been experiencing and observing within myself and others, the most subtle nature of the mind and it's many games and facets. On one hand, with the mind we are given the gift of boundless possibilities, infinite prosperity and on the other, a realm of constriction, fears and anxieties. How do we manage this monkey mind? How do we clear the pathways to freedom and peace? Can we really allow the mind to serve us and not rule us?
I believe the answers to these questions begins with an awareness that no matter what may come, you have the capacity to be the eye of the storm: steady, confident, open and loving. Dr John Douillard, a wonderful Ayurvedic doctor said it so beautifully, "become aware and act on that awareness".
We are very blessed in this day and age with the many choices we have to live. For some, those choices are more limited and for others the options are boundless. Within the realm of choice and freedom, it is even more imperative that we take time everyday for mediation. Meditation is not always about feeling your best self or even your most comfortable self, it is about allowing your mind to decompress, release and let go. What happens when we let go? At first it can be uncomfortable, all the thoughts come, thoughts that you did't even know you had and feelings that were stored deep down and now have the space to clear. You may experience significant changes occurring in your life, major shifts to help you align with your purpose and your most authentic self. It takes discipline, courage, faith to continue to mediate day after day, even when at times it seems that things are getting worse, but have patience, once you clear the path ways, you begin to have glimpses of a state in which meditation becomes blissful, stable, beautiful. You experience what it means to have an intuition, to know the answers and not seek them out day after day. Meditation gives you the gift of perspective, to view your life from a distance instead of honing in on one tiny detail. Meditation allows your body to relax, restore and renew by releasing built up emotions and thoughts that can affect the body's ability to function optimally. You will find yourself surrounded by all the support you need to thrive. Meditate to change your attitude and change your world.
I encourage you to start or continue meditating at least 3-11 minutes a day. You do not need to make it a big deal and put lots of pressure on yourself. Instead approach it like you would taking a shower or brushing your teeth. It is a necessary part of your daily self care and in the end makes you feel clean, bright and new. Have faith, don't give up and I know you will succeed.

From my yoga mat to yours,

Love,
Hari Simran

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Ayurveda and Kundalini Yoga: The Perfect Combination

10/1/2015

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Have you noticed when something goes off balance in your body you look outward for advice or help? Do you find you have no idea what to do when you get the sniffles, digestive upsets or the occasional sleepless night? These are important questions to ask your self. If you are not tuned into the inner workings of your individual body, these questions will have you lost. The beauty of Kundalini Yoga is in its dynamic ability to make a person totally aware of their body and mind. Without awareness we become oblivious to the fact that we can be the “masters of our domain”, the “masters of our mind and body”. There is no reason for confusion other than the total disillusionment that we have no control over our health and wellbeing.

Once we are aware of the body and its inner workings we need tools of knowledge that help us to heal and stay healthy. Here is where the science of Ayurveda comes in. Ayurveda is the diet, lifestyle and herbal regiment of what we call a “yogic or Sattvic” life. It is the technology of longevity where age is just a number and not a determination of how one should feel or look. Developing a yoga practice is a great first step but it takes more than just rolling the mat out, doing an hour class and leaving. If we really want this practice to infuse into our bones then we must begin to integrate Ayurveda into our lives. Ayurveda is simple; all it asks is for you to remain true to who you are, to your reality and your balanced vibration. It is about living life in health and peace where discipline is your best friend and negativity does not rule your mind. It is the total feeling of trust in the creation and in the perfection of your unique body, mind and spirit. In this month of October step into the Fall season by making it your goal to learn a few simple tools for health and healing. Start or continue your understanding by joining me for an Ayurveda and Kundalini Yoga workshop Sunday, October 11th from 4pm-6pm At Godlen Bridge Yoga in Santa Monica. You will learn the fundamentals of Ayurveda, the science of longevity and you will also get to practice the inner workings of the body with Kundlain Yoga and Meditation.

If you have any questions or curiosities contact me directly at: hari@harisimranayurveda.com

I hope to see you there!

Abundant Blessings,

Hari Simran

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Did Someone Say Oil Pulling?

9/7/2015

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Did you know that swooshing with oil every morning can improve gum health, whiten your teeth, clear your digestion and remove toxins from the mouth and colon as well as clear the skin? Yes! That’s right! Oil pulling is the very ancient technique of mouth washing. Instead of using products with artificial flavoring, sweeteners and alcohol that overtime may cause harm to your mouth, try this soothing and very detoxing form of mouth washing.
You can use sesame oil or coconut oil. Either one is great, it just depends on your tastes preferences. I like using coconut oil in the hot summer months since it is a cooling oil and sesame in the winter months since it is a heating oil.

Instructions:
First thing in the morning before brushing, rinse the mouth with water. Use 2 tsp or more if needed of oil. Swish for 15-20 mins. Then spit oil in the trash (do not spit it down the drain or toilet). To finish swish well with warm water, then brush teeth with regular toothpaste or tooth powder.
This is a wonderful therapy to do and while you are swishing away you can clean, make your bed, get your self ready for the day.

The benefits are amazing and the results can be seen in just a few weeks!

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Life Giving Water

9/5/2015

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The number one cause of sleepiness, lethargy and overall fatigue is typically dehydration. That afternoon headache or body fatigue could very well be the result of poor absorption of water or not enough consumed water in the system. Often times when we are thirsty we pour ourselves another cup of coffee, or reach for that energy drink which we have been told will give us “so much more than water”. There really is nothing that can nourish and truly quiche your thirst more then a fresh cup of pure water. Our bodies are made up of 80% liquid and therefore we must keep ourselves refreshed and hydrated in order for our organs to function in a balanced way. You may think that you get enough water by the amount of bottles you have drunk that day but get this, if you are not absorbing the water, then no matter how much you drink you are not staying hydrated. The best way to absorb water and all its nutrients is to go slow. Small sips throughout the day are best. We tend to think that more is better but in this case less and more often will serve you better. Now that we are approaching those breezy, cool fall days you can start to sip on warm or hot water. When you drink warm water the body is able to absorb it much better than iced or cold water. For this reason, in Ayurvedic medicine we always advice people to cut back on drinking refrigerated or iced liquids as it can cause indigestion.

This week I invite you to try 5-7-days of sipping hot water. I know it sounds a little “out of the box” but it really feels good and can do wonders for clearing out the digestive system, as well as the skin and blood. In addition you will feel totally hydrated!
Here’s what to do:
Try this for one week:

In a thermos carry hot water and just like a steaming cup of tea, every 15-20 minutes sip on some hot water (not too hot that you burn the mouth, make it comfortable) throughout the whole day. It takes some discipline and perhaps a timer for the first few days but if you stick with it you might just see some significant results. I also encourage you to take this time to cut back on white sugar and processed foods. Eat with the season and always try to eat fresh!

Enjoy!

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Happy New Year!

Every Heartbeat

Getting Inspired: The Summer Solstice

5 tips for better digestion

Honoring Our Earth Bodies

Patience of Peace

Meditation

Ayurveda and Kundalini Yoga: The Perfect Combination

Did Someone Say Oil Pulling?

Life Giving Water

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