Rakesh Sethi, BS, CAHP
Wellness Speaker/ Author/
Ayurvedic Practitioner
What is Ayurvedic Consultation?
Posts Tagged ‘Life Coach’
Is Ayurveda and Yoga a Religion or Science?
Every once in a while I come across someone who rejects the scientific medical system of Ayurveda and Yoga on the basis of its origin in India. Their reason- Hindus came up with Ayurveda and Yoga and follow it, and so by following mind-body wellness suggestions from Ayurveda and Yoga will “pollute” other religious believes. If you believe “will pollute” to be absolutely true then that is the truth for you. However, if you would like to know the roots and practice of this science, please read on and then make up your mind.
1. Coming from Sanskrit words, the ‘Ayur’ means life and ‘Veda’ means science. The word Ayurveda means ‘Science of Life’. 
2. The word ‘Yoga’ also comes from Sanskrit and means “to unite”. So what is it uniting? It is a methodology of uniting spiritual, intellectual, emotional, and physical components of you for one single purpose of promoting health, wellness, and peace. Spiritual component is always regarded as pure consciousness. It is your choice to color it with any faith or religion that works for you.
3. Vedic culture practiced this science thousands of years ago even before Hinduism was formed.
For more than 5,000 years this science of life has been practiced in India. Since majority of people in India are Hindus, it is easy to associate this with Hinduism. Incidentally, in India Hindus are NOT required to practice Ayurveda and Yoga. It is a free personal choice of diet and lifestyle for promoting health and wellness.
The practice of Ayurveda and Yoga has been working in disease prevention and healing for thousands of years. This ancient medical system is based on natural scientific laws of nature. Natural laws govern all cycles in nature. Since we are part of nature, they also govern our cycles. If we move with scientific understanding in harmony with those cycles we create and enjoy wellness and if we move against, we create dis-ease and suffer. Free download a Basic Ayurveda mini-course.
The evidence from research in mind-body health connections in modern science is corroborating with the approach of Ayurvedic medical system that takes into account the whole individual’s mind, body, and spirit to build immunity (preventing diseases) and promote wellness. In fact there are many other areas where the conventional medicine discoveries map right on with the Ayurvedic medicine. Example of one such discovery- Are You at Higher Risk for Coronary Heart Disease– New Ways to Check?
Just because the practice of Ayurveda and Yoga originated in India, it is not reserved only for Hindus. The whole world can benefit from it. Similarly, the medical practice discoveries made in the west are not just reserved for Christians. The whole world can benefit from them.
The focus here needs to be on the scientific natural laws. Just like the statements, ‘you reap what you sow, every action has an equal and opposite reaction, and law of karma’ are true not because some famous scientist or popular religion says so. It is because the statements represent the same law of nature even though the statements are from different sources. Carefully analyze and you will find natural laws are perennial and hold true on their own merit, regardless of whom or where they originated. Be Well!
“Doing meditation” Image courtesy of Pixtawan at FreeDigitalPhotos.net
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Health Conscious: Are You Born with This or Not?
Body’s natural state is health and it inherently gravitates towards health. No one doctor can give you health from outside. The outside sources can only help to remove diseases. Once the disease is removed, body restores itself to its natural state, health.
I think when it comes to health most people are health conscious and have an inkling of what is right choice and what is wrong. Then why is it that people often take the wrong choice? Okay I will accept in some cases people do not know but what about most people who hear and see many times what they ought to be eating and doing. Still they do not follow the advice, and knowing very well, take wrong decisions and land themselves a disease. What happened to their health consciousness?
Sense objects, in this case food, can have enormous power over one’s mind, even when the mind is healthy. And if one is going through depression, this power is even more gripping. Mind gets carried away by the senses; sight, smell, and taste of food. And the next thing you know is that outside elements have grab hold of your senses; as a consequence senses control your mind, and influence your decisions affecting your inner wellbeing.
The irony is your inner self is equipped with health consciousness and intellect, remarkable tools, to take decisions. However, yet your mind continues to take decisions without consulting with your health consciousness and intellect. You need to change the direction of taking your decisions.
Let the health consciousness guide your intellect to take a decision for inner wellbeing while the intellect keeps your mind under its strict control so it would not to be taken for a ride by the outside (sense objects). This is the right direction in taking decisions. Health consciousness, this “natural intelligence” resides within us. You are born with it! No one thing or person can “install” the natural intelligence from outside. Just because you don’t access it, it doesn’t mean you do not have it. You already have it in you, but it is dormant. It needs to be awakened.
You just need someone or something to awaken your consciousness to make you health conscious. This someone or something becomes the enabler for awakening the consciousness. It could be a person or perhaps even this article. You just need to find your own “enabler”.
You cannot lead your life by taking decisions at the surface level, namely under the influence of sense objects, and depending on external quick fixes, for example diet pills. You must take control of your life by taking decisions from the “depth” of your being. Stop taking decisions at the “surface” level. When consciousness, intellect, and mind are in agreement, lasting wellness dwells there. Isn’t it time you awaken your consciousness to become health conscious? Be Well!
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How to Implement an Excellent Employee Wellness Program?
Profits and Corporate Consciousness
Today rising health care costs present a challenge for both employees and corporations. Here is an opportunity where corporations can take a lead in providing employee wellness program that not only helps employees to be productive, live healthier & better quality of life, but also put a dent in the corporate health care premiums. Frankly for a corporation to pickup this challenge is a display of consciousness that goes beyond measuring just tangible profits.
A good corporate consciousness strikes a balance between tangible and intangible profits. Having gone through a decades of measuring and improving quality, growth, and productivity, corporations must also pay keen attention to an employee “wellness & happiness index” along with customer satisfaction index.
Key Factors in Successful Implementation of an excellent Employee Wellness Program
The following factors are common and critical to all corporations for a successful implementation:
- Even if corporation with good conscious takes a lead on providing an employee wellness program, the difficulty is to first have employees voluntarily participate in the program and then apply it in their lives. The old habits and attitudes take some incentive and time to change. However, if employees see their top management participating and serious about investing in everyone’s well being, there is increased probability of employees engaging and shifting their health attitudes. And shifting health attitudes is the key to the success of the employee wellness program.
- Another key to success is to choose a wellness program that generates buzz, excitement, and engages employees. It offers more individual based recommendations as oppose to one-size-fit-all. Employees need to know how this program works and why it will work for them. The studies, statistics, and other numbers are boring and not very engaging.
- Lastly, the employee wellness program should include follow on “refreshers”. The refresher gives an opportunity to employees to refresh the concepts learnt in the initial meeting, take away some new ideas, and ask follow on questions on their individual plans. This reinforces and encourages employees to stay with the plan.
- (Other factors like number of employees, multiple locations, and multiple shifts which are unique to a corporation and must be considered separately in each situation)
I agree this is not a short term plan. But profits in the long run are multifold. Corporate consciousness invokes the employees’ consciousness creating a different employer-employee relationship where one values the association with the other for more than just a profit number or a paycheck. Such corporations (with consciousness) cultivate both employee and customer loyalty.
Aside from savings in health care premiums, I know these intangible profits are difficult to measure. What value would you place on retaining talent in the company longer with lower employee turnover? What value would you place on positive image of the company in social media? Especially today in a fast developing social media, a picture of corporate consciousness, good or bad, goes viral online in a matter of minutes, hours, or just a few days. You decide.
Supporting Services/products from True Wellness Group:
Rakesh Sethi recently published “Health + Happiness = Wellness” book to revolutionize how one should approach disease prevention. Invite Speaker Rakesh Sethi on company events to inspire employees to participate in their wellness. Wellness workshops or breakout sessions offer individualized approach to employees to develop their unique path to wellness.
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Surviving Bad Economic Times with Growing Spiritual Awareness
Setting “Speed” Limit
Bad economic cycle is just a nature’s way of telling us that we need to lighten up on our material quest. It is great to be on a material quest and enjoy it. I am not implying you need to end it. I am only suggesting that nature is prompting us to set limits on this quest, if we had not already done so. It is not possible to go through life continually accelerating. You have to know your limit and then learn to cruise. In the same way when you enter a freeway you accelerate but then after reaching a speed limit, you cruise. Becoming aware of this fact is a start of spiritual growth to help you with surviving bad economic times.
Learning How to Cruise
No doubt surviving bad economic times can create tremendous anxiety and mental agitation. So besides learning to cruise, it would be even better to grasp how to cruise light. Time is here to drop off excess weight (material or desires for more) and only keep the necessities on your journey. With this action alone, you will immediately lower the level of anxiety and mental agitation. This awareness shapes your spiritual growth. However, I feel the biggest growth is yet to come with the following awareness.
Discovering Real Self
In these bad economic times it is normal to feel down but not out. It is true, what changes in nature outside affects nature inside of us. That is the nature’s law. The question is- has the nature outside of us changed due to bad economy? The fact is, good or bad economy, nature is NOT affected by it. Wouldn’t you agree the sun, the moon, the earth, & the seasons, etc. will continue on their rhythmic cycle without missing a beat? This means nature inside of us is also not affected. Think about it! When you gain or lose wealth, you don’t say you gained or lost yourself.
So discover your real self. It is beyond any wealth.
So go out and feel the smooth touch of the air playing with your skin, soak up the warmth of first ray of sun falling on your face, enjoy the coolness of the water flowing through your body, get pleasure from the sounds of chirping birds, experience the ground below bare feet on the wet grass, and you will start to connect and know your real self is part of this. Cultivate this awareness.
Connecting to Real Self
Such an awareness will help you realize you are more than a just your mental self. You see when you only relate with your mental self, you suffer the agitations. However, when you relate to your real self, calmness comes over you and you live as a witness to all the drama around you (as outlined in the “Movie” example) You didn’t bring any material wealth with you when you were born and nor will you take any with you when you die. The material wealth was never yours and could never define or affect your real self.
Surviving bad economic times requires mental tenacity and can be the test of your perseverance. Let these times be the opportunity for you to discover your real self. In turn let this awareness of your spiritual being become the strength to your mental self in bad economic or in any turbulent times. Be Well!
If you enjoyed this article, you will find this new book very useful. Click to read the Introduction.
New Book:
Cruising Through Turbulence: An Inspirational Guide for Your Wealth and Wellbeing in Difficult Economic Times and Beyond
By Rakesh Sethi, BS, CAHP
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Techniques for Aging Gracefully and Looking Younger
First I would like to remove a myth about aging. So far there is NO natural or manufactured products in the market that can reverse aging. Some hormone supplements seem to work in slowing down the aging but we are unsure of their side effects in the long run. So the best bet is to accept the notion of aging and age gracefully as oppose to fighting it.
Aging Gracefully and Looking Younger
To age gracefully, we must keep in mind that aging has physical, mental, intellectual, and spiritual components. All these components are inter-twined and together they make us a “whole” person. As part of aging gracefully, what we loose in physical is made up by gaining experience, wisdom, and peace in mental, intellectual, and spiritual. To focus only on the physical and try to stop or reverse the aging would be going against nature.
Earth, stars, universe, everything around us is aging. It is a law of nature. So you as a part of this nature, if try to go against this natural law, you would only create aggravation and unstable mind. Try to understand this concept from your mature spiritual side; a humble acceptance will replace the aggravation in unstable mind. If you don’t, agitated and stressful mind would only speed up the aging process.
Once we embrace the aging as natural part of us with healthy mental attitude, we can focus on the physical. The basic idea is to slow down the rate of physical decline as we approach the later years of our life. However, preparation to achieve this begins in 30’s and 40’s by eating right foods and having right life style with exercises (or activities).
Physical:
Imagine our body as a building where each cell is a “brick” in this building. And if the walls of a building have bricks missing here and there, the strength, integrity, and shape of the building is compromised. Our goal is to continue building healthy new cells to replace the old dying cell for as long as possible. If the old cells are not replaced with new cells, skin becomes wrinkled and body looses its strength and shape.
Techniques for Aging Gracefully and Looking Younger
• Form a diet plan with foods based on your mind-body constitution that can help you usher in growth of new cells while creating least amount of toxins in the body. This diet is anti-inflammatory and can be further supported by use of turmeric and ginger to reduce internal inflammation and cleanse (detoxify) the body.
• Include the right vitamins and herbal supplements- NOT to supplement good foods but only to cover the gaps.
• Detoxify your body regularly- a weekly fast, a monthly fast, or a quarterly cleanse based on your life style.
• As we age, natural tendency of the body is to loose its muscle mass and to replace it with fat mass. Our goal is to slow down the rate of muscle mass conversion to fat mass and retain as much muscle mass for as long as possible.
• No matter what age, we must stay active. Follow a routine of age appropriate exercises and activities that can help retain the muscle mass, reduce fat buildup, and keeps us flexible.
Mental:
Besides foods, we need to be aware of the stressful thoughts and emotions we take in from outside or cultivate within. We must figure a way to “metabolize” stress out of our system to remove “mental inflammation.” This can be a cause for many nerves related and other diseases.
Techniques for Aging Gracefully and Looking Younger
• Utilize our life experiences and spiritual knowledge to shift our mental attitudes to neutralize emotions or thoughts that are source of stress.
• Do breathing exercises in yoga and meditation can also help release the stress and eliminate mental inflammation.
• Keep the mind occupied by continuously learning new interesting and challenging things.
• Get good rest at night by sleeping at least 7 hours
Spiritual:
Spiritual component supports the both mental and physical. Studies have shown people with strong spiritual connections heal faster and have better immunity. I regard spiritual awareness as the cement holding the bricks together in the building. While the physical and mental components change with age, it is the spiritual component that remains unchanged and is a pillar of support in our aging gracefully.
Techniques for Aging Gracefully and Looking Younger
• Let your conscious be your guide
• Live in harmony with nature within and without (personal and social conduct according to laws of Nature)
• Find out your “gift” and make it a calling to share with the world
As you can tell, all physical, mental, and spiritual are inter-twined, support each other, and make us “whole.” We must identify with each component & address each for our “total” health and wellness in life’s journey while aging gracefully naturally without any risky aging products. Be Well!
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Vata Pita Kapha Imbalances and Diseases Related to Vata Imbalance
It is a well known fact that when our body goes off balance we land ourselves some sort of complication leading to a disease. In the Ayurveda medical system, it is viewed that one or more out of the three energies, “Vata Pita Kapha”, (also know as Doshas) has gone off balance. This imbalance creates an aggravation in the body which results in a disease. In this article I would briefly like to explain what happens when Vata energy goes off balance. To get familiar with “Vata Pita Kapha” energies and discover what energies make up your constitution, please subscribe below to FREE Ayurveda Basics course.
Vata (air) energy is responsible for all movements in the body. Vata controls all neuromuscular activities, body functions, and even activities of the mind. All movements must take place like a fine clock-work in the body. Without the movement energy, Pita and Kapha energies are useless; in fact, the body is a dead body. On the other hand, if the movement is blocked, altered, slowed, or sped up, the body systems functions get compromised. So Vata (air) is the most important energy in the body to keep balanced and most often to go off balance. Just as in the nature, it is difficult to predict and manage movement of air. So it is with managing Vata energy and keeping it balanced in our body. It is estimated that 60 to 65% or approximately 2 out 3 diseases are a result of Vata imbalance. Other diseases related to Pita and Kapha imbalance are covered in a separate article.
Diseases that are related to Vata Imbalance:
Note the following list is just a sample and not all inclusive. I have chosen the most well known and commonly occurring diseases.
- ALS- Lou Gehrig’s
- Alzheimer
- Amenorrhea- irregular or absence of period
- Arthritis
- Attention Deficit Disorder
- Autism
- Bells’ Palsy
- Carpel Tunnel Syndrome
- Cataract
- Chronic Anxiety Disorder
- Erectile Disorder & Early Ejaculation
- Dysmenorrheal- severe painful menstruation
- Endometriosis
- Fibromyalgia (Chronic Fatigue Syndrome)
- Joint Pains
- Hypothyroidism or Hyperthyroidism
- Multiple Sclerosis
- Ptosis- drooping eyelid
- Parkinson’s
- Ringing in Ears
- Sciatica
All Vata related disorders should be addressed with Vata pacifying diet and lifestyle. Please note, when Vata is imbalanced Pita and Kapha may also become imbalanced. Depending upon age, gender, family history, and keeping other factors in mind, an ayurvedic practitioner can make right recommendations for pacifying and detoxifying treatment plans. So please consult with your ayurvedic practitioner and also with your physician when you start a natural health and wellness treatment along side with any medication you are taking.
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What is Unconditional Love and Its Role in Our Relationships?
What is unconditional love? Simple as it may appear, it is perhaps the most misunderstood & misused phrase in our relationships. Unconditional love is a benevolent feeling that emerges from deeper level of our Consciousness (our life coach) for all of creation- rocks, plants, animals, human beings, etc., regardless of their shape, size, color, nature, or actions in the nature. 
It is because every one of us has the same Universal Consciousness that is pervading through all life & nonlife forms connecting all of creation to ONE source.
Observe nature & you will find Universal Consciousness expressing Itself differently through each entity in creation depending upon what “clothing” it’s wearing and what role it’s playing in the nature. Thus the Universal Consciousness is conditioned by the “clothing” it is wearing. Once we understand this truth, living with unconditional love for all forms & beings becomes not only easy but brings peace to us as well.
What is unconditional love in our relationships with other beings and creation around us? Well, let me try to answer this by telling an interesting mythological story. A very long time ago a king cobra snake ruled good middle portion of the forest by using his wits & scary tactics. Most people & animals were scared of him and tried to take different trails to avoid confronting him. One day the snake overheard some people travelling thru the forest about a great saint. Out of curiosity, snake decided to go and listen to what this saint had to say. Snake didn’t want to create any trouble around so many people so he hid himself between the rocks where he could still clearly hear the saint. The saint spoke truths about of Universal Consciousness, unconditional love, and peace. The message resonated with snake and from that day forward he decided to change his behavior towards his fellow beings. The snake started to approach all passing through with politeness & affection but much to his dismay he met with rejection and even got stones thrown at him. Injured, bruised, & with tears in skin, snake was lying on the side of a trail when the saint just happen to pass thru there. Saint asked the snake what happened. After listening to the snake’s story, saint clarified that first you must know who you are before jumping into showing unconditional love to just anyone.
The story makes a point, even though unconditional love resonates at our consciousness level, we can not relate unconditionally at the physical level. First we must know our own conditioning, what “clothing” are we wearing, and then be aware of what “clothing” a person or creation in front of us is wearing. So while the Loving can and should be unconditional, the Relating at physical level can not be unconditional. If we do not follow this nature’s rule we will be battered, bruised, abused, and left in misery in our relationships.
One Notable Exception– This rule doesn’t apply to a Self-realized person. Such a person has merged & become one with consciousness. His thoughts & actions are no longer conditioned by his own (ego) body mind & intellect. Loving & relating for such a person has transcended all physical conditioning & is seen & felt by others simply as pure consciousness. Examples are Christ, Buddha, & a few others.
So before we reach the Self-realized state, what can we do?
As long as we engage in life thru our physical body, mind, and intellect, we see ourselves as separate & distinct from others and our outward actions are conditioned with our desires and ego. Inadvertently, this makes the relating with the outer physical world conditional as well. Therefore, for now we must utilize our Unconditional Love (life coach) to guide our actions to be selfless and harmless to others and environment around us. As a result, one can imagine harmonious relationships, peace, and promoting health & wellness in their lives.
What Do You Think? Feel Free to Speak Your Mind
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Simple Mind Cleanse Techniques to Reduce Stress
If we don’t brush & floss everyday, gingivitis develops creating fowl smell & gum disease. Similarly, if we do not perform mind cleanse everyday, we risk mental sickness. You see mind is like a river flowing with full of new thoughts and emotions every second of the day. Myriad of thoughts & emotions, rational or irrational, just hang around and pollute the mind “river.”These thoughts & emotions must be processed daily otherwise they block the mind “river” and cause stagnation resulting accumulation of brain trash or stress. Once we clear the blockages, we reduce stress.
The challenge is to identify which thought & emotion is rational and which is irrational. This is where our Intellect has to jump in and start earning its keep. Our Intellect must separate the crazy irrational thoughts & emotions and immediately discard or reject them. If for some reason our Intellect is compromised, we will mistakenly accept irrational thoughts and start to live with them creating confusion, conflicts, stress, and basically brain trash. These thoughts need to be “flushed” or “metabolized”.
I suggest use the following techniques for mind cleanse & to reduce stress:
1. We must keep our Intellect sharp and available. Always be aware of your intellectual state. Note the Intellect is not sharp & available when we are angry, depressed, or under the influence of alcohol, drugs, etc. Our thinking ability gets warped or completely stops. Become free of these influences first. It is impossible to reduce stress when the very tool, your intellect, that helps you “flush” brain trash is not available to you.
2. Watch out for the Ego! When a compulsive thought of anger, depression or sensual craving comes in mind, our self-centered conditioning & Ego loves to give attention to it. Mind you a thought has NO power of its own. All the power is in the attention we give. So break undivided attention to selfish & destructive thought by reciting your favorite Mantra. Once the Mantra takes hold, connection between the thought & your attention is broken. The idea here is to have something to break the attention and I have found any Mantra (your favorite) will do the trick and reduce stress. You feel light and your mind becomes available for other tasks.
Remember, it is the good old 80/20 rule. Only 20% of the thoughts are worth paying attention to and the other 80% must be quickly rejected. Once we get rid of the 80%, we have more of our selves available for the real 20% that make a difference in our lives. Thus we accomplish in our life what we really need, keep our mind cleanse of clutter and reduce stress.
If you liked this article then biggest compliment you can give is by sharing i and showing others simple techniques to reduce stress. Be Well!
Share your comments, thoughts and suggestions below. I appreciate your time & will take the time to read every single one!