THE ENERGIES OF NOVEMBER

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November is for many of us the darkest month of the year: The earth is naked, the temperatures drop drastically, it wakes up with the fog, the lack of sunlight brings with him bad mood, especially for who suffering from meteoropathy; Moreover, this month is dedicated to the departed, and along with this anniversary, the old wounds resurface, along with the sense of absence and abandonment.

Behind the austerity and rigour, this month hides a particular type of beauty that we can only see if we enter communion with it if we close our eyes and strip ourselves from the roles, from the masks, from useless thoughts like the trees do with their old leaves.

 

 

THE MONTH OF NOVEMBER, ON MY PART, IS CONSIDERED THE MOST UNGRATEFUL AND SAD BUT HAS BEAUTY MAYBE MORE THAN OTHER SEASONS. EVERYTHING IN THE GARDEN TRANSMITS A VIBRATION OF IMPERMANENCE, EVERYTHING TENDS TO THE TONES OF BROWN, THE SMOKE, THE PUTRID AND DRY, THE FOG AND FROST. EVERYTHING TENDS TO THE EARTH THAT, IN THE GARDEN, FRESHLY PROCESSED, SHINES WITH ABSOLUTE SPLENDOR, OF AN ALMOST IMPERIOUS BROWN.”

November, the month dedicated to our ancestors and the deceased

November has been the month dedicated to the dead for centuries; In addition to the Christian tradition, we find traces of it in the Celtic holiday of Samhain, the Celtic New Year that marks the end of autumn and the beginning of winter and the new year, in the Los Días de Los Muertos of Mexico, which has its roots in Aztec culture and during which the veil that separates the world of the living and the dead is thinner to revive the spiritual bond between ancestors and their descendants (us).

 

 

 

 

 

Everywhere in the world, you can find traditions aimed at the deceased at this particular time of year, with a detail shared by almost everyone, that of lighting a fire, whether bonfires or candles, in commemoration of the loved ones who have left, to guide their steps towards the light. We celebrate with joy, love and gratitude the memory of those beloved people who have passed through this existence, honouring the footsteps they have left behind and the life they have given us.

November, under the sign of the Scorpion

 

 

 

The November Sun is the one born in the constellation Scorpio, a sign placed under Pluto’s rule. This sign is the most enigmatic of the zodiac, linked to the depths of the earth, mystery, darkness, introspection and the theme of death and rebirth. He talks about the symbolic descent into the infernal world, the kingdom of Hades-Pluto, the kingdom of shadow and the unconscious. There, in our darkness, in the dusty cellar that is manifested in our nightmares, what frightens us is energy in turmoil that we struggle to recognize and accept.

“THE HARDEST JOURNEY OF A HUMAN BEING IS WHAT LEADS INSIDE ITSELF AS DISCOVERY OF WHO WE TRULY ARE”
(CARL G. JUNG)

 

 

Scorpio is the archetype of transformation, of regeneration, because although nature in this period seems to die and rot, in fact, under the cap of rotting leaves, it ferments a new life that will blossom from there to a few months. The Scorpion, therefore, invites us to learn the lesson of which he is master for all the zodiac: to strip away everything, to go back to the essentials, to go deep to rediscover our core, our essence, to remember who we are, between light and shadow, between manifest power and in power.

To welcome the best this particular month, we can follow the example of nature: cut the dry branches, strip ourselves of the roles and masks that do not correspond to us, devote time to our inner world facing, even if it is uncomfortable, the outstanding matters, the badly healed wounds, our shadowy sides. This period does not serve to bask in the dark for no reason, it serves to prepare the ground for new seeding, but to do so, it is necessary to have the courage to dig deep, to understand the fundamental role of death, of emptiness, which allows a new life of sprout.

November has a heavy pace and a gloomy mood but this must not prevent us from welcoming it even lightly and that is precisely the paradox of this period: to be able to go deep into tiptoe, dance a passionate tango with our shadow, return to our origins to go forward stronger than before, spread lights on the window sill on the darkest night, do it lightly and at the same time serious. November helps us to grasp one of the most difficult lessons that there is: to allow the light to be born, it is necessary to welcome the darkness, but we welcome it warmly at least, that under the surface there is life in turmoil

 

To Conquer Your Inner Treasure You’ll Have to Face Your Shadow

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When you decide to do serious work on yourself, past the euphoria of the beginnings where everything seems new and wonderful, comes the moment where you find yourself having to dig deep to bring to the surface all that series of things that you wouldn’t want to see. Indeed, it is usually hidden and well-buried; somewhere nobody can see, as it makes us realize we’re not the person we thought, digging with our hands

 

Then comes the much-feared moment: the encounter with the Shadow, our inner dragon, guardian of our fears and all those dark sides of our personality, but also of our most precious inner treasure: what, according to an ancient Hindu legend, would remain hidden from the human being until the time when he would understand where to look.

And if there’s one thing you don’t often admit when it comes to inner work, it’s more about getting your hands dirty in mud than wandering the world all dressed in white.

 

“You do not become enlightened by imagining figures of light, but becoming conscious of the darkness.”
(Carl G. Jung)

In order to bring out our inner treasure and use it in the world, it will be necessary to demonstrate its worth, to demonstrate courage, to have gained the experience and the inner wisdom in order to face any adversary and be mature enough, balanced and conscious to be able to open our eyes to ourselves without judgment or the temptation to feel “arrived”, but simply by acknowledging one’s own essence.

An old legend reveals the secret of your inner treasure

When one venture into one’s inner world, one has to confront the language of the unconscious, made up of symbols and archetypes often represented since antiquity by gods and goddesses. For this reason, it is not uncommon to come across old tales and legends that convey a deep and precious knowledge even if through simple words.

Here’s you’re looking for an ancient Hindu legend that will help you understand that thing you can’t name…

“There was a time when men were like the gods, but they abused their power so much that Brahma, the supreme God, decided to deprive them of divine power by hiding it in a place inaccessible to them. He thought of consulting the other gods to solve the problem. Some of the gods gathered in the council said, “We will hide the divinity of man in the depths of the earth.” Brahma replied, “It is not enough, man will dig and find it,” the gods said then, “We will hide the divinity of man in the ocean depths.” Brahma replied, “It is not enough, man will explore the depths of the sea and manage to bring it back to the surface”, then the gods “we will hide it on the highest mountain, almost at the edge of the sky, where man will not be able to reach” Brahma replied again: ‘It is not enough, man will climb the highest mountains and seize it.’ Then the gods concluded, ‘We do not know where to hide the divinity of man, there is no place on earth, in the sea, or in the sky that he cannot reach. Finally, Brahma feels that he has reached the solution to the problem and said, ‘We will hide it deep within the man himself, he will live right in his heart: it is the only place where man will not look.’”

 

There’s a fearsome adversary inside you, but it’s not what it looks like…

Such a treasure must, of course, be defended because the potential it can give to the person who conquers it is not without responsibility and it is within us that we will find our Shadow side that is nothing but the Guardian of this part of us so powerful. It is him, the dragon, the adversary, but even if it will hinder us in every way in our search for the self, it remains a part of us, an important part.

If we try to hurt the Keeper, we will hurt ourselves; If we try to ignore it, we will ignore a fundamental part of our being, but then how could we win this battle against our Shadow knowing that whatever we do against her, will we do it?

Bert Hellinger (and many others before him explains this to us): “The most precious treasures are treasured by the most terrible dragon. To reach the treasures, you have to go to the dragon… and kiss him.”

 

A battle you don’t win by fighting

 

The comparison with our Shadow side is a precious moment because it marks an important moment of passage: beating in retreat in front of the Guardian will lead us to deny a part of us, to reject the gift and to get stuck in our evolution; to be able to look it in the eye, accept that it is part of us and integrate it will allow us to work on that side of our personality that encloses the energy of primordial chaos and give it a shape, work it, transmute it.

 

“In our unconscious nothing is to be rejected, but simply to retune and transmute.”
(Carl G. Jung)

 

We will no longer fight the dragon, we will not pretend that that Shadow is not ours, we will welcome it and in doing so we could work with her to reach a level of understanding and greater awareness: we will channel her impetuous energy that we will use as fuel in bringing our treasure out into the open. It will be on that land worked in-depth, healed and invigorated, that we could then build a life based on our authentic being.

 

 

Conscious Cooking : A new way to Meditate

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The Benefits of Conscious Cooking

 

Cooking with love for yourself or for others is an art. It does not mean putting yourself on the stove, cutting and assembling food at random that for taste and aroma are combined without too much trouble to fill the stomach and no longer feel the bites of hunger, it is an art and can also become a very pleasant form of meditation.

“I am convinced that the kitchen reveals in a person its relationship with the earth, the sense, the body and the… Sex. He’s putting us out in the open. Those who love food love meat. Who is able to spend three hours palpating, chopping, kneading, peeling, grating, slicing, for such an ephemeral pleasure as a meal, is a gaudy first-order. A being full of sensuality.”

(Anne Plantagenet)

 

 

The pleasure of the senses can help you be more aware in your life

 

It all starts with the greengrocer where you can smell vegetables when you cross the threshold of the shop. They must be good, juicy, genuine and above all ripe at the right point. You’ll feel their texture under your fingers and that might already inspire your creativity and make your mouth water.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

You know those tomatoes so red and juicy that you’d put only a pin of salt on it before you sink your teeth with libidinous; together with the abundant and fresh juice is the sun and summer that tickle your taste buds? The smell is lost in that scent that smells of picnics by the sea and that seeks, perhaps, with a fresh and balsamic note to marry: a freshly picked basil leaf would be fine.

This culinary pleasure is actually a meditation, cooking with love is meditating, enjoying food slowly, giving time to perceive the different aromatic nuances and the union of textures that mix in the mouth, to be amazed at each bite is a meditation, only that it’s a little informal meditation, that’s all.

Cooking with love is a sensory experience

I make a small premise: you can do your little culinary meditation even by preparing a simple slice of bread with a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil, because no matter how elaborate or complicated the dish you’ll be prepared to taste, what you’re going to taste, what you’re going to taste matter is how much you are present in you while you do it.

During this somewhat special meditation, you just have to focus on your sensory perceptions. Each stage of the preparation of your dish will activate some answers of your body and what you will have to do is simply grasp them and live them to the full.

Already as you clean your vegetables you can kick off your meditative experience: you will feel the flow of fresh water on your skin and the peel of vegetables that will gradually become smoother under your hands; their colour will change and become more alive and you may also feel their scent more clearly once they have been cleaned from the land of the garden. Then the time for the knife will come: deep enclose the blade in the pulp and slide it slowly following the curves of the vegetable, feel the knife slip unhindered to reveal the bright and bright vivid colour of the raw material, and then stop, close the eyes, smell the genuine scent, and if nature allows it, cut a piece of it and taste it slowly to release all the aromas.

A meditation based on awareness and attention

 

Tatto, sight, smell, taste, hearing (have you ever heard the bread singing with a slight pressure of your fingers?) are involved when you cook, that’s why it becomes a meditation; in focusing on your feelings and perceptions, let go of thought and mental refit; you are present in what you do, you dress the body and you are no longer confined only to the sphere of thought.

This informal practise of meditation (there is also formal practice, to be honest) is called Sati, which in the language means “awareness”, “attention” or “full mental awareness” and is based on living fully every moment, moment after moment. The focus on your sensory experiences helps you activate certain brain areas that will lead you to experience greater serenity and release of tensions. Cooking will become a moment of deep pleasure.

 

Learning to taste: the meditation of the grape

In the conscious kitchen, the tasting phase is also important, but it is necessary to remember how you taste the food.

Grape grain meditation is a practice devised by Jon Kabat-Zinn, Emeritus Professor of Medicine and founder of the Stress Reduction Clinic and the Center for Mindfulness in Medicine, Health Care and Society at the University of Massachusetts Medical School; This practice has been incorporated into the MBSR or Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction protocol which helps mitigate chronic stress, self-criticism and haunting thoughts about the past and fears about the future.

In addition to these benefits, it also helps to re-educate us to have a healthier relationship with food instead of swallowing with it a mountain of emotions and thoughts not (or bad) expressed.

 

In this way, cooking becomes much more than just preparing a meal: it becomes an act of pure pleasure that it makes to the body and mind.

Bon appétit!

 

THE MAN WALKING NEXT TO THE HEALER WOMAN

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THE MAN WALKING NEXT TO THE HEALER WOMAN

When a man chooses a woman who follows her vocation to heal humanity, his only possibility is to maintain the connection and follow it.

 

It may happen that man will have to abandon his needs, or that he too finds the means of healing through the shared path.

When a man chooses a woman who heals collective wounds following her vocation, his vocation in the universe goes beyond a greater purpose and far beyond building a home or raising children.

Their universal connection goes above the respect of the traditional models of society.

Man agrees to protect his woman, to take care of her, and when he feels overwhelmed by the strength of the woman, he must learn to transform his pain of detachment into the feeling of compassion.

 

 

It means for him to host a different form of sexuality, as healing at the level of sexuality is one of the deepest issues of the woman who needs to be a healer.

For him, this, once again, is about accepting slowness, softness and healing, about holding back or reorienting his impulse and being present for everything.

 

 

Because when a man chooses a woman who aspires to true freedom, he can only follow her and together leave behind the narcissistic aspects and recognize the path of the woman as her path to autonomy.

If he decides to take on this mission, he accepts a task that serves the well-being of all men and will teach other men the sacred depths.

Within himself, the man creates a safe space, to keep his woman safe from old wounds.

When a man chooses a woman for wisdom, he cannot trap her within his own deficits so that he desires to lessen his fear of sharing it with others or losing it.

 

When a man chooses a woman who follows her vocation, he cannot fear these words: respect, humility, and surrender.

Rather, he will walk the path of divinity next to his companion, his wife, his healer, with gratitude and an overflowing heart.

 

Because this woman will choose, if she ever chooses, in favor of the well–being of all humanity, and she will be able to choose to walk alone.

However, she is aware of the power that lies in the presence of a man and knows that he is her strength, his reality and in him is guarded a deep part of her soul.

 

Gnocchi with salmon, truffle in cream cooked with vodka

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Gnocchi with salmon, truffle in cream cooked with vodka:

 

Difficulty: Easy

Preparation: 10 min

Cooking: 10 min

Serves for: 4 people

Cost: Medium

Presentation

The gnocchi with salmon and vodka are one of the tastiest ways to revisit a great classic of 70s cuisine. In fact, in those years, in kitchens all over the world, vodka pennettes were crazy, thanks in part to their exotic flavor and very fast preparation times. The salmon and vodka pennettes are less popular than they used to be, given the presence of cream, but anyone who wants to dive into a historic dish can’t miss the chance to try it.

Salmon and vodka gnocchi are an appetizing choice to bring to the table a very simple and tasty first course, especially for salmon lovers who like to take advantage of this versatile ingredient from starters to second dishes! And if you love to blend the first pasta dishes with vodka, try the pasta with the old dive!

Ingredients

 

500g gnocchi

Salmon 200g

Scalogno 35g

Vodka 40g

A tablespoon of truffle cream

Fresh liquid cream 200g

Chives 2 g

A spoonful of grated Roman pecorino cheese

Extra virgin olive oil 40g

Salt up to q.b.

Black pepper q.b.

Preparation

 

How to make gnocchi with salmon and vodka:

1

To prepare the gocchi with salmon and vodka the first thing to do is to mounand and chop the shallot, then wash and cut the chives. Then take the salmon slice and cut it into strips.

2

Take a pot and put the extra virgin olive oil with the chopped shallots, and let it brown for a few moments. In the meantime you can put the water to prepare for the pasta.

After skipping the shallots add the salmon strips and sauté in the pan along with the oil and shallots and let cook for a few minutes (3 minutes more or less).

3

Blend with vodka, paying close attention to the possible return blaze (in case the flame should rise, rest assured as it will become extinguished as soon as the alcohol has evaporated completely). As soon as the alcohol has evaporated add the truffle cream and season with salt and even pepper, if you like. Finally add the cream mixed with the pecorino cheese and the chopped chives

4

As the dressing continues to cook, switch to pasta, then as soon as the water is boiling drop the gnocchi and let them cook al dente. Then drain them, even coarsely if the sauce had narrowed too much, and put the gnocchi into the sauce, letting it cook for a few moments so that they can be flavored.

At this point the gnocchi with salmon and vodka are ready, you just have to serve them immediately still very hot!

Conservation

This is an express preparation so it would be appropriate to immediately consume the Gnocchi with salmon and vodka.

Advice

Ingredients can be added to this recipe or omitted according to your tastes. An equally tasty variant can be given by the presence of prawns instead of salmon. Not to mention the bacon version!

Be careful with the addition of salt, pecorino and salty of its own, so you find the combination that suits you most at the level of flavor.

Curiosity

Apparently there is no real history of this dish since from Italy to the United States it seems that there has always been someone who at the same time tried to invent this recipe. What is certain is that the pennettes with salmon and vodka remain one of the most famous dishes in history.

Discover all the benefits, properties and interesting myths of salmon:

The Salmon

The Salmon

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The Salmon of Knowledge: myths, benefits, properties

 

His name is as sumptuous as that of a King, his life dotted with fatigue and his “meats” are among the richest and most valuable.

The ancient Romans called it ‘Salmo Salar’, from the verb ‘climb’, referring to their incredible journey into the fresh and salty waters.

Atlantic salmon is probably the best known fish in the world: it has been eaten for over 2000 years and its qualities and behaviors have always inspired chefs, writers, photographers and poets.

 

Salmon in antiquity

Salmon was sacred in Roman Greek mythology, where it maintained the symbolic meaning of change and transformation, we see it in the myth of aphrodite and eros when they themselves are transformed into fish to escape from the ferocious typhoon.

As an ancient Celtic symbol, the symbolic meaning of salmon becomes the symbol of knowledge, wisdom, inspiration and prophecy. For the ancient Celts, salmon derives its wisdom from the fact that it consumes sacred hazelnuts of the well of knowledge; they therefore believed that by eating it they would gain the wisdom that the salmon possessed.

 

 

tale from Irish mythology : THE Salmon of Wisdom or the Salmon of Knowledge (Bradon feasa) Appears in The Boyhood Deeds of Fionn, which tells the adventures of Fionn mac Cumhaill’s childhood

According to the story, it was a normal salmon that ate nine hazelnuts that fell into the Well of Wisdom (Tobar Segais) from nine hazel trees surrounding the fountain. In this way the salmon acquired all the knowledge of the world. Moreover, the first person who ate his meat would, in turn, obtain this knowledge.

Poet Finn Eces spent seven years trying to fish for salmon. When he finally caught him, he instructed Fionn, his apprentice, on how to prepare him. Fionn burned his thumb by pouring boiling fat from the salmon he was cooking and immediately sucked his finger to relieve the pain.

When Fionn brought the ready food to Finegas, his teacher saw in the boy’s eyes a fire he had never seen before. When questioned by Finegas, Fionn denied that he had eaten the fish. The master insisted on his questions, and Fionn admitted that he had tasted it. This incredible knowledge and wisdom received from salmon allowed Fionn to become the leader of the Fianna, heroes of Irish myth. Salmon of Wisdom is recalled in the title of Douglas Adams’ unfinished book, The Salmon of Doubt. Salmon also appeared in the classic 1973 horror film The Wicker Man. Salmon also alludes to Piggley Winks in the Sprout TV cartoon series Jakers! The adventures of Piggkey Winks.

Salmonidae family

 

Salmon is the common name used to indicate various genera and species belonging to the Salmonidae Family – the same as trout, charinine, temol, coregone etc.

All descendants of a single species that 40 million years ago colonized a large area of the northern hemisphere, these fish differed in genera and species “only” 10-20 million years ago. Salmon still occupy the same geographical area between the North Atlantic Ocean (Salm Genus) and the North Pacific Ocean (Genus Oncorhynchus); they also live in other parts of North America, Patagonia and New Zealand.

Salmon is a fish that is born in the rivers, descends to the sea and then climbs them again in a long and tiring path against the current, to go to lay eggs. A Journey that for most of them ends in death; only the strongest resist, even if they cannot accomplish more than two or three ‘rises’ in their lives. A noble fish, intercepted in large quantities by fishing boats in the Norwegian Sea. A corner of the Atlantic with cold and crystal clear waters where this fish moves at ease.

Salmon is in fact a fish typical of the cold seas of the north (in addition to Norway, also present in the Scottish and Canadian depths). Atlantic Salmon (salt psalm) lives from two to six to seven years old: it is born in fresh water, migrates downstream to the cold open waters of the sea, often traveling for thousands of kilometers, and then returns driven by irrepressible instinct to their native river. The species that inhabits the ‘Norskehavet’, the world-famous sea mirror for Norwegian fjords, usually measures about 80 cm, has a brown, green or blue back with silver flanks. It is characterized by pink and tasty meat and is considered the most valuable. This same species is also present along the American coasts up to New England and the southern coasts of Greenland. It is similar to the sea trout from which it is recognized at first glance by the much larger mouth that reaches the eye. The body is fusiform and has powerful musculature, the head is small as the size increases. It reaches 1.5 meters in length and a weight that can reach up to 20 kilograms

Salmon is an anadromo fish, that is, it is born and reproduces in fresh water, after spending a few years at sea (5 years for males, 7 for females) growing up to 3-4 kg per year, they go to the same river and the exact exact place where they were born , driven perhaps, by olfactory stimuli. Up the rivers fight against the current, making leaps of up to three meters, which allow it to pass rapids and waterfalls.

King of the festive appetizers Salmon was a delicacy for the rich and as such has become a food synonymous with well-being and abundance not to be missed in the ‘recurrences’.

Benefits of salmon: all the benefits of superfood and two light recipes

Good, nutritious, rich in beneficial and very versatile powers: discover all the virtues of this fish and how to use it in the kitchen in light and imaginative preparations

Do you like salmon? Grilled, smoked, in a ‘sushi’ version… this fish product, thanks to its many variations, meets the tastes of many women. In addition to the pleasant taste, however, it is good to know that this delicious food can boast a long series of benefits, both in terms of health and physical appearance. It is even said that attractive Nordic women draw the beauty of their skin from the regular consumption of this fish. Curious to discover all the positives of salmon? Here are:

  1. It has anti-ageing properties. This fish is an excellent antioxidant: not only does it prevent the appearance of new wrinkles, but it fills, in part, existing ones. This is due to the omega-3 content that reduces the enzymes involved in oxidation.
  2. It has a high protein content. Salmon is ideal for people who do sports activities thanks to its large load of protein. Its nutritional values in this sense are not inferior to those of red and white meat.
  3. It is a vitamin D supplement. Salmon is also rich in a very valuable nutrient: vitamin D. Its beneficial effects include preventive powers over cardiovascular, cancer, neurodegenerative and autoimmune diseases.
  4. It is a natural antidepressant. Salmon polyunsaturated fatty acids, in addition to the antioxidant and anti-ageing effect, also help to keep the brain active, improve concentration and have an antidepressant effect. In short: the ideal for the well-being of the mind.

Salmon also has its contraindications:

if it is not fresh and coming from the North Seas, it is a farmed salmon, which means that it has been fed with antibiotics and hormones that are extremely harmful to the body. If you exceed a certain amount of salmon, you will bring to the body a lot of calories, more than those deemed necessary. Salmon a fish that contains mercury, a harmful element especially for pregnant women. Smoked salmon is also often prepared in such a way as to lose its beneficial characteristics, so it is not as healthy as it is described.

To be sure of the quality of this fish, it is always good to look at the label, and not consume it above the recommended quantity, even if it is the fresh one.

Salmon recipes

A decisive variable in the impressive spread of salmon on tables around the world is its versatility in the kitchen. This fish, in fact, more be combined with other foods very different from each other being always comfortable.

Here are two examples of tasty and light recipes:

  1. Spicy salmon on cabbage salad. For this quick recipe you will need a tablespoon of a good spice mixture, a tablespoon of brown sugar, kosher salt, four salmon fillets with still skin (no thorns), half finely chopped red cabbage, a little coriander, three onions and a tablespoon of balsamic vinegar. Mix the spice mixture, sugar and half a tablespoon of kosher salt. At this point, cover the salmon fillets with the mixture obtained, put it in the pan with the skin facing down and cook for six to seven minutes (or at least until desired cooking). Finally mix the remaining ingredients, place them and serve with salmon fillets resting on top.

2. Salmon meatballs. For this recipe the ingredients are not many: in fact you will need only skinless and spineless salmon fillets, a cup and a half of cornflakes, a teaspoon of orange zest, four tablespoons of chopped coriander, salt, pepper and an orange wedges . Blend the salmon together with two tablespoons of coriander, cornflakes, orange zest, salt and pepper. Form meatballs with the result and cook in a pan until golden brown. Combine all the remaining ingredients and serve as a salmon bottom.

You can also try this tasty recipe of seas and mountains:

The Salmon

Enjoy your meal

 

Listen to your body 2

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To counteract the muscular and emotional tensions

 

 

The muscles contract and relax and it is this double function that allows the movement: but if the muscle remains tense, the movement is made difficult and painful; We become stiffer and we have a hard time moving.

Where do these muscular tensions come from? From our psyche that, at a given moment, has to face a state of imbalance due to stress, anxiety and fears. Through physical pain, the body warns us that inside of us, there is something wrong.

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Your unconscious sends you signals through the body. Do you remember when you were little and tested how good you were in walking on narrow walls? You had to be careful how to put your feet and balance the right way. But what happened when you lost your balance and were afraid to fall? The muscles of your body were contracted: it was an automatic reflex.

The contraction of the muscles, reflected in our moods, goes back to childhood. In the early days of our lives, our only means of communication is in the body: when we feel good, we relax and lie; When we are hungry, cold, afraid or feel uncomfortable, all the muscles of the body contract.

You have already noticed that when the newborn cries, his fists are tight, sometimes until his fingers become white: It is a physiological response to stress and discomfort. This way of communicating will remain active forever and this time the recipient of the message of your discomfort is not your parent but you will be.

Muscular tensions tell you about a loss of inner equilibrium.

 

In psychosomatics, the problem of muscular tensions is a very current problem. People exposed to a source of continuous stress (emotional stress included) find themselves, to survive, creating a sort of shell that, if on the one hand is a shield and/ or crutch, on the other hand, makes them more rigid and it is this rigidity that creates muscular tensions.

If you can not dissolve these tensions, to shake the stress off, the problem is likely to be chronic and lead to a non-indifferent inflammatory state that will cause further pain. Here, the emotional and external stress adds to the physical discomfort. At this point, you will need to listen to your body and stop to understand what is going on inside you: You can use this moment of tensions to make a small exercise of self-awareness to understand your state of mind, listen to the voice of your Unconscious and take a first step to regain your inner balance.

Learn to read your own tensions:

Your body has a well-coded and precise language so learning to understand it will be useful to you all your life: it helps you to understand what is going on inside you, to be more present in your body, to be more aware of you, to be more present in your body, to be more aware of your state of mind. As mentioned above, the body is the spokesman of your unconscious and therefore the muscular tensions will arise in the limbs that reflect some activities.

 

  • The tensions connected to the head and neck speak to you of heavy thoughts and worries;
  • The tensions connected to the shoulders could tell you about the heavy responsibilities on you;
  • The tensions tied to the arms tell you about the doing, of everything related to the work in the wide sense and your daily activities.
  • The tensions related to the abdominal and thoracic zone speak to you of insecurity: it is the seat of all the vital organs so they could tell you about the fear of being exposed or wounded.
  • The tensions related to the lower limbs concern the walking, the moving forward, the movement in life.

 

These are just some indicative examples that may not be accurate for your specific case, so it is important that you rely on your feelings by connecting to your sensations and trusting your perceptions.

 

Listen to the voice of your body
How to relax to counteract stress:

If tensions arise from an accumulation of stress and anxiety, it will be useful to act on its two fronts: on the mind, to work at the root; On the body, to relax the muscles and release tensions.

Acting on the Mind:

 

Mindfulness or even a simple daily meditation, that will make you listen to your breath, focus on it and not on the mind that tells us a thousand stories to distract us from our essence. Anxiety is a fear of the future, a time that does not yet exist, therefore, increasing your awareness in the here and now, you can curb your fears created by your mind and greatly reduce emotional tensions. When you feel your mind wandering, bring it gently back to the present.

 

These exercises can help you restore a more functional and more centred mood on the present. To help you live more in the here and now you can focus on your perceptions.

 

Acting on the body:

To relax your muscles, you have to treat your body with kindness.

 

You could disconnect for a while ‘ from the world to reconnect a little ‘more with you’, taking a nice hot bath to which you have added a few drops of essential oil lavender, known for its relaxing properties; And if you do not have a bathtub you can always put hot water with essential oil and salts in a bowl to dip your feet, the beneficial effect will be perceived throughout your body.

You could also take a walk in the middle of nature, focusing on your breath or on your feelings that you feel as you walk.

Stretching and yoga, especially if practised daily, will help you maintain muscular tensions under control.

Thanks to their slow movements that promote greater flexibility by focusing on the body, you will maintain a greater physical and psychic equilibrium.

 

LOTUS FLOWER TEACHING

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IN DIFFICULT MOMENTS THE LOTUS HELP YOU

The Lotus Flower: the power of an ancient symbol that comes from the East

The lotus flower is in Eastern culture the symbol of purity par excellence, enlightenment, transformation and rebirth. It is part of the genus Nelumbo, not to be confused with flowers of the genus Nymphae that are sometimes improperly called “lotus flowers” and that we can find along our waterways.

As its roots sink into the muddy and smelly swamps, the lotus flower stem rises from the depths upwards, easily reaching one meter in length, and then blooming on the surface in sunlight. Its leaves are hydrophobic, Its petals are not stained by mud and the water slides over them without affecting their deep beauty.

 

A curiosity from ancient Egypt: the scent that calms the pain

Although it is born in the midst of the stink, the lotus flower spreads around it a sweet and intoxicating scent, used since antiquity in temples and for therapeutic purposes.

In ancient Egypt, it is said that Nefertum, the menfit god of perfumes whose name means “perfect”, “unparalleled”, brought a flower with a sublime scent to the god Ra to relieve the pains that tormented him.

The god Nefertum was represented, coincidentally, with a Lotus flower above his head and symbolized the flower that comes from the primordial chaos. The epithet of Nefertum in the Pyramids Texts was “Ra’s Lotus Flower on the Nose”.

It was the Lotus that could soothe the suffering of the old sun god…

 

It was the lower that could soothe the suffering of the old sun god…

Here’s how lotus flower can help you

At the physical level: the location of the lotos and its benefits

The Padmasana, “Loto Position” in Sanskrit, is an asana of Hatha Yoga. It is perhaps the best known position but it is not really recommended to those who are novice because, although it is simple, it requires a certain fluency: you must be able to maintain the position without feeling pain.

Here are some of its benefits:

-It improves blood circulation at the level of the spine and tones the internal organs.

-“It relaxes the muscles of the pelvis helping to reduce pain due to scialgia.

-“It is useful for pregnant women because it facilitates childbirth.

-It improves blood pressure and digestion.

-“It allows you to keep your back well aligned in order to promote a deep meditative state and thus reduce anxiety and stress.

 

At the mental level: it goes through difficulties and renounces attachment

It’s easy to see how lotus flower symbolism can help you through difficult times: whether you’ll be able to go through your dark moments (and don’t run away from them), by proving genuine resilience by learning from your mistakes and looking at your shadow sides, you will evolve; but not only that: you will be able to lift the soul of those who surrounds you, like the lotus flower that spreads its sweet scent in the middle of the swamp.

The lessons you have learned, the experiences you have had, will then become that nourishment that will allow you to no longer be attackable by the vicissitudes of life; this means that you have become so aware of yourself and the world that things will slip on you: you will no longer suffer from attachment, you will be free.

At the Spiritual Level: Discover the Way of Enlightenment

The lotus flower is a symbol of enlightenment and shows you with the example of the true meaning of spiritual awakening and how to achieve it.

Reaching this state does not mean isolating yourself and living as a hermit but rather being in the world, going through the darkness, the pain, the difficulties, and feeding them; it means making these experiences become the substance that pushes you upwards, towards a more conscious state, keeping your intent to evolve firm, no matter what it costs.

Did you know that Lotos seeds more than 2,000 years old were found? They were found in Japan by Professor Ogha who, after studying them, planted them. The surprising thing is that, despite the millennia, the seeds have developed to bloom in the oldest lotus flower in the world. The “Lotus Ogha”, as it was named in honor of the professor who discovered it, continues to give the world its beauty and spread its wonderful scent.

This true story shows you how much resilience, discipline, patience, and fortitude are in life to blossom, and without getting contaminated by it… It grows from the mud, in the water, however, it remains untouched by water. And it is a symbol of transformation: the mud is transformed into the most beautiful and fragrant flower that this planet knows.”

 

“The lotus flower is a deep symbol. It grows from the mud, in the water, however, it remains untouched by water. And it is a symbol of transformation: the mud is transformed into the most beautiful and fragrant flower that this planet knows.”

Osho

LISTEN YOUR BODY

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LISTEN YOUR BODY

According to the World Health Organization, stress is the evil of the XXI century; It strikes us more than any previous generations.

 

If in the past there were real threats to which it was possible to react (or from which to escape), never as today we are confronted with “virtual” threats:

often these are harmful thoughts (like that irrational fear that something bad can happen),

of bad mental habits (we misinterpret the reality around us on the basis of some inner filters also due to what we have been taught as righteous by society)

or of heavy thoughts that Our mind cannot let go.

And between frustration at work and a stroke of nervousness for some situations that take our energy, we lose the present and risk to make the body sick.

The problem is that if our society has evolved and we can (rationally speaking) make the difference between real and virtual, our mind still works as in the past and triggers in the face of a presumed threat the same physiological reactions that in case of real threat:

It will put the body in a position of fight or flight. But if objectively there is nothing to escape, how could it end?

 

“Men are not prisoners of their destinies, but they are only prisoners of their minds.”
(Franklin D. Roosevelt)

When the mind is lost:

When we face a real problem and we have to act quickly, the body enters a mode that allows him to concentrate all their energy in a precise action: after the adrenaline rush and concrete action (fight or flight), will follow a moment of relaxation during which the body can recover the dispersed energies.

 

But if we are confronted with “virtual” problems, such as mental loops, job frustrations, economic problems, worries about the future, etc., the energy released by the adrenaline rush cannot be used to act (or escape), and therefore there It will be the phase of relaxation.

 

And as long as what stresses us remains very present, we will be subjected to continuous releases of adrenaline, as if they were small electric shocks. If we want to avoid these devious torture sessions lasting weeks, months, years, it will be useful to learn how to pull the plug.

Guide Your Mind:

If you ask a person where they are in their body, they will be more likely to answer that they ate in their head; And in part, it is: we are so accustomed to thinking that we have forgotten how to inhabit our body, now become a sort of bulky accessory, an appendix, of our mind.

 

The irony is that without the body you cannot live, but without the suffocating thoughts of your mind you can very well do it. That said, It is necessary to make a clarification: while solving problems, creating, designing something new, it can be positive mental activities, the loss in mental loops or dysfunctional thoughts is not.

If your ideas remain in the ether and do not lead you anywhere, they do not carry anything concrete that can influence the material plane, with great probability your mind is teasing you, or you are lost somewhere.

To regain control of the situation, you will agree

to listen to your body and get off from them.

To find oneself in the body, one should do an exercise of awareness.

Maybe it’s happening to you right now as you read this:

your breath is short, your shoulders are contracted and your back is arched forward?

It is not a healthy position, nor the expression of a serene being that is well.

Bringing your attention to the body, its position, the muscular tensions, the small discomfort, can help you to understand what background thought is taking away energy.

You could do a body scanning exercise to better identify which part of your body is suffering.

 

 

Bodily scanning, an exercise to give voice to the body:

Put your attention to your physical sensations (do not think about the body, feel it, perceive it) and slowly get back from the feet to the head, passing through the legs, the pelvis, the arms, etc.

Concentrate each time on perceiving the body and feel if the feeling that it sends to you is pleasant or not.

If you notice that you inadvertently hold your shoulders up, voluntarily bring them back to a natural position. Do it with patience and kindness to yourself.

 

This exercise helps you to restore importance to body language and your physical sensations and at the same time, allows you to take the reins in your hand for a while. Your mind will have to wait until you have finished checking that your body is well before you have your attention again.

 

You’ll notice that as you continue with this simple practice, you will feel more present, calmer and less anxious; Frustrations and unnecessary thoughts will gradually be less important and you’ll have more attention in finding concrete solutions to your problems instead of letting your mind take you for a walk who knows where. Your body is yours yet, use it when you feel lost.

 

If in the future you feel like losing yourself in your thoughts or being so fossilized in “autopilot” mode that you can no longer focus on constructive thinking without losing the thread, take your attention to what perceives the body at that moment, and you’ll see that with patience and kindness, your mind will meekly return the reins to you. With time and practice, you will understand that it is not your mind to have the real control of your life, even if for a long time you have let it believe, and that your body also has a lot to teach you if you give it the opportunity.

Chakra

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What are the 7 chakras?

In this article, I will talk about the seven Chakras. You will learn how the mind is everything, and how what we see is not always all that exists. Understanding the nature of the Chakras is essential to fully understand how to meditate and to make the most of the energy that resides within us.

Chakra is a word that comes from Sanskrit, an ancient language spoken by the Indian populations of Asia and also used to write the most ancient texts of their literature, the Vedas. Chakra means wheel, circle, and solar disk, and is an attribute of the Hindu god Vishnu.

According to yoga, in the human being, there are 74 vital points (the chakras, precisely) situated between the ethereal body and the carnal envelope, whose activation allows us to acquire certain physical abilities, reach happiness and finally come to awaken the conscience. The Chakras would then be united to the different aspects of humans (mental, emotional, ethereal …) through a series of channels called Nadis, of the energy highways.

But within this set there are the 7 basic or main chakras that are distributed from the lower part of the spine, where is the kundalinî (tangled snake-shaped energy, which must be awakened) up to the highest part of the head (where if it is developed, what we call halo would appear. The energy would flow through these channels with ascending and descending movements, while it would form a kind of spiral, turning like a wheel. Of these seven chakras, the inferior and the superior are simple, while the remaining five are composed of a front part and its posterior correspondent.

 

 

 

What the chakras are for?

And now that you know what the 7 chakras are you are wondering what they are for: officially the main function of the chakras is to absorb the universal energy, metabolize it and feed the different aspects of the human being to finally radiate energy to the outside. More simply, we can say that the chakras are energy centres on which different functions depend, not only of the body but also of the psyche.

Below I will describe each of the chakras with some of their most-used meanings and characteristics, as well as some diseases and psychological ailments that could be caused by the bad development of each chakra.

 

1) The root chakra or Muladhara

The root chakra is found in the perineum and controls different parts of the body such as the nose, the sense of smell, the lymphatic system, the bone system, the prostate and the lower extremities. It is usually associated with red.

The main consequences of the malfunctioning of the root chakra are shyness, guilt, discomfort, fear of facing life, distrust, distraction, a great dependence on material goods, etc.

You can open this chakra by walking (for example experimenting with walking meditation), doing aerobic exercises, flexing the trunk until you touch your toes while sitting, doing dance or dance exercises, jumping on the spot, doing exercises that enhance confidence in you, practicing yoga, etc

Muladhara Card

Position: In the perineum between the anus and the genitals, at the base of the spine

Function: Stability, security, self-confidence

Colour: Red

Element: Earth

Meaning: Smell

Crystals and stones: Ruby, red coral, garnet, jasper, black onyx, obsidian

Mantra: Lam

Note: Do

Animal: Ox, bull, elephant (associated with the earth)

2) The splenic chakra or Svadhisthana

The splenic or orange chakra is located in the center of the abdomen and is related to the sexual organs, the reproductive system and the lumbar plexus.

The consequences of the malfunctioning of the splenic chakra are sexual repressions, fear of enjoyment, contempt for sex and energy blockages that limit the expression of one’s personality.

To activate this chakra you can dedicate yourself to some exercises like swimming, giving yourself long baths, showers, a bit of relaxation in a jacuzzi, or even dances or dances that involve movements and rotations of the pelvis, closely linked to sexual relations.

Svadhisthana card

Position: Lower part of the abdomen

Function: Sexuality, emotions, creativity

Colour: Orange

Element: Water

Meaning: Taste

Crystals and stones: Amber, citrine, topaz, opal

Mantra: Vam

Note: To

Animals: Crocodile, snake, fish, reptiles

 

3) The solar plexus chakra or Manipura

The solar plexus chakra is found, as its name says, in the solar plexus (ie the abdominal area just below the diaphragm), is associated with the yellow colour and involves different parts of your body such as the skin, the muscular system, the stomach, liver, large intestine and glands and organs at the solar plexus level. It is also associated with the eyes, eyes and muscles of the face.

If your solar plexus chakra works badly you may have problems like an excess weight in the abdomen, diseases of the digestive system, acidity, ulcers, addiction to stimulants, chronic fatigue, selfishness, personal dissatisfaction, feelings of inferiority, guilt, dependence on power, egocentrism, etc.

You can open this chakra by running, releasing the tension, changing boring habits, breaking the routine and doing arched exercises, such as the 5 Tibetans.

Manipura card

Position: Solar plexus

Function: Expansiveness, awareness of life, action, will and pleasure

Yellow colour

Element: Fire

Meaning: Smell

Crystals and stones: All yellow stones, in particular, Calcite, Citrine and Topaz

Mantra: Ram

Note: me

Animals: Aries, a symbol of fire

 

4) The heart chakra or Anahata

The heart chakra is located in the center of your chest controlling the heart, the circulatory system, the lungs, the cardiac plexus and the whole chest area. It is associated with the green color.

The consequences of the malfunctioning of the heart chakra are the inability to love, respiratory and heart diseases, selfishness, disconnection and isolation.

To open this chakra you have to do complete breathing exercises that involve wide pectoral openings, helping people every day and putting hate aside.

Anahata card

Position: in the middle of the chest

Function: Love, humility, compassion, generosity, openness to others

Green colour

Element: Air

Meaning: Tatto

Crystals and stones: All green stones, in particular, Tourmaline and Aventurine

Mantra: Yam

Note: Fa

Animal: Antelope

 

5) The throat chakra or Vishuddha

The throat chakra is located at the base of the throat controlling the neck, throat, hands and arms. It is associated with the bronchial or cervical plexus and corresponds to the blue color.

A malfunction of this chakra can give rise to problems with the voice, throat, vocal cords, communication, malfunctioning of the thyroid gland and the need to talk a lot, or on the contrary fear to speak to avoid problems.

How to activate the throat chakra? With rotations and movements of the neck, shouting everything you feel in a quiet place, doing vocalization exercises, doing singing exercises, pronouncing mantra in a repetitive and systematic way, etc.

Card of Vishuddha

Position: At the level of the throat, at the junction of the bones of the clavicle

Function: Communication, openness to others, listening

Color:Light blue

Element: Ether

Meaning: Hearing

Crystals and stones: All blue stones, in particular Chalcedony and Sodalite

Mantra: Ham

Note: Sol

Animal: Elephant

6) The third eye chakra or Ajna

This purple chakra with a mystical name is located at the center of the forehead and is associated with the temples, the carotid plexus and obviously the forehead.

The malfunctioning of this chakra could cause you hallucinations, psychological problems, vision problems, frequent headaches and states of mental confusion.

To activate the third eye chakra you can do guided meditations, visualize simple geometric shapes, massage the temples and the eye contour in a circular manner, massage the eyes with the eyelids closed using the fingertips, etc.

Card of Ajna

Position: In the middle of the forehead, between the eyebrows

Function: Intuition, imagination, foresight

Color: Purple or indigo

Element: Light

Meaning: Sixth sense

Crystals and stones: Amethyst, fluorite, labradorite, lapis lazuli, moldavite, opal, sodalite, sapphire, zircon

Mantra: Aum

Note: La

Animal: The symbolism does not include a representative animal for this chakra

 

7)The crown chakra or Sahasrara

The crown chakra is located at the top of your head, just like a crown, and controls the upper part of the head, the nervous system and the brain. It is associated with the purple color.

Problems with this chakra can cause the need to dominate and manipulate others to get what you want, always wanting to be right, bullying, rigidity in thinking, high ego, materialistic values, difficulty concentrating , the difficulty of thinking independently.

You can activate the crown chakra with meditation and prayer exercises, you can also try to keep your mind free of thoughts for at least 20 minutes with the help of a mantra and in a sitting position with a straight back.

Sahasrara card

Position: At the top of the head

Function: Universal awareness or pure awareness

Color: Purple and white

Element: Metal

Meaning: Empathy

Crystals and stones: Hyaline quartz, amethyst, diamond

Mantra: Om

Note: Yes

Animal: None

Now that you’ve learned what the 7 chakras are for and what their functions are, notice the signals your body sends you. Often, a pain or discomfort in a certain point of the body is associated with the chakra that governs it and can be solved by applying the advice we gave you in this guide.

Knowing the chakras is extremely useful for preserving your physical and spiritual health, and also for better understanding your body and its related energies