How can we use the gravitational effects of Guru Poornima & Lunar Eclipse for our benefit?

-by
Kirti Tarang Pande
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Today, on July 27, 2018, we are experiencing the longest eclipse of 21st century. In India, the eclipse will begin at 44 minutes past 10 tonight and will continue till 58 minutes past 4, tomorrow morning. It will be at its peak from 1 am to 2:45 am of July 28, 2018. Tonight is also a night when Mars will be closest to earth in 15 years. It's going to be an astronomical spectacle. Luckily, Pune, where I am today, is has a skyline covered with clouds. I am saying 'luckily' because for a stargazer like me, it would  have been difficult for me  to tear my eyes off the sky and look inwards. However, this is how we reap the benefits of this day, by turning inwards.

Before, I tell you how, I am going to share the significance of the two phenomena to empower you to carve your own path of how max out on spiritual benefits of the day.

Significance of Guru Poornima:

This is the day we celebrate the birth of Veda Vyasa. We all know him as the writer of Mahabharata. Now, contrary to popular belief, Veda Vyasa isn't a person. It's a title given to someone who has gained the wisdom of all the Vedas and the ability to share with masses in a way they can understand, assimilate and imply it in their life and its situations.

So far, there have been eight Veda Vyasa. They all became worthy of the title on this day. My tantra teacher, an unnamed Aghori, told me that the gravitational pull of the planetary movements on this day creates an energy field which is highly conducive to a spiritual practice. So, whatever you results you reap in any other day throw practice, today they will be multiplied. 

So, this day not only multiplies effect of our actions but also has the right settings for unlocking our highest potential. 

How can we benefit from this?

Lets, recap there are two things that Guru Poornima can do:

1. Multiply the effects of our actions

2. Unlock our highest potential

For point no. 1, its simple do the right thing. Don't react but act. Before reacting to any situation, pause, just for a second, contemplate the best response to the situation and then act on it. 

Now, the question arises, how to find the best response. I will share a trick that I follow. I visualize myself in this world as a hamster on a wheel. The wheel is there to exercise the hamster so that it stays healthy. All the situations that arise in my life is just to exercise my mind so that it can be healthy. So,  whenever I encounter a seemingly unpleasant situation, I always ask myself- How can I get maximum exercise from this. When someone is shouting at us it is so easy to shout back. We can do it as reflex, without involving our mind. On the other hand, if we try to practice compassion for someone yelling at us, that's when we are exercising our mind, strengthening it. If we do this today, the strength derived is multiplied.

As for point no. 2, it's easy. Sit back, close to your eyes. Calm your mind by turning the focus on breathe. Once the ripples of mind are gone embark on a journey of 'Atmashakshatkar'- who am I?

Lunar Eclipse

Simplest way to understand its effect on us is by looking at the moon. The Lunar Cycle, for which a moon takes 28 days, its journey from full moon to no moon and back to full moon, on an eclipse it happens in a matter of couple of hours. 

In chemistry lab, to fasten an experiment we would add a catalyst. Lunar eclipse it that catalyst. It fasten and accelerate things. That's why your grand ma asks you not to eat during the eclipse. The process of decomposition of food fastens. It rots before our body can throw it out. Eating food during eclipse won't kill you, or bring bad luck, it will just have the same effects on your body mind and emotions as eating rotten food will have.

I am not a fan of treating my body like a dustbin, so I usually stop eating four hours before an eclipse. Fortunately, today the eclipse starts at 22:44, so if I close my plate at 6pm, I am good.

How can we benefit from this?

By slowing down. Since, the eclipse accelerates , heightens everything, it includes the loss of our physical and pranic energy. The best way to counter is to sit down, turn the awareness inwards because where ever the awareness goes, the pran follows.

 Caution:

Emotions is one the many things that both Guru Poornima and Lunar Eclipse heighten and cause to overflow. So whatever you have been feeling yesterday, joy or anger will be more intense today. I recommend, take a break. Whatever emotion you feel today, tell yourself- "Very well, this is not real. I will revisit it tomorrow. If I feel the same way about it, I will then take an action on it."

All the best :)

This will happen if you do fruit fast for a day

by

Kirti Tarang Pande

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'Charaka Samhita' , the handbook of Ayurveda, is credited to be written by Charaka. So, it is a popular misconception that Charaka was the author of the text. No, Charaka is the title given to him. Charaka, is a Sanskrit word meaning 'the wanderer'. The author was a 'wanderer'. 

This is important here, because this gives us insight into 'why Ayurveda says, what it says'. 

Through his wandering in nature, he discovered the most primitive, easiest and simplest way to have longevity, good health, healing, harmony with nature and most importantly, harmony with oneself- The Fruit Diet.

Since past two years, I am having fruits for dinner daily. Once a year I opt for three months of complete fruit diet. The results have been wonderful, it's not just the body, I love what it has a done to my mind and emotions. 

Therefore, I request everyone to take time out once a week to go on an all fruit diet. Here are the main reasons why:

1. Increases immunity:

By making the body alkaline, it increases our immunity. Just a google search away you will find researches showing how diseases can't survive in an alkalized body. You will also find the following listed as benefits of having a body with right PH balance-

• Deeper more restful sleep
• Reduction of candida overgrowth
• Increased mental acuity or alertness
• Enhanced memory and cognition
• Easier weight loss
• Increased energy
• Better bone health
• Reduced muscle wasting
• Proper cell functioning
• Healthy tissues
• Mitigation of chronic diseases
• Improved cardiovascular health

While there are many ways to alkalize one's body, eating fruits is the most do-able one. It doesn't matter how busy your life is, it doesn't matter how much 'on the go' you are; you can always dig your teeth in an apple or peel a banana.

2. Allows the body to regenerate:

For our body fruits are the easiest to digest, assimilate and eliminate. This means when you are on afruit diet, it's a day off for your internal organs. They are not busy trying to digest your food, your immune system isn't occupied in flushing the gluten out of intestines, so they have time to do more meaningful things, like detoxing, cleansing the digestive track, rejuvenate and regenerate healthy cells.

3. Best anti-aging ever:

This you know already, fruits are rich in antioxidants which slow down aging. This is so much better than expensive, chemical creams, because we become younger from inside.

4. Makes you more joyful:

It is my experience that fruit diet made me more alive, active, happy, peaceful and more in control of my emotions.

5. Will bring you prosperity

Natures works on the principle of give and take. According to Food and Agriculture department of United Nations,  fruit diet reduces our environmental footprint, and it's a significant contribution in conserving the nature. You think about nature, nature will remember you and reward you. Not to forget the Good Karma you get by saving the world!

How to do fruit diet right way?

1. Start in a sustainable fashion

Follow a pattern that's sustainable as a life long ritual, come rain or shine. So, that would be weekly fruit fasts. Just one day, every week, only fruit diet. It's easy, it's do-able right?

2. Pick right day

It's important to make the weekly, food diet ritual sustainable. I like Mondays for an all fruit diet. This is because:

• I like to start the new week on a positive note, I am doing something good for my body and for the environment
• The cleanses the sins of weekends
• Mondays have least chances of having a social commitment of dinners and lunches etc.
• Monday, is a day of Shiva- the father of yoga. Being a yogi, this day has great spiritual significance in my life. Fasting in the name of Shiva, facilitates my growth as a yogi

3. Only three meals a day

The idea fruit fast is to the take load off our body so that it gets a chance to rejuvenate and regenerate. This is not going to happen, if we keep giving it food to digest. So, just have three meals breakfast, lunch and diner. No mid meal snacking. Yes, the cup of tea, green tea, coffee, a bunch of dry fruits that's snacking. Anything other than water is snacking.

4. Stay hydrated

Sip water every 15 minutes. This way our neuro-system gets a steady supply of electrolytes and we don't feel weak. Please, don't think that guzzling litres of water in morning will help your cause because:

a. It will not result in steady supply of electrolytes

b. Tax your kidneys. Giving them a bulk to process is just the opposite of giving them a rest day.

5. Pick a mono fruit, instead of a platter

Just like nature made each one of us unique, it made every fruit unique too. This means to digest different kinds of fruits, our body needs different types of enzymes. This means more work. However, this is the rest day of our body. So don't mix fruits. If you're having oranges for lunch, eat ten oranges if you're that hungry, but please eat only oranges.

6. Have variety

Mono fruit doesn't mean no variety. Variety is essential, since it ensures more nutrition. Our body requires a plethora of vitamins and minerals, but in traces. Having different types of fruits ensures that we give the body the nutrition that it seeks. So, if you start your day with a citrus fruit in breakfast, have something fleshy like papaya or banana for lunch, you can end your day with something green like grapes.

7. Close your plate at 7pm

Please don't eat after 7pm. That's the most important part of rest day. If we stop eating at 7 and then we eat directly at 8am the next morning our body gets 13 hours of rest, including 7 hours of deep rest through sleep. This is the finishing stroke that our body needs to regenerate.

8. Eat only fruits

Remember, if you're adding, salt, sugar, honey, flax seeds etc then it's not a mono fruit diet, you will not reap the benefits.   

Happy fruit fasting :)
I would love to know your experience of it.