Did you know that the Greek translation of ‘resolution’ (as in New Year’s resolution) is ‘undoing’ or ‘dissolution’? I too was surprised! In a world filled with consumerism this gave me such relief. Instead of adding ONE MORE THING to my calendar, my 2025 resolution is to begin undoing--undoing the knots that block my creativity, undoing the assumptions I’ve carried with me about people and concepts, undoing the habits that make me comfortable, and undoing the expectations that make a path difficult. The dissolution of difficulties does not require another chore in 2025. The undoing of any knot requires knowledge of the original shape of the rope.

 Physicists Zeilinger and Clauser won their recent Nobel Prize for proving that reality is uncertain because a particle does not possess certain properties until the moment of measurement. In plain terms, nothing is real until you name it. In terms of resolutions for the upcoming new year, this means your future remains uncertain until you name it, which places a boundary around it, narrowing the possibilities of it venturing away from its primary purpose and definition. As Zen says: “In the beginner's mind there are many possibilities, but in the expert's there are few.”  So we must go back to our own beginning, again and again.

As we hibernate through the dark, winter months, we are given the opportunity to return to the murky, deep waters of the womb where we once gathered the building blocks to become who we are. 

Because we came to live in society, we had to adopt a lifestyle (collection of habits) that aligns with the other people in our lives, rather than be true to our beginnings. But some of us arrive at a season or time when we realize we have entangled ourselves with the material world too much, forgetting that we were first connected to a higher power, the source of which was the only seed we needed to discover our true svadharma, our own laws of being.

As the Gita says: ‘Better is one’s own duty, though imperfect, than the duty of another, well performed.’ [Gita 18:47] This is svadharma – the law of one’s being, which is determined by an individual’s inner tendencies, and inclinations. Be yourself and none other. Or in the words of Emerson, ‘Imitation is suicide’.  

And here we are again, January, a time of undoing and dissolving, letting go of the things that no longer serve. Rebirth your self-designs (sva) and rename your purpose and function here (dharma). This is the expanding and contracting actions of giving birth. You have been born, and you are still being born, and you will continue being born until you are again born to the cosmos. This is the first step in evolution, whether you are 40 or 84, accepting the immense privilege of rebirthing yourself with purposeful intent.

I wish you courage and creativity in peeling away the unnecessary layers, and restating the truths you hold self-evident. And this year, say it louder so everyone can hear!

 Om Shanti,

Shreejan

Join our team from 6-8 pm on Wednesday, Jan. 22 for a quick, 2-hour overview of what Ayurveda (The Science of Life) is, how it is different than modern medicine, and how you can employ this ancient wisdom in your every day life to rebalance your mind, body, and breath.

Ayurveda means ‘The Science of Life’ in Sanskrit, and is the ancient Indian system of health and medicine. Its goal is to balance the systems within the body, including tissue development, mental processes, and waste products. Its prescriptions are designed to remove toxins from all areas of the body including the gut, blood, and organs. Like Yoga, Ayurveda believes the manifestation of wellness is the consequence of a healthy lifestyle.

Yoga therapy is a branch of Ayurveda! While any type of yoga can bring health benefits, yoga therapy involves employing a variety of practices to improve a health condition or to ease any natural process such as aging or hormonal changes. Among the yogic tools we prescribe for your unique condition and physical constitution are asana (the physical postures), pranayama (breathing exercises), meditation, mantras and nada yoga (sound), kriya (internal cleansing practices) and guided imagery. Each tool is customized to your needs. One tool does not suit all!

“What do I eat? Everything seems wrong!”

Answer: The approach to nutrition in the U.S. has been what to eat since sometime in the 1970’s with the rise of fake foods, pesticides, factory farming, etc. Before this time, food wasn’t seen as the enemy in disease formation such as diabetes, obesity, crones, etc. Today, clients express a deep frustration with their lack of understanding of what to eat. But we offer a different perspective…..it’s not just what to eat, it’s also how to eat, why, when, where to eat, and who is doing the eating? After some some simple guidelines based on the client’s unique constitution (prakruti), drastic health improvements are realized.

A Clients Take:

“The advice to me to stop cold raw foods was life altering.  NO ONE KNOWS THIS! NO ONE!  People are eating ice cream to soothe esophagus with doctor blessings!  Almost no one knows to eat the main meal between 10 and 2 and that it is fine to skip or delay breakfast. The simple advice to eat only when you are hungry! And the food combining science – so obvious! Why is no one talking about this? Simple changes have saved me from GERD and Hiatal Hernia, without using debilitating PPI’s. GI disorders are epidemic in the US and the doctors are no help because they have no education in it. Even nutritionists can’t explain how the GI system functions.” – Lynne, Kalamazoo

You can't change your diet reading one article. However,  you can commit to a brief study of the Vedas, as they were defined to humans thousands of years ago. Read Dr. Vaishali’s booklet 8 Principles of Eating to grasp the very manageable system of eating for health. Then book your intake session to discover your unique diet, and ways of adapting your day for an optimal digestive experience.

Have you every wanted to travel to India but were too frightened to venture off on your own? This year you can travel with a group led by Shreejan, directly to an immersion in Shri Jasnath Asan (ashram). Experience a yogic lifestyle in a pure environment; stay as long as you like! There are many programs to choose from including Karma Yoga (volunteer) or education, informal or formal. Come to a zoom meeting to see what life in the ashram is like, and have your questions answered. The retreaters leave the US 30 September, 2025. Return date is up to you.

This is a regular, monthly zoom meeting where you are presented with the basic structure of Ayurveda (The Science of Life), the main medical science of India. You’ll discuss ways of adapting your wellness goals to an indigenous healing philosophy, and understand how to make the shift toward a more natural lifestyle slowly, for the whole family.

When the COVID pandemic began, Ayurveda Physicians (referred to as Vaidya) got busy alerting the public that vector-born diseases were known in ancient India and written into the reference texts that have been instructing holistic healing students for more than 5,000 years.

Janapadodhvansa, which is the idea of epidemics and pandemics, occurred before modern society existed, with its over-population, artificial foods, and poor quality air and water.

One text, the Charaka Samhita provides a comprehensive protocol for treating pandemics individually and community-wide. Several professional committees gathered in India to 

review these texts and create a readable reference document for the public to understand how to prevent and treat any vector-born disease.

Based on a protocol that successfully treats malaria, this document presents an approach focused on improving your immune system and reducing exposure. It is a common sense, holistic, home-and-family focused approach to reducing dependence on modern, synthetic interventions.

Following these recommendations will set up your family for a great deal more resistance to future pandemics.

Apples are prevalent in your organic section these days, but Ayurveda dietary guidelines suggest avoiding raw foods during the cold season. So here’s a delicious way to enjoy them as a wonderful, guilt-free dessert. Enjoy!

Spiced Apple Compote

Calories per serving: ~200

Ingredients:

1 medium apple, peeled and diced (sweet)

1/4 cup water

1 tbsp maple syrup (sweet)

1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

1/4 tsp ground ginger

1 tbsp chopped walnuts (optional for crunch)

1 tbsp pomegranate seeds (astringent)

Instructions:

In a small saucepan, combine the diced apple, water, honey, cinnamon, and ginger.

Cook over medium heat for 5-7 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the apples soften and the mixture thickens slightly.

Once the compote has reached a syrupy consistency, remove it from heat. Stir in the chopped walnuts (if using) and pomegranate seeds.

Serve warm or chilled as a sweet and astringent dessert to balance the savory stew.

Nutritional Breakdown:

Spiced Apple Compote:

Calories: 200

Protein: 1g

Carbs: 50g

Fat: 2g

Fiber: 6g

Full menus and templates are available with nutritional counseling which starts with discovering your constitution (dosha). Meeting with an Ayurveda nutritionists greatly simplifies your shopping, menu planning, and cooking. It also clarifies how to adjust family meals to accommodate all unique constitutions in your home. Clients come for guidance about food allergies, weight loss/gain, recovery from surgery or other trauma, or eating for disorders such as crones or IBS. The benefits of eating foods that suit your body are usually immediate and with some training, transformative long-term. Make your appointment today and fill out the online form so we can have a Saturday chat about your goals. Happy cooking, Asmit. 

This winter we are inside a lot, sitting on the couch, sitting at work, sitting in the car. Over time it all adds up to a damaged Sciatica nerve. With permanent damage, winter flair ups are common. There is a simple chair posture to prevent or stop the ache. Doing this several times daily keeps this longest nerve in the body long and supple. Here’s how to do it.

When a client at Sita Wellness received the recommendation from her neurologist to find a Cranial sacral therapist to add to her (genetically predisposed) Alzheimer’s prevention protocol, Shree reached out to a colleague who practices in Kalamazoo and asked her to join the team. (Read more about Margaret in Tech Spotlight).

Cranial sacral therapy (CST) is a gentle, non-invasive treatment that uses touch to improve the function of the cranial system. It's based on the idea that imbalances in the cranial system can cause pain and other issues including lack of circulation of key enzymes that prevent dementia. So we got to work incorporating this modality into the client’s wellness protocol.  

A Cranial Sacral therapy session is conducted on a massage bed. The practitioner applies gentle pressure to the head, neck, and spine. The goal is to release tension in the connective tissue around the brain and spinal cord. This can help improve the movement of cerebrospinal fluid and realign the skeletal system. 

This modality can help with many issues, including:

If you’d like to include Cranial Sacral therapy in your wellness protocol, make an appointment today.

Retiring from teaching Special Education in 2008, Margaret studied massage, Biodynamic Craniosacral Therapy and Myofascial Release Therapy. She has discovered first-hand that these systems interact and affect one another and so her sessions often blend these two modalities to create a unique energy healing experience. Margaret has been volunteering as an instructor for the Taoist Tai Chi Society since 2010. She also volunteers at the Ionia Prison co-facilitating workshops with the Alternatives to Violence Project. She also co-facilitates Interplay workshops at Friendship Village to foster self-awareness, authenticity, community, and playfulness. She believes in the human spirit’s ability to grow, transform, and heal and she brings that optimism, compassion and joy to her work.

“I’ve had two cranial sacral therapies for my dementia prevention plan. But added bonus-my sub scapular injury from years ago has resolved, no more tightness or pain. I’m making this a part of my monthly self care program."

--Joanne Thompson, Oshtemo

Travel to India in a group, immerse yourself in a 600-year-old ashram community and experience a pure, yogic lifestyle. Attend classes daily, work in the kitchen or garden, study in the library, evening fire puja with drums, dancing under the Rajasthani clear sky. See the full Milky Way for the first time! Join a ‘Retreat to India’ online webinar and community to get your questions answered. Last Thursday monthly 6-8 PM