wellpdx

In the past several weeks, I've offered to a few people my hopes that their New Year is off to a great start. The majority of responses haven't been stellar. In fact, yesterday, when asked how his year's been so far, a colleague responded with hesitation, "Well, umm, its been interesting." I laughed, and admitted the same.

Perhaps its partially the collective energy being put into the infamous emergence of 2012, but this turning over of years has certainly brought up opportunities for self-examination and exploration. Along with this can be discomfort, or a feeling of not being in balance.

From an Ayurvedic perspective, its also helpful to remember how our external environment influences our physical and mental state. For most of the west coast, a lack of rain and snowfall has created an unusually dry winter,

Apart from that inner Self or higher nature all things are a deviation, disturbance, or disease. Until we learn to rest in our true nature we are prone to all the processes of decay and degeneration inherent in the external world. Hence the only final cure for disease is Self-knowledge.
– Dr. David Frawley, American Institute of Vedic Studies

Ever notice how when we do something that brings us joy, that is fun or creative, we just feel good – healthy, youthful and free? This is our true nature. On the contrary, stress, frustration and worry cause imbalance in our mind and health while promoting the process of dis-ease and aging.

Ayurvedic wisdom honors Self-knowledge as the final cure for all disease. Notice this is “self” with a capital “S”, the Self that embodies not who we think we are, what we call ourselves, or we do for a living, but instead the