When we honor the stillness of winter, love settles.

Winter is the quiescent season.

The season to remember, accept, forgive and heal generational to generation.

This is all work to be done in the deep and quiet essence of spirit.

First we find self love.

Then we find love for the other, the beloved.

Next we expand our heart to those with which we have difficulties.

Finally we can honestly expand our circle of love to the greater community.

This is metta. This is the practice of loving kindness.

It will rock your world.

While the more widely know organs of the earth element are the spleen & stomach, the lesser recognized earth element is the pancreas. So what does that mean for your seasonal wellness? The 18 days around the solstice invite us to become aware of, in tune with and balance our blood glucose levels. Besides the sugary treats that raise our levels, did you know that stress in the form of cortisol (particularly long term stress) can be a cause of high glucose and A1C levels? A common symptom is persistent elevated glucose levels in the morning. I also clinically observe that difficulty falling asleep can be a symptom of elevated levels. One thing you can do to help balance your pancreas and other earth organs is to start shining golden light within. Qi gong often uses color and sounds to help heal the organs. The sound that heals the earth organs is whoooooo; the color is gold. Practice internal alchemy at this pivotal time between the solar and lunar eclipses. Love your pancreas a little extra today by sending it golden light. It does so much for you – give a little back.
To learn more fun & easy ways to harmonize with the seasonal influences & re-wild yourself back to source visit www.element-wisdom.com

A Haudenosaunee “Thanksgiving” Prayer:  
A Native American Traditional Blessing

Today we have gathered and we see that the cycles of life continue. We have been given the duty to live in balance and harmony with each other and all living things. So now, we bring our minds together as one as we give greetings and thanks to each other as People.

Now our minds are one.

The Earth Mother

We are all thankful to our Mother, the Earth, for she gives us all that we need for life. She supports our feet as we walk about upon her. It gives us joy that she continues to care for us as she has from the beginning of time. To our Mother, we send greetings and thanks.

Now our minds are one.

The Waters

We give thanks to all the Waters of the world for quenching our thirst and providing us with strength. Water is life. We know its power in many forms – waterfalls and rain, mists and streams, rivers and oceans. With one mind, we send greetings and thanks to the spirit of water.

Now our minds are one.

The Fish

We turn our minds to all the Fish life in the water. They were instructed to cleanse and purify the water. They also give themselves to us as food. We are grateful that we can still find pure water. So, we turn now to the Fish and send our greetings and thanks.

Now our minds are one.

The Plants

Now we turn toward the vast fields of Plant life. As far as the eye can see, the Plants grow, working many wonders. They sustain many life forms. With our minds gathered together, we give thanks and look forward to seeing Plant life for many generations to come.

Now our minds are one.

The Food Plants

With one mind, we turn to honor and thank all the Food Plants we harvest from the garden. Since the beginning of time, the grains, vegetables, beans and berries have helped the people survive. Many other living things draw strength from them too. We gather all the Plant Foods together as one and send them a greeting and thanks.

Now our minds are one.

The Medicine Herbs

Now we turn to all the Medicine herbs of the world. From the beginning, they were instructed to take away sickness. They are always waiting and ready to heal us. We are happy there are still among us those special few who remember how to use these plants for healing. With one mind, we send greetings and thanks to the Medicines and to the keepers of the Medicines.

Now our minds are one.

The Animals

We gather our minds together to send greetings and thanks to all the Animal life in the world. They have many things to teach us as people. We see them near our homes and in the deep forests. We are glad they are still here and we hope that it will always be so.

Now our minds are one.

The Trees

We now turn our thoughts to the Trees. The Earth has many families of Trees who have their own instructions and uses. Some provide us with shelter and shade, others with fruit, beauty and other useful things. Many peoples of the world use a Tree as a symbol of peace and strength. With one mind, we greet and thank the Tree life.

Now our minds are one.

The Birds

We put our minds together as one and thank all the Birds who move and fly about over our heads. The Creator gave them beautiful songs. Each day they remind us to enjoy and appreciate life. The Eagle was chosen to be their leader. To all the Birds – from the smallest to the largest – we send our joyful greetings and thanks.

Now our minds are one.

The Four Winds

We are all thankful to the powers we know as the Four Winds. We hear their voices in the moving air as they refresh us and purify the air we breathe. They help to bring the change of seasons. From the four directions they come, bringing us messages and giving us strength. With one mind, we send our greetings and thanks to the Four Winds.

Now our minds are one.

The Thunderers

Now we turn to the west where our Grandfathers, the Thunder Beings, live. With lightning and thundering voices, they bring with them the water that renews life. We bring our minds together as one to send greetings and thanks to our Grandfathers, the Thunderers.

Now our minds are one.

The Sun

We now send greetings and thanks to our eldest Brother, the Sun. Each day without fail he travels the sky from east to west, bringing the light of a new day. He is the source of all the fires of life. With one mind, we send greetings and thanks to our Brother, the Sun.

Now our minds are one.

Grandmother Moon

We put our minds together and give thanks to our oldest grandmother, the Moon, who lights the night-time sky. She is the leader of women all over the world, and she governs the movement of the ocean tides. By her changing face we measure time, and it is the Moon who watches over the arrival of children here on Earth. With one mind, we send greetings and thanks to our Grandmother, the Moon.

Now our minds are one.

The Stars

We give thanks to the Stars who are spread across the sky like jewelry. We see them in the night, helping the Moon to light the darkness and bringing dew to the gardens and growing things. When we travel at night, they guide us home. With our minds gathered together as one, we send greetings and thanks to all the Stars.

Now our minds are one.

The Enlightened Teachers

We gather our minds to greet and thank the enlightened Teachers who have come to help throughout the ages. When we forget how to live in harmony, they remind us of the way we were instructed to live as people. With one mind, we send greetings and thanks to these caring Teachers.

Now our minds are one.

The Creator

Now we turn our thoughts to the Creator, or Great Spirit, and send greetings and thanks for the gifts of Creation. Everything we need to live a good life is here on this Mother Earth. For all the love that is still around us, we gather our minds together as one and send our choicest words of greetings and thanks to the Creator.

Now our minds are one.

We have now arrived at the place where we end our words. Of all the things we have named, it was not our intention to leave anything out. If something was forgotten, we leave it to each individual to send such greetings and thanks in their own way.

Now our minds are one.

We invite you to stay in touch. xoxoxo Sarita

FIRE RITUALS

Ancient cultures have recognized the power of FIRE with prayer and reverence. Fire has the power to destroy our homes and the life giving, usefulness to cook our food. It is a force of destruction, creation, and purification. In Sanskrit, Fire, or Agni , is one of the five basic elements of creation and is the dominant element of the Ayruveda Pitta dosha. Pitta dosha is composed of a mind and body that are made up of the two elements, fire and water. An out of balance, or out of control fire element, leads to mental and emotional issues such as anger, aggression, and rage. In balance, Agni or FIRE presents as enthusiasm and joy.

Fire is a controversial force in the world and humans. A team of researchers analyzed the history and possible future of our ever-changing relationship with fire in an article published in the Journal of Biogeography. The article is entitled, “The Human Dimension of Fire Regimes on Earth.”

Wherever humans have gone in the world, they have carried fire with them and humans evolved to eat cooked food. I found this article about the history of humans and fire interesting and thought provoking. Essentially, cooking with heat outsourced some of the body’s work of digestion so that more energy is obtained from food and less energy is used in processing food. Cooking breaks down collagen and the connective tissue in meat and releases starch and fat of plants. Cooking freed up time, which allowed the prioritization of the development and the evolution of our intellect.

When early humans discovered how to build fires, life became much easier as they huddled around fire for warmth, light, and protection. They used it to cook, which afforded them more calories than eating raw foods that were hard to chew and digest. They could socialize into the night, which possibly gave rise to storytelling and other cultural traditions.

In the Choctaw language the month of September translates to Haponi Hashi – Cooking Month.  Cooking outside on an open fire is a present and historical tribal tradition.  Haponi Hashi traditionally marks the final summer harvest of the three sisters ~ corn, beans and squash.  Here family and community gather to prepare food stores (traditionally hanging to dry) for the cold season where cooking and eating together ensues.  It typically also marks the time of the year in which the weather has cooled such that cooking outside over an open fire becomes practical and enjoyable again!

Fire Loves Rituals

Fire can enhance our spiritual rituals and support us by purifying and setting intentions in our own lives. For generations, fire rituals are based on ancient ceremonies passed down over the ages. Today, it still has meaning and plays a positive role in our lives to enrich our relationships with our families, ourselves, and the divine in whatever form we hold as believers and practitioners. Examples of fire rituals across several cultures include:

The Hindu fire ceremony, Yajna, translates to “sacrifice, devotion, worship, and offering”. Yajna is any ritual performed in front of a sacred fire, often supplemented by songs or mantras. This ancient Hindu practice helps to heal trauma and connect its practitioners to the spiritual realm.

In ancient India, the vibrations that are produced during a traditional Vedic fire ceremony are thought to represent the most powerful presence of the Divine on Earth. The upward motion of fire is said to be similar to the divine kundalini energy. In the Vedic scriptures, Agni, or Fire, is the messenger between the people and their gods. Vedic Fire Ceremonies are performed for all types of occasions: to let go of patterns and obstacles in our lives, to express gratitude, for healing, purification of the environment and ourselves, or to pray for success with a particular venture. Fire rituals can connect us with the Divine and allow us to express gratitude for this life and all our gifts.

Kontaiji Temple Goma Houyou

Japanese Buddhism practices Goma as a fire ritual performed outside under the sky. Some types of ritual fire offerings include: A Peaceful Ritual Fire Offering is performed to clear away the results of unhealthy actions or to clear away obstacles. Peaceful and Increasing Ritual Fire Offerings are practiced for both one’s own and other’s benefit. A Subduing Ritual Fire Offering may be performed to distinguish harmful forces. 

Smoke rising from burning sage

In Native American traditions, a smoke offering in prayer is at the core of many traditional ceremonies. A pipe ceremony combines the powerful elements of fire to symbolize the balance of life. The pipe ceremony is a sacred ritual for connecting the physical and spiritual worlds. The stem of the pipe represents the masculine, the bowl represents the feminine, the tobacco is an earth offering, and the breath drawn in smoking is the air. Fire unifies the ceremony with a purifying force as it is drawn over the tobacco/herbs through the bowl and stem, creating smoke that rises and delivers prayers to the spirit world.

Create Your Own Fire Ceremony

There are many simple ways you can take inspiration from these ancient practices and bring the power of the fire element into your life. You can make physical or emotional offerings for the fire to consume. Write down the things things you are grateful for, the things you want to let go of, and the things you want to set intention for. Light a candle or build a fire, contemplate these things, and hold these thoughts in your heart and your mind. Let the flicker of the flame mesmerize you and you may even make an offering of sage or cedar to the fire. Be creative and make it personal and understand that there have been many generations of ancestors who spent sacred time around fire. Reflect on the fire in a sacred way and create your own ceremony. Let the fire enchant and mesmerize you, purify you, and empower you.

Blooming Lotus

The Lotus Flower or Lotus Plant is a freshwater aquatic plant. Most Lotus Plants are native to the warm climates of Southern Asia and Australia. A Lotus Flower’s roots bury deep in the mud of a still body of water such as a lake, pond, or backyard water garden. A long stem or stalk grows from the roots that remains in the muddy water. The plant’s leaves and bud grow from atop the long stalk. The leaves usually stay under the surface of the water with only the flower bud seen above the water’s surface. As the bud opens, its petals are exposed as they open one by one. Once the petals are all opened, the flower is in full bloom, which corresponds to the fire element- the life cycle of full expression. The Lotus Flower rests until the sun begins to set at which point the Lotus Flower begins to close its petals until it is completely in a “bud” formation and the Lotus Flower sinks back down into the muddy water. Each day, the Lotus Flower repeats this action of rising, basking, and sinking. It is this nature of the plant that inspires so many religions and cultures with meaning. Buddhists believe the Lotus Flower is representative of rebirth.

Here at Alberta Orchard Wellness, we were recently gifted a lotus garden which serves as our new bee watering station! We are excitedly awaiting the lotus bloom, which will look like this one.

The plant has become the symbol of multiple life lessons and ideals such as fertility, honesty, grace, prosperity, knowledge, and serenity. The lotus flower (Nelumbo nucifera) is associated with purity and beauty in the Buddhism and Hinduism.

Just like the Lotus, we too have the ability to rise

from the darkness and radiate into the world.”     

-Unknown-

As gratitude is enhanced by a fire ceremony, the Flowering Lotus yoga pose is an excellent posture for meditation because it calms the mind and creates a sense of peace. The flowering lotus pose is an intermediate seated, hip-opener, and balancing posture that prepares the body for deeper stretching poses. From the butterfly pose with the heels touching, the arms reach over the thighs and under the calves. The yogi then rocks back until balanced on the sit bones, and the hands take gyan mudra (thumb and forefinger touching). A variation of the foundational lotus pose, flowering lotus pose is also called blooming lotus pose. In Sanskrit, it is known as vikasitakamalasana.

The pose is known to ease anxiety and stress; stabilizes the body; improve focus and concentration; stretch the ankles, hips, hamstrings, and knees; stimulates reproductive organs; tones the abdominal muscles; boosts immunity; and improves kidney, bladder, and urinary functions.

Watch for our (Part 2) where we will highlight a Blooming Lotus gratitude practice with a demonstration video and offer step by step instructions for creating your own lotus container garden!