According to Ayurveda, good health is dependent upon our capability to fully metabolize the nutritional, emotional and sensory information that we ingest. When our digestive energies, known as Agni (fire), are robust, we create healthy tissues, eliminate waste products efficiently and produce a subtle essence called ojas. Ojas, which may be envisioned as the source of our vitality, is the basis for clarity of perception, physical strength, and immunity. On the other hand, if our agnis are weakened, digestion is incomplete. This accumulation of toxic residue is collectively known as ama. Cleansing and detoxifying the body helps build the natural fire within (agni), which naturally burns ama and aids in digestion.
To help detoxify, strengthen the immune system, and increase the production of ojas (vital energy), we suggest performing the following activities for 7 days:
1. Every morning, perform a self massage (self-Abhy) with herbalized dosha balancing oil. When stimulated through therapeutic touch or massage, the skin releases a pharmacy of healing chemicals that have health-promoting effects on the physiology. In addition to feeling good, regular massage and loving touch detoxifies the body’s tissues, increase circulation, calms the mind, and enhances immune function.
2. Follow your massage with a Neti pot and Nasya, a traditional method to purify and revitalize the breathing passages. In addition, this process can reduce allergies and decrease your chances of contracting upper respiratory infections.
3. Take Biochavan and Triphala. Biochavan has been used for thousands of years to promote health and longevity. Rich in antioxidants, it has been scientifically proven to have measurable health enhancing benefits including detoxification, improved digestive functioning, and increased immunity. Triphala, formulated by Ayurvedic physicians thousands of years ago and used by literally billions of people since, is considered the most effective colon tonic by most health care practitioners.
4. Drink 3-4 cups of dosha balancing organic tea per day to help flush the system.
5. Simplify your diet to appropriately cooked vegetables and rice to allow your digestive power to work on cleansing the body.
For more information call me at 760-494-1657. Stay healhty + blessed!
Last Chance for Secrets of Enlightenment in 2010!
What is Secrets of Enlightenment?
This premier 4-day workshop expands on the writings in Dr. Deepak Chopra's best selling publication The Book of Secrets. You will explore the subtle yet powerful clues that guide us on our path toward freedom.
Who should go?
Those looking to incorporate the understanding of enlightened sages from around the world, and consider:
You are not in the world; the world is in you.
The cause of all suffering is not knowing the true nature of reality.
You are a multi-dimensional being living life simultaneously on many levels.
The cosmic mind expresses itself through your individual thoughts.
You cannot be truly free as long as you think of yourself as a person.
The deeper you go, the more power is available to create anything you desire.
What happens at Secrets of Enlightenment?
Spend intimate morning and afternoon sessions with Deepak in an extraordinary consciousness-expanding experience. Blending deep insights with powerful engaging experiential exercises, Secrets of Enlightenment will transform you with its illumination of the wisdom of the ages as only Deepak can express it.
Those who attend are also immersed in daily meditation, practice body-centered restful awareness, and experience the nurturing powers of healing ayurvedic massage.
Each day guests will dine on delicious ayurvedic vegetarian meals prepared directly from The Chopra Center Cookbook.
What is included?
Delicious ayurvedic vegetarian lunches and dinners each day
An intimate concentration of time with Dr. Deepak Chopra (the most of any Chopra Center event)
Group mind-body sessions with Dr. David Simon
A luxurious ayurvedic massage treatment
Morning Seven Spiritual Laws Of Yoga classes and two daily group meditations
An Interview with Davidji
Davidji has been in apprenticeship to Deepak Chopra and David Simon for the past seven years and is the dean of Chopra Center University. As the Chopra Center’s lead meditation teacher and a certified Perfect Health instructor, davidji is a guiding force who has taught thousands the timeless tools of meditation and ayurveda.
Where did you grow up?
I was born in New York City and grew up in Queens.
What drew you to the Chopra Center?
Shortly after 9/11 I attended the Seduction of Spirit meditation retreat in Oxford, England. When it ended, I headed off to India on a journey of self-discovery. Two years later, on Bastille Day – July 14 – I found myself attending Journey into Healing, the Chopra Center’s signature mind-body workshop. Having completed the two prerequisites for becoming a certified meditation teacher, attending the teacher training was the logical next step.
After Journey into Healing ended, I never left the Center. I volunteered for a while and ultimately found my sweet spot here helping to translate the visions of Drs. Simon and Chopra into the daily workings of our organization.
What do you love about working here?
I’ve been teaching meditation every week to guests at Perfect Health, Seduction of Spirit, and SynchroDestiny for the past four years. It has connected me to thousands of people around the world and is the greatest gift I’ve received.
My job in the Chopra Center universe satisfies my three requirements for any work I do. First, I have to like and approve of the work being done and the values being promoted. I completely support the vision Drs. Simon and Chopra have created for the Center and find my bliss in helping to translate that vision into the daily workings of our organization.
Like most people, I also want to work with individuals I like and care about. I cherish my family here at the Chopra Center and commit myself each day to helping them fulfill their dharma. Finally, I respect and love the individuals who touch our world – who come to the Center in search of greater health or a richer, more fulfilling life. I get to see the tangible results of people moving from states of pain to deep healing. What could be better than that?! On top of all of these rewards, every day in this world is a new day. There’s nothing routine about working here, and every day offers infinite potential for creativity and growth.
What’s your dosha?
My prakruti is Pitta. Focus, intention, and passion.
What’s your favorite food?
Any 70 percent (or higher!) cacao dark chocolate . . . and blueberries – both are Pitta pacifying.
How do you keep your doshas in balance?
I learned how to balance my doshas when I attended the Perfect Health program. My daily routine has become a sweet ritual. It includes a regular meditation practice; a self-abhy massage every morning, and I often surround myself with Pitta- and Vata-balancing colors – soothing blues, greens, and earth tones.
I adhere to a Pitta-balancing diet (except when I’m eating spicy Thai, Chinese, or Indian food) and I visit the ocean at least once a week. I also share an office with someone who absorbs my excess Pitta and gives me some sweet grounding Kapha in exchange!
What’s your favorite quotation?
“If you’re going through hell, keep going” – by Winston Churchill. It reminds me to breathe deep, stay centered, be self referred, and move forward when it seems dark out there. There’s always light at the end of the tunnel and most likely it’s streaming out of your own soul. I also have been known to say, “Deepak Chopra swirls the heavens and David Simon brings heaven to earth.”
What are your archetypes?
I have a bunch – the more the merrier. Infinite possibilities, right? My short list starts with Lord Rama, who for me represents integrity of word, thought and deed. I’m also guided by the remover of obstacles - Ganesha, the little boy with an elephant’s head, who liberates me on a daily basis. And each day I get to work with two of the most brilliant, insightful, and compassionate healers on the planet. They are my greatest teachers.
What’s your funniest meditation story?
I’ve been teaching meditation every week to guests at Perfect Health, Seduction of Spirit, and SynchroDestiny for the past four years. Teaching has connected me to thousands of people around the world and is the greatest gift I’ve received. One week, after teaching 15 people in a row their Primordial Sound mantra, I was feeling pretty blissed out. During the ritual of teaching the mantra, instructors ask the new meditator to repeat his or her Primordial Sound silently for a few moments while we join them in silence with our eyes closed. On this occasion, when I opened my eyes I realized a half hour had passed! I’d gone so deeply into meditation that time had stopped for me. My student was sitting there looking quietly bewildered. Then we both started laughing hysterically. Neither of us have ever forgotten that moment . . . er . . . half hour. Teaching others present moment awareness remains the greatest gift I could ever receive.
Are there any causes that you support?
Speaking on my own behalf rather than for the Center, I believe we have an obligation to protect and nurture all the sentient beings on the planet. Humanity has been given dominion over the animals in the world, and it’s our duty to offer them our compassion and care. I support the Humane Society and groups that protect animals from cruelty and needless suffering. There are hundreds of thousands of pets in shelters and pounds around the world who are looking for a home and could use your love. Just in Florida alone, about 50,000 animals have to be euthanized every week because there’s no one to take care of them. I believe we also have an obligation to treat the animals that provide us with sustenance with as much dignity and care as we can. This means working to end the inhumane practices of factory farming and animal experimentation.
Do you have any pets?
Yes, two amazing dogs. A 7-pound, 10-year-old silver toy poodle named Pearl. We rescued her from a Nashville, Tennessee animal shelter. And recently, I adopted Peaches – the Buddha Princess from a shelter up in L.A. She’s a 2-year old maltese yorkie mix. There are hundreds of thousands of pets in shelters and pounds around the world who are looking for a home and could use your love. We have an obligation to protect and nurture all the sentient beings on the planet.
What was your most transcendent moment?
I was traveling in Jaipur, India, wandering along the streets, when an Indian man came up to me, hugged me and said, “Mr. David, I’m so glad you’ve come here. We’ve been waiting for you.” I’d never met this man in my life. I suddenly felt timeless and I merged into everything . . . the sky, the clouds, the earth, the man, my soul. It was indescribably profound and lasted for what seemed like eternity. Every time I meditate I drift into some form of that experience and it occasionally weaves itself back into my waking state consciousness.
What are your favorite books?
I’m a voracious reader. But I would say some of my favorites are Dominion, by Matthew Sculley; Awakening the Buddha Within, by Lama Surya Das; Absolute Tao, by Osho; The Ten Commitments, by David Simon;The Spontaneous Fulfillment of Desire, by Deepak Chopra; and The Razor’s Edge, by Somerset Maugham. I also love the irreverence of Vonnegut, Sartre, Molière, and Bukowski.
What’s your favorite Chopra Center product?
David Simon’s newest book – his 13th – Free to Love, Free to Heal.
What’s your favorite city?
In addition to New York – the center of the universe; and Carlsbad – the sweet spot of the universe, my favorite place would be Boracay in the Philippines. It’s a powder-white-sand island filled with loving people. It has great diving and a temperature of 98 degrees, 365 days a year.
Who would you most like to invite to a dinner party?
It would be a big list but I would definitely invite His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama, Oprah, Martha Stewart, my Dad, Andy Warhol, Gwen Stefani, Jimmy Page, Osho, James Hetfield, Henry David Thoreau, Bill O’Reilly, Grace Kelly, Bill Clinton, Moses, Ammachi, Karl Marx, Emmylou Harris, Richard Branson, Patti Smith, King Tutankhamun, Jimi Hendrix, and Thomas Edison. I’d also want to make sure that the loving staff of the Chopra Center would be there to shine their magnificent light.
Any closing words?
Thanks. Peace . . . and keep meditating.
Where did you grow up?
I was born in New York City and grew up in Queens.
What drew you to the Chopra Center?
Shortly after 9/11 I attended the Seduction of Spirit meditation retreat in Oxford, England. When it ended, I headed off to India on a journey of self-discovery. Two years later, on Bastille Day – July 14 – I found myself attending Journey into Healing, the Chopra Center’s signature mind-body workshop. Having completed the two prerequisites for becoming a certified meditation teacher, attending the teacher training was the logical next step.
After Journey into Healing ended, I never left the Center. I volunteered for a while and ultimately found my sweet spot here helping to translate the visions of Drs. Simon and Chopra into the daily workings of our organization.
What do you love about working here?
I’ve been teaching meditation every week to guests at Perfect Health, Seduction of Spirit, and SynchroDestiny for the past four years. It has connected me to thousands of people around the world and is the greatest gift I’ve received.
My job in the Chopra Center universe satisfies my three requirements for any work I do. First, I have to like and approve of the work being done and the values being promoted. I completely support the vision Drs. Simon and Chopra have created for the Center and find my bliss in helping to translate that vision into the daily workings of our organization.
Like most people, I also want to work with individuals I like and care about. I cherish my family here at the Chopra Center and commit myself each day to helping them fulfill their dharma. Finally, I respect and love the individuals who touch our world – who come to the Center in search of greater health or a richer, more fulfilling life. I get to see the tangible results of people moving from states of pain to deep healing. What could be better than that?! On top of all of these rewards, every day in this world is a new day. There’s nothing routine about working here, and every day offers infinite potential for creativity and growth.
What’s your dosha?
My prakruti is Pitta. Focus, intention, and passion.
What’s your favorite food?
Any 70 percent (or higher!) cacao dark chocolate . . . and blueberries – both are Pitta pacifying.
How do you keep your doshas in balance?
I learned how to balance my doshas when I attended the Perfect Health program. My daily routine has become a sweet ritual. It includes a regular meditation practice; a self-abhy massage every morning, and I often surround myself with Pitta- and Vata-balancing colors – soothing blues, greens, and earth tones.
I adhere to a Pitta-balancing diet (except when I’m eating spicy Thai, Chinese, or Indian food) and I visit the ocean at least once a week. I also share an office with someone who absorbs my excess Pitta and gives me some sweet grounding Kapha in exchange!
What’s your favorite quotation?
“If you’re going through hell, keep going” – by Winston Churchill. It reminds me to breathe deep, stay centered, be self referred, and move forward when it seems dark out there. There’s always light at the end of the tunnel and most likely it’s streaming out of your own soul. I also have been known to say, “Deepak Chopra swirls the heavens and David Simon brings heaven to earth.”
What are your archetypes?
I have a bunch – the more the merrier. Infinite possibilities, right? My short list starts with Lord Rama, who for me represents integrity of word, thought and deed. I’m also guided by the remover of obstacles - Ganesha, the little boy with an elephant’s head, who liberates me on a daily basis. And each day I get to work with two of the most brilliant, insightful, and compassionate healers on the planet. They are my greatest teachers.
What’s your funniest meditation story?
I’ve been teaching meditation every week to guests at Perfect Health, Seduction of Spirit, and SynchroDestiny for the past four years. Teaching has connected me to thousands of people around the world and is the greatest gift I’ve received. One week, after teaching 15 people in a row their Primordial Sound mantra, I was feeling pretty blissed out. During the ritual of teaching the mantra, instructors ask the new meditator to repeat his or her Primordial Sound silently for a few moments while we join them in silence with our eyes closed. On this occasion, when I opened my eyes I realized a half hour had passed! I’d gone so deeply into meditation that time had stopped for me. My student was sitting there looking quietly bewildered. Then we both started laughing hysterically. Neither of us have ever forgotten that moment . . . er . . . half hour. Teaching others present moment awareness remains the greatest gift I could ever receive.
Are there any causes that you support?
Speaking on my own behalf rather than for the Center, I believe we have an obligation to protect and nurture all the sentient beings on the planet. Humanity has been given dominion over the animals in the world, and it’s our duty to offer them our compassion and care. I support the Humane Society and groups that protect animals from cruelty and needless suffering. There are hundreds of thousands of pets in shelters and pounds around the world who are looking for a home and could use your love. Just in Florida alone, about 50,000 animals have to be euthanized every week because there’s no one to take care of them. I believe we also have an obligation to treat the animals that provide us with sustenance with as much dignity and care as we can. This means working to end the inhumane practices of factory farming and animal experimentation.
Do you have any pets?
Yes, two amazing dogs. A 7-pound, 10-year-old silver toy poodle named Pearl. We rescued her from a Nashville, Tennessee animal shelter. And recently, I adopted Peaches – the Buddha Princess from a shelter up in L.A. She’s a 2-year old maltese yorkie mix. There are hundreds of thousands of pets in shelters and pounds around the world who are looking for a home and could use your love. We have an obligation to protect and nurture all the sentient beings on the planet.
What was your most transcendent moment?
I was traveling in Jaipur, India, wandering along the streets, when an Indian man came up to me, hugged me and said, “Mr. David, I’m so glad you’ve come here. We’ve been waiting for you.” I’d never met this man in my life. I suddenly felt timeless and I merged into everything . . . the sky, the clouds, the earth, the man, my soul. It was indescribably profound and lasted for what seemed like eternity. Every time I meditate I drift into some form of that experience and it occasionally weaves itself back into my waking state consciousness.
What are your favorite books?
I’m a voracious reader. But I would say some of my favorites are Dominion, by Matthew Sculley; Awakening the Buddha Within, by Lama Surya Das; Absolute Tao, by Osho; The Ten Commitments, by David Simon;The Spontaneous Fulfillment of Desire, by Deepak Chopra; and The Razor’s Edge, by Somerset Maugham. I also love the irreverence of Vonnegut, Sartre, Molière, and Bukowski.
What’s your favorite Chopra Center product?
David Simon’s newest book – his 13th – Free to Love, Free to Heal.
What’s your favorite city?
In addition to New York – the center of the universe; and Carlsbad – the sweet spot of the universe, my favorite place would be Boracay in the Philippines. It’s a powder-white-sand island filled with loving people. It has great diving and a temperature of 98 degrees, 365 days a year.
Who would you most like to invite to a dinner party?
It would be a big list but I would definitely invite His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama, Oprah, Martha Stewart, my Dad, Andy Warhol, Gwen Stefani, Jimmy Page, Osho, James Hetfield, Henry David Thoreau, Bill O’Reilly, Grace Kelly, Bill Clinton, Moses, Ammachi, Karl Marx, Emmylou Harris, Richard Branson, Patti Smith, King Tutankhamun, Jimi Hendrix, and Thomas Edison. I’d also want to make sure that the loving staff of the Chopra Center would be there to shine their magnificent light.
Any closing words?
Thanks. Peace . . . and keep meditating.
Last Week of The Sweet Summer Savings!
This is your last chance to take advantage of our best prices of the year!
Go to www.chopra.com to check out all of The Chopra Center offerings!
We Are One
Human beings are made of body, mind and spirit.
Of these, spirit is primary,
for it connects us to the source of everything,
the eternal field of consciousness.
Free To Love, Free To Heal This Week At La Costa!
Free to Love
At the Free to Love workshop, David Simon, M.D. will guide you in a unique five-step process that has helped thousands let go of their pain, find freedom from the past, and rediscover joy and fulfillment in your life.
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