Guest guest Posted April 8, 2005 Report Share Posted April 8, 2005 Namaste, dear sweet sister Ekta ji! Thank-you so much for all of your sharing! You are a Divine Storehouse of Information! i always feel i have learned something new and helpful whenever i read your posts! Have a very ecstatic Navaratri! Jai Maa! Jai Swamiji! Jai Ramakrishna Deva! Your sister always, muktimaa , Eleathea Barraclough <eleathea> wrote: > > Jai Maa! > > I feel so happy imagining Ardis preparing for Navaratri pujas with so much > diligence and devotion...I can just feel how sparkling her space will be! > > I have never done a complete extended fast, but I've definitely found that > reducing food intake helps sadhana tremendously. THe process of eating food, > even sattvic food, creates a lot of processes in the body. All kinds of > chemicals are released in the blood, which travels to the brain. Some of these > can make the mind churn a little more. > > Fasting, whether complete or partial, really does send home the message that we > are the Light, not the body. I always feel more peaceful when I fast on liquids > or water. Also, fasting keeps the nadis clear and open, so that the energy of > one's practices seems to penetrate very deeply into the subtle body and mind. > One's energy will also rise much more easily if there is less food in the > system. > > For those who still like a little food during a fast, they can always have milk > (preferably organic), fresh fruit or vegetable juices, or thin pureed vegetable > soups. In many traditions, a partial fast can be done using fruits, nuts, root > vegetables like carrots or potatoes and green, leafy vegetables. THis way, > you're still getting a little something to eat, but these foods tend to disturb > the body/mind the least. > > Some people like to incorporate fasting on a regular basis. It is very > auspicious to fast on the full and/or new moons. For weekly basis, Friday is a > good day to fast, as it is very special to Devi. Or Monday for Lord Siva. These > days are connected with the mind in a powerful way, so fasting these days will > help purify the mind. > > Jai Maa! > Ekta > > --- Ardis Jackson <ardis1@v...> wrote: > > Have you ever heard of the Bengali term "chack, chack?" It means > > gleaming, radiantly gleaming. > > > > With another Navaratri upon us, tomorrow is the day the professional > > carpet cleaners come to clean all my carpets. Saturday morning before > > Prayer Club, I will clean all the puja vessels and arrange the altar > > for this special time. I will buy the fresh flowers and get them ready > > to offer in my puja. After the Guru Gita class, I will prepare myself > > for our group Sankalpa. > > > > What joy fills my heart to know that so many are joining in the > > Sankalpa! > > > > I hope that many will join in the Guru Gita discussion on Saturday. > > > > For those who are able and willing, we will be fasting. I recommend > > drinking water daily. For those not experienced with fasting, it is > > probably a good idea to eat a few crackers or some fruit. > > > > The blessing of the ten day fast is finding out "who" you are. You are > > not the body that requires food and exercise and a sense of "body > > image" or imagined health or illness. In fact when you remove your > > attention from the physical body and place it on the inner shining > > Self, that Self truly blossoms forth. As the individual life becomes > > full of Light, the body becomes lighter, the mind becomes clarified and > > life is filled with its natural state of Bliss and Gratitude. > > > > And think of all the time and energy you will save by not planning > > meals and shopping. > > > > May this Navaratri truly be a "blossoming forth" for all. > > > > With loving blessings, > > > > Ardis > > > > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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