Art Of Living Newsletter = &nb= sp; May 6th, 2009

3D"http://img.constantcontact.com/letters/images/1101093164665/re=

Yoga - The science of Bei= ng &nbs= p; Cleansing & Detoxifying practices

Neti: Nasal Cleansing with Water

Neti is a nasal wash with warm, salty water. Its main benefit is in= the prevention of respiratory disorders like colds, flu, sinusitis and allergies. However, it is also said to be helpful in treating vario= us disorders - like glue ear, myopia, inflamed adenoids, nervous tics, muscular tension in the face, migraines, and even epilepsy. Flushing out the nostrils increases our alertness and helps in balancing our emotions.

Neti pots can be purchased online or from some health food stores. Alternatively you can use a little spouted jug or teapot - as long = as the spout fits comfortably in your nostril.

To prepare: mix 1 teaspoon of sea salt per half litre of warm water. If you have too much or too little salt you will feel = an unpleasant burning sensation. You can do neti over a basin or bucke= t, in the shower or outside.

To cleanse the nostrils : Fill your neti pot with the salt water.Tilt your head to one side and slightly back, insert the spout into the upper nostril. Relax and tilt the neti pot in such a way a= s to allow the water to flow through the back of that nostril and over to the other side, letting it drain out the lower nostril. Sometimes t= he water may pass down the throat. Just relax and spit it out. It's beneficial to wash this passage too. You may need to tilt your chin slightly forward to keep the water flowing smoothly through the nostrils. When half the water has gone, remove the spout, gently bl= ow the nostril and repeat on the other side.

If you feel water may have been retained in the sinuses, you= can lean forward and gently but strongly exhale through one nostril at a time.
This nasal cleansing can be practiced once a day or more, if you are trying to relieve some respiratory symptoms.

Neti is particularly good to do in flu season after being in= a crowded place where there is lots of coughing and sneezing

Knowledge Section 3DGuruDiscipl= =

Spiritual Master

The word 'guru' literally means the 'weighted one' i.e. the one who is heavily loaded with spiritual knowledge or divine wisdom. Gu-darkness and ru-- light. It also means the one who leads his disciples from the darkness of ignorance to spiritual enlightenment by imparting divine knowledge.= A guru is the one who guides his or her disciple to become a Jivamukta i.e. a liberated soul that achieves salvation in his or her lifetime through God-realization. A guru is the one who can take us back to Godhead.

Education system of today helps us improve our Lifestyle but does not help us improve our Lif= e. It gives us sufficient knowledge to improves us in the material wor= ld but does not guide us in our spiritual path, which would eventually give us peace. The grace of a spiritual master is the only thing th= at can help us advance in this path.

Here is a story from the Chhandogya Upanishad:
After years away at school, Shvetaketu returned home to his father, Uddalaka. Shvetaketu's was boasting about how much he'd learned tha= t he hadn't learned but Uddalaka could clearly see that has not lea= rned anything about life. "Did your teacher teach you how to hear t= hat which cant be heard or know what cant be known?" Uddalaka aske= d. "Oh-oh. That wasn't in the curriculum." "Go outside and get me a fruit from the banyan tree." Shvetaketu ran outside for the fruit."Now cut it in half," his father instructed. "= What do you see?"
"I see the seeds, dad." "Cut one of those in half.&q= uot; This wasn't very easy, banyan seeds are extremely small. Finally Shvetaketu managed to slice one evenly. "What do you see?" Uddalaka asked.The boy was baffled. "What do you mean dad? The= re is nothing there."
Uddalaka looked his son in the eye, "From that 'nothing' an enormous tree arises. When you understand that 'nothing' is, you wi= ll understand yourself. The nothing you cant see is the very essence of the reality of the tree. The unperceivable essence of being is also what you are. You are that, Shvetaketu." "Pour some salt into th= is bucket of water," Uddalaka continued. Shvetaketu obeyed. "= ;Now give me the salt back.""I cant do that!" Shvetaketu objected. "It is gone!".Take a sip of the water. You taste the salt, don't you? You couldn't see it, yet it was there all alon= g. Just as the salt pervad= es the water, so the subtle essence of reality pervades your body. That subtle essence is true being.

Only a guru can impart the secret knowledge which makes us understand the subtle essence of our being and can show us the path of enlightenment. The guru is both a formal teacher and a spiritual preceptor. He is a storehouse of spiritual energy, which he can transmit to others. He helps the aspirant to polish his inner self till it reflects the light of tru= th. A guru does not simply stuff you with knowledge but he kindles life f= orce in you. In the presence of the guru you become more alive.

In the Upanishads five si= gns of satguru are mentioned. In the presence of the satguru; Knowledge flourishes (Gyana raksha); Sorrow diminishes (Dukha kshaya); Joy wells up without any reason (Sukha aavirbhava); Abundance dawns (Samriddhi); All talents manifest (Sarva samvardhan).

By doing our Sadhana and involving in Satsang and Seva, our aspirations to find a Sadguru ge= ts fulfilled. When we have found a Sadguru by our meritious actions, t= he Sadguru reveals the secret knowledge of the Shastra(or holy scriprutes) which will ultimately help us attain the SuperSoul.