Last week was the Spring Equinox, where we experienced equal daylight and nighttime. Many cultures view the equinoxes as energetic and symbolic days. For example, the Indian holiday of Holi was last week. It's a festival where you throw powdered colors on your loved ones. It symbolizes the arrival of spring, with all its joy and colorful blooms. The Persian New Year of Nowruz also falls on the Spring Equinox. One part of this celebration is jumping over bonfires. I take it that this tradition symbolizes new beginnings. The Japanese celebrate the Equinox with an official public holiday. On this day, they celebrate Nature's blooms, especially the beautiful cherry blossoms.

So, it's a time for re-birth and new beginnings. It's a time when we plant seeds. We allow Nature's rains to wash over the soil, nurturing our seeds so that they may blossom later in the season. And, so I ask you, what seeds will you be planting this Spring? Will it be a new business idea? A new approach to your relationships? Or, seeds of patience, love, tolerance, acceptance, compassion? You're planting seeds everyday as it is, so now is an opportunity to be intentional about what you plant. What will you plant today and nourish daily? Leave a comment below to let me know! When you share your intentions, such as by leaving a comment, you let the Universe know that you're ready for this!

Love, Sheetal

P.S. Watch this video to learn about Ayurveda's perspective on the transition to Spring!

"The goal of meditation isn't to control your thoughts; it's to stop letting them control you." -Unkown

I came across this great quote on Instagram last week. It struck me because it's so true! Whenever I talk to someone about meditation, the first thing they say to me is, "But, I can't stop thinking! I try to sit there and be still, but my mind keeps racing!!"

Here's the thing though: It's your mind's job to race! Yoga calls this "the monkey mind." Yoga says that thoughts are the natural process of your mind. When you sit to meditate, you don't try to STOP the thoughts. You don't try to control or force the thoughts. Rather, you ALLOW the thoughts to be there. You WATCH the thoughts. You say, "Hey thought, I see you there. Thanks for stopping by." And then, you shift your focus.

What do you shift your focus to? Anything you CHOOSE to. Through meditation, you choose what your mind focuses on instead of the other way around! To practice, you can focus on your breath, an object, or an affirmation. In this guided meditation, I lead you through a process of focusing on your breath and a sound vibration. Try it out and let me know how you feel afterwards!

Love, Sheetal
P.S. This guided meditation is part of my new 15-Minutes To Mindfulness Toolkit. Subscribe here for the full toolkit!

It can be so frustrating when you don't get a good night's sleep! I know for me, I get anxious and irritable the next day if I don't get my 7-8 hours in!

Well, turns out, not getting enough sleep wreaks havoc in other parts of your life too. It can affect your blood sugar, cholesterol, focus, and mood.

I did a Facebook Live recently with my friend and colleague, Dr. Aarti Soorya. We talked all about sleep and what the research shows about sleep deprivation. We talked about how stress can play a role in not getting enough sleep. And, we outlined steps to recognizing if sleep (and stress) are issues for you and what you can do to remedy it.

I hope you'll check it out. I think you'll find it fascinating and helpful. Have a restful week!!

Love, Sheetal