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And here we are now with a chance to be more conscious and less mysterious to ourselves and, with time and practice, to others. We can grow into being a radiant, authentic, and passionate source of love. This outcome leads to our healing which is the evolutionary call of our time. Does this call beckon you?
Live with radiant intention and be well, in gratitude,
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Evolutionary Love Relationships:
A Radical, Essential Notion!
 The spiritual journey has often been conceptualized as a singular, vertical experience requiring one to detach from the waves of daily life by sitting on a meditation cushion hoping for enlightenment ... or at least some movement in that direction to reduce our angst and suffering.
While time on the cushion is critically important, it is simply a tool for us. Isolation is not a life for the "householder path" spiritual adventurer. It is in our horizontal connections with others that the real spiritual adventure unfolds.
In their recently released book Evolutionary Love Relationships, Andrew Harvey and Chris Saade lay out a challenge to our notion of being in relationship that is not only more fitting for our time, but essential as we envision a new humanity. I have always been a big fan of Harvey's insightful writings on Rumi, levels of consciousness, and awakened love; in this book he delivers once again.
The authors recognize that we are currently living in a world in dire need of social, political, and economic healing. They call us to a radically new vision of love based on passion, authenticity, and sacred activism able to hold sufficient energy, truth, and action to lift the consciousness and heal our world.
Evolutionary love relationships are not just about our intimate partnerships. Their call is inclusive of all significant pairings: our community tribal members, inspired work relationships, deep friendships, benevolent revolutionaries, and spiritual partners.
The authors invite us to commit to our own evolution of consciousness as well as that of our significant partner(s) so that we might exchange love passionately and with authenticity.
 They posit that this kind of connection creates the energy, clarity of love, and compassion needed for sacred activism.
This path is not a rarefied one. Not every waking moment in an evolutionary love relationship needs to be devoted to sacred activism. People who are actively committed to the expansion of their own and their other's consciousness will find that they are freeing up energy for the work that needs to be done in the world. That work might be a simple as hiring a young neighbor in need of some money and responsibility, participating in cleaning up a river walk one Saturday afternoon, raising a child to be conscious and caring for others and the earth, or running for political office. These activities when done with attunement to the clarity and freedom of love, are all sacred.
When sharing sacred activism, the nature and content of our relationships shift. Rather than complain about each other and build a cas
e against the other, a couple might choose to engage sacredly with each other in the evening by talking about their shared sacred action interests, serving food together at a homeless center, or sharing details about an upcoming march. When we serve others and a larger cause, we are releasing the addiction to someone else making us happy.
Now let's be clear. In sacred relationships there is great care, compassion, and active attention to the well-being of your partner, but as an offering of love and not as a negotiation, manipulation, or need to fill a hole. And let's also be clear that this involves compassionate work and vulnerability.
Ayurveda has a principle--add and squeeze. As attention is placed on authenticity, expansion of one's consciousness, and appreciation of each other, complaints and expectations are squeezed out for lack of space.
Evolutionary Love Relationships is a very inspiring book that describes the current state of our times with honesty, hope, and ideas on how to use the power of this new form of relationship to heal ourselves and our planet. This is simply a brief introduction: overall, the book is powerful.
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Radiant Love:
Be Like the Sun
John Douillard, an outstanding Ayurveda educator and author, has spoken about radiant love as the awakening challenge of our times. I have taken classes with him and he is a warm, authentic, brilliant, and giving person.
Douillard encourages us to love like the sun and challenges us to love fully without expectation simply because it is in our deepest nature to love. The sun does not decide if a flower  is worthy of being shined upon. The sun does not say to the flower, what have you done for me lately? The sun shines to all. That is the truth of the sun's nature and Douillard says this is the deepest truth of our nature as well. When we experience this truth, we cannot help but act upon it.
Even the crankiest and most off-putting person will slowly relax and feel safe in this radiance and let their own bud open. It may take time and certainly we need to make decisions about our own safety with persons who are destructive to others in their current state. We can still shine with our love, if even at a distance.
Instead of looking for love, Douillard challenges us to be the source of love. I can't say this is easy...but it is a key to expanding our consciousness and inspires a home for our radiant physical, emotional, and spiritual health.
Prioritizing our physical and emotional well-being, spending time in Nature, staying committed to our on-going growth, sharing ourselves in a spiritual community, understanding the context of our evolutionary times, all support us in becoming a more loving person.
You may read Douillard's article on Becoming the Source of Love
here.
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The Joy
With all the work we do in relationship, let's not forget about the sheer joy of love.
Short story. Many years ago I was talking with two friends who were trying to decide if they wanted to have a child. They were identifying how their professional and personal lives would change and what they would need to give up in terms of freedoms and rest. They could think through the various adaptations that they would likely need to make.
They could not, however, anticipate the joys: those were going to be surprises. After their daughter's birth they could hardly believe the innumerable joys and flow of love they experienced.
Do the work, but do not get weighed down in it. Celebrate and notice the joys with ease and delight. Love is in the flow.
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Ayurveda for Love and Romance
Daily healthy habits and diet are the premiere strategies for a balanced life force. In Ayurveda, herbs are powerhouses and used as remedies and rejuvenatives
but are not a substitute for the basics.
Several years ago, I took a course from K. P. Khalsa, author of The Way of Ayurveda Herbs and renowned Ayurveda teacher. These are some of the herbs and foods that he recommended for love, romance, potency, sexual function, and vitality.
- Dates - a well known aphrodisiac in many cultures.
- Ashwagandha - an aphrodisiac especially vitalizing and warming for vata weakness. Tones muscles.
- Shatavari - moisturizing and cooling. Healthy libido.
- Raw milk and ghee--very vitalizing, rejuvenating. Good carrier for other herbs.
- Ginger - promotes healthy breathing and vitality.
- Cinnamon - increases circulation to genitals; supports erectile function in men and women.
- Kappikachu - a natural source of L-dopa for elevating mood aspects associated with romance; promotes vitality, tones reproductive organs.
- Mango - promotes stamina.
- Chyavanprash - rejuvenative jam for mind and body.
You can visit this newsletter 's
archive for many more ideas on healthy habits.
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Personal Ayurveda Consultations in Kalamazoo, MI
R
hond
a Egidio Ph.D., R.A.A.P, [Registered Advanced Ayurveda Profe
ssional] provides Ayurvedic assessments of primary health
concerns, diet, sleep, and lifestyle and offers Ayu
rvedic
recommendations. It may be an excellent idea to get a baseline assessment to help you apply Ayurveda knowledge in a customized way to meet your particular needs.
Check out
assessment and session options.
Rhonda Egidio, 269-345-2991
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Quotes from Evolutionary Love Relationships
by Harvey and Saade
"Love is an outpouring from the divine heart into our own hearts."
"...the work that goes into solitude, the heart work, the yearning, the longing, the deep contemplation of one's gifts and one's faults is a sacred work that is the foundation of a healthy relationship."
"Passion comes from the heart that realizes it contains the whole world."
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A Buddhist Perspective on Relationships
Dzongsar says there is no such thing as communication. He quotes the great Nyingma master, Jigme Lingpa, who said, "The moment we think, it is a confusion; and the moment we say something, it is a contradiction." To Dzongsar, there is only successful miscommunication and unsuccessful miscommunication.
Dzongsar offers s a deeply truthful message on relationships with great wisdom and engaging humor. He helps us to understand and work with the four main barriers in relationships:
Conditioning
Insecurity
Miscommunication
False Assumptions
Listen to the his smart, funny, entertaining video or read the summary article
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John Douillard
Our Nature is to Love
A
video on Loving Unconditionally on the Road Less Traveled
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Love Potion
For daily vitality and for the energy of love.
Hot Date Nut Milk 
This milk is tri-doshic when cooked in the following manner.
Soak 10 raw organic almonds and 2-3 organic Medjool dates overnight.
Peel almonds in the morning.
Bring to boil 1 ½-2 Cups raw organic whole milk, almond, or rice milk.
Put peeled almonds and milk in blender.
Add:
Peeled and pitted dates
1 tsp ghee (or up to 1Tbsp)
Ground spices-about ¼- 1/2 tsp to taste---mix of ground cardamom, cloves, and cinnamon.
Optional: add
Ayurveda herbs such as ashwagandha, shatavari, kapikacchu listed in the article on Love and Romance. Also add 1 tsp Chyawanprash.
This is a good daily nourishing breakfast drink and a good way to get your daily rejuvenative herbs.
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The Art and Science of an Uncommon Life
Some readers shared that with holiday activity they missed the January 1 newsletter mailing on "An Uncommon Life" You can read it here.
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Ojas Balls
1/2 cup almonds
1/2 cup cashews
3/4 cup maple syrup
2 Tbsp honey
2
Tbsp ghee
2
Tbsp shatavari powder
2
Tbsp ashwagandha powder
2
Tbsp rose water
Roasted Coconut for coating
Combine with all other ingredients in a food processor. Blend together until peanut butter consistency. Roll into balls and roll through roasted coconut.
Hint--you may need less maple syrup. Add a bit at a time until you get desired consistency.
Enjoy!
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More Free Guides
from
Banyan Botanicals
Check out even more free guides here on my website.
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Ayurveda information shared here is for general educational purposes and is not intended to substitute for medical or psychological advice. Please consult with a qualified medical professional in these matters.
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