HeyMonicaB: A Blooming Resource on Ayurveda

This is the 2nd part of The Five Senses. If you haven’t already, you may want to check out part 1 first.

We hear. Our delicate ears. Our ears are just one of the 5 senses that brings us information and if used as intended, keeps us balanced and healthy. The elements that govern our ears are space and air. By now you should know which dosha is the energy of air and space…Vata! Yep! Anything in excess aggravates vata, so we have to be gentle with our ears.

Have you ever lived or worked where there was construction going on upstairs or across the street? Madness! Makes me absolutely mental. How about a police siren that blows by or a garbage truck that interrupts your sleep. Or what about loud office chatter when you are trying to concentrate? It affects your mind, right? You can feel it in your physical body – maybe you tighten up or are unable to concentrate or maybe you get angry.

Now!! Good sounds! How do you feel when you hear a gospel or children’s choir. Do you get goosebumps or teary-eyed? What about hearing the jingle your dog’s collar when they are walking through the house? A child’s giggle? Ah, big love. (If I touch a string cheese wrapper my dog appears in no time!)

Think about the voices of Carol Burnett and…John Madden…or your mom. We immediately know it’s them and we don’t even have to see their face. We paint a detailed picture in our minds simply based on the sound of their voice!

So! Our ears give us a TON of information and we have to be mindful of what we fill them with. Obviously the more pleasant the better, but sometimes we are not conscious of it. A good rule of thumb to follow is whatever “rubs you the wrong way” – either don’t listen or, find some quiet and peace as soon as you can. Do Nadi Shodhanam if necessary to calm you down. There is an entire veda (Ayurvedic ancient script) written on sound and mantras. The information is written in verse so that it is easier and more beautiful to remember. Cool, hey?

Some good sounds:
• chanting/mantras
• crickets
• classical music or “chill music” (I should make a playlist for you! noted. will do)
• wind chimes
• a fountain
• tree leaves and branches blowing in the wind

Other things for the ears:
• Use 3-5 drops of sesame oil in the ears if you wake up in the night (vata insomnia. needs oleation and warmth for grounding. vata is in the ears…get how this works?)
• Don’t stick anything into your ear canal!
• Rub essential oils on the ear lobes
• Keep them covered in the wind and cold, especially wind! (vata will easily aggravate which could cause ear infections and a slew of other vata-related problems)
• Wear ear plugs at concerts to keep vata pacified
• Don’t listen to any music that is not pleasing to you. If you don’t like it, you don’t have to listen to it!!

So, that’s ears. In part 3 we will talk about how we use our eyes and what we see for our healing.