The southern path of the sun; watching sunsets; morning light

The Adiveda Weekly #9

Jul 17, 2022

Hari Aum Sadhakas!

This week the sun started its journey to the south on the 14th of July, heralding the start of Dakshinayanam. Those of you who are used to observing the path of the sun and watching sunrises and sunsets daily, will notice that there is a dramatic change of direction from this day onwards.

The Hindu way of life

The Hindu year is divided into two halves of six months each. These are called Uttarayanam and Dakshinayanam. Uttarayanam starts on January 14th and ends on July 14th. Dakshinayanam starts on July 14th and ends on January 14th. These dates may vary slightly in some years. In Uttarayanam the sun starts its journey towards the north and the northern hemisphere starts to enjoy spring and summer. In Dakshinayanam (dakshina is south and ayanam is path) the sun appears to make a dramatic turn and retraces its steps towards the south thus heralding the beginning of autumn and winter in the northern hemisphere.

Reflection of the week

“Spare a moment to think how incredible it is to be alive and healthy. To be able to bask in the sunshine, smell and feel the wind on your face and to enjoy the gifts of life.”

For your everyday practice

The Ramayana Masam starts today. Read at least one chapter of the Sri Rama Lila daily or listen to the podcast.

⁣The Ramayana is considered a Veda, which was revealed to us by the sage Valmiki. The Supreme Being, who is known only through the Vedas, manifested himself as Rama, the son of Dasaratha. This month of Shravana, starting tomorrow (17th of July), is dedicated to the reading of the Ramayana. In Rama, God took on a human form with all its frailties in order to show us how our aspirations for a dharmic life can be fulfilled. One may well marvel that this story, based on local episodes, has had worldwide appeal and continues to cast its spell through the ages.

Listen on Spotify here:

For your health and well-being

Expose your body to morning light.

Morning light exposure has effects on the mind through acting on the brain’s circuitry. When we wake up way past dawn, work in an office all day long, and come home after sunset, our exposure to the natural ebbs and flows of the sun’s natural light is severely compromised. Long term, such compromise has adverse effects on our hormones and our mental health. To fix this cycle, try to wake up around sunrise everyday. After waking up, go to your bedroom window and look outside for a few minutes. If you can, consider stepping outside for 10-15 minutes and have the sun’s early morning rays fall on your skin for an even better effect.

By Dr. Poorna Menon, Doctor of Naturopathic Medicine

From Vanamali Mataji’s desk

The rishis said that one human year is the equivalent of one divine day of the gods. The six months of Uttarayanam is their daytime and the six months of Dakshinayanam is their night. This period is best for doing any type of spiritual sadhana (spiritual practice) and hence it is known as sadhana pada. All types of meditation, yoga, pranayama or anything which is conducive to our spiritual evolution is best practised during this period. So everyone, whether, they belong to the yogic system or not, should try and spend some time in spiritual pursuits since it will yield maximum benefits.