Marina Baroni, Dipl. Ayu.

Mercury entered the sign of Pisces on February 27th and will remain there till May 4th.  Mercury in Pisces is debilitated.  What does that mean?

Each planet rules one or two signs in the zodiac.  When a planet is transiting over or is placed in the sign it rules in your natal horoscope it is considered strong, comfortable in its own environment.  For example Mercury rules Gemini and Virgo, so Mercury transiting or placed in either Gemini or Virgo will express its ability of communicating, teaching and learning in a very natural manner. If Mercury is placed in Leo in your horoscope your communication style will be more dramatic, authoritative and fiery and so forth.

Mercury is the planet of intellect, speech, mathematics, analysis and logic. Pisces is the sign of intuition, spirituality, non-linear thinking, inspiration: these are all foreign qualities to Mercury’s nature and that is why Mercury is considered debilitated in Pisces.

During the next couple of months we have the opportunity to experience our intellect and thinking mind in a different way.  You may notice being more intuitive than normal, more drawn to spiritual or creative experiences, inspired to participate in charitable work.  You might get a glance of the bigger picture, the deeper meaning of what is happening around you.  And at times you might feel a bit distracted, not completely grounded…just remember Mercury is in Pisces!

Have you ever noticed that there is hardly any time during your day when you are not tensing the muscles of your neck?  Touch them gently right now as you read: do they feel soft or hard?  And what about when you cook, swim, walk, sit, talk on the phone or even sleep?

Whenever you drop your eyes to read something, the head bends down and the neck tenses.  The longer you stay in that position the harder it is to revert to a neutral, balanced state.  When you look up again, the head may stay forward, the body slumped.  That could become your habitual “posture”.  This is just a hypothetical example of how daily, unconscious body misuse can transform the way our body functions.

Put a hand below your skull and turn your head from side to side.  Can you feel your neck muscles getting stiffer as you move?

Lay on your back with your knees bent and feet on the floor.  Take some time to tune into your body.  Feel different points on your body touch the floor, while others may float.  Allow your head to move from side to side while releasing your neck muscles.

Sit up and observe whether or not your neck feels differently as you turn your head.  Pay attention if you overtense the neck muscles when you pick up something.  Using only the minimum strength necessary to perform a movement will allow you to save an incredible amount of energy during your day!

 According to Yoga and Ayurveda the human Mind is organized into 3 qualities or gunas: Sattva, Rajas and Tamas.  Sattva is clarity, intelligence, harmony and stability; Rajas is activity, change, stimulus and disturbance; Tamas is inertia, obstruction, heaviness, delusion and lack of awareness.

All 3 gunas are necessary for life and any mental process. For example, an idea can be seen as an expression of Sattva, when it’s brought into action Rajas will be the dominant energy and the completion of that action happens thanks to Tamas.

When Sattva is predominant in our nature we strive towards peace and harmony and our lifestyle choices reflect that. When Rajas is the main energy in our system there is excessive activity, an exaggerated goal oriented attitude, the mind is agitated and it can lead to chronic dissatisfaction. A Tamas predominant nature expresses itself as stagnation, blockage, a tendency towards depression and lack of initiative.

A balanced lifestyle supports Sattva guna and our health. Excessive activity (Rajas) will deplete our system and lead to exhaustion. Too much sleep and inactivity (Tamas) dulls the Mind and can lead to depression.

Keep your gunas in check!

Your Moon sign is a very important part of your horoscope. In vedic astrology it is referred to as janma rasi, “birth sign”. The nakshatra or star in which your Moon is placed in is also of great significance.

It takes 2 1/2 days for the Moon to travel through a zodiac sign and about 1 day to move through each nakshatra.

The Moon represents the mind, the way you perceive the world, your emotional nature, your ability to nurture and connect with others, your potential for popularity and fame, your ability to create happiness and peace of mind.

From a physical and health point of view the position of the Moon in your astrological chart reveals the quality of your sleep and emotional wellbeing. It tells you about the condition of your bodily fluids, heart, stomach, breasts, white blood cells and face.

The Moon’s energy is cooling in nature. Gazing at or meditating on a full Moon calms the mind and the nervous system. It’s a great practice for anyone, especially individuals of fiery nature.

Ginger, Zingiber officinale

In Ayurveda ginger is referred to as vishwabheshaja, “universal medicine”, the remedy for almost all diseases, especially for Vata and Kapha disorders.

Dry and fresh ginger have slightly different properties. Dry ginger is drier and hotter.  It needs to be used with caution by individuals with high Pitta who suffer from heartburn, gastritis and ulcers.

Both fresh and dry ginger are great home remedies for a cough or cold. Ginger has antispasmodic and expectorant properties, helping with asthmatic conditions and respiratory disorders, clearing phlegm from the lungs.

Ginger stimulates the digestive fire and the secretion of digestive enzymes. It helps in case of indigestion, nausea (including morning and travel sickness), loss of appetite, vomiting, gas and abdominal pain.

Ginger is also used to relieve menstrual cramps, arthritis and improve circulation.

Preparation and Dosage:

Fresh Ginger Tea: 1 inch fresh peeled, grated or sliced ginger, steep in one cup of hot water for 10 minutes

Dry Ginger Tea: ½ teaspoon of ginger powder, steep in one cup of hot water for 10 minutes.

Externally dry ginger powder can be used as a paste or mixed with massage oil to reduce chills, swelling, hypothermia and rheumatoid arthritis.

Contraindications: Do not use in high Pitta conditions such as heartburn, gastritis, ulcers, inflammatory skin conditions. Do not take ginger with blood thinning medications. Avoid large doses during pregnancy.

Marina Baroni is happy to welcome you to her first website that features her Ayurvedic Medicine Practice, The Alexander Technique and Vedic Astrology’s understandings and readings.

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Marina Baroni is a member of NAMA – National Ayurvedic Medical Association. She received her Diploma in Ayurvedic Sciences from the Ayurveda Institute of America. She specializes in Ayurvedic diet and lifestyle, Ayurvedic herbal remedies and women’s health.

Marina provides Ayurvedic holistic healing services  to individuals seeking treatment in the greater Los Angeles area including Beverly Hills, Santa Monica, Hollywood and Culver City California.

Schedule your 1st Ayurvedic Consultation today and start realizing your innate vibrant health and well-being.  Click here for her Ayurvedic Healing  testimonials, here to review her Ayurvedic Services & Fee Schedules or here to schedule your Vedic Astrology Readings.