Sustainable Humane Earth Permaculture Design Featured on PBS Central Texas Gardener

SHE CULTIVATES

Consulting, design, and installation, dedicated to a harmonious relationship with our community, mother earth and all beings therein, are SHE’s core services. Are you interested in growing a garden? Connect with us to learn more.

In early March of 2023 Linda from the beloved PBS Austin show Central Texas Gardener came to visit the newest of Sustainable Humane Earth Permaculture Food Forest Gardens in Georgetown, Texas.

The Garden is a true representation of Urban Permaculture Design; maximizing small amounts of space, catching and storing rain water, with multiple elements of design that reinforce stable growing seasons with changes in extreme weather and sociopolitical infrastructure changes. The way the video is edited highlights the use of “swales” or “bioswales” as part of a “rain garden.”  This is a permaculture strategy of collecting, slowing, and storing the spread of rain water through subterranean drift in soil mounds or “berms,” thus feeding the subsoil with harvested rainwater.  The essence of life, and diversity of species is found in-and-around the edges of water. In the clip Tyaga elucidates briefly how life follows the flow of water.  So, continued reinforcements of slowing, catching, and storing water are needed to channel this vital Earth resource and maximize its potential within a small urban space.

The clip highlights SHE’s main product Texas Turmeric. This is a perfect example of Permaculture Principles of Design, and proves that even within a small amount of space, with mindful permaculture design, one can even have a production garden that produces enough yield to create a business strategy around selling it.

Texas Turmeric is grown in Sustainable Humane Earth Aquaponics Media Beds. The small ponds are topped off and refilled with harvested rain water, the water is pumped using a solar pump, and the end result is a yield of fresh Turmeric Root. Then, the Herb of the Sun is processed by hand in ancient traditional methods that also reduce the carbon footprint of the product to zero or neutral. This is a methodical permaculture plan designed for all creatures and Mother Earth integration, not just human beings. Furthermore, this design creates a natural medicine with very minimal impact to the resources or environment. In fact, the impact is so low that that over time our efforts are regenerative, not merely sustainable. We are creating natural ecosystems that maintain themselves and overproduce vital-useful materials of a healthy existence, not to mention the health, longevity, and quality of life provided to the homeowners... that is simply impossible to equate.

Tyagaraja Welch, his partner Gunjen and their daughter Sriya design and create permaculture gardens all over the Central Texas area. Texas Turmeric is also growing in a simple aquaponics system at the legendary health and wellness restaurant and community center, Casa de Luz.  Lastly, if inspired and you would like to join this effort in creating a sustainable future for all creatures, Tyaga vends every Sunday at Texas Farmers Market in the Mueller area North Austin.  At the market Tyaga sells Texas Turmeric and our sister products as well as offering Permaculture Design and Education.  Our special-heart-felt-gratitude to Linda and the Staff of Central Texas Gardener. You are shepherds of a brighter world and we honor your wisdom and efforts in promoting mindfully creative gardening and gardeners across Texas and beyond.

Sustainable Humane Earth Production Bridging with Mother Awarded Nexus Artist Grant by City of Austin

Gratitude and Acknowledgment

From the time of our first small-scale, spiritual-art-community production called Art.Music.Life. in 2011; Sustainable Humane Earth has been producing and self-funding uplifting and inspiring performances and events. Tyagaraja’s newest conceptual theatre show is called “Bridging with Mother.”  With many months of work and collaboration we submitted our “Bridging with Mother” proposal for the City of Austin, Cultural Arts Funding. Our team is honored to announce we have been awarded the full amount of the Nexus Grant, and were given a score of 100% to produce our show, “Bridging with Mother.”  Being awarded the Nexus Grant is evidence of the fructification of effort, creativity, collaboration and Divine Momentum. Speaking for ourselves and many of our artist friends just like us who truly live every moment of life for their art, being awarded this grant is not only making us visible, it gives us the inspiration to move forward because our art has been deemed important and worthy to those distributing the grants. We were told that the competition was very high, for this we feel even more honored to present our art amongst those fellow artists who applied, whether granted funds or not. To all of our friends, family and colleagues that participated to make this possible we owe our deepest and Divine Gratitude to you!
 

Share, Sponsor, Participate, Volunteer

We invite our nearest and dearest, our like minded community members and those who find value in our offering, to share the Bridging with Mother outreach flyer and/or sponsor the production in any way you feel inspired, whether through your own dollars or volunteering. All participation is welcome in this worthy cause. The reality for us is that the funds will only cover renting a venue and paying the artists for their time during the performance (not including rehearsal time). There are additional expenses for which we are seeking support, and are also paying for out of our own pockets, as we have in all previous years.

We encourage you to take your time, read through the proposal, and consider how you might be able to align with our mission and contribute.

SHE Mission:
Sustainable Humane Earth empowers individuals to live a holistic earth-conscious lifestyle by producing multi-disciplinary artistic experiences that preserve indigenous art forms and provide space for connection, education, healing and food justice action while inspiring social and environmental change.

SHE Vision:
SHE centers the voices of diverse artists so they may mindfully express themselves, thereby increasing access to indigenous healing arts that inspire a deeper connection to each other, to our ancestral roots, and to Nature

Project Summary:

• Bridging with Mother”- a production of Tyagaraja’s original music, directed by Gunjen Mittal

• Inspired by classical Indian dance and art forms, philosophical definition of Sanskrit term Yoga, permaculture theory.

• Includes stage design, nature-and-spirit-inspired art, live music, dancing, acting, multimedia art, and art and wellness vendor area.

• Therefore, “Bridging with Mother,” is an artistic call to “conjoin,” or “merge,” or “become one with divine Nature."

Proposed Activities:

• Produce an experience with stage design, visual art, and a fusion of classical Indian and contemporary movement and dance, joining yogic and permaculture principles with art.

• Presenting music, lyrics, and film guiding the audience to reflect on our role on Mother Earth as mindful co-creators of our own destiny and as consumers creating waste on the planet. 

• Involve the audience by having performers move in and out of the area, performing and interacting to reinforce the idea of connection. Audience members may be prompted to: meditate, sing, dance...

• Distribute fresh fruit, ayurvedic snacks and burn fresh herbs so all senses are engaged to receive healing, wisdom and nourishment, as a symbol how art can promote a paradigm shift towards compassion and action.

• Include live plants from SHE Urban Permaculture Farm to further the immersive experience.

• Sell/give away medicinal plants, seeds and wellness products, empowering folks to grow food and increase a sense of personal sovereignty.

• Provide health and art-related info and refreshments.

• Select a venue based on access to public transportation or otherwise provide adequate transportation access.

• Maintain affordability by presenting at least one event free to attend. Subsequent ticket costs may be on a sliding scale or otherwise offered such that no one will be turned away.

• Present information via advertising and community outlets including a focus on reaching a diverse community and tourists.

Needs and addictions

Products of an Industrialized and Colonized Mind

a response to the great Texas Freeze of 2021 by Tyagaraja Welch

In the world of the privileged, what drives one to a breaking point?  Needs or Addictions?  Even those that prepared for this storm are still driven by both.  Those that could not or did not prepare are struggling even more.  For those of us that have basic needs met, it is quite easy to serve our addictions, and those without basic needs, forgo an addiction to simply survive, and sometimes feed addiction because actually surviving and living can be much harder.  I feel for all my fellow humans and creatures of this Earth.  None of us could be ready for something that has literally never happened in our lifetimes.  Because I spent so much time there and a good sum of my friends are from Houston, I will be focusing most of my energy, prayers, thoughts, and solution-based visions for them.  So many have been continuously pummeled and tortured by natural disasters, lack of smart infrastructure, and now that we have gone through the disasters and the vail has been lifted, the most oppressive form of torment Houstonians have been subjected to is the self-interests of mega conglomerate energy corporations that move money and commerce through the old oil port town.  By circumstance, I listened to a bit of John Mackey on Rogan speaking about how Capitalism is the greatest thing to happen to the modern world, and while I understand a portion of his point (education, innovation, medical advancement, etc.); it is glaringly obvious now that a structure that is designed to marginalize many and give luxury to the few is in no way sustainable. Moreover, it leads to loss of precious life, and trauma imposed during every waking and sleeping moment.  Is it not the duty of those who have to provide for those without?  Isn’t that what makes us human, the family cares for the one that cannot care for themselves… My sister works for the City of Austin.  She was the only one on her communications team with power during the freeze, she worked for her community all through the night and into the day, in a week maybe slept 10-12 hours, and still she told me she would have done what she did for free, because she cannot stop herself, when there are those in need she feels duty-bound to provide a response due to her privileged position.  And she too is human, Cara still has her breaking point.  It is in our nature to pressurize our natural systems.  Our bodies, hearts, and minds need rest, exercise and food, and there is only so long we can go without.  When I was listening to Cara’s voice on the phone I could tell she was stressed, and I wasn’t listening to what she was saying but the tone in her voice, and being that I’m psychically connected with Cara I knew what she really needed is something she has trained herself never to ask for. I’ve taught my 5-year-old daughter that feeling is “closeness…” deep love, love that is not shrunken.  Aside from our basic needs, we need closeness… we need closeness with our progeny and blood relatives, we need closeness with our friends and family.  Through the pandemic some have had extra closeness with their loved ones, and some have not, some closeness can be a wonderful thing and for others sharing space with an abuser can be dangerous.  My immediate response when my loved ones need closeness is not only hugs and warm hearts, it’s also warm food.  I made a pot of food and brought it to her because she had only eaten canned or frozen food for days.  The food I prepared for her was nourishing, and the ability to look a loved one in the eyes and give them a hug simply cannot be measured and is in desperate need well before the pandemic and especially now. 

Our basic needs, and subtle needs are what drive our decisions, wants and desires.  When I observe the disaster level lines running around grocery stores, gas stations, fast food establishments and more, like a thread pulling a needle in the heart, I can see the needs and addictions of my fellow humans and myself, in our faces, stature and demeanor.  Not being well prepared itself is a breaking point.  Some are there because of hunger, some will forgo hunger for a pack of cigarettes, whatever the need or addiction or both, our fellow creatures are driven to these measures reducing the rest of our privileged lives to trivial pursuits.  Now only the most basic needs and addictions can be met.  For the life of the Houstonian, they have seen Hurricane Alice, Katrina, Harvey and more.  Fence line communities have had toxic wastes poured into their drinking waters, creeks, rivers, and lakes.  Their stress levels and patience have been tested in more ways than one, and then a once-in-a-thousand lifetime freeze lay like an ice blanket across the city and millions are without these basic needs and addictions.  If the basics are gone what is it that makes us continue to survive…?  The will to live?  I would also say it is closeness that gets us through.  Even the thought of closeness, that deep-inner longing to be with those you love, will drive you to survival, thus one of our strongest and purest needs.  

Where are we running to serve these needs and addictions?  Where are we looking for the solutions to these issues?  We are running to corporations and grocery stores for food, we are running to capitalist and politicians to enact change.

Both the corporations at the geo-political factions exist because of Industrialization and Colonization, and John Mackey had no rebuttal on this point, because no matter the good it must be made aware that both these inherently destructive factions are the cause of not only how we got to this unsustainable infrastructure and inequality; they are also the drivers of the climate change that brought the storm here in the first place. Let’s not stop there. They are also in charge of the mind prisons we keep ourselves in because we continue to go toward these industries to produce the change.  I’m sure it is obvious by now that human beings can see clearly. Change lies within us taking care of our communities down to the tiniest worm and creature, change will rely on us getting on with or without those industries, change relies on localized food economy and a real understanding of what an intense service it is to bring that form of life to the community.  Change relies on us Integrating with Mother Nature to find the solutions to these globally transformative issues.  Instead we run toward industry, we criticize politicians that only have self-interests at heart in the first place, we run to addictions, we run to spew our feelings on social media rather than remaining inward, still, and quiet.  It is too late, and it is our fault.  We have not taken the duty-bound steps as integrated beings of this world to preserve, worship and care for it.  The changes are too massive, and the upheaval is upon us, and there’s nothing we can do about it except brace ourselves for impact.  There is nothing we can do but turn inward and find a minimalistic path forward. 

It feels ridiculous to say… in the future… let’s just say within the next year, we will be planning all year long for one “weather event.”  We are not having “seasons” anymore. We are having what I would call “weather events.”  Only two days ago it was 21 degrees with ice covered roads, death, social and economic chaos everywhere, and now it’s 78 degrees and the highways are ablaze with activity as if we should not all be trying our best to live as minimalists.  Seasons are long natural progressions in which the wildlife prepare their hibernation.  During Hurricane Harvey I told my Houston friends to observe the birds, if they heard birds chirping or saw them flying around it was a good sign that the rain is stopping, and the storm is going away.  For the winter blast, that’s how I knew how dramatic and destructive, when observing the birds I began to notice them low to the ground, as if their wings where numb and could only fly short heights and distances, and also in a somewhat incoherent way as if snow drunken, slamming into the fence and house before fasting into a tree.  I was keeping all my inventory for the farmers market in our garage with grow lights.  Even in this warm place it was close to below freezing.  I bent down to check a plant and a little yellow belly sparrow flew out of a plant and to a corner of the garage where I couldn’t see it anymore.  The wildlife was also scrambling to find refuge… not a good sign.  An Omen of what’s to come… a real look at what our choices lead to and the alignment of magnetic forces marking the turning of an era.  Clashing ideologies, war, poverty, daily choices that feed pollution, rage and addiction… To the real Mother Earth… the Shakti or the Sacred Energy that holds the Earth together… a change of a few degrees is very minor… The Earth will go on living with or without us.  It is only going to affect us, and We are the ones with the ability to integrate with nature and learn from Her, the right way forward.  

It’s never enough to point out commonly obvious societal downfalls, so what are some solutions?  I had a dear friend ask me a very corporate office type question… What is one thing you’ve gained during the pandemic and one thing you’ve lost?  For devotees it is always impossible to answer questions like this because of one simple reason… “Nothing is mine, so why would I lament if I lost or give joy when I gain?  Everything is only for the Divine Joy of participation.  All this Effort is for the Divine.”  Nothing is mine… Nothing is mine…. Those jumping in front of me at the grocery store for water or chips or whatever packaged item feeding an addiction that will run out only in a matter of days are clinging to the idea that the world is theirs, “the joys, pleasures, and pains are mine and mine only to experience.”  Our family life, our understanding, our grasp of what truly matters in life was already intact pre-pandemic, therefore other than all the other things that affected everyone else our lives remained relatively the same and thus manageable.  When I give regular Yoga Courses, one common theme is a participant saying this, “I’m here because I fell off my yoga practice and I want to get back in alignment.”  This is a noble statement and requires the most effort of the entire journey, to admit our lacking in anyway can be painful to the egoistic heart.  It is not egotistical to say that true yogic discipline grants freedom within balance.  To live and breathe a Yogic and Sanskrit based lifestyle that is devotionally oriented, we do not lose balance, we do not fall off the path, we do not lose interest, we do not loose energy, and the Vedic way is that of negation… Not this, not this, not this… THIS… We have already lived as meditating, minimal hermits, with true moral courage and devotion to a higher force.  For us the pandemic has been solely a time of reflection, an opportunity to meditate and pray for others, a way of spending time to analyze what is our role in the devastation that has brought us here in the first place?  I say all this because in order to answer a question like, “what have you gained,” I must first recognize that nothing is mine (a mentality that is free from oppressive tendencies), also because my service is for others I wish to gain nothing, and lastly there is nothing to speak of what has been lost or gained, because the gift of Sanskrit Based Yogic Living is Balance and Moral Courage. I cannot say this enough, it does not make us special. It is attainable by anyone that can sustain the balanced discipline.  When we fill a pot slowly with water, we have to keep the hand steady so the water doesn’t spill, as the pot fills it begins to become heavy, our grip and strength intensify and we hold strongly, firmly, yet with calm balance not to spill.  This is how we need to apply our force of mindful action at this moment in history.  Now, to address the question and provide some solutions.  

We have gained because we have listened to Mother Earth.  She is giving us a warning of a transformative era, an opportunity for reflection, a reset button.  We have gained because we have been honest and clear headed about our personal contributions and role in the current state of deprivation in the world.  We have gained because we have not lost the lesson, and the lesson is that the only hope is to cling like the cucumber to the vine of our Devotion (whatever it may be, if it be based in individual freedom) and live life as a minimalist.  We need look no further than the village or Indigenous Knowledge for our solutions… and by that, I mean Earth Integration.  There is no sustainability without decolonization. When I was very young and observing highways full of traffic and commerce flexing its unyielding muscles, I knew then that there could be no way we could go on like this, with that level of extreme effort to over produce.  In the village, the goods are made nearby, and traded within local areas.  The humans absorb nutrients from plants cultivated nearest to the places in which they share microbes and familial lineage.  These plants carry the updated “Pranic” (intelligent, life-sustaining energy) energy of the ever-changing Mother Earth, aiding us in our immunity and ability to truly feel life within our bodies.  One may argue that it is Capitalism that has brought about the cure to many diseases and the vaccination to many viruses, and I would argue that it is those fowl industries that bring the imbalance that creates such pandemics in the first place; furthermore, that if one thinks it is their duty to “fight off” disease then we still have a very primitive and I dare say, industrialized and colonized way of understanding virus and illness.  Just like life, illness is a teacher.  Illness comes to us to teach us something. It too is a time of fasting, reflection, deep meditation, cultivation of right thoughts, actions and attitude, illness is a great opportunity for growth and human wellness.  The illness in fact increases our immunity should we contract it and survive, because just like the locally grown plant, the illness is integrating us with what is literally blowing in the air whether we try to control it or not… I had to take a breath there…  Obviously, the solution is the “Garden.” Am I wrong…?  Through each and every hardship in our lives, the garden is always the one tangible place in which healing can be found.  That is a sign, is it not?  It’s not just the Garden… What is the reason why we feel so good in the garden…? With tears of love for Goddess it is much deeper than that, and it is what makes Gardening a true Spiritual Practice.  When we see a beautiful waterfall, ocean, river, mountains, beautiful nature place, we have that “Aha” moment that everyone longs for… What is that feeling?  That feeling is “Remembrance.”  True Spirituality and connection with the Divine feels familiar, and to the seeker it is that feeling which makes it a truth.  The feeling surging through our bodies whether we want it to or not when we are in the garden or in Deep Realms of Mother Earth, that shared human feeling is one of “Remembrance of that from which we came.”  We are nature, we came from nature.  We are blind if we think anything in a package, or made by a machine can give us a solution to the message Mother Earth is trying to give us… I not just talking about camping or going hiking and bringing all our worldliness with us.  I mean truly taking ownership of our land, our duty to it, feeling and smelling the soil and making an affirmation, that is how you will make the effort to see growing gardens through generations…  There is so much work to do, and as always, we only must get out of our own way. 

And, “What have we lost?”  We have lost only now of losing, and that moment is when we lose the lesson… when we lose the balance.  My sister felt at that moment when she had reached her breaking point that, “it was too late, People just won’t change, Greta Thunberg was right…”. Sounds pretty grim, and yea probably true.  And the moment I know that to be true is when I witness that moment of losing the lesson.  When the power came back on… what was the reaction?  Was it, “Yay!”  Well what I saw in Austin was a complete turn back to “normal” a normal that is destructive, self-centered, and wasteful.  The compassion we saw during the crisis, only came from those that are already compassionate, already leading a minimalistic life.  What of those that could use influence, that could use that, “Aha, I just saw the most amazing Ocean Scene,” kind of a moment?  Well we know from experience that we can’t change anyone else right?  So stop all the selfishness, build something that is beyond you, and look only within and to Mother Nature for that which is true and good, and seek those righteous things only with deep devotion in your heart… and all will be ok.  This life is very precious, and it is not your own, so go out and perform the duty-bound service of giving to others in whichever way your skills and devotion drive you.  

Our needs and addictions won’t likely cease.  Just as the world wobbles so do our lives, the balance comes through faith. I keep hearing a narrative passed around by corporate media pandits which is not news, it’s suggestive… “It’s as if there is a faction of this country that does not believe in Science,”  I would say that is not the problem, I would say it is the opposite, I feel that a devotional person always looks within or within prayer for the answer first, to first settle with how you “feel” about what the worldliness is imposing on you, instead of looking to science, or doctors for answers.  The modern medical field is only reactionary, it will not assist in us settling our moral dilemma and that is truly what is at stake here.  I’m not speaking of evangelical belief.  A belief system is human made and can be shattered in an instance.  Belief also leads to judgement because those beliefs stem from dogmatic authority.  I speak of faith, and faith is all internal.  Faith is simply Knowing Who You Are…  So how can one ground, reflect, and internalize their thoughts and heartfelt emotions if one is running toward modern medicine, industrialized solutions and governmental systems that seek to manipulate the whole scheme anyway?!?!?!  No, life is too precious to throw away, hours, days, and even years of our lives to be trapped in the industrialized and colonized prisons of our minds.  We walk “freely,” we enjoy the benefits of capitalism, and inwardly we are tortured by general dread of what comes next.  That is not how to live a faith driven - devotional life - that grants inner freedom through self-affirmed daily discipline.  In a world where information is fragmented, and passed through a divisive algorithmic scheme, there is little value to inner reflection, time and space and silence to be alone with ourselves and alone with our personalized relationship with the Divine… Surrendered faith grants a deep self-awareness, and the pure realization of our duty-bound service to all living beings in the Mother Earth.  If our needs and addictions are bound to us through time, and we to them, and there is no sight of separating us from them. It is my vision that we must seek to serve those needs and addictions with each other.  If we continue to run to those that oppress us for our answers, we will be asking to be stuck in that wheel forever.  Now is the time to just get on with it and never ask permission.  Build your gardens of love, build your communities, communicate in person, in private and with hugs.  Commune with your elders and value something sacred that you can hold as unshakable faith.  Allow the sacred to be your polestar and mindful, informed, smart, conscious decision making will naturally follow in place.  The world will likely be unrecognizable in the very near future, what will my daughter and future generations be walking or born into?  It is our duty to support them now, mindfulness is not inaction or reaction, Mother Earth knows the way… we need to be clear and conscious enough to listen… 

Observances in Crisis

Mindful Awareness through the Lens of Permaculture and Sanskrit Heritage

by Tyagaraja Welch

In times of tragedy and great crisis, a human being leans towards ideas of purpose and meaning to life.  “What is this all for?,”  “Why are we here?,”  “Where do we come from?,” “What is the meaning of life?,”  “What is my purpose in life, and how do I fulfill it?”  To me, before we can answer any of those questions, it important to observe…  Through this observation comes my first realization that so called “purpose,” is self-implied.  We are the only species on Earth that seeks purpose or meaning.  The Lion does not question its purpose while devouring prey, the plant does not question its purpose whilst creating thousands of seeds to preserve its species, the fungal food web or mycelium does not think of the meaning of life while spreading in soil underneath our feet to give life and nutrients to plant roots.  Therefore, if purpose is a human attribute, and self-implied, it must mean two things:  Purpose is subjective and individual and must be realized through a process of individual intention and action.  Utilizing deep reflection to find this purpose, one cannot start with these “why” questions.  First one must establish, “What are we?”  The only way to serve the question “why” is with the question “what” … In a modern world, with modern dilemma, we humans are looking to technology through our industrialized and colonized minds.  Within our current plight I can feel us being shaken to our senses.  Within a blink of an eye the industrialized world and colonized world can vanish.  The Vedic proverb is true, if you lose, don’t lose the lesson.  What is the lesson to be learned from this?  The lesson is my original question… What are we and Where did we come from?  When one comes to a mighty waterfall, or stands at the edge of the world along a vast coastal ocean, or bathes in a sacred river, what is the first organic response?  When this question is presented in our Yogic Workshops, 90% of the participants answer with not a word, they answer with a sound… “Aaaahhh.”  This ah sound of relief has the hidden answer to ALL human dilemma.  If we are mindful and connected with experiencing our present moment the “aaaahhh” sound is an “Ah Ha” moment.  The moment of awakening.  The deeper one goes into the topic the more questions arise.  What is the “Ah Ha” moment?  Spirituality in its purest sense is “remembrance.”  The reason why your faith or individual spirituality feels so right, pure and true to you is because it feels familiar - something you always thought and couldn’t quite put your finger on - like the moment when your hand opens the door to your own house - you feel at peace, safe and familiar with the surroundings.  The reason we have these moments of remembrance and peace in the vast expanse of nature (removed from metropolis, pollution, political/social turmoil, etc.) is because we came from nature.  We are the soil, we are earth, water, air and light… and something subtle, like the darkness of space, that makes up how we think and feel.  We are Mother Earth.  Upon having this subtle experience and connecting it with Sanskrit based heritage of who we are and why we are here, it took a matter of seconds for the remembrance to transform to realization.  We will not find the answers to the deeper questions of life through technology and AI (artificial intelligence.)  It is only intelligent because it has been programmed to be that way, yet the modern society of privileged humans that use those devices apply too much faith in them for their answers.  Mother Earth is our natural supercomputer that not only holds the mystery to our deepest yearning, SHE is quite literally designed to show us the WAY.  

Mother Earth has all the answers we seek and the way to find those answers is through what I have become to call Earth Integration or EI.  It is also common for the general population to become trapped within a colonized mind and looking toward political leaders or oppressors to solve these issues, and if they fall short, relinquish our energy in debating and blaming them.  We also cannot simply bounce between News and Netflix - stoking fear then running to entertainment to think we will learn from the mistakes we have made.  The reality is that we all have played our role in landing in this volatile and fragile moment, and disaster capitalism wants us to stay trapped between fear and consumption.  How will we progress further without deep reflection?  How will find deep reflection if not quietly and mindfully integrated with nature.  Mother Earth is not in imbalance, we humans are the imbalance and SHE is indiscriminately restoring that balance within single gusts of wind.  How many have turned away from their media to look to nature for the answers they seek?  The ones who have may realize it’s not an outside force that is the problem.  The issues are largely individual and until we wake up to our own contributions we cannot expect the world to move toward progressive solutions.  How much plastic waste did “I” contribute? How much gas, travel, and how large is my carbon footprint?  Mother Earth is screaming at us not to run to technology and entertainment to find the answers, HER prolonged yell is designed for us to stop (meditation or dhyana) and reflect (the process of viveka and vichara looking within through a process of discriminating realization and self application of everlasting principles.)  The answer is that our single role and duty as human beings is to integrate with nature and the solution is to design a world that is equanimous and sustainable for ALL living beings for thousands of years to come.  This means, localized food economy, less wasteful global transit, living as a minimalist, establishing urban food forests, building up and co-conspiring with disenfranchised communities, cultivating a lifestyle of right values, mindfulness and holistic treatment of our trauma, pain and suffering.  The previous list is the ideal of EI or Earth Integration and could be the deeper lesson we draw from this precious moment as one global community, and the only way we will reach this elevated consciousness is to integrate with nature, reflect and act with the realization of the true duty of the human soul… Service or Seva. 

The Modern vs Traditional Yoga Dilemma

The Modern vs Traditional Yoga Dilemma through the heart of a devotee...  

Who is this?

ask the question "What is Yoga and where did it come from?" 

In January of 2017 I wrote this statement….

“Namaste Divine Friends and Family.  I will be taking an extended break from social media.  It’s time to retreat into art and raising my baby and cultivating ways to silence and peace.  It is most certainly a troubling time and now more than ever do we need our spiritual discipline and togetherness.  In a completely 100% related topic I will also be refraining from “selling” any Sanskrit/Yogic wisdom.  Meaning after the Texas Yoga Conference in Feb, I am taking an indefinite break from sharing or teaching classes.  I have discovered some things about my path as an educator in this field.  I will be writing an article about it, and basically the overarching theme is the marketing, selling, cultural appropriation and materialization of the process of educating someone in Yogic Wisdom has pulled us far away from the original intention and even the true “definition” of the word Yoga.  So if you value the authenticity we have to offer and have the dedication and discipline to honestly incorporate it into your lives, then kindly personally reach out to me, I will only always do this for free, in my own home, or in a gathering of people that have true yearning.  I will try my best not to fall into coercing people or baiting someone into a class or workshop with prescription based methods or secret monetary agendas.  It is truly unfortunate that even those with pure and divine intentions in this field are forced to use these methods.  Yoga is a holistic system and will not grip and sustain life if the values, philosophy and other disciplines are not intact.  So I will not perpetuate this major dilemma of the modern Yoga studio world...  One may not realize how difficult it is to survive (literally survive with food and shelter) as an educator in this field or an artist for that matter... and sometimes it feels as though the modern world is designed to crush you... And truly sometimes the only way back to your positive mind is to surrender all that over to what we may relate to as a source of Divinity.  So with all surrender I’m trying my best to let go and let God, and have that Divine Energy precipitate down into my worldly woes...  I will be available through email or phone if you happen to know my digits.  My door is always open to true seekers that wish to make this a part of their daily lives.  I will always make art, work in sustainable permaculture, education of children, and all the wonderful dances of this amazing world.  For now I say fair well to the cesspool of “chitta vrrtti” that is social media.  I will come back to you fresh with more mind dumps and musings, and continue my journey to inspire.  Life can be unpredictable and my feelings may change with time, but for now, this is the water I’m swimming in... Love and heart felt prayers to you all in this difficult time.  Peace and Light, Namaskaromi, Tyagaraja”

How did a highly skilled educator, and genuine, dedicated and authentic seeker come to this conclusion? 

“The Walk in Welcome” Devaluing - Dilution - Disfunction

I was first certified through The Yoga Institute of Lex Gillan, one of the oldest established Yoga institutions in the United States. When deciding to write this piece I knew I would need to speak with someone who has actually lived through modern changes in the yoga world.  Lex first heard of Yoga in the 1960s when he was 16.  He began offering Yoga classes in Houston in 1973.  In his early days Lex offered a tiered class system for his Yoga studio format.  Even if one was an advanced practitioner one would still have to join at the beginning and go through the system.  “There were few if any drop-in classes until the mid-to-late 1980’s, and I myself never did them,” Lex continued, “Yoga has been taught for 800 years with a grade level format with single teachers or a lineage of teachers; it was only once Bikram, Iyengar and Pattabhi Jois became popular did we see the an explosion of the “drop-in class.”  In a structural grade level format, yet students would stay longer, benefit greater, and truly zone in on a practice that can integrate into their everyday lives."  The demographic of client that enjoys this system today are usually above the age 40 or a rare breed of focused dedicated youth.  “For years The Yoga Institute was the only studio in Houston. In those days there were only a few styles of yoga being taught, now The Yoga Journal has a national directory of over 51 different styles, the majority of those are linked to the modern Yogic Guru's coming from India in the 60s and 70s."

It can be argued that the drop-in classes opened up the “experience” of “yoga” to a broader demographic of seeker.  There are several points that meet at a crossroad in this precise dilemma; a few main questions can be taken up which will span several topics.  First, what is the definition of “Yoga” according to the perfected vibrational philosophy from which it is born, as defined in Yoga Sutra and Ancient Vedic Shashtra. The verb root yuj, of Yoga, means to conjoin, to bridge, to create union.  More questions arise, union to what, between whom?  Yoga Sutra defines that union as a cessation of chitta virtti or mind fluctuations (in this case heart fluctuations because the mind is defined as latent samskara experience of being alive deep within the heart).  Through the arrest of the mind fluctuations the seer meets the seen and the seeker can witness the “True Self.” I know it’s long winded, and it needs to be.  We are subtle beings, the philosophy is even more subtle and is fundamental in the understanding of the Wisdom Teachings.  So, does any of this description sound physical?  You will hear many “Yoga teachers” say Yoga is more than just the physical practice, and then go into 5 minutes of breathing and 1.5 hours of sun salutations and exercise based on yogic postures.  What standard is set?  If a yoga studio is primarily focused on the body and prescription based “Yoga” that is what will be perpetuated in that seeker.  Yes, this is with full understanding that everyone is in their own place and on their own path, and true Yoga will meet that seeker where they are.  However it is far more discouraging to a seeker that is not focused in the body that wants healing, meditation or peace and doesn’t have a mechanism of understanding to reach it, and that seeker goes into an “All Level Flow” class and becomes discouraged by the image of “fit body yoga.”  That to me is a great tragedy, and more so speaks the exact opposite of the root definition of the Sanskrit word Yoga.  

More questions, and more clarity… The Yogic Postures are known as Asana.  The Sanskrit word Asana literally translates as, "seat," so already that gives an image of stillness.  Specifically related to Yoga Vinyasa, for lack of better phrasing asana can be viewed as, steadiness, complete stillness with grace and ease in a particular posture.  So it means stillness.  In order to have Yoga, “union with your True Self,” one must establish asanasthiti, comfortable stillness.  Yoga Vinyasa is the phrase people are mistaking to mean, “flow.”  Flow is constant movement.  Yoga Vinyasa actually means a sequence or series of breath-based postures that lead toward complete stillness and ease within that particular asana.  Constant movement increases the heart rate in which breathing cannot be steady and properly matched to the movement which is by definition aerobic exercise.  A more expansive definition of Yoga Vinyasa could be defined as meditative postures synchronized to deep yogic breathing which lead to steadiness and meditation.  As the heart rate increases, so does the rajasic (unsettled, restless) tendency of the samskara (latent memories) in the heart.  When the heart rate is slowed through pranayama (life-force control) and awareness, the heart-mind fluctuations or chitta vrtti can more easily come to rest and for longer durations.  Unbeknownst to the modern seeker, they are arriving at a “drop in all levels class” with no real understanding of the true intention of yoga, and that cycle is continuously perpetuated, and the seeker goes on and on shopping around never gaining any ground in a singular method, with a singular authentic source, and now we are in the dilemma in the modern yoga world of dabbling in superficial "yoga" and spiritual materialism, which is a direct perversion to the original sacred principles.  

I am a solutions based thinker and there are many to be had for this dilemma.  As a Yoga studio, being very clear and upfront with the seeker about these concepts before they sign the waiver as a new student, it will be clear what they are “experiencing.”  I will be blunt… every, “core power,” or “flow” I have attended, including those of high level “A-list” celebrity “yoga teachers,” has been what I call, "Exercise based on Yogic Postures".  Being blunt and calling something what it is from the outset does positive things, and this to me is just one solution to killing once and for all the “drop-in” class.  Those seekers that are interested in Exercise Based on Yogic Postures have that broad surface level landscape to tinker in, and those seekers that want depth and focus can be shown the true aspects of Yogic Living through an authentic source.  There is a right “teacher” for every path to meet that seeker where they are.  There is a solution for every challenge of the modern yoga world and those solutions can be found in authentic training of human excellence, which is the process of living in Sacred Wisdom Teachings through an authentic Guru Lineage or Familial Lineage.  

Filter of a filter of a filter

It seems to me that friends of mine and I are of a rare breed.  I do not mean that in a hierarchical context; simply, we are rare.  Even the sources of authentic heritage itself is rare, secret and hard to come by.  My story can provide a brief context.  When I became certified as a yoga teacher at the 200 hour level, I felt that I actually knew nothing, and was uncomfortable to teach, so I refrained, as I’m sure is the experience with many new teachers.  However I couldn’t let it die; there was something born in me of a complete transformation.  I sent the thought into the ether that I desperately yearned for an authentic guide or Guru.  I have since come across both frauds and authentic pure-hearted traditions.  I am fully aware that taking a Guru in the modern day can be risky and there are money-greedy con artists wearing robes.  However, the wisdom teachings are also purely preserved by authentic traditions as well.  They are available to the seeker with pure yearning, and even they can get caught in the muck of spiritual materialism and cultural appropriation.  Which shows the sign of the times of Kali Yuga… The Dark Ages.

We now have 200 hour level teachers instructing “exercise based on yoga,” that have learned through a filter of a filter and on and on.  Even the so-called "teacher" is unaware of the true meanings of the words they are using, so for certain the mind fluctuations will be imbalanced in the seeker.  It is very rare that the yoga instructor has the authentic training to be qualified to offer that wisdom to the public.  And the teacher can tout their record and portfolio and still will be void of true understanding of Sanskrit tenants, and that will also be present in the daily life of that so called teacher - constant wavering of the path, confusion, insecurity, uncertainty and so on.  

I simply cannot relate to the fear of surrendering completely to a path or teacher.  I have had friends in the Rock 'n Roll business tell me, “Man I just can’t deal with all those rules and superstitions.”  There can be an over emphasis on the paradigm of discipline.  However, that is the beauty of surrender to an authentic ancient tradition and how the seeker can know for certain they have arrived at the right path.  Through the disciplines of the right path the seeker is set free from the throes and bangs of the misery of daily life.  They are set free from addiction, over emotionalism, and attractions of the modern world that keep one stuck in a cycle of the senses.  So the mark of an authentic path is that the teachings are driving the individual toward human excellence and ultimate freedom.  If the seeker is bound to external ritual and addicted or clinging to the personality of teacher the path is obviously not true Yoga.  The modern seeker is unknowingly stuck in a cycle of dibble-dabble in this and that until the courses that they offer are such a hybrid conglomeration of teachings that there is nothing left for the seeker to practically apply to daily life experience.  Integrating with an authentic path and lineage is also in keeping with the “way to learn” Yoga.  The teacher, guide, or Guru can learn the tendencies of the seeker and give aid to the blossoming of abilities and positive qualities as well.  This relationship is cultivated over a lifetime.  Yogic discipline takes a lifetime to fully absorb, hence the traditions of old walk in this same fashion. 

Adi Shankaracharya of mid 500BC, one of the greatest monks of India, giving discourse to  the Guru lineage, in the Sanskrit based Shurthi Smurthi method... 

I attended a riveting discourse delineation of Yoga Sutra by Srivasta Ramaswami.  Even Ramaswami-ji warned the seekers that finding the proper translation of Yoga Sutra can be difficult, because, and I quote, “One yoga teacher read a so called commentary on yoga sutra and wrote another commentary, another one read this commentary and wrote their own commentary.”   Ramaswami-ji emphasized the importance for an individual sharing Yogic Wisdom based in Sanskrit to have authentic training from a qualified lineage of dissemination.  The word for word description of the Sanskrit words is alone very powerful though still not enough.  Proper historical reference points, real commentary of Vedic Masters such as Sage Vyasa to parallel the compact Sutra with other Sanskrit based references - all this is needed, and the time spent to ruminate and integrate afterward is also needed, which almost disqualifies me from teaching. I simply have not had the wisdom years on the planet to offer a complete system.  I use this analogy often: An electrician needs 10,000 hours of in the field experience to receive an “electrician certificate,” the yoga teacher needs 200 hours of unregulated training to teach professionally.  There are far more intricacies to the heart and the human mind than the electrical wiring in a building.  I feel this ratio shows us that more depth and experience is needed.  Truly the only source to find such levels of understanding are the headwaters of the mountains in which the Sanskrit wisdom is birthed.  Certain Guru lineages, familial traditions, and householder traditions have been preserved from time immemorial.  Some say it is due to the karmic destiny of the seeker to wander upon such pricelessness. You do not find and seek out this level of authenticity. When the yearning is pure in the seeker, this wisdom responds swiftly and accordingly. 

Misinterpretations of Sanskrit Wisdom Teachings

Without the authentic dissemination of Sanskrit Wisdom it will be near impossible for a “teacher” to present the complete paradigm.  First, some linguistic context...  The word Sanskrit itself can be translated literally as, “san” without, “krit” critique, or that which is already perfected.  To clarify, it is not teaching us that we cannot ask questions and have our own system of discernment.  It is not teaching “blind faith.”  The definition of the word Sanskrit reveals the fact that it is superficial to call Sanskrit a “language.”  Sanskrit is formed through bija mantra (seed sounds) or the Sanskrit alphabet and these sound partitions have never evolved. The pronunciation, conjugations, and meanings have have a vast ocean of variety and interpretation   - from ancient times onward.  Other “languages” have evolved a great deal through modern times.  Also, Sanskrit is a phonetic language, which means it is vibrations of living sound -  pure light, that which is already perfected. I won’t go on about pronunciation because I have already written a piece on this topic, and it can be argued (http://tyagaraja.com/2015/02/importance-of-sanskrit-pronunciation/.)  I do feel that pronunciation is crucial along with the pure intentions of the chanter.  Because Sanskrit is a living vibration, when uttered, the purpose of chanting Sanskrit is to bring alive in the physical world the subtle understanding of that which is being chanted.  Even simple words carry so much past-time and philosophy.  The correct understanding of a simple word can even clearly bring about physical integration into a yoga vinyasa practice. 

Examples are always better than precept.  Take the sanskrit word “Tadasana,” the accurate pronounciation would be “Talasana” where the tongue touches the roof of the mouth and the nasal “d” becomes almost a nasal “L” sound.  So already 90% of teachers I’ve heard, even the most sincere ones, are saying this word incorrectly.  In every class I’ve attended this word has been defined as “Mountain Pose.”  In our understanding the phrase mountain pose is found in the Vinyasa for Parvatasana, “parvat” means hill or mountain.  The true definition of Tadasana is also the definition of how to practice the Vinyasa, (sequences related to this particular asana).  Tadasana means swaying tree, or a tree that bends in strong winds yet doesn’t break, like a palm tree.  Tadasana Vinyasa utilizes the full extent of the spine and the arms and legs.  Already there is more clarity. If the word meant mountain then it makes the seeker feel and think, stiff, strong stillness.  One does gain strong stillness through Tadasana, but it is through flexibility and resilience of the spine and proper use of ujjayi pranayama.    

  There are endless such examples.  I believe the point is clear.  When seeking to understand Sanskrit Wisdom, you must ensure you receive that wisdom through authentic sources.  

Selling Prescription Based Yoga

As a modern Yoga community we have fallen into what can be called “prescription based yoga.”  While it may be true that shirsasana (headstand) may be good for giving balance to the entire parasympathetic nervous system, kapalapathi pranayama can clean the guts and the mind; if other aspects of life are not in line with Yogic Principles, the effects of specific poses will have minimal to zero value.  The lifestyle of a Sanskrit based seeker or those that practice Yogic Mindfulness is a holistic system.  If the diet is not in line, the pranayama will be of no use.  If the pranayama cannot be done, the healing aspect of the breath cannot be moved into the joints and neuromuscular junctions.  If the body is uncomfortable and immobile it can be very difficult to take in sacred philosophical tenants.  It may be well known that cultivating an all-around healthy lifestyle of mindfulness is the bases of a balanced and integrated Yogic discipline, yet rarely is it fully established in the seekers daily life.  When a seeker asks a teacher, “I’m having lower back pain what should I do?” and the teacher shows a series of poses without mentioning right diet, mindfulness, and other tenants, the physical positions will have little to no use.  Furthermore, this action simply reinforces the practitioner toward the body, toward the physical, toward the most narrow and limited aspect of Yogic healing.  

In Conclusion - Modern vs Traditional Yoga

There is no escaping modern life’s imprint on Yogic Living.  It is still strange for me to say the phrase, “let’s go do some yoga,” or “I’m going to take a yoga class.”  A statement better reflecting understanding might be, “I will engage a discipline of Yoga Vinyasa Krama, followed by a series of pranayama, which leads toward Upasana and Samadhi."  It takes much longer to say all that, and it needs to take longer.  The clarity is important for the wisdom to sink into the heart and never be forgotten, to never waver, to always be balanced and steadfast on the right path.  If I were to title my classes, "Yoga Vinyasa Krama, with Pranayama and Meditation", no one would show up.  And the fact of the matter is that marketing “Yoga” has diluted that wisdom to a detriment.  Now we must work our way backwards, uncover our misunderstanding and move forward with the right concepts and clarity.  We cannot escape modernization of Yogic Wisdom, and there has been some good that has come out of it.  Lex Gillan says, “Recently I’ve been partnering with Baylor College of Medicine and other research over the last 2 years on a response to a top rated Houston High School looking to incorporate a required course for all new 9th grade students to combat the high stress of students.”  So clearly, in this case, it is a good thing that the idea that Yoga and Meditation have positive benefits has spread to the masses.  When asked what advice or predictions Lex had to offer he said, “Folks coming through certification in the beginning were the “old-timers," even if just for themselves.  I used to tell them to open studios and spread the dharma in their communities.  Now I don’t.  The teacher trainees these days are mostly young people, and to them I say go out and volunteer time, and get some classes under your belt before opening a studio.”  Lex continues, “There is no comparison between now and the 70s.  I’m old school.  There’s no breathing and meditation being taught, it’s mostly focused on the body.”  To find an authentic tradition in such a trying and materialistic time is a very rare and sacred thing.  To the one that finds it or the one It finds, blessings proceed.  We are stuck here in this Kali Yuga, there is nothing we can do about that, yet there is something that can be done to gain the right clarity and make it a duty to live out these principles in the daily life.  

Hari Om Tat Sat

Jai Guru Dev

Jai Maa

(Interview was with Lex Gillan founder of the Yoga Institute Houston and Santa Fe.)