True to Yourself Podcast 18: Getting Grounded on Your Spiritual Journey with Ananta Ripa Ajmera

Discover the key to finding spiritual grounding amidst the chaos of our modern world. In a world filled with distractions, it's easy to lose sight of our inner light. But fear not, as I bring you the ancient mythological story of Goddess Shailputri to support you to reconnect with your true Self. Shailputri embodies the essence of stability, grounding, and strength within your very own root chakra. Through her story, you'll learn to find your spiritual footing, even in the midst of challenging everyday experiences.

I open up and share my personal journey, from being a worldly, approval-seeking individual to becoming a deep spiritual seeker. You'll hear firsthand how I discovered the path to inner fulfillment and profound transformation that followed.

But that's not all. This episode includes a special practice designed to bring you back to your center in a matter of seconds. Whenever you feel scattered or out of sorts, this practice will ground you and help you regain grounding and stability.

Podcast cover photo copyright www.lizdaly.com.

Resources:

Visit www.theancientway.co/links for the latest from my organization, The Ancient Way

Embrace your true Self with the wisdom of the ages by joining The Ancient Way's Wisdom 1-2-3 Newsletter at https://theancientway.co for:

• 1 wisdom quote straight from an age-old sacred text

• 2 nuggets of inspiration from me, to make that wisdom relatable

• 3 introspective questions to awaken your inner guru, no matter how packed your schedule is

Connect with me on Instagram for spiritual empowerment, inspiration and guidance to awaken your inner guru: www.instagram.com/ananta.one

Embark upon a heroic spiritual journey with daily rituals from the ancient Indian goddess tradition in my award-winning book, The Way of the Goddess: www.theancientway.co/wayofthegoddess

Grow, learn, heal, and nourish your body, mind and soul while making new spiritual friends in The Ancient Way's Circle of Life Community: www.theancientway.co/community

Live in harmony with nature, embody ancient wisdom & glow with radiant well-being - become an Ancient Way Wellness Ambassador: www.theancientway.co/wellness-ambassador 

Ignite the fire within & empower others on transformative journeys - become an Ancient Way & Association for Coaching Certified Spiritual Coach: www.theancientway.co/spiritualwarrior

By tuning into this Podcast, I acknowledge that the entire contents of this work are the intellectual property of Ananta Ripa Ajmera, or used by Ananta Ripa Ajmera with permission. They are protected under U.S. and international copyright and trademark laws. Except as otherwise provided herein, listeners to this Podcast may use and apply in their daily lives information found in the Podcast only for personal or non-commercial, educational purposes. No other use, including, without limitation, editing, reproduction, or retransmission, of this Podcast can be made without taking the prior written permission of Ananta Ripa Ajmera. You can request permission to share the contents of this episode by contacting Ananta at info@theancientway.co.

This podcast is for educational purposes only. The host claims no responsibility to any person or entity for any liability, medical condition, loss, or harm caused or said to be caused directly or indirectly by the use, application, or interpretation of the content presented herein.

TRANSCRIPTION

Episode 18: Getting Grounded on Your Spiritual Journey with Ananta Ripa Ajmera

[00:00:00] Namaste, and welcome back to the True To Yourself Podcast, a place where we explore the power of authentic living. I am your host Ananta Ripa Ajmera, and I'm so happy to be able to share with you today about cultivating the power of stability in your first, or root chakra. What is the chakra system, in case you've not heard about it?

[00:00:30] The chakra system is a really fascinating look at how we can actually heal our psychological layers of the mind. It is like a spinning vortex within our different physiological centers, but more importantly, it's actually an energetic center that governs a specific function or a specific power in our lives.

[00:01:02] So the first chakra is the root chakra, and this is the one that is responsible for our stability on planet Earth. When we talk about the root chakra and we consider this idea of the power of stability, it's about really cultivating a deeper connection with our own beautiful divine mother Earth. Mother Earth is the embodiment of groundedness, of stability, of that weightedness that helps us to feel more secure, like a weighted blanket, for example, when you sleep at night, for people who feel really anxious.

[00:01:49] How can we take that feeling of having a weighted blanket with us at every time of the day and in every moment and situation of our lives? We can actually do so by understanding that a goddess lives within our root chakra, and that this goddess is an embodiment of Mother Earth herself. And whether you have a male body or a female body, or a transgender body, or any other gender body, or no gender body, I believe that

[00:02:27] this goddess lives within your root chakra. Physiologically, it is connected to the pelvic area of the body, at the base of the spine, close to where we would eliminate our bowels. And elimination is a function of the root chakra. It's what allows for stability and predictability of our physical elimination.

[00:02:54] According to the ancient health promoting wisdom of Ayurveda, a regular pattern of daily consistent elimination is a really, really important way to know if you are healthy. Overall, it's the easiest way to be able to tune into your body and to assess your overall health, because digestion, as reflected by your elimination, is considered the key to overall health.

[00:03:24] Typically, you want to be eliminating your bowels early in the morning on an empty stomach, and have an empty feeling in your stomach after you do so. It should be done with ease without straining. If that's not the case, if your bowels are coming at different times, if you're having different periods where you're eliminating, it's unpredictable.

[00:03:48] It's sometimes hard, it's sometimes soft. It's sometimes somewhere in between. Then you know that something is off balance in your body, and that could be contributing to why you have other issues, like perhaps trouble sleeping at night, or headaches or insomnia or fear, or just a general feeling of not being grounded, a feeling of insecurity, feeling shaky, or feeling a lot of fear in your core of your being and not being able to really focus on anything. When our root chakra is not really feeling

[00:04:24] grounded and stable, we will feel really scattered and have trouble really concentrating or accomplishing anything in our day-to-day lives. So therefore, this root chakra is a really, really important one to cultivate for our overall feeling of stability and security on planet Earth. We need to have a balanced root chakra to feel calm emotionally, to feel healthy at a physical level, to feel also that we're going to have a foundation upon which to evolve spiritually and to anchor our spiritual growth.

[00:05:06] In the Vedic spiritual tradition that I have learned and continue to learn, and I'm happy to share about through my work, my books, my podcast, and all of my different platforms, there are actually nine chakras. Usually people think that there are seven chakras, but in fact there are nine, and each of these nine chakras is connected with a specific superpower that unlocks

[00:05:36] step by step as you begin to cultivate practices that bring balance to each of your chakras. So this first chakra is really important because it's literally the foundation for you to be able to move upwards and to be able to cultivate the power of creativity in your sacral chakra, the power of transformation in your solar plexus chakra,

[00:06:03] the power of love in your heart chakra, the power of voice in your throat chakra, the power of intuition in your third eye chakra, the power of truth and the ability to discern truth in your crown chakra, the power of rejuvenation in your higher heart chakra, and the power of intention in your astral chakra just above the head.

[00:06:29] These are all, step-by-step, leading us toward the experience of what is known in the Sanskrit language of Yoga and Ayurveda as moksha, or spiritual liberation. All of these steps, all of the practices that we do in Ayurveda and in yoga for cultivating more of what we call sthirata, or steadiness in our body and in our mind, is ultimately to allow us to be steady and calm enough to be able to evolve spiritually.

[00:07:07] The way we evolve spiritually is by practicing letting go of our attachments to material things, to emotional compulsions, and even to intellectual concepts that we have. So anything that we really want in life will necessarily prevent us from really unlocking the power of who we are as a spiritual being, and anytime we're looking to grow

[00:07:38] spiritually, it is simply a matter of offloading our desires and freeing ourselves to be able to express our full potential and to be the best version of ourselves. So this whole journey of spiritual enlightenment really starts at the root level. It starts by cultivating the power of stability to be able to climb higher and higher on your spiritual path.

[00:08:07] So I thought I would actually share with you a really beautiful story about this goddess who lives in your root chakra. This is a story of a mythological mother goddess. It is documented in my book, The Way of the Goddess: Daily Rituals to Awaken Your Inner Warrior and Discover Your True Self. I am going to read to you from the book and invite you to begin your own hero's journey by knowing Goddess Shailputri in your root chakra.

[00:08:46] Shailputri was a royal princess and her father Prajapati was the king of all of humanity. He invited his subjects from far and wide to join him for festivals and celebrations, and most important, to serve him during these sacred occasions. One day, Shailputri returned to visit her parents from her home in the Himalayas where she lived with her husband, Lord Shiva, the God of transformation.

[00:09:21] When she arrived, her father was organizing a great yajna, a huge fire ceremony into which all manner of material things were to be offered, including fruit, flowers, clothing, and money. The idea was that whatever the people let go of would return to them many times over. Everyone in the world was invited except Lord Shiva.

[00:09:54] King Prajapati was embarrassed that his son-in-law wore leopard skin, had long hair, draped a serpent around his neck and smeared his face with ashes. Prajapati could only see that Lord Shiva was different. He did not recognize that Lord Shiva was the embodiment of spirituality. He did not understand that the serpent Shiva wore around his neck symbolized how he had conquered his ego and was the master of his mind.

[00:10:32] He did not understand that Lord Shiva carried the entire Holy Ganges river in his long hair. Nor did he know of the great penance and spiritual discipline that Lord Shiva had performed along with countless lifetimes of contemplation and meditation. Prajapati’s arrogance and ignorance outraged his daughter, and she stood up to her father.

[00:11:01] Why have you not invited my husband? You've made a great fire, so you'll go to heaven, have good karma and gain more material blessings. There is nothing spiritual about this. Shailputri moved toward the fire to immolate herself in protest of her father's hypocrisy. She did not actually need to step into the flames.

[00:11:31] She just said om and was consumed by the all powerful inner fire of her desire for a new life, one in which she could live with a true sense of devotion and spirituality. She was then reborn as the daughter of the Himalayas. And continued on her spiritual journey, unencumbered by the attachments to material things that had held her back as the daughter of the king.

[00:12:05] Our desire for genuine transformation in the modern world is no less intense than Shailputri, and connects us through the millennia to her and to her story. Certainly the idea of starting again without the parts of our lives that hold us back is enormously appealing, and yet we struggle to begin the process of transformation because to succeed in this endeavor, we must let go of aspects of our lives that we are no longer working for us.

[00:12:46] It feels dramatic. And it is. But we must burn away our old ways to reclaim ourselves and to welcome a more spiritual way of living. That's where stability comes in. Strip away the external markers of who we are, job clothes, partners, etc., and we are left with our core essence. When we connect with that core, we can finally, after years of focusing on the external, find peace by knowing the stability within. Shailputri is the perfect embodiment of this quality, which stems from a firm resolve and willingness to forego ease in pursuit of a spiritual quest.

[00:13:47] The way forward may not be easy, but with time, consistency and determination, being connected to and nurturing, the stability within you will create a new and deeper kind of comfort. Such is the power of Shailputri. In addition to representing stability Goddess, Shailputri is also a divine embodiment of our perfect Mother Earth, Mother Earth, mother nature.

[00:14:22] And Shailputri can all be interchangeably woven together as different names to signify the protector of all living beings. Humans, animals, birds, trees, and everything else, including you and me. I love this story because it's so dramatic and it shows actually how intense it feels to start the practice of getting grounded in your root chakra and the practice of really cultivating the spiritual superpower of stability that already lives within you and is just a waiting for you to activate it.

[00:15:11] It is really quite a big shift to go from engaging heavily in the outer world, being invested in outcomes, wanting people's approval and validation, and pursuing jobs that we may or may not agree with, because we just want to have more and to feel like we are more by some external validation saying, good job.

[00:15:36] You did it. I'm so proud of you. And when we step away from that, when we actually consider that we are more than our job, that we are more than what other people say we are, and that we are actually pure, no matter what insults or injuries may be coming our way, we are actually able to affirm the true nature of our being.

[00:16:04] And boy, is it a big shift to go from being an outward, approval seeking, people pleasing, validation searching human to a more inwardly rooted human, to a more inwardly stable and content human searching for the peace that ultimately lives within. Simply daring to take the first step of this journey to understand that all of the outer markers of who we are are not actually in fact, who we really are, is a brave step.

[00:16:45] And it is the beginning, truly, of a new life. And stability is not just something that you cultivate once and then it's a one and done. Stability is a constant, eternal, steady practice that we have to keep coming back to again and again and again. It actually never ends, but it does get better as we consistently progress with it.

[00:17:16] For me, this chapter was a really important one to discover within my being after having been a business student, having gone on internships on Wall Street, and then having really pursued the path of social entrepreneurship through a college scholarship program I was a part of. I started to look deeper within myself for answers to the ultimate question of who am I?

[00:17:51] Am I this business student? Am I this aspiring social entrepreneur? If I identify with those labels, then my happiness would go up and down depending on the grades I got in school or the kind of jobs I was offered after I graduated, the amount of money that I got paid and all of the different outer markers of success, which fluctuate, which can go up and down, and which can even get lost by recession, job layoffs, et etera.

[00:18:28] I began to question even what is a social entrepreneur? This felt better to me to be on a path of social entrepreneurship, because at least I could use my education, my knowledge, my abilities to be of service in some way. I always felt, since I was a child, that I am here to be of service. I'm here to live a life of service, and yet I didn't even really know what it meant to do that, but I did know that it was going to involve being anchored within my own Self with a capital S at some point.

[00:19:08] And I remember when I really embarked upon this journey, it was by asking myself a question. We were sitting in the cafeteria of a really beautiful retreat center in upstate New York to kickstart our journey as the first class of inaugural Reynolds Scholars in Social Entrepreneurship at New York University.

[00:19:32] It was a little weekend getaway to kick off the program, get to know our peers, and really immerse ourselves in all things social entrepreneurship so that we could ultimately launch our own organizations and be able to be of service through business as a platform of service, which I loved. I was really grateful to be a part of that program to receive the support it gave me, and to be able to connect with others who were seeking more meaning on their journey of studying in business school and in all different schools within NYU ,or New York University.

[00:20:10] And I remember our mentor in that program asking us, what does being the change you wish to see in the world mean to you? And I answered the question back with a question, which ultimately only I could answer. And that was, how do I create pattern breaking social change in a sustainable way within my own life?

[00:20:37] And then scale those changes into the work I feel called to offer in the world? That question led me on a quest first to yoga. I remember my first yoga class feeling so stressed out, so anxious, so scattered, so dizzy, having so much trouble sleeping at night, and just stumbling into a yoga class around the corner from NYU, feeling all dazed and flustered and confused as a

[00:21:11] teenager living in a big city by myself for the first time in my life. And I remember walking in and smelling the incense and hearing these very familiar sounds of Sanskrit chant that actually I grew up listening to when I was younger. I found it so interesting that people who are not Indian, there was not a single Indian origin person in the class, were really focused on Indian spirituality and were lighting

[00:21:41] the incense that I was used to smelling. They were playing the mantras that I was used to hearing and were displaying the statues of various gods and goddesses I was used to seeing, growing up in our Hindu temples where I used to go in Toledo, Ohio. And here I was in New York, already pretty dazed and confused, just hoping for some relief and for some kind of stress reduction through yoga.

[00:22:08] But I went to a center that had a Sanskrit name because I felt that there was something to it, but I just didn't know what it was. And little did I know that this would be the beginning of my discovering answers to that question of finding the change within. I remember sitting on my mat and listening to a yoga teacher talk about how we practice yoga to become instruments of service, and I was like, wow.

[00:22:40] Finally, I felt this big sigh of relief throughout my body and this sense of calm that I am finally in the right place. This is where I need to be. This is how I need to progress on my journey. First, I need to come home to my own self, be connected to myself, and then I can, hrough the journey I've undergone, be able to share with others what that path is, what that process is.

[00:23:11] And then, before I knew it, the one yoga class led to much better deeper sleep at night. And then a real curiosity to discover more of my roots, which led me to journey back to India and eventually take a yoga teacher training course where I got to live an amazing Ayurveda lifestyle. Waking up early in the morning, listening to the sounds of lions roaring at the lake across from us, and really being immersed in nature with a circadian, rhythmic lifestyle and routine that felt so natural and so organic and so freeing at every level.

[00:23:55] I remember being at that incredible yoga teacher training center in India and feeling like, how can I just take this feeling into my every day? How can I eat foods that are this pure? How can I really live my life in such a way that I can feel this expansiveness within me? I can feel this peace emanating within every cell of my body and every fiber of my being.

[00:24:24] And that led me then to discover an Ayurveda training program to be able to answer that question. And I ended up studying in lineages that stemmed back to ancient India, Ayurveda, its Sister Science of Yoga with its deep, deep, deep, lineage based roots and origins. And also its sister Science, both of these sciences, sister science of Vedanta, which is a spiritual philosophy that answers the question of who am I?

[00:24:58] And the first introduction that I had to all of this study was actually through this Goddess Festival called Navratri, which is where we celebrate the divine feminine in nine different avatars that I learned actually live within each of our chakras, and just this idea that I can actually stop identifying with the outer markers of achievements and actually anchor myself within my own self to seek the answers to that question of who am I from within unlocked so much for me within just the first few months of my journey of doing some of the practices that I teach about in my book. I will actually share some with you on the next.

[00:25:47] podcast episode to begin your own journey with this power of stability. I just remember feeling like I could finally breathe again. I could actually feel at ease. I actually find found that my digestive issues finally were resolving. My nervous system was feeling much calmer and I just felt this kind of expansive feeling that I first experienced in India again with living and learning Ayurveda and its beautiful lifestyle for empowering us to really live in harmony with nature.

[00:26:28] And this, for me, was the beginning of a long journey, and I remember feeling really afraid to share with this with my parents because I knew that they wanted me to go down that material road and to climb the corporate ladder and do all those things. And for me, it was really so dramatic to pull away from that lifestyle of

[00:26:56] moving 24/7, having lots of engagements and parties and going out and sleeping late and you know, that New York lifestyle, to then really having a lot of silence. And having a lot of opportunity to read and to reflect, and to go within my own being, to unlock whatever was blocking me from feeling my best and really being able to give at my best.

[00:27:27] Because if I wasn't feeling at peace myself, I didn't know how it is that I would be able to impart peace and health and healing to others, which is what I really felt called to do as part of my social entrepreneurship journey. So this was a really, really powerful transition and it was not easy and I had to also go through a kind of death of my own ego to be able to share with my parents what I was doing, and it's so important to just anchor ourselves in that faith.

[00:28:05] That when we tune into our inner voice and we hear certain guidance that we trust in it, and that we build that conviction in it by really standing for it. That's what I got from hearing the story of Goddess Shailputri, and so I did stand up for the knowledge I was gaining nine months after I first started studying.

[00:28:27] I was too scared for nine months to actually share about my journey with my parents, but after getting introduced to this particular story of this goddess and knowing that she lives within the core of my being, it gave me a sense of resolve to be able to share about this and to say that, you know, I don't know what I will do with this.

[00:28:51] I don't know how I will be able to create anything out of this, but I just know that by surrendering to the journey, by taking the time to really learn what it means to live Ayurveda, yoga and Vedanta spirituality, I'm already finding so much relief to so many issues that I could not find anywhere else. And I know that because I am feeling so much relief, this is leading me in a direction where by knowing more, I will really be able to help people who are similarly struggling to finally feel at peace and at home within their own mind and body.

[00:29:34] And it was just with that conviction that I really stood my ground. And I decided that yes, I'm going to be committed. I'm going to stick to this. I am going to, after searching through so many fad diets, so many classes, so many therapists, so many online help forums for eating disorders, because I struggled with eating disorders for so many years, not understanding why I had it.

[00:30:01] I finally felt that I don't need to try any other fad diets. I need to go back to the ancient way. I need to go back to the roots of my culture and to one of the oldest traditions in the world to be able to get rooted in the truth of who I really am. And that one step, that one decision to pull back from the

[00:30:25] material chase and to really climb the spiritual ladder from cultivating stability to creativity, to transformation, love, voice, intuition, truth, rejuvenation and intention just unlocked so much in my life and now, many years later, I have now begun my own organization called The Ancient Way to be able to support seekers with the exact

[00:30:54] step by step practices and protocols that have empowered me to really unlock this lasting stability from within my being, regardless of the fluctuations and the ups and downs that are inevitably going to come in our lives. I really feel that whatever I have learned, I have been able to put into programs that I'm so happy to be able to offer for you to also learn exactly how I have been able to heal myself from so many difficult issues that I couldn't get resolution for anywhere else.

[00:31:36] And if you're listening to this and you're like, well, hey, I want to get started on my practice of stability. I don't even want to wait until the next podcast episode, then don't worry. I got you. Let me give you one practice to begin your journey with, and I would love for you to try this out, every day if you can, for the next week or so until we meet again for our next episode and see if that does not open you up to then incorporating potentially more.

[00:32:12] The practice I would love for you to cultivate is anytime you feel scattered, anytime you feel overwhelmed, anytime you feel nervous or are just having trouble focusing and being in the present moment is a simple, super easy practice that you can do that I would invite you to do is to actually smell your favorite flower.

[00:32:42] Or your favorite essential oil. And really, when I say smell this flower or essential oil, I want you to close your eyes and really like breathe it in fully and then exhale deeply. And then inhale that scent. I'm smelling the jasmine essential oil on my wrist right now. And then exhale. And then inhale.

[00:33:16] That beautiful scent.

[00:33:22] Exhale fully.

[00:33:28] See how you feel with that. I know I feel so invigorated even after talking to you nonstop and essentially talking to myself on a camera with multiple microphones to ensure audio and video recording, I feel even more energized and ready to talk on for even more time. But in an effort to keep these

[00:33:53] episodes digestible for you, I'm actually going to stop now and invite you to join me for the next episode of the True To Yourself Podcast to be able to unlock more magical practices for grounding and stability. And if you can't wait, if you're really eager to try some more of these beautiful practices, I would invite you to check out a free trial of our

[00:34:22] Circle of Life Community Program. We just launched this beautiful program to be able to support you not only with the practices, but also with people who are equally excited and committed to take this brave step to really cultivate stability in the midst of modern life, in the midst of modern work and situations.

[00:34:46] All of what I teach is really applicable in the here and now. As you could see this exercise of just smelling something, it takes seconds. It doesn't even take a long time. The way that I teach doesn't require you to meditate for hours on end, or even to study quite as deeply or intensely as I did.

[00:35:04] I invite you to take everything at your own pace, and we have some really beautiful resources in the library to support you with that journey. We have an incredible chakra healing visualization that you can listen to. To go deep into cultivating this power of stability really experientially, we also have a beautiful recording of Qigong tutorials to help you cultivate the power of stability and getting grounded in your root chakra with someone named Dr.

[00:35:39] Mitch Hall, who I often refer to as Uncle Mitch. He's an incredible, incredible teacher with decades of experience. He is 80 years old as of this recording and has an incredible youthful spirit, and we are so fortunate to have his chakra visualization and Qigong recordings in our member library. I also have recorded a step-by-step process for how you can cultivate

[00:36:06] The power of stability, as well as some Ayurveda masterclasses that you can benefit from to learn about how Ayurveda guides us to create a daily routine from the time we awaken to the time we sleep that is in harmony with nature. It's like a distilled version of all of the lifestyle practices that I have personally really benefited from in the lifestyle system or science of Ayurveda that you can learn in just a matter of two hours.

[00:36:36] And we have all kinds of ancient spiritual rituals that you can try as well as a member discussion forum where you can share about your experiences, ask questions, and then once a month we come together to form what is called a power of practice circle, where we all share about our experiences with cultivating a specific power and a specific chakra, and we're able to share our challenges, share our victories, celebrate each other's victories, be able to support each other, be able to tap into collective wisdom that we get when we are able to listen deeply to one another and hold space for one another.

[00:37:16] It's just an incredible, incredible experience and we also have member-led workshops. We'll be having a workshop on reflexology, and that's an incredible practice to really get grounded and feel that stability within also. So there's just so many resources, even more than I can possibly share with you right now.

[00:37:37] But I'll keep sharing with you about this incredible offering and you can check it out. Like I said, it's completely free on our website. You can learn more at theancientway.co/community. You can check the show notes also. I'll include links for where you can learn more about the community, where you can directly sign up.

[00:38:02] for the community, and you can also check out my book The Way of the Goddess. If you're one who likes to learn visually and through reading, I'm like that, then this is a great resource as well to be able to read these practices, to read the stories again and again for yourself and to really anchor yourself in your own journey to really become the hero of your own

[00:38:29] spiritual journey. So with all of that said, I'm just so happy to be back here on my podcast sharing with you, and I promise to be consistent now onwards in my power of practice, of creating this content so that we can continue to journey together week by week with exploration of stories, with practices, with

[00:38:53] guest interviews and so many more beautiful, wonderful, nourishing offerings week after week. And for more engagement, like I said, please feel free to join me in the free trial of the Circle of Life Community so that you can ask your questions and we can have more of a dialogue instead of just me talking the whole time.

[00:39:15] Thank you so, so much for joining me and for listening in, and I look forward to connecting with you again very soon. Namaste.