
On October 17th started an auspicious time to develop our connection to the Divine Mother of this universe. For 9 days and nights starting October 17th to October 25th, begins the growth of the New Moon towards its fullness as a Full Moon.

The deep meaning behind this auspicious time is multi-layered and complex. I have learned to take this time of year to do my purification and have introspection time.
The Fall season naturally stirs the windiness of our minds, increasing worries and doubts as well as feelings of scarcity.
I often call it squirrel season!
Notice the frenzied behaviour of squirrels this time of year?
The fear of the cold dark Winter creates a restlessness in all creation to search for safety and comfort. Running into the arms of a caring, protective nurturing Mother can feel comforting and necessary during challenging times.

A child’s development is dependent on feelings of security, safety, healthy nourishment, affection and nurturing. The absence of any of these essential emotional elements can create an inner search to feed the hunger and settle the pain within of being withheld the love we needed.
Navaratri; meaning the 9 nights the Mother Goddess slays the demon and reigns in victory. Representing the 9 months we live in our physical mother’s womb, and our journey of growth, as well as the stored samskaras, our cellular memories of our past karmas.
The idea is to turn inwards.
The word “Nav” in Sanskrit means 9 and the “Ra” in the word Navaratri means “that which gives solace”.
Therefore for 9 days and 9 nights give yourself a sense of solace, enter an inner state of introspection and find stillness.

The word “ratri” means night, and it is during the night that we tend to bring up the past, or overthink, worry, perhaps even our physical pains increase?
Creating time during these 9 nights to offer peaceful meditations and prayers can help to heal the “Tri” the three afflictions or poisons.
In Yoga, they are understood as the 3 kleshas.
Ignorance, Attachment and Aversion.
Yoga offers practices to overcome these fluctuations of the mind-stuff. Pranayama (breathing techniques), Asana’s (physical postures), and Ayurveda offer remedies for daily self-care of the body. From abhyanga self-massage to herbal teas and customized spices in our meals, catered to our constitutional body-mind type.
The concept of “Know Thyself”, “Heal Thyself” is what I practice and share with all those who come to see me.
Introducing these Vedic philosophies and metaphors provide positive imagery, helping us move out of the ordinary ways of thinking that may not offer the insights and revelations we need to heal.

Every child loves a bedtime story, then enjoys waking up and starting their day with animated cartoons that teach, entertain and inspire. Take time to understand all these mystic stories as they are there to help us.
The word ‘Tri” refers to the three types of afflictions, the suffering of the physical body, the mental our negative or conditioned thoughts, and on the astral level our past impressions stored deeply within our cellular body.
When we introspect and go inward, we can assist the mental and emotional digestive fire, our Buddhi Agni, to process and digest these afflictions. Once we let go and create inner space, we can feel rebirthed, and our mind can rest in peace.
During this time, our inner Shakti, our Prana, the power of our consciousness, and our life force energy, can destroy and fight with our inner demons.
These sabotaging negative thoughts and emotions are like inner demons that come to sabotage our life force energy and weaken our Prana and immune system.
These can come as our lower behaviours like our indulges or addictions, our unclarity or uncertainty. The seeds in our blood carry our ancestral karma like diseases. The demon of doubt, laziness, depression, our argumentative nature, the rebellious nature, hatred, envy, anger, lust, and all those sarcastic life negating beliefs like, lack of self worth, unworthiness and self-hatred.

During these 9 nights we invoke a part of our Higher Power. The aspect of this Divine Feminine Prana Shakti is to raise our energy and move through our darkness into the light of Truth.
When we have released all the negative tendencies within, and invoked the Devi within and increased our inner Truth our Higher Power, or that part of us that is Divine, our minds can digest our emotions and past impressions.
These impressions are stored in our 7 gate ways of consciousness our chakras.
Each of our Chakras is a storehouse of those karmas.
These 9 nights can be a great way to purify our past misdeeds and let go of the sabotaging fears that prevent us from moving towards our destiny or soul’s purpose.
Meditating on your Chakras, and cleansing practices for your body mind and soul are helpful.
Take a Chakra Assessment to see where to start…
I invite my guests and clients to reflect on these metaphors and treasured healing formulas held within these stories/scriptures, as a meditation and contemplation practice.
While living in the ashrama at the temples, I learned the practice of offering my food, flowers, incense, fragrances and medicines to the form of deities being worshiped to receive their blessings. After prayers and chants were offered in a ritual called puja, those offerings became charged with the prana (energy) of the different forms of divinity. We all need blessings, angels, spirit guides, our ancestors, gods & goddesses, to feel protection and care during hard times.
This is a time that I also create a new batch of Devi. A Ritual of Scent who’s ingredients I offer to my deities of Devi (Goddess) to get their blessings. This is known as Prasadam of the deity. Wearing the scent or eating the remnants of the offering contains the blessings of the deity to help our healing needs.
May the divine mother nurture your soul back to health, happiness, and prosperity.
JAI MA!

Andrea is a pioneering figure in the field of Ayurveda beauty, and has dedicated her life to the study of Ayurveda, Jyotish, Yoga and the Vedic Sciences. Over 30 years ago, Andrea began her career as a make-up artist and aesthetician, and was one of the first Canadians in her field to incorporate Ayurveda, Yoga, Vedic Astrology and Eastern wellness practices into her spa treatments and services. Today, she is one of Canada’s leading Ayurveda beauty and wellness specialists and educators.