Nilakshi Sharma
Bhādrapada māsa is the month that drowns our senses and the land in water. With the start of this month Varshā rtu reaches its peak – there is water everywhere. It flows and overflows, it waterlogs the earth and blurs the boundary between the earth covered in water and the grey sky filled with rain-laden clouds.
To this time of overwhelming waters, there is a flowing, limpid beauty. And a world that is saturated with moisture. Everything is wet. As the water element dominates and overwhelms our senses, the Sun’s warmth and energy recede into the background. And it is the Moon’s energy, which governs water, that is dominant. This shift in energy is reflected in our mood and mind. Many of us tend to feel unmoored and adrift at this time. There is neither the grounding element of earth nor the fiery orientation of Agni. There is only the fluidity and depth of water. As the month progresses, we enter the time of Rtusandhi – the time when the energy of one season begins to give way to the energy of the next coming season. While this is usually a time of slightly unsettling change, in the month of Bhādrapada, this is a time of increasing stability because the next season – Sharad rtu, is the season of balance, when the energy of Sun returns in a small way and the energy of the Moon lessens slightly.
Self Care Rituals
In this month of water, the warmth and energy of the Sun are missing and our internal Agni – our digestive fires are also at their lowest. The impact of this month and its water-dominant energy can also be felt in our skin. The lack of drying heat and the humidity can make many of us experience skin irritation. Our skin too is a site of Agni – thus, with the weakening of Agni in this season, our skin is also more prone to infections.
- Salt Scrub Bath: A weekly or bi-weekly bath with a fragrant Salt Scrub during this month can keep our skin moisturised, glowing and infection and irritation free. Take a handful of good Sea Salt that has been coarsely ground. Add organic Coconut oil generously to make a rather loose paste. You can also opt to use Mustard oil. It is a potent warming oil. For fragrance add a few drops of your favourite essential oil.
To use: Scoop a generous handful and apply onto damp skin. Scrub in gentle circular motions and rinse off. Pat skin dry. The Salt Scrub is not recommended for use on the face. Salt is antibacterial and keeps your skin infection free. The oil helps to moisturise your skin as well as ensure that harshness of the salt is softened enough to result in gentle exfoliation.
An Ayurvedic practice that can help our body is a selfcare ritual that encourages the elimination of toxins but more importantly, awakens and activates our skin, which is our body’s first line of defence. This is particularly good in Varshā rtu when we can be more prone to skin infections than any other season.
- Dry Powder Massage: As per Ayurvedic wisdom, “Dry powder massages are heating, stimulating, and dehydrating, making them beneficial for weak agni and excess Kapha.” You can use Triphala powder for the dry massage as it is tri-doshic or you can make your own dry powder for body massage. The Sivananda Centre’s recipe for a dry massage powder: 300g Chickpea flour + 2 Tbsp dried Basil + 2 Tbsp dried Sage + 1 Tbsp dried Neem leaf powder + 1 Tbsp Shallaki powder (optional) + 1 Tbsp Amlaki or Triphala powder + 2 Tbsp Rock Salt (finely ground). Mix well and store in a glass jar in a dry place away from light.
To practice: Take as much of the dry massage powder as needed to gently massage your entire body. Post massage rinse body with lukewarm water and pat dry. Avoid the use of soap.
Caution: Body massage should not be done immediately after eating a meal. Either wait a few hours post meal or do the massage when your stomach is empty.
In Varshā rtu both the external and internal fires – the warmth of the Sun and our body’s digestive fire, stutter and weaken. A simple Ayurvedic tisane can help us nurture our body’s Agni.
- Agni Drink: 1 tsp ground Cumin + ½ tsp freshly ground Pepper (or long Pepper for Pitta dominant constitutions) + 2 to 3 pinches of ground Ginger + 1 pinch of Rock Salt. Add the spices to 1 cup of water in a saucepan. Bring to a boil and then simmer for 10 minutes. Cool and drink approximately 30 to 45 minutes before your meals. This recipe is from the Sivananda Yoga Vedanta Centre.
Grounding Rituals
In Bhādrapada we lack both the grounding element of earth and the centring element of Agni. With our senses overwhelmed by water and the pull of the Moon on our minds and moods, we can feel unanchored. This often manifests as restlessness or even an inability to concentrate. A few simple rituals can help us feel grounded and centred.
- Sandalwood & Frankincense: A cooling fragrance, Sandalwood represents the earth element. Incorporating it in our daily life can offer us many benefits. You can choose to light Sandalwood incense, which, along with the grounding of earth element, will also invoke the energy of the air element. Or you can use Sandalwood paste to put a tilak on your forehead. This will help centre and ground your senses. Another grounding fragrance is Frankincense – the resin that comes from trees that grow in the dry desert. You can use the resin on a Dhuna morning and evening to create a deeply calming environment in your home. Or you can add a few drops of Frankincense resin to water in a diffuser and let the earthy fragrance of Frankincense gently scent the air around you.
- Mustard Oil Foot Massage: A very simple yet healing ritual is massaging the soles of your feet with warm Mustard oil before you go to sleep. Mustard is a heating oil and the soles of our feet are packed with nerve endings. In TCM or Traditional Chinese Medicine the different points on the soles of our feet correspond to different areas and organs of our bodies. When we massage the soles of our feet with Mustard oil, we are gently stimulating Agni in our body, relieving stress and offering relaxation to our eyes and nervous system. Plus, we help ourselves sleep better.
- Diya: One of the simplest yet most potent rituals is lighting a diya. Use cotton wick and oil or Ghee. Light a diya and sit and watch the gentle flickering of the flame for a few minutes. Choose the time that works best for you. Done daily, this simple practice will offer many benefits, including eye-strain relief, calming of the mind and a sense of feeling more centred.
The Lovers of Bhādrapada
Janmashtami is one of the most celebrated festivals of Bhādrapada. On this day – the Krishna Paksha Ashtami of Bhādrapada, amidst tumultuous storms and rain, Lord Krishna was born and smuggled out of the arms of his birth mother, Devaki and carried to Yashoda, who would raise him with the love of a mother. But in a beautiful symmetry, on the Shukla Paksha Ashtami of Bhādrapada, Radha too was born. On the same tithi (day of the Moon), in the same lunar month, with the only difference being that Krishna is born as the Moon wanes towards darkness and Radha is born as the Moon waxes towards radiance. And since then to each season there is a special celebration of Radha and Krishna’s love and their Ras Leela, the divine dance of love. But this month of thunder and lightning, of overwhelming water and endless rain, is when this legendary pair of lovers was born.
This year Janmashtami falls on Saturday, August 16 while Radha Ashtami will be celebrated on Sunday, August 31.
The Auspiciousness of Bhādrapada
Bhādrapada also witnesses the birth celebration of one of the subcontinent’s most beloved gods – Ganesha. He of the elephant head, who is revered as Vighnaharta, the remover of all obstacles. Ganesha is the lord of auspiciousness. And every endeavour that is undertaken in the subcontinent’s traditions begins with an invocation to this beloved god and his blessings that symbolise auspiciousness and prosperity.
This year Ganesh Chaturthi will be celebrated on Wednesday, August 27.
As the month of Bhādrapada unfurls and finally draws to a close, the waters will recede, the Sun will emerge from behind the curtain of clouds and the rejuvenated, replenished earth will be revealed like a radiant bride in the golden beauty of a perfect Sharad rtu.