Recently, I had the experience of a simple and powerful connection when I took our dogs to the vets for a dental checkup. I arrived a few minutes early and called in to the front desk. Everything takes a little longer nowadays, because of the safety precautions for covid. After about ten minutes, someone came to our car and took my two dogs inside while I waited. I decided to go for a walk in the beautiful park nearby. It was a lovely fall day. I couldn’t remember the last time I was alone and relaxed like this. I breathed deeply amongst the trees, sitting on a bench, and listened to the sounds of nature. Birds chirped, a friendly squirrel came close by to say ‘hello’, and a blue jay flew onto a tree branch overhead. I felt at peace and lingered in the moment. It didn’t take long before my mind darted into its usually array of thoughts and to-do lists. And then the vet called.
The veterinarian was young and spoke in a friendly manner. The conversation started by her asking me how I was doing. I told her I was trying to meditate, but my mind was racing as usual. She laughed heartily and told me her mind does the same thing. Then she told me that she had news that she rarely gets to give. Our dogs’ teeth looked so good that she recommended skipping the yearly anesthetic teeth cleaning! I was thrilled to hear this. I asked her if I could share my secret with her if she had a minute, which she did. A little over a year ago, I began brushing their teeth with a mix of powders of turmeric (3 parts) + neem (1 part) + a pinch of Himalayan pink sea salt.2 The antimicrobial effect seemed to work wonderfully with daily brushing. A few years back, before starting Ayurveda School, I had the terrible experience of taking our dogs in for a teeth cleaning and ended up spending $1500 for multiple tooth extractions due to abscesses and infections above the gum line. I consulted my teacher at school and he gave me the recipe above, which I’ve been using ever since. The vet wanted to try it on her own dog, so I offered to make her a batch. We both agreed that an integrative approach using holistic and Western medicine can most benefit animals and humans alike. I left the vets with a smile on my face and happy to save a good deal on teeth cleaning.
This fall season is somewhat different for many of us due to the changes in lifestyle from the pandemic. School is in full swing in the form of on-line or in-person learning with children wearing masks. Some people are coping with lost jobs, others with air pollution and damage from fires, and the anticipation of the presidential election is looming. The holidays are also around the corner, making for interesting choices on how to safely entertain our family and friends this season, if at all. The surge of these energies can be felt all around us, and yet it is important to hold onto our connections to each other and the earth through love, gratitude, and kind communication. There is a slokam (prayer) from the Maha Upanishad, which goes1: ayaṃ nijaḥ paro veti gaṇanā laghucetasām। udāracaritānāṃ tu vasudhaiva kuṭumbakam॥ The English translation is, “This is mine, that is his, say the small-minded. The wise believe that the entire world is a family.1 May we stay ever-connected and grounded in Love for each other.
By Uma Hingorani, Ayurvedic Practitioner
References
- https://resanskrit.com/vasudhaiva-kutumbakam/
- Recipe provided by B. Vaidya at Ayurveda Sadhana Vidyalaya, Superior, CO.
