I've been in Rishikesh, India for a week now. The level of gratitude I feel is high – especially after so much travel and illness.
I'm living at the Osho Ashram, directly on The Ganges (just 60km away from where the river begins). Here there are options for yoga classes, guided meditations, Kundalini sessions, and dharma talks.
That said, I'm not taking advantage of any of them. Instead, I have been sitting by the river in silence. Doing nothing. Being everything. Absorbing the healing vibrations of Mother Earth.
Choosing not to participate feels like its own initiation. After years of seeking, I realize I'm completely content with my spiritual life. Yes, I could probably collect a few more nuggets of wisdom from Osho’s teachings, but to what end? I've found what I'm looking for. And I would prefer not to clutter this mind with more ideas that I must then sort through and reconcile.
I'd rather just watch the river and not make sense of a damn thing.
I hope you enjoy this week's {Body} • {Mind} • {Soul} Newsletter and have a beautiful Sunday, - Ethan ॐ
Ethan Hill Owner, Yoga with Ethan
Lemon Balm
Lemon balm (Melissa officinalis) is a powerhouse herb celebrated for its calming effects, particularly on nerves associated with digestion. In today’s fast-paced world, much of the digestive discomfort we experience can be traced to overstimulated or sensitive nerves. When stomach or intestinal irritation has no clear cause, sensitive nerves are often to blame.
With its soothing properties, lemon balm acts as a natural remedy to calm these nerves and reduce inflammation, thanks to its bioactive phytochemicals — including unique alkaloids — that directly ease nerve receptors in the digestive tract. This makes it an invaluable ally for managing stress and related symptoms.
Beyond digestion, lemon balm contributes to overall well-being by offering:
Nutritional support: Rich in trace minerals like boron, manganese, selenium, and iron, as well as macromineral silica.
B12 conservation: It helps your body retain and efficiently use vitamin B12.
Antiviral and antibacterial power: Effective against viruses like Epstein-Barr, shingles, HHV-6, and strep bacteria.
Liver and kidney detox: Aids in detoxifying the liver, spleen, and kidneys, while also reducing bladder inflammation — making it excellent for interstitial cystitis and UTIs.
Lemon balm’s versatility extends to soothing tonsillitis, supporting immunity, and promoting a sense of calm, making it an indispensable herb in your wellness toolkit.
Practice
When you stub you toe, you automatically take a sharp and shallow inhale. This is a flinch.
You may have heard the phrase “5D Consciousness” in spiritual circles or stumbled upon it in a late-night YouTube rabbit hole.
Understanding the Fifth Dimension can ease your spiritual doubts, accelerate healing, and help you make sense of the transformation humanity is currently experiencing.
The 5D refers to an expanded state of consciousness that humans can access. In this state, the familiar concepts of time and space no longer function in the rigid, linear way you’re used to. Instead, they become fluid — almost shadow-like.
To put this into perspective, imagine a single point (zeroth dimension). Stretch it into a line (first dimension). Expand that line into a plane (second dimension). Inflate that plane into a volume (third dimension). And then allow that volume to move through time (fourth dimension). These are the dimensions you typically experience.
The Fifth Dimension is the next level up, a realm where multiple timelines, paths, and possibilities coexist simultaneously.
Most people/animals live entirely in the third dimension, navigating reality and making decisions solely based on what they can see, hear, taste, touch, and smell. In the 3D, there is very little foresight or ability to delay gratification, as cause and effect is not properly understood.
Some people — perhaps you, since you’re reading this — have begun accessing the fourth dimension. That is, you are now using awareness, will-power and intuition to shape your own future. Here there is a basic understanding of karma: what you sow, so shall ye reap; actions have consequences.
But very few fully embody fifth-dimensional consciousness, where reality is no longer constrained by the past or even the present.
Picture a movie reel: each frame captures a single frozen moment in time, and when played in sequence, movement appears.
Now, imagine countless reels, each depicting a different storyline. In the Fifth Dimension, you’re not bound to just one sequence — you can access them all at once.
Yes, this is a difficult concept to grasp. Just as the 2D square can’t fully see the cube it rests upon, your 3D survival mind and 4D rational mind cannot see the 5D liberated mind, even though they’re technically already in it.
Yes, we can devise mathematical proofs, draw elaborate diagrams, and recite impressive spiritual jargon in an attempt to make sense of the higher planes of reality. But in the end these are just words, and capture almost nothing about what is actually occurring “up there”.
No, in order for you to truly understand the 5D, you must actually venture into it yourself.
Stay tuned next week as I explain what that actually means.
"Freedom is what you do with what’s been done to you." – Jean-Paul Sartre
How long will you hold onto your victimhood for? A day? A year? A lifetime? Amazingly, some people allow their karma to dominate their minds incarnation after incarnation.
Each moment you clutch your grievances, you hand over your power to that which triggered your suffering. Every time you replay the hurt, you allow it to control you a little more.
Move past your certainty, and reclaim your innocence — your story does not have to be this. It is malleable. It is what you make it. Step into the freedom that comes with choosing to move forward, and watch as the chains of the past dissolve behind you.