Tips For Transitioning From Fall To Winter
Fall is the season of vata dosha--windy, cool, dry and changeable. Vata dosha in the body is variable and strongly influenced by changes in the environment. The qualities of fall--dryness, roughness, coldness and changing conditions--are also the qualities of vata dosha and therefore increase it. remember, in ayurveda, like increases like.
People most affected are the elderly (in vata stage of life), those who are naturally vata predominant and those prone to vata imbalance (which I would argue is everyone alive in the 21st century).
Some signs of excess vata are: dry skin, hair and nails; constipation; gas; bloating; cracking joints; little or low appetite; anxiety; fear and a scattered mind.
Diet
· Casseroles, soups and stews are easily digested and nourishing for vata, warming the body from the inside out. Include carrots, beets, sweet potatoes, turnip, pumpkin, acorn and butternut squashes. They're sweet, heavy, smooth, dense and moist--all qualities that reduce vata.
· Include ghee (clarified butter) and oils such as almond, sesame or sunflower for internal moisture, kindling agni (digestive fire) and increasing absorption of vitamins and minerals.
· Use warming spices such as black pepper, ginger, cumin, coriander, fennel, cinnamon and cardamom to aid in digestion and relief of constipation, gas and bloating. KK Ayurveda's Agni Churna (a mixture of organic cumin, coriander, fennel, celery seed, cardamom, mineral salt, cane sugar) can be added to your food as a spice mixture or placed on the tongue and washed down with warm water before meals.
· As always:
Eat at routine times each day, lunch should be your largest meal.
Avoid iced or cold drinks, particularly taken with meals or immediately after.
Limit raw, cold foods such as salads and raw vegetables.
Minimize caffeinated beverages and other stimulants.
Lifestyle
A routine, practiced daily, is stronger medicine than an occasional remedy. Increased vata makes it difficult to maintain a peaceful, grounded state of being. Having a set routine (wake up at the same time each day, eat meals at the same times each day, meditation, yoga, etc.) restores balance and safeguards against anxiety and stress.
Daily abhyanga (oil massage) is an essential component to an ayurvedic daily routine. This practice nourishes and calms the nervous system, encourages regular sleep patterns, enhances blood circulation and can significantly reduce vata. Use Vata Massage Oil or organic sunflower oil. Click here for a great article on abhyanga written by one of my teachers, Dr. Claudia Welch.
Lubricating the nasal tissue with Nasya--Ayurvedic Nose Drops
twice a day will keep illness at bay while helping to prevent dryness caused by cold weather and indoor heating.
Other things to do:
Stay warm and avoid drafts.
Use a humidifier. Take warm baths.
Avoid excessive exercise or physical movement.
Eliminate sources of emotional stress.
Get enough restful sleep each night.
Yoga
Pavanmuktasana (knees-to-chest pose) helps to expel air collected in the colon, aid constipation, relieve tension in the lower back, tone the spine and massage the stomach and intestines.
Lie on your back with bent knees and feet hip-width apart on the floor. Raise your knees and draw them in towards the chest. Wrap your arms around your shins, interlacing hands or crossing forearms. Breathe deep into the abdomen, hold for 5 to 10 even, slow, smooth breaths.
Meditation and Pranayama
An imbalance of vata can manifest fearful and anxious mind. Creating a spiritual practice using meditation and pranayama can help to calm these emotions and create a sense of peace and well-being.
|
Dinacharya (Daily Routine) Workshop with James Tennant
James Tennant, co-owner of Tejas Yoga, will be teaching a 2 1/2 hour workshop on developing a healthy daily routine. I encourage you to attend!
Saturday, November 14, 2009
2 p.m. - 4:30 p.m.
$30.00
James will be covering such topics as:
· ethical
precepts of the Yoga Sutras (yamas and niyamas) and the art of
self-study (svadhaya);
· several cleansing techniques
(kriyas), including agni sara, nauli (stomach
churning) and a live demonstration of how to use a neti pot (nasal/sinus
cleansing);
· the benefits of daily tongue scraping and
therapeutic oil massage (abhyanga);
· a brief
overview of herbal supplementation and general guidelines for eating
appropriately in each season; and
· how
ritual, routine, a regular physical practice and meditation can bring more
meaning to our daily lives.
|
Upcoming Events at Gilda's Club Chicago:
**These events are open to everyone and free of charge. You do not have to be a member of Gilda's Club to attend!**
CONCIOUS RELAXATION: Serenity Now!
The
ancient yogis developed conscious relaxation (yoga nidra in Sanskrit) as a
method of achieving deep and complete relaxation of the body and mind. During this session, all you'll need to do is wear
comfortable clothing, lie down, be at ease and listen as I guide you
through systematic relaxation and visualization techniques.
Tuesday, December 1, 20096:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, January 6, 20106:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. ========================================================
THE POWER OF THE BREATH
Flowing
just beneath the surface of consciousness, our breath passes in and out
of our lungs some 21,600 times a day. With very little voluntary
effort, you can change the way you breathe. You can hold your breath,
blow out a candle or suck liquid through a straw. Pain, emotions and
stress can also influence the breath.
Stressful
breathing patterns may linger long after a stressful event is over.
When poor breathing habits persist, they magnify perceptions of pain,
distort emotions, feed cycles of stress and impair concentration and
memory.
In
this one-hour workshop, we'll gain awareness of our own breathing
patterns and learn new ways to control the effects of stress, increase
energy and settle an unsettled mind with simple yogic breathing
techniques (pranayama).
Wednesday, January 20, 2010
6:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.
|
|
