Change is Good

My last post talked about seasonal change, and how nature shows us the signs....the clues are there. Change , after all is good. Sometimes hard....but good, repeat.....good. Right now in the Philly area, change is happening. A cold front is coming through as we speak, thunder rolls, and tomorrow we will wake up to different weather. This mobile change is a Vata quality. Fall is a Vata season.
For those of you that don't really have a handle on this Dosha stuff, there are 3. Kapha, Pitta, and Vata. They manifest in our bodies, in the seasons, hours of the day, times of our lives.
The characteristics of Vata are mobile, light, cold, subtle & dry. The elements of Air and Ether. Vata in balance  manifests in us  as creativity, quick thinking, buoyant attitude, and a general lightness of being. Beautiful stuff. When out of balance it shows up as irregular appetite & digestion, nervousness, erratic moods & behaviours, dry skin &  brittle nails. This shows up in nature during Autumn as well...on a good weather day the sky is light & sparkling, the colors are poetic, and we feel buoyant. As the weather  changes we can become cold, dry, and feel out of balance, especially if there is already Vata in your makeup.
Even though it is still officially summer here, the Equinox is 2 weeks off, and it is time to get ready so that you can handle change with grace. It is time to prepare and cleanse the body of excess summer heat, and after the days of the beach, pool, & BBQ, time to ground and get into a routine. If we don't remove excess heat, or the fiery Pitta from the body, the winds of Vata can blow us Iinto a raging brushfire inside and set us up for imbalance. This is a great time for a mini retreat for yourself. Cleanse the liver, aid overworked adrenals, and reduce accumulated toxins from the colon. Ama is the buildup of dietary sludge in the colon that will leach toxins into the body, and eventually cause dis-ease. The colon is the house of Vata in our body, and, after all-don't you like a clean house? Let's be real, how many people do you know that get sick as soon as the winds of change blow their way?
 For the next 7 days, try to follow a cleanse, using a Kitcharee fast. In the last blog, I included a recipe.( 2 meals of this daily) Start the day by rising at 6, in the soft hours of the morning.  Enjoy a cup of warm ginger tea or soothing chai to stimulate digestion. Take the time for yourself to sit quietly, meditate, go for a walk, or practice some gentle yoga. Tree, forward fold, seated forward fold, gentle joint freeing movements, and legs up the wall are great. Spending time sitting and breathing deeply into the abdomen, draw up roots from the earth. Try to stay away from stimulants; avoid the coffee and the news! Take time for self care, daily abyhanga massage. Using warmed sesame oil massage the joints and skin and luxuriate as long as modern life allows before you shower off. If you are familiar with the Neti pot, use it....don't be a slacker! It will help wash away the germs that all the others are sneezing your way and aid with seasonal allergies. Try Nasya, medicated oil applied to the nasal and ear cavities to moisten and make it easier for Prana to come in. Listen to music that is soothing, use fabrics that are soft, and find beauty in the subtle change that is manifesting all around. Drink warm herbal tea throughout  the day...chamomile is lovely! Consider a journal to write your ideas of where you want to plant the seeds of change for yourself, so that it will manifest in a brilliantly vibrant, healthy new you!

SOOTHING CHAI

2 cups water
1 tbl fresh peppermint or 2 of dried, or 3 tea bags full
1 qt milk of your choice
1 cinnamon stick
1/4 tsp ground clove
1 tsp dried ginger
3/4 tsp ground cardomon
1 tsp peppercorns

To boiling water add mint in a teaball, and then remove from heat and steep about 20 minutes. Remove. Add milk, spices, and steep another 30 minutes. Strain, add honey to taste,  & enjoy.

Make drinking this beautiful brew a soothing ritual for yourself.
Namaste!

If you have any questions, please comment.
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**These statements are not intended to cure, treat, diagnose or prevent any disease. Nor are they regulated by the FDA. They are not meant to supercede the orders of a qualified physician and are at the discretion of the reader.