While sitting at the dentist’s chair this morning, an “Autumn Fairy” brought to my attention the cozy comforts of the season ahead:
soft sweaters, apple ciders, and some other things that didn’t really appeal to me, but did make me think of our exquisitely colorful nature display, warm baths, delicious Ayurvedic soups and stews …..
This call to bring my sense of wonder towards what is inevitably just around the corner (my preference or not) was a timely boon.
Timely because, as I found myself quickly going back in the house to grab that sweater while heading for my hammock ritual earlier, here’s the pouting dialogue I caught myself entertaining:
“Oh … I’m not ready to wave fair well to my hummingbird friends and put away my summer play
(see image on my fridge door at very bottom)!”
However you may feel about this or any particular Season’s transition (literal or metaphorical), the value in wisely navigating it is undeniable.
It is also one of Ayurveda’s great strengths.
Marked by increased coldness, “variability” (think of the wind), and dryness (the wind’s effects on your skin), Autumn’s tendencies can cause some disturbances. This is especially so for those of us who also have a great deal of these qualities in us.
The solution?
To bring into our lifestyle the opposite qualities; ones that have a more warming, grounding, and nourishing effect on our bodies and minds.
Today we’ll focus on three ways we can do this while also drastically improving digestion during this time of year.
The Temperature of The Water You Consume
If you want to build a fire, do you pour ice water on it?
To remove the grease from your dishes, do you wash w/ cold water? Similarly, to maintain a steady digestive fire and prevent toxins from accumulating, you want to:
Avoid cold beverages during your meals!
Sip on warm water throughout the day!
Establish an Eating Routine
How you eat is even more important than what you eat.
This is what yoga’s sister science, Ayurveda teaches.
Being that Autumn is a season of “variability” (often expressed as: restlessness, anxiety or insomnia), the time of year to create the space where you consistently sit to eat free from other distractions is now!
Even if for just one of your meals, sit quietly and honor the process of digestion. One way to do this is by simply delighting in the gift on your plate and the explosion of flavors in each bite.
Favor Warming and Succulent Foods
This is the time of year to shift from lighter to heavier foods.
Warm, cooked foods that are rich in healthy fats (ghee if not vegan) and oils, are the way to go. And since we want to ensure that those heavier foods are easily digested, we must also focus on warming spices like ginger, pippali, and turmeric.
For my flexible Kitchari recipe (a detoxifying and nutritious soup or stew), or learn more about this living science here to help restore harmony during any “Season”, reach me HERE
Now, whether or not you are a fan of pumpkin patches and all the rest, you have a few incredibly effective tools to help you be free from digestive discomfort this new season. All you’ve got to do is bring in one of these per month and stay with it until the end of Autumn; and if you really like its effects, keep on a bit longer..…
The magic is in the DOing!
So, get to it!
w/ Love,
