Should I take a yoga class this morning or later tonight?
Do I chance taking the bus and maybe hit traffic or go with the crowded train?
It’s lunch time? I’m hungry, I’m tired, I have no idea what I want.
It’s that time of year, I’m not referring to holiday time but yes, that too does add to the scattered nature of our minds and lives right now.
I’m talking about the Fall Season, and according to Ayurveda, this is Vata Season, a time of lightness, dryness and airiness. It’s like we don’t have our feet planted firmly on the ground.
We are a little indecisive, we may resist following a schedule, and I don’t know about you, but right now I have tabs open on my computer to write this blog, research an event I’m planning, and amazon is open to order what’s on the top of my head. And I have my ear to the kitchen for the dinner I’m cooking.
On the upside, we are more creative than now than any time of year. Let’s follow that path, don’t let this unique time of year slip away. As adults, creativity is usually one of the last ways we would describe ourselves, so now is the time to harness it. You will find your best ideas for future vacations, plans for a new business venture you’ve always wanted to launch and all the great ideas you come up with now will be ripe for implementation in the new year.
What is Ayurveda and why should I follow it?
Ayurveda is a 5,000 year old “Health Care System” that originated in India with the purpose of achieving mind-body balance. To attain this balance, you need to eat and live according to your unique energy footprint, called your “Dosha”. When you live your life according to your Dosha (there are three), you feel more in balance, less of a struggle against your body & mind. Sounds kind of nice, right?
Living this way prevents chronic pain, disease and so many ailments we live with and accept as part of life or getting older. So, in the case of this Vata Season, to be frustrated when you are forgetful, when you can’t seem to take action on something, and your mind is wandering, is exasperating and futile.
So, what should I do during this “Vata” Season?
Find some “anchors” to keep you grounded.
· Use your calendar more than usual, schedule not just the regular tasks but when you are going to the grocery store, the gym, and anything else that usually stays in your head.
· Find a routine. Once you set your calendar, repeat from week to week the similar actions and patterns. Less thinking about each day will decrease your floating thoughts.
· Eat “Grounding” Foods:
· For Breakfast, warm oatmealor brown rice mixed with fruit (apple, banana, berries), walnuts, chia seeds, flax, cinnamon, honey for sweetness.
· For Lunch, cook your salad. Almost anything you would put in a salad, you can throw in a pan with olive oil and warm it up, making it easier to digest. Add in warming spices-cumin, coriander, ginger, cardamom, turmeric. This is a good time of day to include chicken or any meat, because you have the rest of the day to digest. Make this your heavier meal.
· For Dinner, a warm stew with beans and vegetables, a stir fry of rice & veggies with egg mixed in, or fish & roasted veggies is not too heavy to keep you from a good night sleep.
· Practice yoga (you knew I was going to say that). Feel your feet on the ground in standing poses, the floor beneath you when seated and lying down. I know you can’t choose what your teacher is going to do but if you focus each pose on feeling centered and still, the mind will follow.
Enjoy Vata Season, the lightness, the creativity, the openness of the mind. Write down all the brilliant ideas and "A-Ha" thoughts that come into your head before they float away. Go with the flow and see where it takes you!!
Plan for the New Year Now….
Are you curious about how to harmonize your health goals? How to fit wellness into your busy schedule? The New Year is a great place to start fresh.
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ABOUT ME
I received my training from the Institute for Integrative Nutrition, where I learned about more than one hundred dietary theories and studied a variety of practical lifestyle coaching methods. Drawing on this knowledge, I will help you create a completely personalized “roadmap to health” that suits your unique body, lifestyle, preferences, and goals.
