Fall Ritucharya

There is one constant in life and that is change. It is inevitable. So, the question is: how do we find more grace and acceptance in the face of change?

When the seasons change, the weather shifts and certain crops are ripe for planting and some don't stand a chance. As a developed species, we have created technologies that disrupt our natural rhythms. It is important more now than ever that we tune in to the innate desires that environmental change creates. We must greet the current season with ease and adopt practices that balance us from within.

This is an Ayurvedic ritucharya. Ritu is the season and charya is rule and regimen. [1] Ritucharya is a practice that tunes our diet and behavior to match the environment around us. It feels good because we cultivate ease with nature.

According to Ayurveda, fall and early winter are vata season. Vata is marked by dry, light, cold, rough, subtle, mobile and clear qualities.

As the seasons change, consider the following practices to balance mind and body. It is suggested that one follow these practice from about October through February. However, with awareness, you will notice your desires begin to shift anyways. :)

Opt for High Quality, Warm Nourishment

Diet should include:

• Warm, well cooked, well spiced foods such as soups and stews

• Warming spices such as ginger, black pepper, cinnamon, cumin

• Drink warm fluids - ideally water or tea

Avoid the Following:

• Cold, frozen, rough, dry, raw and hard foods

• Pre-packaged snacks - Rice cakes, chips, crackers, popcorn, dried fruit

Abhyanga or Self-Massage

Loving touch paired with warm oil is one of the best ways to ground and calm the mind and body. It also supports the nervous system which is a function of vata. Also, the daily application of oil combats the dryness that is ever-present in the fall and winter months. 

This Ayurvedic massage is best practiced in the morning. Showering after the abhyanga allows the oil to steam and soak into the body. It can also be done after the shower. Choose a seasonal oil such as sesame for the fall or opt for something lighter like olive or sunflower if you are pitta. Safflower or dry brushing is good for kappa. I like to get high quality, organic massage oils from Banyan Botanicals.  

Here is a video on how to perform the abhyanga.

Routine

Routine is a wonderful way to balance the irregular and changing aspects of vata dosha. This means eating and sleeping around the same time each day. It helps the body get into rhythm and supports regular bodily functions and elimination as well.

Slow Down

Fall is such a beautiful time of year. Look around and enjoy all that fall has to offer for the senses: beautiful leaves for the eyes and crinkling under the toes, cool air on your face, smells and tastes of warming spices. Ease up on your schedule and block out more time for self-care and to simply be. Remember that you are a human being – not human doing. ;)

Sources:

[1] Ritucharya: The Answer to Lifestyle Disorders. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3361919/

The Three Doshas: What are they?

The Three Ayurvedic Doshas

Doshas are important in understanding Ayurveda and most importantly how to apply the knowledge to YOU. The doshas inform your unique mind-body type as well as other life energies such as times of day, times of life and inherent properties of foods.

Ayurveda is a holistic healing system. It is a 5000 year old medicine that was cognized through deep meditation and perceived by examining principles of nature. The natural world contains the five following elements: earth, water, fire, air and space (ether). Each element has inherent qualities. These qualities can be observed by examining and experiencing the elements in nature. For example, earth is dense and static. Water is liquid and dense. Fire is hot and mobile. Air is mobile and clear. Space is subtle and expansive. 

These five elements combine to create doshas, unique mind-body types or constitutions. There are three doshas: vata, pitta, and kapha. The unique proportion in which the doshas appear in each individual inform physical characteristics, emotional and mental tendencies as well predispositions to specific imbalances. When doshas are out of balance it causes dis-ease or disease. 

This deep understanding of doshas and nature's tendencies inform proper diet, lifestyle, and self-care techniques for individuals. For example, have you tried a diet that doesn't work for you for various reasons? You may not be eating according to your dosha! Knowing and understanding your dosha is key to good health and happiness. 

Below is more information about each dosha and a few balancing recommendations for each:

Vata

Vata is air and space. These elements make vata light, dry, coarse, rough, dark, changeable, moveable, subtle, cold and clear. This manifests as a light, thin body frame. Vatas are enthusiastic, vivacious and talkative.

Vata predominant time of life is around age 50+, and it is prevalent during fall and early winter each year. Have you experienced a fall/winter season where you can't have enough cream/lotion/oil on your hands?! Hello vata!

Vata controls movement. Movement in the body happens through blood flow, waste elimination and breathing. An example of movement in the mind is quick movement of thoughts such as jumping from one thought to another and another. Emotional movement is excitement and quick movement from one emotion to the next.

When vata is high, imbalance can manifest as: anxiety, fear, excess air – gas/burps/bloating, constipation, general dryness, poor circulation and pain.

People who are predominately vata need routine. They thrive when they have set times for waking up, going to sleep and eating meals. Vata people also need nourishing and warm foods that are easy on digestion. They require plenty of rest, need extra self-care during the fall and winter, and benefit from calming walks, grounding exercise and focused meditation.

In my experience, many of us fall prey to some amount of vata imbalance in the West. It is the most subtle of the three doshas which means it is generally the first to go out of balance. Vata relates to movement, so continuous stimulation and movement in our culture creates imbalance. 

Pitta

Pitta is fire and some water. These elements make pitta hot, sharp, pungent, intense, flowing, sour and slightly oily. This manifests as a medium and muscular frame. Pittas are intense, analytical, focused, generous and goal-oriented.

Pitta predominant time of life is around age 20 - 50, and it is prevalent during the summer each year.

Pitta controls metabolism. Examples in the body include: digestion, transformation, and energy production.

When pitta is high, imbalance can manifest as: irritability, anger, impatience, criticism, jealousy, intense hunger, acne, and inflammation. Next time you eat something spicy, notice if you feel more irritable -- especially during the summer months!

Those who are predominant in pitta need everything in moderation and should focus on a cooling lifestyle, including eating cooling foods. They should also take extra care of themselves in summer, avoid spicy foods, and make sure to get outdoors at dawn, dusk or even at night for moon-bathing.

Kapha

Kapha is earth and water. These elements make kapha unctuous (oily), slimy, cool, moist, sticky, heavy, stable, strong and soft. This manifests as a large frame. Kaphas are jovial, sweet, loving and easy-going.

Kapha predominant time of life is around birth - 20, and it is prevalent during the late winter and spring each year.

Kapha controls structure. Structure includes: muscle, fat, bones, and the cells that make form.

When kapha is high, imbalance can manifest as: obesity, congestion, lethargy, colds/coughs, lymphatic congestion, and poor appetite.

Kapha people thrive on an active lifestyle, often mixing up their routines and seeking out invigorating experiences. They should consume warm foods with lots of activating spices. Kapha types should take extra care of themselves during spring and should consider skipping meals if they are not hungry.

Conclusion

What is your dosha? If you aren't sure, I strongly encourage you to take the Shri Wellness Dosha Test by clicking the tab 'Free Test!' at the bottom right corner of the webpage. This informs the proper diet and lifestyle for YOU! 

Ayurveda provides a wonderful framework on how to care for your unique self throughout the seasons of life. More importantly, Ayurvedic practices open your awareness to nature's principles so that you become the healer and manifest the physical, mental and spiritual health that you desire.

Ayurveda is as simple as tuning into your body's natural desires! In Ayurveda, it is said that pragya paradh or a crime against wisdom is what causes dis-ease or disease. Begin to inquire what food, drink and exercise you (the real you - beyond ego and society) actually desire. Start to notice how the time of day and season inform your hunger, thirst, energy and emotions. Listen to what your body truly wants, and give yourself the nourishment you need. This is Ayurveda.

What is Ayurveda?

Ayurveda is a medical system that dates back more than 5,000 years to rural India. It can be used as preventative care and as a healing system. The word Ayurveda translates to the knowledge or science of life. 'Ayur' meaning life and 'veda' meaning knowledge or science. As more people are turning to holistic methods of healing, they are also discovering the benefits that Ayurveda offers.

As a sister science of yoga, Ayurveda provides deep insight into caring for the whole individual which includes tending to the mind, body and spirit. The ancient science places equal value on the health of physical, emotional, mental and spiritual aspects of a human-being. For example, emotional balance is just as important as physical health. 

One important fundamental belief in Ayurveda is pragya aparadh, which means the “mistake of the intellect” or "crime against wisdom". This belief understands that imbalance or disease occurs when we live out of tune with nature's intelligence.

As an example of nature's intelligence, the Ayurvedic clock informs seasonal eating and daily eating patterns such as when to take the biggest meal of the day. When we tune to these cycles, and follow other Ayurvedic practices then we remain in flow wth nature's intelligence. This flow translates to ease, balance and greater health. 

Another example, many animal species know it is time to mate because they sense longer days and shorter nights in the spring. 

Health is More Than Absence of Disease

Health is not simply defined as the absence of disease in Ayurveda. Rather it is good digestion, proper sleep, healthy tissues, abundant energy, balanced emotions, graceful aging, and longevity. When one experiences true health, a vibrant and light energy shines from the inside-out. This is ojas. Ojas is the by product of perfect digestion and is the pure intelligence or essence of the tissues. It is the fluid of life, and it creates vitality, strength and immunity.

Strong, balanced digestion or agni is vital for good health. Agni is the digestive fire that processes food and experience. It is important that one maintains strong agni to reduce the risk of forming ama. Ama is toxic build-up from poorly digested foods and/or experiences. Ama blocks flow which disturbs the natural intelligence and normal functioning of tissues. This leads to dis-ease or disease.

Use Nature to Heal

Ayurveda is rich with natural modalities that bring balance and good health to the whole individual. The system uses diet, lifestyle, exercise, yoga, meditation, sound, touch, color, herbs and aromatherapy to heal. 

Five Element Theory

Ayurveda is rooted in the following five elements: earth, water, fire, air and space (ether). Each element has inherent qualities. These qualities can be witnessed by witnessing the elements in nature. For example, earth is dense and static. Water is liquid and dense. Fire is hot and mobile. Air is mobile and clear. Space is subtle and expansive. 

Doshas

These five elements combine to create doshas, or unique mind-body types. There are three doshas: vata, pitta, and kapha. How the doshas appear in each individual inform physical characteristics, emotional and mental tendencies as well predispositions to specific ailments. When doshas are out of balance it causes dis-ease or disease. 

The doshas advise proper diet, lifestyle, and self-care techniques for individuals. For example, have you tried a diet that doesn't work for you for various reasons? You may not be eating according to your dosha! Knowing and understanding your dosha is key to good health and happiness. 

I’ve listed and briefly described each of the doshas below:

Vata

Vata is a combination of the air and space elements.

Vata controls movement. Movement of and within the body, movement of thoughts, movement of emotions. Vata is dryness and changeability of fall and early winter.

Vata is light, dry, coarse, rough, dark, changeable, moveable, subtle, cold and clear. A classic vata body frame is a light, thin build. Vata types are enthusiastic, vivacious and talkative.

Vata imbalances include: anxiety, fear, poor sleep, forgetfulness, excess air – gas/burps, bloating, constipation, general dryness, poor circulation and pain. 

In my experience, vata is a common imbalance in our society. It is the most subtle of the three doshas which means it is generally the first to go out of balance. Vata relates to movement, so continuous simulation and movement creates imbalance. 

Pitta

Pitta is a combination of mostly fire and some water.

Pitta controls metabolism. Pitta relates to anything that changes form and structure such as digestion, transformation, and energy production. Pitta is the heat summer.

Pitta is hot, sharp, pungent, intense, flowing, sour and slightly oily. A classic pitta build is muscular with a medium frame. Pitta types are intense, analytical, focused, generous and goal-oriented.

Pitta imbalances include: irritability, anger, impatience, criticism, jealousy, intense hunger and thirst, acid, heat, loose stool, redness, rash, skin disorders, and inflammation.

Kapha

Kapha is a combination of earth and water elements.

Kapha controls structure. Structure includes: muscle, fat, bones, and all small cells that create form. Kapha is the juiciness of spring.

Kapha is unctuous, slimy, cool, moist, sticky, heavy, stable, strong and soft. A classic kapha build is a large frame. Kapha types are jovial, sweet, loving and easy-going.

Kapha imbalances include: obesity, congestion, lethargy, colds/coughs, lymphatic congestion, cold clammy hands, profuse sweating, stuffy nose, cysts, high cholesterol, diabetes, and poor appetite.

Conclusion

Ayurveda may seem complicated, but living a balanced, wholesome life can be simpler than you think. There are many places to start your journey.

It is helpful to uncover your dosha to better understand the innate needs for your individual constitution. You can do that by taking a dosha test on ShriWellness.com. 

Another recommendation is to begin slowing down. The process of slowing down encourages attuning the body to the rhythm of nature. It also supports increased awareness as well as intuition of actual physical, mental and emotional needs. Awareness of environment and self is necessary for individuals to know what creates greater balance or imbalance. It begins by slowing down.

If you would like more information about Ayurvedic practices and how to achieve optimal health sign-up for the Shri Wellness newsletter below to receive tips and upcoming events right to your inbox.

Spring Arugula Salad

Spring Arugula Salad

This spring arugula salad is delicious! This time of year diet should be light, warm, dry and rough. Think bitter greens, astringent beans and pungent chilies. 

Dosha considerations -
Pitta avoid chili and add coriander or fennel as seasoning. Swap arugula for mixed greens. 
Vata can cook in ghee. 

INGREDIENTS

• Dash of oil, flax or sesame
• 1/4 tsp turmeric
• 1/4 tsp cumin
• 1/4 tsp oregano, fresh or dried
• 1/4 tsp thyme, fresh or dried
• 1/4 thai chili, chopped
• Small handful green beans, chopped
• 10 stems asparagus, chopped
• Handful arugula
• Salt and pepper to taste
• Squeeze of lemon juice 

DIRECTIONS

1. Add oil to pan. Add spices and sauté. Add green beans. Stir to coat then cook for a few minutes.
2. Add in asparagus and continue cooking. Stir occasionally. Cook until tender. Add in arugula. Sauté until barely wilted.
3. Place in bowl. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Add a squeeze of lemon juice!

Daily Ayurvedic Self-Care Rituals

Daily ritual or routine is effective in cultivating and maintaining a healthy mind, body and spirit. These Ayurvedic practices aid digestion and absorption of nutrients, regulate the circadian clock or nature's rhythms, cultivate peace and support longevity. Ayurveda refers to these daily self-care habits as dinacharya. A dinacharya supports optimal well-being. 

Rise Early

The air is naturally lighter from 2a - 6a, so waking during this time creates more energy throughout the day. If possible, try waking up without an alarm, and avoid looking at your phone, checking emails, and using social media right after you wake up. 

Create a Tone for Your Day

You can do this by offering gratitude and setting an intention. Make sure to create space in the morning to balance your mind, body, and spirit before the day begins. One simple way to do this is by writing reflections, intentions, thoughts, and/or ideas in a  journal. It’s also a good time to connect and cultivate a positive relationship with yourself.

Eliminate First Thing in the Morning

The body has processed toxins overnight, so it is important to evacuate bowels and bladder first thing in the morning, every morning. 

Take Care of Your Mouth

This includes oil pulling, tongue scraping, and brushing your teeth. Your mouth is connected to digestion and other organ functions. Having good oral hygiene is valuable for good health.

Drink Water

Drinking water helps flush out toxins that have accumulated over night. Warm lemon or lime water also helps eliminate toxins. Avoid cold water as this inhibits digestion. 

Exercise

Take a walk, practice yoga, go for a swim, ride your bike, go on a hike, etc. Moderate exercise is a wonderful way to maintain a balanced life and remain stress free. Exercise moves prana (vital energy) and prevents stagnation or blockages in the body. It also increases strength and endurance, and boosts agni (digestion).

Give Yourself An Oil Massage (Abhyanga)

Ayurveda refers to self-massages as abhyanga. This practice is soothing for the nervous system. It tones the muscles and increases lymphatic flow (the body’s natural detox mechanism). For vata, sesame oil is a wonderful choice, sunflower for pitta, and safflower for kapha. This practice is best done in the morning.

Bathe

After abhyangya, take a warm bath or shower to open pores and penetrate oil deeper into the skin.

Take a Breath or Two (Pranayama)

This practice helps calm the mind and nervous system, and increases life energy, vitality, and ojas in the body. It can also help to remove stuck energy and create heat in the body. Nadi Shodhana, alternate nostril breathing, is particularly supportive to calm the nervous system. Full yogic breath (breathe into belly, ribs, and chest in three parts) is helpful to calm the mind and become more present. Ujjayi breath (slight constriction of the throat) gently warms the body and calms the mind. All forms of pranayama can help reduce stress and promote calmness and clarity.

Meditate

Meditation increases awareness and purifies the nervous system, mind, and emotions. It creates balance in all areas of your life. It is known to be an antidote to stress and allows for stillness and inward reflection. Meditation is wonderful for morning and late afternoon/early evening before dinner.

Mindful Morning Meal

For breakfast enjoy a smaller portion that will keep you satisfied until lunch. Stewed apples or pears are a wonderful option to boost digestion! 

Mid-day Meal + Routine

The digestive fire is highest during the noon hour. Enjoy the largest meal mid-day in a relaxed manner to ensure proper digestion. 

After lunch, rest on the left side and/or enjoy a short walk.

Evening Meal + Routine

A small (or supplemental as in supper) evening meal allows the body to digest food before you sleep. Rather than digesting a large evening meal, the body is freed to digest toxins (ama) or other buildup from the day. 

Create an evening routine that supports relaxation such as journaling, taking a warm bath or gentle stretching. Decrease use of phones, computers and television in the evening as it can be stimulating.

Retire before 10pm

This helps maintain the natural circadian clock (your inner clock). It is said that every hour of sleep enjoyed before midnight is worth two hours after midnight. The body also processes toxins most effectively between 10p - 2a. 

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