A Recipe for Balance
Fall is the season of transformation. We can see this all around us in nature: the leaves change, the air shifts and we harvest new vegetables and fruits for our dinner table. It is important that we change with the seasons also, adjusting our daily habits, yoga practice along with the food we cook and eat.
The prevalent dosha in autumn is vata. Vata governs body movement, activates the nervous system and the process of elimination. With the abundance of vata energy circulating in the fall season, our bodies and minds can become overwhelmed and out of balance. We cannot change the seasonal shifts, we can find balance by adjusting our lifestyle choices by incorporating yoga poses, foods and herbs.
Our favorite tea recipe:
1/4 tsp cardamom pods
1/4 tsp caraway seeds
1 cinnamon stick
1/4 tsp fresh ginger
1 cup boiling water
Place crushed pods, seeds, ginger into boiling water and drain, add cinnamon stick to drained tea, sweeten according to taste or drink unsweetened!
5 FALL YOGA POSES
Twists (Half Lord of the Fishes, Noose Pose)
Side stretches (Revolved head to knee pose)
Backbends (Bridge Pose, Camel)
Warrior 1 & Warrior 2
Sun Salutations
CALMING FALL FOODS
Warm soups
Choose warm cooked foods avoiding raw salads and veggies
Apples
Warm tea with fresh ginger
Sweet, salty and sour tastes are vata calming
Tea with friends is a great way to inject laughter into your day (a natural mood booster!)
BALANCE LIFESTYLE
8 hours sleep
Consistent, moderate exercise
Meditation, commit to a regular practice to ground the vata mind (5 minutes a day is better than zero!)
Apply oils to the skin to keep it moist. A great one is jojoba before you get out of the shower!