SUMMER-FALL TRANSITION TIPS!

SUMMER-FALL TRANSITION TIPS

As mother nature is in transition from summer to fall, with trees and shrubs preparing for the change and temperatures starting to fall at night, we also need to prepare for the seasonal transition from summer/pitta time to the fall/vata time.During pitta season heat builds up in our tissues, and it is helpful to use our diet and lifestyle to gently detoxify pitta, thereby supporting a smooth transition into the autumn/early winter.  We want to prepare for the Vata season with its qualities of dry, light, cold, rough, and mobile to maintain our stability, warmth, moisture and flexibility (both physical and mental).

Here are some tips for staying joyful and healthy in this transition time:

If these following suggestions seem overwhelming, just try a few, those that seem most doable for you. It is important to find time to unwind and rest during this  time and enjoy the beauty and wonderful qualities of the fall.

Eat three regular meals daily, and have snacks between meals at around 10 am and 2 pm. Add more cooked greens to your meals as they are bitter and astringent and good for releasing Pitta. Examples are kale, collards, and beet greens. Make sure to have all 6 tastes, and especially bitter and astringent during the early part of fall. The 6 tastes are sweet, salty, sour, pungent, bitter and astringent. Reduce caffeine intake. During this time apples and pears, with skins, are great for snacks. They are astringent fruits, which help detoxify pitta. Ideally eat an apple and/or pear a day at snack time until the end of October or early November.

When feeling heated spritz with rosewater, especially your temples, face and neck.

To keep your skin moist and prevent it from getting too dry, do an oil massage (abhyanga) before you shower. Use coconut oil or sesame oil that has rose, sandalwood or lavender in it, they all have a calming effect on the system. To learn about performing an oil massage, there are instructions on Banyan Botanicals website or send me an email, and I can pass along the information. dhelfeld@starpower.net

When using the neti pot to cleanse the nasal passages, make sure to use nasya oil about 20 minutes to an hour after to keep the nasal passages moist. (Contact me if you need some nasya oil).

Consider 1 to 3 days of a mono-diet of mostly kitchari, called a kitchari cleanse. A cleanse is very helpful in clearing away imbalances and toxins(due to a build up of Pitta) from the tissues to promote balance and overall health. A recipe for a fall kitchari is in this blog.

Drink CCF (cumin, coriander, fennel) tea or spearmint or licorice teas. You can also put the mint and licorice powder in the CCF. CCF tea has many benefits: stokes the metabolism and digestive fire: aids digestion and internal cleansing; restores vitality; and calms and clarifies the mind. Made a pot and drink throughout the day, especially in the afternoon and evening. Contact me if you would like me to send you the recipe.

Do more lateral poses, such as triangle and lateral flank pose, and twists and practice cooling breaths such as sitali. These practices help detoxify pitta.

Take time to relax especially in the afternoon Vata time of 2 to 6 pm. Do a restorative pose or savasana for at least 7 minutes. You can also do a yoga nidra practice or another guided relaxation.