As some of you know, in Ayurvedic terms, with fall we enter Vata season, predominated by the quality of 'air'. This element can be destabilizing even for the most grounded practitioners! You might have noticed your sleep becoming less deep, your mood shifting to anxious or restless, your skin growing dry and flaky and your hair thinning. These are all traits autumn brings yearly yet sometimes we forget and resist the shift. Here are some tips to flow into fall gracefully and with more knowledge.
Make yourself a warming, detoxifying and immunity boosting daily drink!
laviYOGA's favorite yellow elixir:
herbal tea as a base (my favorites are Chamomile, Echinacea by Yogi Tea or Love by Pukka)
a tablespoon of honey
a tablespoon of apple cider vinegar
a tablespoon of lemon
fresh ginger slices
turmeric/ curcuma and cayenne pepper sprinkled to taste
cinnamon optional
The Secret of Change Is to Focus All of Your Energy, Not on Fighting the Old, But on Building the New
Socrates
Soup, soup and more soup!
There is nothing quite like a homemade soup to ground and warm the heart, plus this recipe is easy to make and good for you! Vata is characterized by wind as well as coolness, lightness and dryness so it is important to stay moist and hydrated. Here's my favorite autumn soup to boost your immune system while eating season rooting tubers and vegetables! Pumpkin and carrot are both great sources of vitamin A, as well as fiber, antioxidants and vitamin C, along with lots of minerals.
Pumpkin carrot soup:
Total Time: 45 minutes
Yield: 6 servings
INGREDIENTS
4 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
2 cloves of garlic, minced or pressed
1 cup pumpkin, chopped into 1-inch pieces
1 medium parsley root, chopped
3 medium carrots, chopped
2 and ½ cups vegetable stock
1 teaspoon thyme
½ cup half and half cream + 2 tablespoons for garnish (or (soy/oat/cashew) cream
salt and pepper, to taste
pinch of chili powder, to taste
fresh herbs (rosemary or parsley are my favorite) and roasted sunflower seeds, for garnish (optional)
serve with toasted crusty bread (optional)
INSTRUCTIONS
Heat olive oil in a saucepan over medium heat. Add onion and garlic and sauté for 2 to 3 minutes until soft and golden. Add pumpkin, parsley root and carrot, and cook for another 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Add vegetable stock and thyme and stir together. Reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer for 25 minutes.
Remove the soup from heat. Using an immersion blender or food processor, pulse until smooth.
Add cream and season to taste with salt and pepper. Add a pinch of chili (you can skip this if you don't like spicy foods).
Transfer to 6 serving bowls, decorate with a swirl of cream, herbs and sunflower seeds. Serve hot.
Buon appetito!
Tell me what you eat and I’ll tell you what you are.
Proverb
Slow down...
Fall is a time to truly slow down and move inwards. We want to preserve energy as much as we exert energy in preparation for the shift in weather and season. Fall brings change and transformation so it is integral that we reconnect and ground to avoid depleting our resources and decreasing our immune systems. There is no better time than the beginning of autumn to respect these changes and start drawing inwards in our practice. I highly recommend taking 10 minutes every day to simply lie down. As simple as that and the benefits are endless! You might want to take savasana daily or include your favorite restorative posture or pranayama technique. Whatever you choose, don't forget to take the time and rest!
Take time to Rest, Reset & Restore:
10 minute Savasana Reset and/or any one of your favorite Restorative Postures!
"Slowing down is the precursor to Yoga practice because this simple act allows us to consider our thoughts, feelings and actions more carefully in the light of our desire to live peacefully.” Donna Farhi
Go outside...
As the temperatures descend we will be spending more and more time indoors and yet to flow gracefully into fall I recommend taking a few minutes each day to walk in nature. As these shifts occur outside and simultaneously within us it is so sacred to be a witness to these changes in nature as they reflect what is occurring within us. Choose a park or trail you enjoy and can access easily and make it a ritual to walk down the same path daily to notice these shifts while practicing staying connected and grounded. Notice the leaves changing color daily. The air growing crisp. Mushrooms sprouting after the rain. Trees losing their leaves. Witness and make a mental note of everything happening around you. Walk in silence if you can. Make it a walking meditation. Nature is us, we are not separate from her. The more we reconnect to the natural world the more we automatically reconnect to ourselves. Nature is the greatest teacher.
Silent walking meditation:
As Thich Nhat Hanh teaches: "walking meditation is a profound and pleasurable way to deepen our connection with our body and the earth. We breathe, take a mindful step, and come back to our true home."
“Learn from nature. See how everything gets accomplished and how the miracle of life unfolds without dissatisfaction or unhappiness.”
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