Sneezes and sniffles! Our poor noses are suffering this season due to an early Spring (three weeks early according to The Weather Channel). Ayurveda encourages us to take good care of our noses, not just in the Spring but all year around. Here’s why:

The nose is the organ for our sense of smell. Ayurveda places great emphasis on the five senses because each one is connected to one of the five elements. The sense of smell is connected to the earth element and, wouldn’t you know it, Spring is the season of earth awakening. Believe it or not, one of the ways to take care of our nose in Spring is to shed the heaviness we’ve been holding onto since Winter. To do this, eat more bitter, astringent and pungent foods like asparagus, broccoli, radishes, arugula, cabbage, hot sauce, etc. Avoid eating foods that will add water or weight, like salty and sweet foods and dairy.

The nose also provides a direct link to our brain. The respiratory system and nervous system are actually separate, but there is a way to cross over that barrier. Ayurveda uses a technique called nasya, which means “nose.” A medicated oil is sniffed into the nose. As it coats the inside of the nostrils, it makes contact with the olfactory nerve, which carries the medication (herbs) directly into the brain. Even without the medication, nasya is very effective in enhancing the sense of smell and moisturizing nostrils that are irritated from all that sneezing.

To do nasya, wash your hands well. Place one drop of organic sesame oil on each pinky finger and coat the inside of the nostrils. Sniff vigorously and rub the sides the nose with your other fingers. The best time to do nasya is in the morning, either when you first get up or after your shower.

We had a wonderful workshop this past weekend on using yoga therapy to relieve neck pain. Lots of happy necks in the room! But it got me considering how it’s so easy to fall into the trap of thinking things will be better when [fill in the blank]. You know what I mean, don’t you?

Things will be better when
-my neck stops hurting
-I finish my degree
-my kids are grown
-spring arrives
-I get the promotion
-[insert your dream here]

I got to thinking how Yoga has a completely different way of responding to Life. Yoga asks

What if everything is fine as it is right now?

As we were moving our necks mindfully and observing how far is too far to cause discomfort, as we moved in our pain-free range of motion, I pointed out how this is what it truly means to be a practitioner of Yoga:

I am present. I am aware. I accept things as they are without needing to change them.

Surprise! When we are able to rest in this awareness, Life begins to shift on its own without any interference from us. Even our neck starts to feel better. I know this to be true because I have seen it over and over again in my life and in the lives of my students.

This is the essence of being a yoga practitioner: As we stay with ourselves and look clearly at the circumstances in which we find ourselves without running away, ignoring or otherwise needing to fix ourselves, we begin to see more clearly into the deepest meaning of being a human on this incredible journey.

So what if everything IS fine as it is right now? How might you respond to Life?

We were talking about love and cannoli this past weekend at yoga school. They fit together nicely, don’t you think? And it made for an interesting discussion of what we love, why we love, and how love really is the thing that makes the world go ‘round.

I grew up in Chicago and during the 1970s my family moved into a suburb that had strong Italian-American heritage. Not being Italian myself, I was fascinated by the culture and the cooking. I fell in love with cannoli, so different from any other dessert I had ever had. The women who cooked in the local restaurants and markets made the best Italian food and, of course, the best cannoli.

Several others in class had stories to tell of eating cannoli in Italian neighborhoods in other cities. The longing for a delicious cannoli set in but with no way to be transported back in time or to a location where we could have something that we love.

This thing called “love” is interesting to consider. Valentine’s Day may be overly focused on romantic love, but love in all its forms truly is a beautiful thing in our world.

Love shows up in many other ways beyond romance—the love we have for companion animals and Nature, loving the work we get to do whether its vocational or avocational, loving music or art or the written word, and definitely loving food like an amazing cannoli.

Here’s the thing about love that gets me every time: Love can never be diminished. You can give love to all of those things I listed—and more!—and you will never, ever have less love to give. In fact, love actually increases the more it is shared. Hey, you can’t say that about a cannoli; if I have two cannoli and I give one to you, well that only leaves one for me. But maybe we can sit outside on this beautiful day and eat the cannoli together, celebrating the love that multiplies and never fades away.

We open and close a lot of doors in our lifetime, don’t we? There are, of course, all the physical doors we go through, but there are many figurative ones too—such as starting or ending a career, a relationship or any phase of our life. The phrases “open the door” and “close the door” are used to signal these moments of crossing over from one place to another.

I got to wondering this week: “Can the doorway be like a mindfulness bell calling us back to our best selves?” Here are a couple of examples of how this became clearer for me.

My friend was the recipient of two small diamond-shaped pieces of paper which carried the parallel verses for the lunar new year. The giving and receiving of these verses is an annual custom in the tradition of Zen master Thich Nhat Hanh. The verses for this year are breathing in “Peace in every step,” breathing out “Freedom in every smile.” She decided to tape them to her front door so that she would see them and pause to breathe as she was heading out the door in the morning.

Another friend was telling me about the “do not disturb” sign she had purchased to place on the door of her meditation room so that she could alert other family members to her need for quiet and privacy. She got into the habit of storing the sign on the inside of her door when she wasn’t meditating. Recently she read the sign as she was walking out of her meditation room and it dawned on her that inside the door was actually a better location for the sign. It is now a reminder of her commitment to not disturb others as she makes her way through this life.

I invite you to observe the doors you cross over both literally and figuratively. What have you carried over those thresholds? What have you left behind? What can you do to remind yourself of the qualities you wish to embody as you step through the door?

Well, here we are in a new year with a new set of intentions. We’ve been here before, my friend: Let’s do it again and this time, let’s get it right. “Start that diet and lose weight.” “Learn the principles of investing and make a lot of money.” “Go back to school and earn that degree.” ENOUGH ALREADY!
 
These pressures are not only overwhelming, they are also unrealistic. The Vedic tradition is clear: If you were supposed to have these things, they would be here already. Let that soak in for a moment. We are taught that the aim of life is to go out there and get what we want, basically make a way even if no way exists. But the Vedic tradition tells us: Whatever you need or are supposed to have will show up on your doorstep.
 
This is the concept of flowing with life rather than trying to bend life to our own will and wishes. This doesn’t mean, of course, that we just sit back and wait for life to happen for us; certainly we have to live our lives the way that makes sense for us based on our interests and abilities. But here’s the beauty at the core of these basic teachings:
 
When we are in touch with the flow of life both within and outside ourselves, everything falls into place as it meant to be. We don’t have to force, struggle or even be afraid. Life is always for us so we can never lose in this game of life.
 
Here are some of the ways I have been working with this teaching and maybe it will spark your own reflections:
 
√ Saying “good morning” to every new day
 
√ Approaching my work with curiosity and allowing it to shift as it needs to
 
√ Extending understanding and forgiveness toward those who have hurt me
 
√ Repeating the affirmation “I trust the flow of life”

“Welcome! We were waiting for you and we’re so happy that you’re here.”
These are the words Mr. Paige used to greet us as we arrived at our hotel in New Orleans last week. I have never met someone so enthusiastic at a front desk and his attitude brought a big smile to my face and ease to my body. We had arrived at our temporary home in Louisiana.

Recently a spiritual teacher introduced the concept of “residue” or being aware of what we leave behind when we leave the scene. Whenever we relate to others, we communicate by what we say, how we say it and the attitude we maintain throughout the encounter. And yes, our attitude comes through even if we think we are covering it up with our words. The spiritual teacher suggested that, after every encounter in person, on the phone or in writing, we pause at the end and ask “What residue did I leave behind?”

This question really stuck with me as I considered the many emails I write, the yoga and meditation classes I teach, and the numerous times during the day that I initiate and respond to prompts from my partner and companion animals at home. What am I leaving in my wake when I write, teach and talk with others? Does what I share truly represent me at my best?

How do you communicate and relate to others throughout your day? Looking back on those encounters, what residue did you leave behind?

This concept really popped for me when I met Mr. Paige. Whether his sunny spirit is natural or more intentional, he gets high marks for being positive, inspiring, supportive, calming and accepting of others. And each time that he or you or I share these uplifting moments, we increase the good vibrations that encircle us all. Let’s all remember to take a peek at what we’re leaving behind!

As we move more deeply into cold and flu season, we’re all looking for ways to stay well. Look no further than the neti pot which looks like Aladdin’s magic lamp and is sure to bring magical support to your health. Let’s find out why:

The neti pot is one of the oldest health practices of Yoga and Ayurveda. It’s basically an irrigation system for the nasal passages. And because all the systems of the head, throat and chest are interconnected, regular use of the neti pot benefits the nose, ears, throat, sinuses and lungs. Wow, that’s a lot of benefit from one simple practice!

I first started doing neti several years ago because of spring/summer allergies. After just a couple of months of using the neti pot daily, I was actually able to get off of all allergy meds. Now I use it every day all year because it also clears out the bacteria and viruses that might otherwise make me sick in the fall and winter.

Neti pots are easy to purchase online and some local stores carry them too. I recommend a porcelain pot because it keeps the water warm and can be easily sterilized in the dishwasher. There are also excellent online videos with instructions for using the neti pot so I won’t go over the details here. But here are a few things I have learned along the way:

Use purified water. Keep distilled water on hand or boil tap water for 10 minutes (and then cool) before use. Most people like the water slightly warm for comfort. Do not use water directly from the tap. When we drink tap water, the acids in the stomach mitigate any harmful bacteria in the water. Our nasal passages do not have the ability to eliminate these bacteria so we have to do this in advance.

Use salt water. There is special neti salt that is added to the water, ½ teaspoon of salt per cup of water. Do not use iodized table salt. The saltwater mimics the saltiness in the human body so that the solution is very soothing to the mucous membranes. Plain water aggravates the nostrils and will cause dryness and bleeding.

Use the neti pot every day. Yes, just as you suspected, you will probably pour a little water down the throat the first few times you try the neti pot. Therefore, it’s best to make the commitment to use it 10 days in a row before giving up. I promise you it will only take a few days to get the hang of it. Once you’re breathing better, sleeping more soundly, and staying healthy all year long, you will never want to miss a day, just like me.

In my last post I talked about hydrating to keep healthy this winter, and I’ve heard from many of you that you’re finding creative ways to get more hot water and healthy oils into your body. Good for you!

Another aspect of this season is the increasingly cold weather. Growing up in Chicago we took the cold seriously. We wore really warm clothes like down, wool, corduroy and we layered those over long underwear. Even though it can get quite cold in Oklahoma, I’m shocked to see people running around wearing hoodies in 25-degree weather! Come on, people, let’s take this cold weather seriously because cold and dry are the recipe for weakened immune system which allows viruses to take hold.

Ayurveda offers these simple suggestions:

Continue to add hot water into your diet. Avoid cold, icy drinks and sip hot water all day. Add some fresh lemon and raw honey to detox the upper digestive system.

Add warming spices to your food and drinks: turmeric, garlic, ginger, licorice, black pepper

Cover your head and neck. We lose a lot of heat through the top of the head, so a scarf, hoodie or beanie can keep us warm when we’re outside even for short periods of time. Plus, if you’re prone to congestion, earaches or sore throats, wrap a scarf around your throat and cover your chest.

Wear a coat when it’s cold or dress in layers. Layers are actually pretty nice because you can take them off one by one as needed. Going outside? Wear three layers. Getting into a car or bus? Take one layer off.

You can be well this autumn and winter by taking care of yourself in these little ways!

You’ve probably already seen the signs of dryness—itchy skin, cracked cuticles and dry nasal passages. And if you’re dry on the outside of your body, you are also dry on the inside of your body. This dryness can lead to many more problems, such as constipation, headaches, lower immunity to illness, nose bleeds, anxiety, and digestive distress.

Yoga and Ayurveda are all about keeping you healthy this winter, so follow these guidelines to stay hydrated this season:

Drink ½ your weight in ounces each day (150 lbs = 75 oz). Choose room temperature to hot water and herbal tea. Limit caffeine and alcohol.

Add 1 teaspoon of organic coconut oil to your coffee or tea each morning. Drizzle extra virgin olive oil on steamed veggies.

Massage ½ oz of warm sesame oil into your skin after your shower.

Use a warm mist humidifier in your bedroom.

Get to yoga class each week and supplement with a few mindful stretches or centered deep breathing every day. You don’t have to be sick this fall and winter. Stay healthy and strong by taking care of yourself!

My yoga mentor Judith Lasater routinely asks a startling question, always with a mischievous grin on her face: “I know you can do more, but can you do less?” She asks this in the context of Yoga, but she intends for it to be a question about Life. The question makes me wonder: Why do we think that doing something is always the answer? What if doing less—or not doing anything at all—was the better response to most of the situations we find ourselves in?

Here are two ways I have tried to practice this over the years. I haven’t always been successful, but that was only because I decided to DO SOMETHING sooner than I needed to.

Wait and observe. This is not always the easiest thing to do and yet it has been the wisest course of action at many points in my life. There are times when I have stood back and allowed someone else to act first or given people space to figure it out on their own without me giving my sage advice. What I’ve learned through watching other people is 1) there are many different ways to tackle life’s issues and problems and 2) I don’t always know the best way to do that.

Become a smaller target. If you’re the kind of person people come to for advice or if you just want to be helpful to others, you can easily become a BIG target when things go wrong. Ouch, I’ve been there many times! You can become a small target instead by following the wait and observe practice above and by not being attached to any result. And I do mean ANY result. Just like you I want things to go my way; this is a very human way to see life. However, once we act or refrain from acting, we have very little control over how things turn out. Take a deep breath and watch things unfold.

Right now think of a situation where you routinely do something to fix it, make life easier for someone else, or prevent something worse from happening. How could you “wait and observe” and “become a smaller target”? I challenge you to try these tactics and discover what happens when you do less instead of more.