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.

I love the fall season for so many reasons, but mainly because my partner and I get to retreat! For many years in October we have attended Texas Yoga Retreat just outside of Austin. It’s got to be the best regional yoga retreat with small class sizes all taking place in an actual Hindu ashram. But you don’t have to go away to retreat; you can retreat right where you are. Here’s how:

Slow down, my friend. Yes, life seems to be speeding up due to the increasing use of technology. Yes, we are heading back into the school year and sliding into the holidays. But here’s the thing: We each have to make the decision to live our own lives with confidence and courage. Do we really want to be sheep who do what we’re told by the media and advertisers according to the demands of the calendar? Look at your own calendar this week and choose one thing to remove. Don’t you feel better already?

Take a day to be quiet (by yourself, if you can swing it). Turn off all the technology. Put away the computer, the television and the phone. Commune with nature, read inspiring books, write in a journal, make art, sing songs, dance and play. Take a nap! You’ll get more in touch with yourself which is the most important relationship you’ll ever have in life.

Be kind to yourself. This is a wonderful opportunity to cook yourself healthy, nurturing fall foods, like soup, stew or casserole. Massage your body with grounding sesame oil. Mix up an enticing essential oil blend. Wear clean, soft, comfy clothes. Practice restorative yoga, yin yoga or yoga nidra. Not only will you feel great, you’ll give a boost to your immune system which may just prevent illness this fall.

Finally, reflect on these powerful words from the poet Rumi:

Don’t go off sightseeing.
The real journey is right here.
The great excursion starts from exactly where you are.
You are the world.
You have everything you need.
You are the secret.
You are the wide opened.
Don’t look for the remedy for your troubles outside yourself.
You are the medicine.
You are the cure for your own sorrow.
-Rumi

Fall is arriving this month, but summer isn’t over yet. Ayurveda teaches about “thermal accumulation,” an interesting phenomenon that happens at summer’s end. As the summer progresses the earth heats up. And because we are earth-bound people, we also heat up. If the heat accumulates in the body unchecked, we put ourselves at risk of poor health this fall and winter.

This is why Ayurveda teaches us to take care of ourselves in the previous season so that our immune system can be strong in the next one.

Here are some of the symptoms of thermal accumulation: diarrhea, inflammation, hot flashes, skin rashes, poor digestion and allergies. As the weather begins to turn cooler, these symptoms can change to constipation, dry skin and fall colds.

Remember that prevention is the key. This is Pitta season, the hot season of the year. Eat cooling foods: cucumber, cilantro, fresh fruits and vegetables, whole grains. Favor Pitta-pacifying tastes sweet, bitter, astringent. Avoid foods that are pungent, sour, or salty.

The three best foods for easing thermal accumulation are pomegranates, apples and watermelon. All are available in stores right now. Eat one of these every day.

Also stay hydrated, even when it’s humid. Drinks should be room temperature or hotter. Never drink cold drinks because they douse digestive fire. Strive to drink ½ of your body weight in ounces each day (150lbs = 75 oz or about 9 cups)

Follow these guidelines and you’ll glide into Fall with a strong immune system!

Chakras are marvelous energy centers in the body that are so revered in the yoga tradition. Just recently someone asked me how and why the chakras work, so let’s take some time to check in with the chakras.

Everyone is familiar with GROSS anatomy of the body. Gross anatomy is what we can see with our eyes and touch with our hands. We know where the arms and legs are located and we are aware of the various organs, muscles, bones and connective tissues that make up the body. A concept that may be new to most people, however, is SUBTLE anatomy of the body—those parts that cannot be seen or touched, not even in an autopsy.

Chakras are part of the subtle anatomy of the body. No one can see the chakras with their eyes or touch them with their hands. But many can sense them through an exchange of energy. Energy can feel warm, cold, tingly or magnetic. Some really talented people can even “see” the colors of chakras emanating from the places in the body where they are said to exist.

Try this: Hold one or both palms in the front of the center of the chest. Keep the palms a few inches away from and facing the chest. Close your eyes and notice any sensations you feel in your palms. After a minute or two, think about someone you love or for whom you have very positive feelings. Does this change the sensations you feel in your palms? If so, you have just felt the activation of your Heart Chakra, the center of love, empathy and compassion in your body.

In yoga we generally work with seven chakras which are situated parallel to the spine. Over many years, some agreement has arisen as to where they’re located, what colors are associated with them, what parts of the gross anatomy they are associated with, and how their state of balance or imbalance affects one’s emotions and attitudes.

Some agreement has also arisen about ways to work with the chakras that can bring more consistent balance to one’s energy. These tools include yoga poses, meditations, special sounds known as mantras, aromatherapy with essential oils and plant fragrances and colors through gemstones.

Enhance the subtle energy of your Heart Chakra this week by practicing a backbend, repeating the affirmation “I am lovable and I am loving,” bringing the colors green and pink into your environment, and breathing the scent of fresh-cut flowers.

How does it feel to be in touch with your center of Love?

Finally, we make our way back around to part five of our series on The Five Senses and the five sense organs. Scroll down the posts to find the first four on the eyes, nose, tongue and ears. Which leads to us to the body’s largest organ—our skin.

What’s cool about yoga and the skin is that there are so many ways that our yoga practice makes us aware of our skin. We feel the bottoms of our bare feet standing on the mat. We feel pressure on our skin as we kneel, lie on our side, press into our hands, stand on our head, touch our nose during a breathing exercise, or give ourselves a big hug.

You can take this awareness into your day too:

Pause during the day to feel skin sensations. How does your foot really feel inside of a shoe? Do you like the feel of different types of clothing against your skin? You can notice the way different foods feel on your hands when you cook or the touch of paper, yarn or wood when you enjoy your favorite hobby.

Oil massage to calm the nervous system. If you’re feeling anxious or over-stimulated, massage oil into your skin to create a healthy barrier between you and the outside world. Once I learned about oil massage, I completely gave up all the chemical-laced lotions I used to use. Did you know that those chemicals are absorbed into your bloodstream through your skin?! Now I use all-natural sesame oil, coconut oil or sunflower oil on my skin when I get out of the shower or bath. The oils also feed your skin microbiome to support a healthy mix of good and bad bacteria.

Eat a healthy diet and drink enough water. There’s a reason why you can tell a person is sick by looking at their skin. Is the complexion just right or is it too yellow, too red or too brown? All of these are signs of disruption inside the body. The best way to be well inside and out is to eat a healthy diet (for your dosha if possible) and to drink plenty of fresh, pure water. According to Ayurveda, eat two hands full of food at each meal and drink one-half of your body weight in ounces of water each day.

If you follow this path, then when we meet you in town we will know you by your healthy skin glow.

We brought home an abandoned kitten. She was about 9 months old and very sweet. We thought we would find a home for her very quickly. But it soon became evident that she was expecting babies, so we knew we were in for an interesting journey. She had four beautiful kittens—two yellow boys and two gray girls. Now I think I’m going to give up teaching yoga and offer “kitten therapy.”

They are at the age now where they are engaging more with us humans and not so tied to their mama. Their favorite game is climb in your lap, into your arms, up your leg. You can’t be sad when you have a fluffy, squeaky kitten nearby (unless, of course, you are terrified of kittens, in which case it would be best to stay clear of our house for a while).

Here are few things I have learned this past couple of months:

I can trust the Universe to deliver things right on time. I didn’t know that I needed kittens in my life, but Life did! I have been learning how to take a deep breath, relax, and step into the future with more confidence and trust. These things are unfolding for reasons we cannot know or understand.

I must follow through on my responsibilities and let go of the results. Mama kitty knew exactly what to do when her time came and she has continued to be attentive to her kittens during these early weeks. And, when the time is right, she will let them go without a worry of where they are going. This is another lesson in trust, namely, trusting myself and those who are on this journey with me.

I need joy in my life every single day. I have a resident smile factory right now and I plan to take full advantage of it. But these kittens will not always be here, so I’m already considering ways to keep the joy flowing without turning my home into a cat colony.

Maybe you can take some time to consider the life lessons that are unfolding for you today. Where have you been, where are you going, and where do you find yourself today?

My partner was in the grocery store recently when a man stopped him and said, “I wish I could move as quickly as you.” The man was holding onto a cart for stability, slightly stooped, and when he walked, he shuffled his feet. They compared ages and the shuffling man was 5 years younger than my partner! When asked why he thought he was having difficulty moving more quickly, the man responded, “When I was in my 50’s I started to have pain, but I didn’t do anything about it. Look it me now: I can barely move and it takes a long time to pick out my groceries.”

This cautionary tale has an important lesson for us all: Whatever you do now to care for yourself (or what you choose not to do), your future self receives the results. Just think of yourself 10 years in the future. What do you want your physical health to be? This includes flexibility and strength as well as injury and illness. The choices you make today can tell you a lot about whether or not you’re on target to manifest that reality.

The beauty of yoga is that it addresses all the aspects that affect us most as we age:
Yoga brings flexibility, strength and balance to the body
Yoga helps us manage the effects of illness and injury
Yoga gives us a path for working with our thoughts in mindfulness and expressing our emotions in a healthy manner
Yoga even provides a spiritual path for those who want it through affirmations, meditation, chanting mantra and service to others

May you strive to live today so that your future self says, “Thank you!”

With this post I am continuing my series on the five senses. So far we have considered the eyes, nose and tongue. (Scroll down to read them) Today we turn our attention to the ears. In Yoga and Ayurveda the sense of hearing is considered the most important of the senses. Do you have any idea why?

Sound is the fastest way to facilitate mental, emotional and physical healing. Even though the ancient teachings have affirmed this for thousands of years, modern science is confirming it as well. Music is known to actually change brain chemistry. Perhaps you have noticed how certain music brings forth a particular emotion in you—sadness and tears or joy and laughter. This is an example of an outside stimuli eliciting a physical reaction. Amazing!
The Vedic tradition teaches that sound was the first subtle energy to arise from the five elements of ether, air, fire, water and earth. Sound exists in the ether, therefore it has a direct effect on all five elements.

Sound heals all five elements!

Here are some ways to heal through sound and to take care of your ears, the organs of hearing:

Choose positive words for singing Beware of negative lyrics (and negative talk overall) because they generate low level energetic vibrations in your mind and in the world. Turn your thoughts toward the positive to raise the vibration within and around you. The Vedic tradition recommends chanting and mantra. You’ll find many examples online if you’re interested. I often recommend the famous “five-syllable mantra” which balances the energy of all five elements: OM NAMAH SHIVAYA. Chant it silently many times throughout the day.

Oil your ears Yes, Ayurveda loves to use oil on the senses, and the ears are no exception. And there is good reason to do so: As we age the inner ears become dry which leads to ringing in the ears and vertigo. A stellar treatment is to place a drop of sesame oil in each ear. Massage around the ears for about a minute. I do this every morning after neti pot. (There are also special oils made just for the ears you can find online)

May the beautiful sounds you hear bring you joy!

Oh my, it’s hot. In fact, we are heading into the longest hot streak since 2011. This is a great reminder that we are firmly in the grips of Pitta season, a designation that comes from Ayurveda. Pitta is made up of the elements of fire and water and we experience it in the hot, humid weather of Oklahoma. Even if you can’t spend the next three months lounging by a pool, there are things you can do to take care of pitta.

Wear shades of white, light blue and green. Bring these colors into your environment too through art and visualizing meadows and flowers. Cooling gemstones include moonstone, emerald, jade, peridot, blue sapphire and amethyst.

Exercise during the coolest part of the day and avoid direct sunlight for too long. Better yet, walk outside under the light of the moon.

Cultivate calm by letting go of anger and frustration, replacing judgment with compassion, getting outside to enjoy Nature, releasing control, loosening up on rigid to-do lists, forgiving others and yourself, and being more spontaneous.

Practice aromatherapy by placing some of these essential oils in a diffuser or putting a drop on a cotton ball or pad you can smell throughout the day: clary sage, gardenia, honeysuckle, jasmine, lavender, lemon, lemongrass, lime, lotus, peppermint, sandalwood, or vetiver.

Eat these cooling foods: basmati rice, couscous, all sweet fruits and vegetables, small amounts of beans, coconut water, sunflower seeds, peeled almonds, fruit and vegetable juices. Best herbal teas for Pitta are chamomile, dandelion, fennel, coriander, licorice and peppermint. Best cooling spices are basil, turmeric, cardamom, cilantro, coriander, fennel and mint.

Eat berries! It’s a superfood to enjoy in abundance all summer long.