​We are continuing our series called “Your Body on Yoga” looking at how yoga affects all the systems of the body. We started this journey on June 2, 2025 and we’ve covered a lot of systems since then. Just a few more to go.

This post is about the lymphatic system which is part of the immune system and is responsible for removing wastes and toxins from the body. The lymphatic system kind of looks like the nervous system or the circulatory system because it is made up of many vessels traveling throughout the body. The vessels carry toxins to lymph nodes for removal. These nodes are located in the head and neck, the armpits, the chest, the abdomen and pelvis, and the groin. 

The lymphatic system is quite different from the nervous and circulatory systems, however. Information moves through the nervous system due to electrical impulses and the blood that travels through the circulatory system due to the pumping of the heart. The lymphatic system does not have an internal mechanism for moving fluid through its vessels and must rely on gravity or mechanical movement to make this happen. In other words, the lymphatic system works best when the body is moving, only minimally when at rest. 

Yoga postures are an excellent way to activate the immune-supporting properties of the lymphatic system. For example,

√ Moving through flowing sequences like Cat/Cow, Sun Salutations and standing lunges to squeeze the vessels and enhance immune function.

√ Inverting the body encourages the lymph fluid to flow in the direction of the lymph glands, most of which are concentrated in the upper part of the body. Excellent choices are standing forward bends, legs up the wall (especially with hips elevated), bridge pose (with a block under the hips) and headstand.

Ayurveda, Yoga’s science of diet and lifestyle, adds two practices for the lymphatic system: self-massage with oil and dry brushing. 

√ Self-massage can be done with special oils for the doshas, or simply use sesame oil or jojoba oil because they are tridoshic. Massage from the hands up the arms toward the heart. Massage from the feet up the legs toward the heart. Massage clockwise circles on the abdomen and back. 

√ Dry brushing can be done with a medium bristle brush (not too hard or soft). Massage in the same way, toward the heart from the hands and feet, and circles on the abdomen and back.

These two practices encourage the movement of stagnant lymph fluid toward the lymph glands, thereby encouraging a quicker release of metabolic wastes. 

All of these lymphatic practices are vital during the spring season when we are shedding winter weight and coping with seasonal allergies. Give them a try and see if you feel better this season.

​Early Spring means early Spring colds and allergies. Here’s what you need to do now to stay well!

Why is everyone having such a tough time? Ayurveda teaches that Spring is the season of melting—just as snow melts in the mountains to fill the rivers, fat melts in the human body to help us shed the winter weight and “wake up” from the winter slumber. The melting occurs in two ways—the shedding of winter weight and the loosening of mucus in the body. And if our digestive system is not working at its optimal, that mucus will turn into colds and allergies.

Use a neti pot: This little genie’s bottle really does work some magic on congestion. Fill the pot with warm distilled water and add some nasal salt. Lean over the sink and pour the salt water in one nostril and out the other. If you lift your head too much and the water goes into your throat, simply spit it in the sink. Gently blow the nose and you’ll have easy breathing all day.

Exercise: This is the best time of year to break a sweat. Sweating assists the body’s melting of the fat layer we put on in the winter. And it also helps counteract the coolness of Spring days when it’s easy to get a chill and feel out of sorts. Try a brisk walk by the pond to see the birds pairing up for mating season or do some vigorous Sun Salutations.

Eat seasonal foods: Mother Nature provides us with greens, dandelions and other early Spring plants to help detox the liver and assist this melting process. Also eat beets, ginger, spinach, berries, garbanzo beans and lentils. Use lots of spices and herbs in your food. Avoid dairy and sugar in the Spring.

If you’d like to learn more about how to make these recommendations more specific to your constitution and lifestyle, consider doing an Ayurvedic consultation with Janet this Spring.

​Welcome to part two of our discussion of the systems of elimination and how Yoga helps rid our body of toxins in a safe and healthy way. This is a continuation of the series “Your Body on Yoga” as we systematically go through all the systems of the body. 

According to Ayurveda—Yoga’s sister science devoted to physical health—there are three wastes the body needs to eliminate every day. They are feces (solid waste), urine (liquid waste), and sweat. Here’s a little bit about each one:

Let’s start with the easy one—sweat. A lot of people think yoga does not make you sweaty, but it’s a good idea to do enough strenuous work in your yoga practice to bring some sweat to the surface of the skin each day. Sweat expels toxins from the body, such as heavy metals and chemicals found in plastics and cosmetics. Sitting in a sauna works as does drinking hot, spicy teas. You can also practice yoga in a specific way.

Try this: Begin your day the traditional way with 5-10 rounds of Sun Salutations. Not only will you wake up tight muscles and loosen stuck joints, you’ll also begin to sweat. 

Or try this: If Sun Salutations are not your thing, squat in chair pose, hold lunging poses like Warrior and Side Angle, and do a 2-minute plank and locust pose. Strength poses will make you sweat too.

Next let’s talk about urination. As a reminder, we should be drinking enough water to have clear urine that has no odor. If your urine gets dark, cloudy or smelly, that’s a sign you haven’t been drinking enough. Fresh filtered water and herbal teas are best because caffeine acts as a diuretic, meaning it makes the body produce more urine causing water leave the body faster. And it’s worth mentioning too that sweat also removes water from the body, so if you’re doing a lot of sweating you’ll need to drink more water than usual.

Try this: Twisting poses will squeeze the bladder to stimulate urination, while the back bending pose Sphinx will lift and stretch the kidneys to keep them functioning well.

Here’s the truth about feces—we are supposed to have at least one, if not two or three, bowel movements per day. When you eat you should poop, it’s that simple. If you have a cat or a dog or other animal in your family you certainly observe this behavior in them; they eat and then they immediately eliminate. Ayurveda teaches that when feces stays in the body it becomes ama (ah-mah), putrified toxins that make us sick from the inside out. Two tell-tale signs are irregular bowel movements and a white coating on the tongue. 

Try this: Wind-relieving pose. Lie down on your back and pull your knees into your chest. Moving the knees away from the body and pulling them back in several times can be helpful in stimulating the downward movement of the colon. 

And try this: Squatting. The full yogic squat is a great position for the act of elimination because it reduces stress on the rectum. This position will often stimulate the bowels as well. 

Taking good care of your elimination systems will make you feel free and unencumbered, just what you need to make a fresh start in the new year.

​We are continuing our series “Your Body on Yoga” where we look at the different systems of the body and how our yoga practices support them. Today we are looking at the water system, all of those parts of our body which carry water or regulate the flow of water in the body. Wow! This one is really important because our body is 75% water. Just think of all of the parts of the body affected by these functions: the cerebral spinal fluid in the brain and spine, kidneys and bladder, gastric secretions, sweat glands, salivary glands, blood, and synovial fluid in the joints.

The water system deserves special attention during the fall and winter. As I wrote in an earlier blog post on November 17, Ayurveda teaches that late fall/early winter is Vata season, a time of year that has these powerful qualities: cold, dry, light, mobile, rough, erratic and clear. You always know you’re under the sway of vata when you feel cold and dry! In that post I also offered a dozen helpful practices to overcome these symptoms.

Yoga postures help move fluids through our body efficiently and regularly so we can feel more hydrated and move more fluidly:

√ Fluid movements like cat/cow pose and sun salutations stimulate the joints so that synovial fluid is refreshed and replaced. You’ll have less popping, stickiness and pain in the joints.

√ Backbends like sphinx, cobra, locust and wheel stimulate the kidneys, the small but mighty organs that filter about 200 quarts of liquid per day. You’ll support your immune system by sending more wastes out of your body through urine.

√ Forward bending and twisting poses (seated, standing or lying down) stimulate the spinal column so that cerebral spinal fluid moves more easily between the brain and the spine. You’ll strengthen your brain health and support a balanced nervous system.

One urgent reminder: Please hydrate! Yoga can only work with the water you have invested into your own water system. What is your ideal weight? Drink ½ of your ideal weight in water and herbal teas every day. (For example, for 150 lbs drink 75 oz, approximately 9 ½ cups) It’s time to get a drink of water!

​Our first COLD days have arrived! Welcome to the start of VATA season, at least according to Ayurveda. In case you don’t know, Ayurveda is traditional Indian medicine and provides an excellent blueprint for living daily life. Whereas Western medicine focuses on treatment, Ayurveda focuses on prevention so that we can be happy and healthy our whole life.

Our first clue that Vata season was upon us is “weather whiplash”—temperatures going up and down, sometimes within several hours. Ayurveda calls this Vata season. (Vata is one of the three doshas in Ayurveda.) The qualities of Vata are cold, dry, light, mobile, rough, erratic and clear. You feel chilled in late fall/early winter, your skin is dry and rough, the wind takes your breath away and blows away all debris, you don’t know how to dress from day-to-day, and you feel the need for more rest. Here are some things you can do to stay well this month: 

►Wear a scarf to protect the ears, neck and chest
►Eat warming, soothing, easily digested meals such as soups and stews 
►Avoid cold and raw foods. Skip the salads!
►Avoid cold or iced drinks. All drinks should be room temperature or hotter.
►Avoid skipping meals or fasting 
►Do regular yoga, meditation and pranayama 
►Exercise regularly to keep circulation flowing 
►Get exposure to sunlight whenever possible 
►Daily oil massage. My favorite oils for this season are Sesame oil and Ashwaghanda Bala oil. You can order them from https://www.banyanbotanicals.com/
►Keep warm and dry and stay out of strong winds. It’s best to dress in layers. 
►Drink warming herbal teas, such as ginger and cinnamon. Limit caffeine since it aggravates Vata.
►Get 7-9 hours of sleep each night. The nights are longer this time of year for a reason.

While you don’t have to do all of these things, the more you can do the better you will feel. Even a few changes can bring you back into balance. I hope you’ll give it a try!

It’s summer and, wow, it’s hot! In Ayurveda (traditional Indian medicine), summer is considered a Pitta dominant season. Pitta is the dosha made up of fire and water and, when the two are combined, we experience the heat and humidity of summer. Too much pitta and it’s said that our pitta is aggravated. Aggravated pitta is known by its symptoms: feeling overheated, profuse sweating, a stinky smell, burning indigestion, loose stools, inflammation such as acne and rashes, sensitive eyes, and hot emotions like frustration and anger.

Ayurveda teaches that in order to return to balance, we should do things that will cool the heat of pitta. Unfortunately, many of the things we typically do in the summer tend to aggravate pitta and make our symptoms worse. Often we sit outside under the hot sun for long periods of time leading to sunburn and bug bites. We eat heavy and greasy foods like barbecued meat which don’t digest well. We drink alcohol which is both overheating and mind altering.

If we want to feel more comfortable and balanced this summer it can be helpful to practice what Ayurveda calls “opposite therapy.” Here are some suggestions:

• Eat foods that are sweet, bitter and astringent. Examples include all sweet fruits, astringent fruits (green banana, cranberries, pomegranate), leafy greens (especially kale, collards, dandelion greens), beets, carrots, eggplant, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, cauliflower, green beans, cucumbers, most beans, almonds, cashews and coconut.

• The best herbs and seasonings are coriander, cilantro, fennel, cardamom, basil, mint, dill, nutmeg, saffron, oregano, parsley, rosemary and turmeric.

• Dairy is cooling if you digest it well. Summer is the best time of the year for ice cream!

• Exercise should be moderate, never overheating, so avoid the hottest time of the day. Yoga, swimming and biking are excellent choices.

• Be aware of the things that tend to stress you out and make a plan to take breaks as needed. Bring calming influences into your environment, such as a companion animal, a peaceful walk in nature, the scent of fresh flowers or diffused essential oils, and cooling colors of light blue and green.

With just a few tweaks to your routine, you can be happy and healthy inside, no matter how hot it gets outside.

There sure is a lot of water coming down and rising up. According to the teaching of Ayurveda, we live most healthfully when we live according to the cycles of Nature. Right now the earth is holding on to a lot of water, so our bodies tend to hold onto water too. How do we know this? Look at the proliferation of allergies, colds, congestion and sinus infections.

Here are some suggestions from Ayurveda that will help us feel better right now:

√ Eat less. This is not a popular suggestion, to be sure! But the earth is not providing much food at this time; this is a sure sign to eat less. The harvest is greens of all types, radishes, asparagus and green beans. Try to avoid dairy and wheat products in the spring to prevent weight gain.

√ Drink enough (but not too much) water. Since the body is holding onto water in the spring we may forget that we still need to hydrate. Drink a little less than ½ of your body weight in ounces (150 lbs / 2 = 75 oz or approx. 9 cups).

√ Detox your liver. The typical winter diet is higher in fat and calories, so spring’s sparser harvest is aimed at reducing fat and detoxing the liver. Start the day with 1-2 cups of warm water with fresh squeezed lemon juice. Eat fresh beet and tart apple salad for lunch or a snack. Avoid fatty and fried foods. Cut down on alcohol.

√ Practice Yoga. Of course, yoga provides excellent practices perfect for the spring. Practice powerful breathing exercises like Breath of Fire and Bellows. Do chest and upper back stretches like back bends, Eagle pose and Cow Face with a strap. Do 2-4 Sun Salutations every day to break a little sweat.

Try these time-tested suggestions and you’ll be feeling great throughout the Spring.

This is the last of our series on news you can use from Yoga and Ayurveda to have a healthy Spring. So far we’ve covered Spring eating, Spring movement and Spring breathing. This post is on Spring meditation.
Meditation is meditation, right? Well, yes and no. Some people find a meditation style that works perfectly for them and they use it for years and years. But for many of us, our meditation style shifts with the seasons, just like our eating, movement and breathing.

So what exactly is a Spring style of meditation? It will take its cues from what we know about the Spring season, such as the heavy, slow, nurturing qualities that describe the kapha dosha in Spring. Here are some practices to consider:

Sitting meditation: This is a time of year when we can really take advantage of the heavy, slow qualities by emphasizing their best features—stability and stillness. We may find that sitting quietly is actually easier this time of year. Find a place where you won’t be disturbed. Sit up straight in a chair or on the floor; even sitting back against a straight wall can help. Set your timer for 5 minutes and follow your breath. If your mind wanders, continually return to your breath. Gradually add time until you’re sitting for 20 minutes.

Walking meditation: If the heavy, slow qualities of kapha are dragging you down, get up and walk. The traditional way to do this is to walk slowly and mindfully by concentrating on each step. One breath per step for 10-20 minutes. Another way to do walking meditation is to get out in Nature—go to a park or walk a trail all the while listening, looking and enjoying the gifts of Nature. No worries allowed to accompany you on this journey!

Give generously from the heart: The most loving and big-hearted people are those with kapha constitution. We can all take a cue from them by giving generously from our heart by making delicious foods to share with others, giving donations to charities that directly help people or animals, or listening without judgment when someone shares their pain or concerns.

Here’s to having a healthy Spring naturally. You can do it!

We’re continuing our series on news you can use from Yoga and Ayurveda to have a healthy Spring. This is part two on movement. Movement is SO important in the Spring because Spring is the slowest and heaviest season of the year. It makes sense, right? Just like when we are first waking up in the morning, moving slowly, wiping the goop from our eyes, Spring is also taking its time to yawn and stretch and get going.

According to Ayurveda, the two main elements that make up Spring (or kapha dosha) are earth and water. When we mix earth and water in Nature we get mud; when we mix these elements in our body we get sticky and dense. If we don’t shake off that mud, we’re going to gain weight, get congested in our head or gut, and probably feel sad or depressed.

Exercise to the rescue! The best part about our body’s need for exercise is that we don’t need a lot to get health benefits. 30 minutes a day of moving around burns calories and boosts the mood. Heck, you can even get your exercise in 3 10-minute segments and get similar results! Here are some suggestions:

Walk for 10 minutes after meals. You’ll get the calorie burn and an aid for digestion.

Work in your garden. Carrying rocks and pushing wheelbarrows, getting up and down from the ground, bending over and reaching provide a full-body workout. Plus you’ll be out in Nature which helps you attune to the circadian rhythms so you can adjust to Daylight Saving Time.

Yoga should be practiced every day too. Even if you can’t get to a 75-minute class each day, 15 minutes a day will keep you flexible in body and mind. The best yoga in the Spring includes
● Sun Salutations to break a sweat (to alleviate the water element)
● Back bends to open the chest and abdomen (these are the places where kapha dosha “live” in the body)
● Twists to stimulate digestion (which gets sluggish in the Spring), and
● Inversions to increase immune function (the lymphatic system benefits from headstand, shoulderstand and legs up the wall)

Add these movement ideas to the guidelines for eating from our last post so you can have a happy, healthy Spring.

Today begins a four-part series on news you can use from Yoga and Ayurveda to have a healthy Spring. The four topics are Spring Eating, Movement, Breathing and Meditation. Return in two weeks for part two!
 
One of the mistakes people make with regard to food is eating the same things all year. In Nature different foods grow at different times of the year for a reason. For instance, in the winter foods are heavier and we eat more protein. Why? To give ourselves a fat layer to keep us warm during the cold months.
 
But something HAS to change in the Spring. If we continue to eat the way we ate in the winter we will continue to put on weight, get sluggish and tired, and suffer from seasonal allergies, sinus congestion, coughs and post-nasal drip.
 
In the Spring, Nature provides us with food that is pungent, bitter and astringent. Bitter greens detox the liver and spices help to wake up a slow, sluggish metabolism. The best foods to eat are lentils, beans, apples, pears, berries, artichoke, radicchio, radishes, broccoli, asparagus, beets, spinach, salad greens and sprouts. Grains that are slightly drying are much better in the spring than white bread and pasta. Instead, eat barley, quinoa, buckwheat, rye, millet and corn. Use a wide variety of spices and herbs especially ginger and turmeric, but go easy on the salt because it can make you hold on to too much water.
 
Another important thing to remember is that the earth is not providing much food at this time so that is a sign to eat less. As much as possible, try to avoid dairy and wheat products in the spring to prevent weight gain.
 
Whatever your Spring symptoms, this guidance from Ayurveda can help you manage them more naturally.