​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.

You can really feel the energy ramping up—shopping, cooking, cleaning, decorating, sending greetings and gifts. And that’s on top of everything else we have to do to keep our life running smoothly at the end of the year.

Very often illness or injury is a way for our body to say ENOUGH. If we get sick with a flu bug, sore back or worse, we have to slow down, take a few things off our calendar, and get more rest. If you’re not a fan of being under the weather, you’ll like to hear this:

The season of fall and early winter has many qualities such as “dry” and “cold” that we’ve discussed in earlier posts. There’s another quality that becomes quite evident right about now—"movement.” We see it in the wind, the blowing leaves, and the migration of the birds. Because the season already has this quality, we have to be very careful about overdoing in this season, otherwise our hyperactivity causes imbalance in our system. Results include colds, flus, bronchitis, pneumonia, nervousness, anxiety, fear, restlessness and insomnia. Sound familiar?

Ayurveda teaches that “opposites heal.” You might like to try these ideas to restore balance:

Take one thing (or more!) OFF your calendar each week. Look in the mirror and tell yourself “It’s okay to say ‘no.’”

Exercise LESS vigorously by walking rather than running, doing slow flow yoga instead of Sun Salutations, and supplementing your regular yoga practice with restorative and yin yoga.

SIT quietly for 5-10 minutes every day (twice a day if you can). Watch the birds eating at a bird feeder, sip a delicious cup of tea, gaze into an icon or flower, and express gratitude for your good health.

May you know peace, love and joy this holiday season!

I just learned of a scary new study on antihistamines in the Journal of American Medicine demonstrating a distinct increase in dementia in those who regularly use anticholinergic medicine. Yikes! Since antihistamines are a common medicine taken to combat spring and fall allergies, this is information we need to heed.

Ayurveda is the ancient medical system of India and, fortunately, it relies on natural remedies to heal body and mind. Ayurveda’s take on seasonal allergies is that they are a result of ongoing dryness in the body. This may explain why the antihistamines are so detrimental—they increase dryness in the body. Ayurveda says that when the body is dry, it produces mucus as a way of fighting off an allergen, whether it be ragweed, pollen or grass clippings. While an anticholinergic might provide symptomatic relief, it does not tackle the main cause of the sickness which is a weakened immune system due to dryness.

Ayurveda offers many suggestions for coping with seasonal allergies. We’ll look at a few in this post and offer a few more in the next post.

Eat local food. The most obvious is to eat food that is in season and grown in your local community. Why? Because local food has natural bacteria from the local microbiome which helps your internal microbiome develop a powerful immune response to allergens. Perhaps you’ve heard of the benefits of eating local honey and honeycomb. Visit your farmers’ market or grow your own vegetables.

Use water and oil to counteract dryness. One way to do that is to drink one half of your body weight in ounces every day. If you weigh 150 lbs., drink 75 oz. Favor fresh water with lemon or lime, herbal teas and fruit juices.

Use a neti pot each day to rinse your sinuses with saline solution. This is very effective in clearing out the allergens before they can cause a problem. There are excellent videos online to walk you through the process.

Put a drop or two of sesame or coconut oil in your nostrils every day. Sniff it in and massage the outside of the nostrils.

Drizzle extra virgin olive oil on steamed veggies and/or mix EVOO with balsamic vinegar to make a salad dressing.

Give these a try so you can feel better soon! Check back for more suggestions in the next post.