​Not so fast, my friends: Even though the signs of fall are surely arriving, summer isn’t through with us yet. So today we offer the tenth and final installment in our “Yoga and Ayurveda Summer Series.” Over the past couple of months we’ve tried to explain how the hot, wet weather of summer transitions into the cold, dry weather of fall. Here in the northern hemisphere the earth is making this transition, and our bodies must make this shift too.

Ayurveda teaches about “thermal accumulation,” an interesting phenomenon that happens at summer’s end. As the summer progresses the earth heats up internally. And because we are earth-bound people, we also heat up internally. If the heat accumulates unchecked, we put ourselves at risk for poor health this fall and winter. This is why Ayurveda teaches us to take care of ourselves in the current 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. If the immune system is weak, even more serious illnesses can arise. 

Ayurveda also teaches that prevention is the key. We are still under the influence of pitta, the hot season of the year. Eat cooling foods: cucumber, cilantro, fresh fruits and vegetables, whole grains. Favor Pitta-pacifying foods that taste sweet, bitter, or astringent. Avoid foods that are pungent, sour, or salty. 

The two best foods for easing thermal accumulation are apples and watermelon. And both are abundantly available in stores right now. Eat one or both every day.

To reset the digestive system you might consider doing a four-day kitchari cleanse in September to coincide with the change of seasons. Kitchari is a mixture of basmati rice and mung dal cooked with spices. Here’s a recipe to get you started

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!

​This is the ninth installment of our “Yoga and Ayurveda Summer Series.” This week and next week are transitional posts as we make that all-important shift from summer to fall. You feel it too, right? Shorter days, cooler mornings and evenings, and the changing energy as we let go of carefree summer and get to work on fall projects. 

This transition is so very important because fall is a time when people are susceptible to getting sick. Sure, we might get a summer cold or a tummy ache from too much ice cream, but fall sickness is often worse—flu, virus, coughing, pneumonia, etc. According to Ayurveda, fall sickness is not inevitable, and there are things we can do to make a healthy transition into fall. 

For one thing we have to recognize that when we shift seasons we are also shifting dosha dominance. As we’ve seen, pitta dosha has primarily hot and wet qualities. As we move into fall, however, the qualities of vata dosha, cold and dry, begin to appear. Notice that the dominant qualities are actually opposite. Ayurveda teaches that we must mitigate the qualities of one dosha before we can embrace the qualities of another.  

In next week’s blog post we’ll talk about transitions in the body through food and lifestyle, but this week we will offer a meditation that can foster a calm mind. Have you ever wondered why we feel mentally overwhelmed when the fall arrives? Most of us would say it’s because school is starting and we’re already stressing out about the holidays. But Ayurveda offers a different answer: It’s because pitta is declining, vata is increasing and we are affected by the one quality they share: They are both mobile.

The mobile quality of pitta is our inclination to keep pushing and moving forward. In the summer it’s fueled by lots of healthy foods and long days to hike and hang out at the beach. Pitta is naturally hot and wet, so these experiences are welcomed and usually well-tolerated.

But things take a dramatic turn when this same mobile quality moves into vata season. Since vata is cold and dry, it tires more quickly as the days get shorter. Piling on more work at the start of the school year feels overwhelming when vata just wants to rest. Before long vata becomes aggravated and we experience insomnia, anxiety, dry skin and constipation. 

Here’s an excellent way to work with the mobile quality of the mind during the transition from summer into fall. So Hum is simple breath meditation that affirms our connection to a greater energy that has the power to calm and heal us. 

Sit in a chair with feet on the floor, or sit on the floor with legs crossed. Sit up tall so that the spine is erect but relaxed. Breathe in and out through the nose, closing the eyes if you like. When you breathe in, hear the sound SO, a mantra that refers to the Great Energy that holds everything together. When you breathe out, hear the sound HUM, a mantra that refers to the individual—YOU!—having this experience of life. Repeat the mantra So Hum for 5-20 minutes each day. It could be just what you need to meet the challenges of a busy seasonal change.

This post is about the best yoga and other forms of physical exercise for summer. It’s the seventh installment of our “Yoga and Ayurveda Summer Series.” We’re especially interested in the qualities of pitta dosha, described by Ayurveda as that which is hot, spreading, damp, strong-smelling and sharp. The purpose of our practice should be to bring balance to the body and mind. We do this by avoiding activities that will increase these qualities and doing more of the activities that will diminish these qualities.

Therefore, the summer exercise routine should stress moderation. Exercising outside is great but avoid the hottest parts of the day; dawn and dusk are the best times to exercise outside. Since we get so hot and sweaty this time of year we might not realize we’re not hydrating enough; drink water to ½ your weight in ounces (e.g., 150 lbs = 75 oz or 9.5 cups of water). If you need more hydration because of heavy sweating, turn to electrolyte drinks. Coconut water, cucumber water and CCF tea are natural options. (CCF tea is equal parts Cumin, Coriander and Fennel seeds steeped in hot water for 5-7 minutes. Strain and drink hot, warm or room temperature, never cold. Add honey or maple syrup as natural sweeteners.)

Ayurveda teaches that summer yoga reduces pitta dosha by releasing heat from the small intestine and central abdomen, cooling the blood and liver.  Yoga practice should be cooling, relaxing, surrendering and forgiving. Two styles of yoga that are perfect for the summer are restorative yoga and yin yoga. But traditional yoga postures fit in really well too:

• Choose Moon Salutations and save the Sun Salutations for cooler weather.
 
• All standing hip opening poses will release heat from the hips, e.g., Tree, Half Moon, Warriors, Triangle, Crescent Lunge. Hold them for 3-5 breaths and avoid moving too quickly from one pose to the next.
 
• All twisting poses, standing, seated and lying down, e.g., Revolved Triangle, Shiva Twist, Half Lord of the Fishes, Sage’s twist, Lying spinal twist. Hold them until you feel the heat rising out of the abdomen.
 
• All forward bending poses, standing, seated and lying down, e.g., Standing forward bend leaning against the wall, Head to knee pose, Child pose, Wind-relieving pose. Hold them for as long as you like.
 
• Inversions like headstand, shoulder stand and legs up the wall will stop the heat from rising into the head. This will calm the mind.
 
• Savasana and other restorative poses for 20 minutes every day.
 
When we balance effort with rest, we discover that while it’s awesome to work hard, it’s beneficial to make time for quiet and stillness too.

​We’ve reached the fifth installment of our “Yoga and Ayurveda Summer Series.” In this post we look at practical ways to cool down during this extended summer heat. 
 
Remember that 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.

• Add cooling herbs to our foods, such as, 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.

​What does the liver have to do with the eyes?, you may ask. Well, these are two of the hot organs in the body, so they are greatly affected by hot weather this time of year. As part of our “Yoga and Ayurveda Summer Series,” the fourth installment so far, we’re enquiring into the nature of these hot organs.

Ayurveda classifies the hot season as Pitta dominant with qualities hot, wet, sharp, mobile, oily and smelly. This same heat and humidity exists inside of our body too, primarily in the digestive organs and body temperature, as well as our ability to think and comprehend. When we get overly hot in the summer we can have challenging symptoms like sunburns, rashes, bug bites, acid indigestion, diarrhea, frustration and anger. 

Certain organs of the body are especially susceptible to the fluctuations of pitta dosha, such as the liver and the eyes. 

The liver is situated on the right side of the body just under the diaphragm. In the Yoga tradition the liver is the physical and energetic location of anger in the body. Here are a couple of ways to take care of your liver this summer:

1) Drink a cup of water—warm or room temperature—with the juice of ¼ - ½ fresh lemon juice first thing in the morning. Yes, before you drink anything else. This special drink jump starts the whole digestive tract preparing it for a day of healthy eating and assimilation of nutrients. And the lemon is especially helpful for detoxifying the liver.

2) Practice twisting poses standing, sitting or lying down. In a twist we take our upper body and lower body in opposite directions, turning from the navel. All of the digestive organs are affected, but we can really address the liver by twisting the upper body to the right side.

The eyes are also a pitta dominant organ. When we have a pitta-oriented disease, the eyes often show it first through inflammation, dryness or weariness. The hot summer sun can be especially hard on the eyes. Here are a couple of ways to take care of your eyes this summer:

1) Refresh the eyes with rosewater. Look for organic, edible rosewater, the type that is used for cooking. Saturate two cotton rounds with the rosewater and place one round over each eye. Lie down and rest for 10-15 minutes. It’s better than eye drops!

2) Look at the sun early in the morning. This is the only time of the day when the sun emits red rays. Significant research has been done on how our body utilizes the red rays of the early morning sun. Not only do these rays have a healing effect on the body, but they also reset our circadian rhythm making it possible for us to sleep better at night. Gazing at the sun is only safe right after sunrise. Never look at the sun as it gets higher in the sky as this can severely injure the eyes. Instead, wear a pair of sunglasses with 100% UV-A and UV-B protection. 

If you like, join me tomorrow morning, drinking some lemon water and gazing at the rising sun. Your liver and your eyes with thank you.

This is the third in our “Yoga and Ayurveda for Summer Series.” Why did we wait so long to talk about food?! It’s one of the best parts about summer, all the fresh easy-to-eat foods available to us this time of year. We are looking at food through the lens of Ayurveda, India’s science of diet and lifestyle medicine. Ayurveda teaches that we are part of Nature, and so we are happiest and healthiest when we honor the cycles of Nature. And that includes what we eat.

Because summer is hot and humid here in Oklahoma, Ayurveda recommends eating to balance these qualities. The best tastes for the season are sweet, bitter and astringent. Here are some great summer choices:

Sweet foods: sweet fruits, especially berries; sweet vegetables; whole wheat bread and pasta; rice; organic whole milk and dairy products; if you need a sweetener, use honey, maple syrup or stevia. Avoid white flour and sugar. 

Ice cream: I know it’s not a food group, but it should be! Summer is the only season where Ayurveda recommends ice cream, so eat it. That’s an order!

Bitter foods: Green leafy vegetables, green and yellow vegetables, kale, celery, broccoli, cabbage, sprouts, beets

Astringent foods: Lentils, beans, green apples, pears, cucumber, cauliflower, cabbage, pomegranates, tea

Hydrate: Drink plenty of water or herbal teas every day, at least one-half of your body weight in ounces (e.g., 150 lbs = 75 oz or 9.5 cups). All drinks should be cool, room temperature or warmer because ice interferes with digestion. 

Our digestion is weakest in the summer, so eating the freshest produce lightly cooked with cooling spices (fennel, coriander, cumin, saffron, mint) will keep us happy and healthy all summer long.

​This is the first week of my new “Yoga and Ayurveda Summer Series.” 

Most of us are familiar with Yoga, but Ayurveda may be unfamiliar and mysterious. Yoga and Ayurveda grew together in India and have both been around for at least 8000 years, maybe more. Yoga focuses on physical movement, breathing and meditation while Ayurveda is concerned with diet, plant-based medicine and overall healthy lifestyle. Each week we’ll cover a different topic related to this season that Yoga and Ayurveda calls “pitta.”

In Ayurveda, Pitta is made up of water and fire elements, so its qualities are hot, oily, spreading and smelly. Sounds like a hot, humid Oklahoma day to me! Summer is here and we’re all feeling the heat.

Pitta affects us physically and mentally. Physically, we feel hot and sweaty, ready to hop in a pool or enjoy cool watermelon. Due to the heat of pitta, though, we may also have skin inflammations, sensitive eyes and loose stools.  Mentally, we can become very focused and determined, as when we’re having a sports competition with friends. The overheating of pitta, however, can lead to frustration, even anger, making it difficult to keep a lid on our emotions.

Ayurveda teaches that like increases like and opposites heal. We can INCREASE Pitta and its unpleasant symptoms by eating spicy food, getting overheated, and bottling up our negative emotions until they boil over. We can DECREASE Pitta by eating cooling foods, slowing down a little bit, being outside in Nature at dusk and dawn, and facing our emotions with maturity and clarity.

By far, the best lesson Pitta teaches us is to LET GO. 

Let go of one thing on your schedule this week so you can sit under a tree.

Let go of hard workouts so you can balance heat and cool in your body.

Let go of regrets from the past and fears about the future so you can be fully alive in the present moment.

Let go of repeating thoughts and emotions so you are free to act skillfully and with wisdom.

I’m kind of obsessed with the liver right now, one of the most amazing organs in the human body. Did you know that the liver is the only organ that can regenerate? Yes, only 10% of healthy liver tissue is required for the liver to grow back to full size. Amazing! 

The liver is an important pitta-dominant organ. Read more about pitta and how to live in a more healthy way this summer in last week’s blog post called “Cool the Inner Heat.” 

The liver is located on the right side of the abdomen just under the diaphragm. Ayurveda teaches that the liver is a hot organ and the emotional seat of anger in the body. Physically, the liver filters and recycles the blood, stores important nutrients, maintains healthy blood sugar levels, and removes harmful substances from the body. 

Yoga posture practice is very good for the liver, and you might enjoy prioritizing some of these things this summer or anytime you feel your liver may be compromised.

• Side bending poses, especially when bending to the left, stretch the fascial connections around the liver on the right side of the body. Examples are standing half moon, seated side bends, and—my personal favorite—lying down on the left side over a rolled blanket or bolster for a minute or two.

• Twisting poses take advantage of squeeze and soak, where we squeeze out the juices from the internal organs then allow the fluids to rush back in as we release the twist. All twists are good whether standing, seated or lying down.

• Yin yoga for the liver meridian works a lot more than just the liver itself by bringing healing energy to the whole energy line of which the liver is a part. Yin poses are held for 3-5 minutes while creating a gentle stretch into the connective tissues and joints, rather than the muscles. (This is a specialized form of yoga and you may need to receive instruction from a certified teacher to do it most effectively.) Best poses are Butterfly, Frog, Dragonfly, Shoelace, Square, Deer and Dragons.

May you enjoy the summer season! Always remember that a happy healthy summer relies on a happy healthy liver.

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.

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!