Five Ayurvedic Tips For Autumn
Ayurveda uses periodic cleansing to reset your systems. This is a time to nourish and simplify!
Here are five ways you can work cleansing principals into your fall routines:
1. Incorporate Daily Movement Practices
During this time, we want to enhance flow in our systems. Find ways to incorporate movement into your schedule throughout your day. Go outside no matter how bad the weather is. Perhaps this is a good opportunity to set up a spot to practice yoga in your home, if you don't already have one, or refresh the space if you do. Limited space? Create a "pop up" practice space by getting together all of the props you might use and any meaningful other things that remind you of your "higher self," so they are easy to take out and stow away.
2. Hydrate and Eliminate
Drink a lot of water. Warm water is even better. There are millions of reasons why! Carry a thermos with you. You will have to pee more frequently, and hopefully there will be at least one large bowel movement per day. While you are eliminating food waste, also think about eliminating other build up. Old unhealthy foods in your kitchen, overuse of stimulants like sugar and caffeine from your diet, old clothes in your closet. Now is the time to examine what is of value to you, and what needs to be released!
3. Reconnect to Ways of Expression
Dig out your art supplies, music, or your craft projects, and your journal. Set the stage for inspiration to flow. This is an important form of release. A helpful journal exercise might be to free write each day, 1-3 pages. This is an uncensored, uncorrected word spill..get it out!
4. Sit in Silence Daily
Start with a couple of minutes a day, in the morning and in the evening if possible. You can just sit in a chair and become mindful of the breath moving in and out, or use a technique that works for you, or use a guided meditation. You may find that you are no longer drawn to a technique that you have learned in the past, and this is a great time to find a new one. Body scan meditations and Yoga Nidra are powerful guided practices, if you have the time.
5. Make Kitchari
This traditional Ayurvedic cleansing food is easy to prepare. There are many recipes online. According to Dr.Doulliard,"Kitchari provides nourishment in the form of a complete protein that will keep the blood sugars stable during a cleanse. Otherwise, ironically, the body may react to the cleanse as a fat-storing emergency!
The goal of any effective cleanse should be to convince the body and the cells that life is not an emergency and that it is okay to burn that stored fat and release toxins.
During a kitchari cleanse, you are eating this complete protein three meals a day, so there is no starvation response whatsoever."
Living in rhythm has the biggest impact on our health and well being, on a daily basis, seasonal basis, and life stage basis. Step into responsibility for your healing, and get curious about what it would be like to live a more inspired life with more immunity and deeper stores of energy.
