On Wednesday, we officially enter autumn, the season of Vata dosha, when dry, cool and rough qualities ramp up in nature as Air and Space elements start rising compared to the waning Fire of summer. We can feel it in the cooler air, the dry leaves gathering on the ground, the rougher breezes kicking up. … Continue reading Time to Get Well-Rooted
We are fast approaching summer’s end. Early summer invited us outside, where the sun’s vital energy is easily accessible, Nature’s gifts are abundant, and physical activity flows more easily into our lives. The warmth of early summer relaxes and softens the muscles and inspires more movement, helping to pacify the heavy, moist, “phlegmy” Kapha of … Continue reading Summer Rest is Restorative
In summer, our digestive power is naturally less than in winter, as is our overall bodily strength. This may seem surprising given that we are often more physically active in summer, but it’s quite noticeable if you look for it. Digestive weakness can show up as a decrease in appetite, or for some as an … Continue reading Summer Digestion: The Weak and The Weary
Among the clients and friends with whom I have been talking recently, spring this year is bringing an onslaught of contradictory emotions. On the one hand, we are witnessing the exuberant explosion of green buds and flowers in Mother Nature’s annual display, and this blossoming mirrors the signs that public life is reopening in parts … Continue reading 7 Solutions for Emotional Indigestion
The landscape is dotted these days with the sudden blush of pink and white blossoms flashing out on naked tree limbs. These confetti petals seem like a poorly-chosen first attempt to re-clothe the trees - their fragile and exuberant display seems to litter the ground within minutes of the first rainstorm, which (let’s not fool … Continue reading 5 Secrets to Spring Allergy Relief
Over the last 12 months, everyone on the planet has made enormous changes to our daily routines and habitual behaviors. As someone who helps people change unhealthy habits, I know this can be HARD work… and yet, while we were looking the other way, 2020 has brought some incredible gifts in this way. Of course, … Continue reading The Upside of the Pandemic
This week, we leave 2020 behind us. We've been moving - so slowly, it seemed at times - towards this moment all year, and now it is finally here. Part of me wants to take a flying leap into the New Year, to turn emphatically to a brand new page, to set a bright shiny … Continue reading Celebrating New Year’s ~ Without the Push
Summer is typically a time of expansion, movement, and vacation. Of course, this year is anything but typical. On top of the usual summer provocations, we are surrounded by a global pandemic, widespread economic insecurity, massive protests against racial and economic inequality, and a lurking apprehension about possible threats to our civil freedoms. This is … Continue reading Rest is Required
We have definitely entered summer here in the Northern Hemisphere. Now that we have passed the Summer Solstice, all the qualities of pitta dosha are evident in the natural world around us: heat (obviously), sharpness (of sunlight AND tempers!), humidity, and oiliness, to name a few. When these qualities go up in the natural environment, … Continue reading 5 Solutions for Summer’s Swelter
Today, the descriptions of epidemics recorded in the ancient medical texts of Ayurveda sound like prophecy. For example, the Charaka Saṃhitā itemizes 4 primary causes of epidemics: pollution of the water, the air, and the land of a country, and disturbance to the natural seasons. When these 4 factors are present, the text explains, then … Continue reading Eye-Opening Teachings on the Causes (and Solutions) of Epidemics
