We are in the transition between spring and summer. The days are getting longer, the weather in the Northwest is vacillating between warm-hot days and cooler, cloudy days with rain. Now is a good time to make some shifts in routine to support ourselves in adapting to these changing conditions.
DIET: Late spring is a good time to enjoy some fresh salads, ideally at room temperature and especially good at the mid-day meal when digestion is stronger and raw food is easier to digest. This is a good time to support your liver by eating more bitter greens (artichokes, kale, collards, aloe vera juice) and taking bitter herbs in tea (yogi tea detox). First thing in the morning, after hydrating with fresh water, drink a cup or two for a week or 10 days. During that time, make your diet a little lighter overall, and minimize fats with the exception of cold-pressed olive oil (make a dressing of olive oil, lemon, fresh pressed garlic and black pepper for your salad). Fresh pressed apple cider, cut with a little pure water so as not to spike your blood sugar, is also a great tonic for your liver. Enjoy local organic berries as they become available.
ASANA: Twists, prone back-bends, abdominal work like agni sara and nauli with attention to clearing the eyes will help release stagnation and support digestive function.
MEDITATION: 12 – 24 minutes first thing before email. Set a timer. Prepare by relaxing your entire body from head to toe and practicing some abdominal breathing for a few minutes. Slowly release control of your breath, while maintaining your focus on the sensation of breathing in your lower belly. If you want more support, count your breaths: inhale for 1 count, exhale for 2 counts…until 10 and then start again. Anytime you lose focus, relax your body, take an abdominal breath, and begin again. This daily practice, done consistently for just 12 minutes, will change the quality of the rest of your day. If you don’t have time to do 12 minutes, do 24. In other words, if you “don’t have time” to meditate, you REALLY need to meditate.
PRANAYAMA: 5 rounds of alternate nostril breathing. Do not use your fingers to plug your nostrils, but visualize and feel the breath moving through one side and then the other. Don’t worry if some of your breath comes in the other nostril too, just stay focused. Do this before meditation or before bed at night or anytime you need to clear your mind and pick up your energy.
LIFESTYLE: Take time to walk outside in a quiet neighborhood, a forest or by the water. Connect with the prana of the Natural world and allow it to cleanse your energy field. How’s your sleep? Consider getting in bed a little earlier at night, and rising earlier in the morning. Enjoy the peace and clarity of the early morning hours. Sleep deeply before midnight.
KEY QUALITIES: Stimulation and Surrender. What needs quickening in your life? Where has stagnation set in? Where do you need to get moving? Where are you driving yourself too hard? Where has your edge gotten too sharp? How can you relax your focus?
May the cool light of the full moon refresh your senses.
Love, Shannon
Want to work with me one-on-one? Do you find that you are sometimes taking care of everyone but yourself? Are you stressed out, edgy and anxious more of the time than you’d like? Are you feeling stuck in your life, like you know you need a change, but you’re not sure what to focus on? I know how you feel: I’ve been there in my own life and I’ve seen my students and clients struggle with these issues. I’ve also experienced and witnessed the shifts that happen through the practice of Ayurveda. We can’t look to others on the “path of busy” or to the pharmaceutical companies to see how to live, we have to re-orient towards Natural rhythms and shift not just what we are doing, but how we are doing it–we have to shift to a way of life that feeds our body, mind and soul. This may sound like a cliche, but when we look to the root cause of our dis-ease and dissatisfaction, it comes down to wrong living. When we know better, we do better. When we make the connections between how we are living and how we feel, we empower ourselves and ultimately step onto the path of true healing one step at a time. Empowered living is true health care. Feeling better, calmer, happier and at home in our own body/mind is the payoff of right living, which is what Ayurveda, the Science of Life, is all about. The wise ones have known and taught this for thousands of years. I would be honored to be your mentor and guide on this path. I am accepting 4 private clients this summer. Find out more here. Schedule a no cost phone consult to explore the possibilities. I would love to talk with you!