IT'S SPRING...ACHOO!

"First of all-and this may come as a surprise-most integrative doctors believe that three factors contribute to springtime allergies: a compromised immune system, a weak digestive system and toxic overload." -Carrie Demers, MD- Well, I think I can safely say that the ski season is over for me! I am reshaping my days now that I have some down time and envisioning the beauty and life that spring soon will deliver. Along with that extraordinary beauty, comes lots and lots of pollen! I guess you could say that spring is bittersweet, at least for me. Over the years, I have acquired many tricks to help me get through the season with bright eyes and minimal sneezing. In reading the latest issue of "Yoga International", I am reminded by Dr. Carrie Demers, that in ayurveda, late winter and early spring take on the qualities of kapha, characterised by the elements of earth and water. The snow melts and the earth is wet and heavy. "April showers bring May flowers", as the saying goes. Our bodies tend to take on the same kapha qualities as the earth, with increased mucous production, swollen sinuses, colds and springtime allergies. Now is the time to begin to boost the immune system. In ayurveda, it is believed that stong agni, digestive fire, is key to strengthening the immune system. "When agni is weak, digestion is incomplete, and the residue (or ama) that's left behind becomes toxic waste in the body." (Carrie Demers,MD, YI magazine, Spring 2013) As per Dr. Demers suggestions, it is a good idea to add some asanas(postures) to your daily routine that strengthen and tone the abdominals. Adding abdominal squeeze to your practice is one effective way to tone the abdominals as well as the pelvic floor. She recommends 30 minutes of sweat producing exercise daily. As long as you are not congested,have high blood pressure or coronary heart disease, add kapalabhati to your daily routine, as well. Kapalabhati is a vigorous pranayama practice, characterized by stong, rapid exhalations and passive inhalations. If you are unfamiliar with this practice, it is best to ask an instructor for guidance. It is a great way to clear out the nasal passages. One tried and true practice to keep springtime allergies at bay, is the neti pot. I have found this practice to be a life-saver in the spring. I rinse my nasal passages every morning, all year round, but up it to three times a day in the spring. It helps to clear pollen from the nasal passages and is very soothing. I like to put a bit of nasya(nasal) oil in each nostril when I'm finished to keep the passages moist. You can purchase nasya oil at Wegman's, in Nature's Market, or you can use sesame oil or even olive oil. Of course, there are many other practices to alleviate allergies. Lest you get overwhelmed with suggestions, I will stop here. Incorporating some of these practices into your daily routine may allow you to be outside,enjoying the wonders of spring, instead of inside, looking out!

SUPPORT YOUR DIGESTION

"Ayurvedic medicine focuses on the quality and status of agni. If our agni is robust and healthy it brings fragrance to life. When agni is imbalanced, the opposite occurs. Agni gives a person a healthy glow." -Vasant Lad,M.A.Sc.- One of the main functions of agni is digestion. In Ayurveda, we are looking to create the proper balance in digestive fire: not too hot, not too cold, just right. That balance is different for each individual. While a vata individual may need to create more heat to kindle agni, a pitta temperment might need to tone down the fire of digestion. Kaphas may need to speed up the action of agni. One simple practice to support digestion, regardless of your dosha, is to drink CCF tea. Equal parts cumin, coriander and fennel make up this tasty drink. You can make it yourself quite easily. Measure 1 teaspoon each of cumin seed,coriander seed and fennel seed, bring to a boil with enough water for a cup or two of tea. Let it simmer for about 5 minutes, strain and enjoy, after a meal or anytime during the day. While CCF tea is a great digestive aid, it is good to take a look at your lifestyle. Healthy digestion is about not only the food you put into your body, but stress levels, sleep patterns, exercise, yoga and meditation, sensory stimuli. You can add more to this list, I'm sure. It's not about getting it perfect, it's about being flexible enough to make lifestyle changes, however small, to support strong digestive fire. Your reward will be that healthy glow. In the meantime, brew a cup or two of CCF tea and relax!

RESPECT YOUR VATA

"The key to managing all doshas is to care for vata." -David Frawley- We have had a very erratic entrance into winter this year in Buffalo. One day it is cold and crisp, with a hint of snow in the air, the next day, it is warm and sunny, smelling like spring. In yoga classes the past few weeks, there has been plenty of coughing, sneezing and nose-blowing. The flu season seems to have begun earlier than usual as well. While fall and most of winter are traditionally a "vata" time, I felt compelled to do some "therapeutic" asana classes, with the intention of balancing kapha. Kapha dosha accumulates in the chest, head and stomach, usually in the form of excess mucus. Because our unusual weather is mimicking spring,the kapha season, it seemed to make sense to work all of that sludge up and out with energetic asana and cleansing pranayama. The reality is that we are in the vata season. Dr. Carrie Demers' mantra is to "respect your vata." Vata is made up of air and ether, filling all of the spaces in the body. Vata tends to be dry, brittle and cold, just like fall and winter. Vata is hard-wired for change and David Frawley explains that the other doshas,pitta and kapha are incapable of movement without it. How can you take care of your vata? A recent email from my Ayurveda instructor, Kathryn Templeton, reminded me of these valuable tips. During this cold, dark season, we need to keep the body warm and well moisturized. Dressing properly for the elements is key, so too, is eating warm, moist food (eg.soup). Drink plenty of warming herbal teas and moisturize the body with a warming oil, such as sesame or triphala. The skin is the largest organ and it absorbs what you put on it through every one of its countless pores. A little dab of oil in the nostrils and ears is also a good idea. Feed your skin what you would put in your mouth. And, of course, ground your body, mind and spirit with regular asana, relaxation and meditation. These tips will help to keep you firmly grounded and balanced during this holiday season and beyond. In those moments when you begin to feel less than centered, remember the mantra "respect your vata"!

TRUSTING THE PROCESS

"Life is a gentle teacher. She wants us to learn....It's frustrating to be in the midst of learning....It may feel like someone is torturing us with messages that we shall never understand....Later, while taking a quiet walk, we break through. Quietly, the gift of understanding has reached the deepest place in us. We understand. We have learned." -Melody Beattie- I have spent the last year or so attending trainings to become an Ayurvedic Yoga Specialist. There were many times when I felt frustrated and questioned my mental abilities. Self-doubt crept in now and again. I wondered if I was doing the 'right' thing. Luckily, I have studied the brain and the learning process enough to know that we are all on our own time line when it comes to learning. I stuck with the program, reading, studying and not always understanding-faking my way through. One day, I was taking a yoga class and the instructor gave a beautiful description of something that I hadn't, as of yet,integrated. All the hours of classes, reading and studying came together at that moment for me. Of course, that was just a tidbit of the program, but in that moment, I got it! Learning is about trusting the process. We are integrating and absorbing even when we are idle. We know that firsthand when we practice shavasana (relaxation). The mind/body system needs integration time. That time is different for each individual and learning situation. So,trust the process and relax. Learning will happen despite your best efforts! Oh, and by the way, I am now an Ayurvedic Yoga Specialist!

DEVELOPING TAPAS

In the Himalayan Institute Yoga Teacher Training Manual, Tapas is described as meaning "heat". It goes on to say: "It implies effort. When we make a disciplined effort we build energy and enthuism for our task. Tapas leads to self-mastery." Tapas is the third of the niyamas, spiritual practices, or observances. Each of the niyamas have been discussed in an earlier post. I find it fitting to revisit tapas at the beginning of September, when the school year gets underway. I always get a sense of renewal at this time of year: perhaps it's the school teacher in me. I am more prone to make resolutions now than I am in January. This idea of self-discipline is particularly poignant for me, in regard to regularly posting to my blog. I have been less than self-disciplined when it comes to entering blog posts. Instead of flogging myself for my inadequacies, I choose to see that this is an area in my life that I've not quite mastered. So, what can I do to become more successful with this? I know that scaling down my expectations is a first step. It would be less daunting to write a paragraph or two,than it would be to feel as though I need to write a tome every time I sit down at the computer. How do I build self-discipline? I start small. My particular challenge is posting regularly to my blog. We all have areas in our lives where our self discipline is challenged. Maybe you have trouble finding time to practice asana every day. Start small; Set aside enough time to do two rounds of sun salutations every morning when you get out of bed. Success is easier to come by if you practice at the same time and in the same place every day. If you miss a day or two, forgive yourself and start again. Practice leads to mastery. Where in your life can you build the fire of self-discipline? Start small - start today.

YOGA, AYURVEDA AND THE 3 DOSHAS

"Our biological existence is a dance of the three doshas of vata, pitta and kapha. Life is a multicolored tapestry of their movement in various plays of balance and imbalance, coming together and going apart. These three powers color and determine our conditions of growth and aging, health and disease." -David Frawley-

Dosha, literally means that which goes out of balance easily. The doshas are the ayurvedic constitutional types. We determine our dosha- vata, pitta, kapha or some combination of the three, by looking at the ways in which we tend to go out of balance on the physical, emotional/mental and spiritual levels.
Let's begin with vata. Literally, vata means wind and is the primary dosha. It is made up of the the elements of air and space. Frawley explains; "It is the motivating power behind the other two doshas, which are lame or incapable of movement without it." The qualities of vata are cold, dry, irregular, mobile/fast, poor stamina, sun loving, thin boned, dry hair, nails and skin, speak/move quickly, enthusiatic, imaginative, sensitive, impractical, quick to catch on, forgets easily, anxiety prone, tends toward insomnia, ADHD, variable digestion, chronic pain/especially in joints, instability. So, how does one keep vata in balance? Balancing vata, or any dosha, for that matter, requires adding the opposite qualities. To balance,add warm, moist foods to the diet. Warmth in general is very nourishing for vata (warm baths, food, drinks, clothing). Moisture in the form of warm drinks, oily foods, oil for the body (sesame oil is particularly warming for vata). Balance vata with daily routines to calm the urge for frequent change. Structure is helpful for vata, which is hard wired to change. In asana, vata benefits from slowing down, grounding into the pelvic bowl, moving rhythmically and mindfully. The key word is nurturance.
Frawley says that "The key to managing all the doshas is to care for vata."

Pitta is made up of the elements of fire and water. Literally, pitta means "the power of digestion or cooking."(Frawley) Four key words to describe pitta are warm, oily, irritable/sharp. Qualities to further describe pitta are athletic, tired by heat, red hair/early gray, fair/freckles,strong appetite, leader/organizer, intelligent/ambitious, confident/courageous,overly critical, efficient, enjoys challenges, prone to overwork, prone to inflammation, heartburn/ulcer, skin rashes/eczema, headaches and high blood pressure.(Himalayan Institute 2011) As with all of the doshas,to balance pitta, we give it the opposite of its inherent qualities. Due to the intense nature of pitta,it is generally a good idea to lighten up, not taking life so seriously. Although pitta personality is drawn to intense yoga practices(Bikram, Ashtanga), s/he will be better served practicing moderation in all activities. Finding a balance between rest and activity will serve the pitta. Daily relaxation and meditation to calm the intensity is also a plus. Leisure time is important and a good dose of laughter won't hurt either! It is good to maintain a cool environment, not lingering in hot baths. Non-competitive activities are balancing for the pitta. The key word is relaxation!

Kapha is made up of the elements of earth and water. Kapha literally means "what makes things stick together". (Frawley) Kapha tends to be cold, wet, heavy and stable/slow. Other characteristics of the kapha individual are a square build, lustrous hair, pale,smooth skin, graceful/lubricated, strong, tolerant/calm, loyal, compassionate, good memory, emotional, loves comforts,prone to inertia,prone to mucus, chronic sinusitis, swelling,fibroids, depression.(Himalayan Institute 2011)
Although a kaphic personality would love to hibernate, spending plenty of time on the couch reading, the best medicine is vigorous activity.
It is good for a kapha to push him/herself. Kapha benefits from dry heat and warming spices. Daily aerobic activity is essential. Kaphas need to sweat. Light food, with a minimum of dairy and wheat will help to balance kapha. Kaphas tend toward sluggish digestion, which leaves them prone to accumulation of toxins. Kaphas would do well with regular fasting. A vigorous and energizing yoga practice will benefit kapha. The key word for kapha is stimulation.

One dosha is not better or worse than the others. Each has both strengths and weaknesses. As you read this, you will notice that you have some traits from each of the three doshas. It is the dosha of which you have the most traits that determines your type. Often, you will have a secondary dosha. The 7 doshic possibilities are vata, pitta, kapha, pitta/kapha,vata/pitta,vata/kapha and vata/pitta/kapha. When in balance, the doshas support our health. When out of balance, the doshas accumulate, creating imbalance. All of life is a search for balance. Using the ayurvedic system of the doshas can simplify your search.

LETTING GO OF THE EGO

"We must remember asana is not about personal achievement but of letting go of the ego." -David Frawley-


Coming to the yoga mat with a competitive spirit negates the purpose of the practice. I am not practicing to be the "best" yogi in the class, but to be the best person that I can be. This, however, is not about personal achievement, but about coming to know myself better. I come to the mat with a sense of humility - with an acceptance of the perfectly imperfect human that I am. In practice, I begin to see more clearly both my strengths and challenges, in my physical body and, more important, in my deeper self. Do I struggle to stay focused as I hold a posture? Am I making my shopping list during savasana (relaxation). Do I run out before relaxation and meditation because it is agonizing to be still/quiet for 7-8 minutes? Am I busy watching others in practice, losing my inner focus? Am I impatient with myself when I struggle with a posture? Do I take myself too seriously or, just the opposite, minimize myself in practice?
In yoga practice, I am exploring the relationship that I have with my body, breath and mind; There is no room for the ego. I come to the mat to discover myself.