From the Ayurveda perspective, the changing of the seasons is one of the times when our immune system is most vulnerable for colds & allergies. I learned this first hand this week. I went to the doctor because I thought I had strep throat or the flu. It turned out it was allergies.
My visit brought to the surface just how out of balance I have become. Ayurveda teaches that you can experience perfect health & harmony when your agni (digestive fire) is strong, the three doshas (vata, pitta & kapha) are balanced and ama (toxins) is low. There are certain laws of nature that Ayurveda follows such as like energy attracts like energy. For example, if your constitution is vata dosha (air + ether- qualities are light, subtle, mobile, dry, cold) and you eat toast (which is dry & light) and dried fruit you will exaggerate the tendencies of dryness in your body- you may have dry skin, nails, hair, etc.
Upon reflection, I realized that the excess congestion, heaviness & runny nose I have been experiencing is a direct result of the emotional eating I have been doing over the past couple of months. I have an excess of kapha dosha (earth + water- qualities are soft, dull, cool, slimy, heavy, static) due to too much sugar. Yikes! These past few months have been full of change. I left my old job to launch out on my own and and have been watching my dad slowly lose his mind to Alzheimers.
Luckily, Ayurveda can help when you slip into old unconscious patterns of behavior. Below are 15 things you can do to ignite your agni, balance your doshas and reduce ama (toxins):
Ignite your agni
- Eat your largest meal between 12pm and 2pm each day
- Learn Ayurveda food combining techniques (ie. eat fruit alone)
- Eat what's in season when you can
- Eat in a calm serene surrounding
- Spring is the perfect time to do a Kitchari cleanse
Balance your doshas
- Eat according to your individual prakriti (constitution)
- Build down time in to your daily routine
- Move with the rhythms of the season (ie. don't do hot yoga in the summer when it's 110- it will aggravate pitta dosha)
- Meditate for 10-30 minutes each morning
- Take a 1/4 tsp Triphala tea each night prior to sleep (stop when it has a sweet taste- this means all 6 tastes are balanced in your body)
Purification Techniques to Reduce Ama
- Scrape your tongue
- Oil pull
- Drink a cup of warm honey lemon water (wait to eat for 30 minutes)
- Use a neti pot 2 to 3 times per week
- Abhyanga (oil massage) 2 to 3 times per week
Pick one or two items from these techniques and play with them this week! Share your experience in the comment section below!
Namaste'
