Spring Pointers

Just some friendly reminders for you friends.

For more, check out the Spring Purification workshop on-demand!

Link: https://bit.ly/3LUpe0V

What Makes You Tick

Intention setting, taking stock, and digging for our deepest desires in life are central for our agency. 

It’s not a new idea, simply a timely reminder. And deepest desires learn to hide in the corners.  It takes effort, focus, and intentional space to find and live from this place. Over and over again. 

When I was in my twenties, I fought with everything I had to stay true to my wild heart and follow it anywhere. It meant I didn’t have a job, or a house, but looking back, I’m so glad I was free to be this way, and I don’t regret the sacrifices made to stay true to myself.  

Let us not be afraid to discover what lights us up and call this in. I’m so excited to share a new body of work with you in 2024 that will take us along this path together.

Barley!

BARLEY! Spring Food Favorite! This time of year, the tastes start changing. This month, I’ll be posting about some of those late winter/ early spring transition foods and how to use them.

Barley is a dry grain, but hearty when soaked and cooked well with plenty of water. It has a cleansing action on the bladder and uterus and is a go-to for congestion. Find it hulled (with the indigestible husk removed) or “pearled” which means it's been polished and had a lot of the bran removed. This makes it less fibrous, which can be a good move for Vata-type guts (personally, I digest it better), and it does retain some insoluble fibers still. If you digest it well, go for hulled barley.

Soak overnight and boil with 4 parts water the next day and some digestive spices like ginger and cumin to make a spring kanjee as you see here.

The Chili

The chili. Is spring a good time for chili peppers? They are sharp and dry which opposes the damp and cool spring weather nicely. They melt mucous and can speed up a sluggish gut and aid circulation.
The thing is the chili is not a very moderate friend. It’s an all-it-nothing kind of thing. If we take the so often followed road of more-is-better we can end up in a pickle. The chili is strong medicine and can be enjoyed in small amounts in damp cool weather it doesn’t need to be taken daily.
My first spring in Maine I completely overdid it. Then dealt with aggravated heat in the summer in the form of PMS, skin blemishes, and the occasional night sweat. Ah, my friend the chili your medicinal powers are not to be underestimated! I will be more moderate this year 😇. Will reach for ginger and cumin instead.

Move with Spring

Do you sometimes feel like you need to do a “recall”? I get those from my car manufacturer at least annually.  

Stagnation, loss of meaning, feeling crappy, it's all normal, really. Life calls us to renew, periodically. Relationships and perspectives require a rhythmic renewal of commitment and a fresh take. 

As a Hatha yogi, I find changing movement routines with seasonal changes helps me show up for regeneration and change on a regular basis. For me, it's all tied up in the body.  

Shifting movement = shifting prana = shifting mind. 

Join me for a Move with Spring class on April 5. We discuss the whys and hows, do a practice, AND you get lifetime access to the practice video to integrate it and make it your own. Let’s move the body! 

What is Sattva

What is Sattva? 

The nature of consciousness is pure, undisturbed Sattva. The word Sat may be translated as “to be,” which makes Sattva simply a state of pure being. Simple as Newton’s apple growing on a tree. Our mind, however, is a complex instrument designed to comprehend the internal self, and the external environment, and to ultimately bridge the two.  

 Our thoughts and desires move through the mental field, but balanced consciousness sees them for what they are, and discerns when to act and when to remain still — without angst, anxiety, or regret. Our Sattvic mind is an unbiased observer, not troubled by agenda or craving. 

Untroubled by agendas or cravings, doesn’t that sound nice? I’ll take two! The thing is, the guns are always acting upon one another, and this dynamic dance is what makes the world go round, and allows for creativity and change. 

I’ll be teaching a 5-day retreat this May @kripalucenter on Sattvic Living. 

Doshas Of The Mind

While the physical activity of the doshas certainly affects the mind, Ayurveda is more specific about subtle, energetic tools for understanding balance in the mind. There are three energies: Sattva, the clear essence of the mind, and the two energies that act upon it, Rajas and Tamas. Rajas (restlessness) and Tamas (stagnation) are considered the “doshas of the mind” by the Charaka Samhita. 

All three are natural and braided together throughout the course of the day. Keeping them in balance is the key, and improves the quality of mind and Life. 

I’ll be teaching a 5-day retreat this May @kripalucenter on Sattvic Living. 

The Role of Mind in Health

I keep returning to how important mental balance is in becoming aware of our bodies, our food choices, and how we care for ourselves. What has intrigued me most in my Ayurveda practice is the role that our mind plays in our ability to listen, heal, and maintain a healthy lifestyle. Stay tuned for more from Ayurveda on mental wellness this week. 

A former extremist, I’ve learned about balance by swinging in either direction a good deal, which might make me the ideal guide. It’s been a process and not always an easy one. 

Always good to keep in mind that the process is our friend. 

I’ll be teaching a 5-day retreat this May @kripalucenter on Sattvic Living. We will cook, we will breathe, and we will connect. 

What’s the deal with HONEY?

HONEY! It’s THE spring sweetener because, unlike most sweets, honey is astringent. This means it dries up excess moisture. Honey also has the special power of “scraping” goop from the channels. 

If your springtime is moist and heavy, move to herbal honey such as turmeric or elder here from my buds @banyanbotanicals. These are great products, I lick them off with a spoon, a tsp or so as a dessert. 

They are both excellent cold care as well and curb sore throats and mucus conditions.

Don’t Forget the Carrot Ginger Muffins!

Who’s baking?? This is one of the most often shared baking recipes from my books. 

Don’t forget about these carrot ginger muffins from Everyday Ayurveda Cooking for a Clam, Clear Mind. Wheat flour-free and veggie packed. Kids like them too.