October: VATA Vata Vroom
As we move from warm & long days of summer (Pitta season) into cool, dry & rough qualities of autumn (Vata season), our bodies are also undergoing a transition. This exchange from one season into the next is known as, ritusandhi; our physical and mental bodies are particularly vulnerable to change during this transition, and require some loving care to ensure a safe landing. Not to worry, Ayurveda’s got your back!
Vata Dosha is the reining queen over autumn and early winter. Associated with the space (akash) and air (vayu) elements, Vata represents movement, action, and transportation in the body. When Vata is balanced in the mind-body system, you’ll be lively, expressive, imaginative, intuitive, and have a healthy ability to communicate. However, experiencing an imbalanced Vata will often unveil fear, anxiety, loneliness, exhaustion, a racing mind, insomnia, muscle spasms, irregular digestion, and weight loss.
If these early symptoms of a Vata imbalance present themselves, it’s important to slow down, integrate meditation into your day, listen to calming music, avoid skipping meals, eat cooked & warming foods, and cultivate an early bedtime. Maintaining a regular lifestyle with a daily routine is beneficial for maintaining groundedness and balance through Vata season.
Over the next few months, you’ll find a guide for daily practices, meditations, recipes, and wild & witchy goodness to help encourage balance through this wild & windy season. Settle in, root down, grab a scarf, a hot tea, and tap into your creative & intuitive energies!
CCF Tea Recipe:
Cumin, Coriander, Fennel, Oh My! This classic Ayurveda tri-herb blend is just what Vata ordered. CCF Tea stimulates agni (digestion) & the detoxification process, relieves congestion, and decreases bloating, indigestion, gas & inflammation. Take a thermos to work and sip throughout the day -or- include before, during & after meals to encourage nutrient absorption. Brew the magic & get sip’n!
1/2 tsp cumin seeds
1/2 tsp coriander seeds
1/2 tsp fennel seeds
4-5 cups of water
*If desired, add ginger & licorice for a tasty variation
Directions: Boil the ingredients for 5 minutes. Strain & get your sip on.
You can also purchase CCF Tea here: https://www.banyanbotanicals.com/ccf-tea/?product_sizes=75
Full Yogic Breath
Full Yogic Breath revitalizes the entire body with prana (life force), breaks up stagnation & constrictions, massages the digestive tract, calms the mind, deactivates the Sympathetic Nervous System (fight or flight), encourages hormonal balance, detoxifies, and helps create healthy stress responses. I’ll take all of these, thank you! Without realizing it, many people hold their breath repeatedly throughout the day—incorporating this pranayama (breath work) into your daily routine will help create new breathing patterns, that will better support you through the twists, turns, and upside-downs of this life journey.
*If pregnant, never hold your breath. Instead, focus on gentle, full & fluid breaths without retention.
Mercury Retrograde Come’n At Ya!
Wanting to understand what in the WORLD is happening during Mercury Retrograde? Join Lisa De La Fleur as she dives in!
Are you interested in learning more about your own astrological chart? Contact Lisa directly for a one-on-one session. She’ll tap into your personal chart, what it means, and what you can expect over the coming months.
lisa.delafleur@gmail.com
All Bout’ That Ghee
Ghee has countless benefits, and endless utilizations. Ayurveda believes the health of our digestion is essential for prevention of disease and disorders, and this golden balm is just the ticket. Ghee promotes a healthy gut biome by enhancing absorption in the small intestine & decreasing the acidic pH in the gastrointestinal tract. It increases good cholesterol, provides essential amino acids, and strengthens our immunity. But, it doesn’t stop there! Ghee also encourages cell rejuvenation (rasayana) which not only encourages healing, but also strengthens memory & slows the aging process. I knew you’d like this! All bout’ those antioxidants. Ghee to the rescue, am I right?!
Soooo, what do I do with this stuff?
You can:
•Cook with it—ghee has a high smoke point, making it perfection for cooking. *Most oils with a high smoke point have been genetically modified and hydrogenated.
•Add it to basically any food: rice, potatoes, meat (if you’re into that), oatmeal, tea…anything!
•Apply to your under eyes to lighten dark circles. That’s right! Cell rejuvenation, y’all.
•Take with herbs to help with absorption
•Make an immunity tonic by mixing 1 tsp of ghee, turmeric & warm water together. Drink in the morning on an empty stomach.
RECIPE:
What You Need:
•Cultured Butter (preferably organic, grass-fed)
•Cheesecloth
What To Do:
•Bring the butter to a low boil (4-8 sticks depending on how large of a quantity you’d like). Once the butter begins to boil, cook on medium heat (approximately 20 min)
•The milk solids will begin to separate and float on the surface, giving it a white & frothy appearance. KEEP cooking. It’s not ready yet. Avoid stirring—just leave it alone, and allow it to do it’s thing!
•Eventually, the white & frothy milk solids will fall to the bottom of the pan, and the liquid will become clear. It’s almost done!
•Once the clear liquid turns to a golden orange color, and the solids on the bottom begin to brown, it’s ready. You made ghee!
•Remove from the heat. Pour the ghee over cheesecloth, and into a container (option to pour over a clean cheesecloth twice to ensure you’ve removed all the milk solids). Discard the milk solids.
•Store your gorgeous ghee in an airtight container. Ghee can be stored in the refrigerator for up to a year, and in room temperature (like, a cabinet) for approximately 4 months.
•You have ghee! Enjoy.
Visit these websites for small-batch, women-owned, made with love, GHEE:
Goddess Ghee: https://www.goddessghee.com/
Ahara Ghee: https://iloveghee.com/
Space Clearing Ritual
Spiritually, October is associated with death, as it’s believed the veil between the living world and the dead weakens. It’s also viewed as a period of change both in the natural environment & in our personal biosphere. Just as the leaves begin to fall, we too can observe our own lives and shed what is no longer serving our betterment. October is the perfect time to safeguard our home and our energetic field against negativity. It’s the perfect time to invite in positive change…..with smoke, salt & open arms.
To really channel the lunar and seasonal energies, space clearing rituals are especially powerful on the Full Moon. However, intention is most important, so choose a day that works best for you.
What You Need:
•Sage (cedar, rosemary, mugwort, copal incense, Palo Santo, or other dried plants are also excellent choices)
•Matches
•1 tsp salt
•Dish of water
What to Do:
On the day of your choosing, gather what you need, and take a few minutes to ground your body and energy. Sit on the floor & feel your sit bones plant into the earth -or- stand barefoot, feel your feet firm on the ground, your legs strong & feel the connection to Mama Earth.
From a place of groundedness, harness your inner power and say, “Darkness, distrust, negative energy, and fear I remove you. I send you from this place, you are not welcome here.”
Light the sage (or plant of your choice), and carry it through your home in a counterclockwise direction. Enter each room, wave the smoke into corners & around furniture, continuing to move counterclockwise. Repeat the words in each room, visualizing the negativity & darkness dissipating.
Don’t be afraid to use sound! Use your voice to release emotions & to clear energy. We’re conditioned to be quiet & often forget the power of sound. Try using a singing bowl, chant a mantra, clap your hands, sing or hum. Explore what feels good!
Once you’ve completed the rounds throughout your home, return to the starting space. Sprinkle the salt into the water & stir with your finger.
Imagine a white light radiating out from the center of your being. Focus on that light growing larger & from a place of openness to change, say aloud, “Safety, health, love, and abundance, I invite you in. Fill this home with your blessings, and let your light energize & embrace us.”
Moving in a clockwise direction, carry the dish of salt water through your home. As you move into each room, circulate clockwise as you flick water into the air. Repeat the words of love, visualizing change, growth & prosperity taking root.
Once again, return to the starting point. Ground your feet -or- sit bones/sacrum into the earth & feel Her hold you. Take a few rounds of full and deep breaths. From a place of strength say, “It is done.”
Repeating a space clearing ritual monthly can be a very powerful practice. October is the perfect time to start! I wish you and your home safety, health, love & abundance.