Season’s Greetings
I thought I would be writing about cold and frosty days and nights, but it is not so here in the UK! We are experiencing one of the warmest winters on record with only parts of Scotland seeing any snowfall so far. What we have got is storms of such magnitude, causing much devastation and destruction.
The winds and changeable stormy weather are likely to aggravate Kapha dosha (cold, damp, heavy) and Vata dosha (dry, cold, windy). Therefore, including in the diet warm herbal teas and easily digestible, warming foods and warm oil massages like Abhyanga and Nasya will help bring balance to the body. Walking is a great and free exercise, especially after all the festive food! This often raises the question “how much should I eat?” The condition of the agni in the body (digestive fire) is a guide. Only eat when you are genuinely hungry and only drink when you feel thirsty. Eating large portions of food is unhealthy, will make you feel tired and an overfull stomach has a hard time digesting food which then creates additional toxins in the digestive tract. Overeating expands the stomach which in turn demands more food and this leads to false feelings of hunger when we actually aren’t. Water, preferably drunk warm, is necessary at meals and should be sipped throughout; this will aid digestion. According to Ayurveda the amount of food eaten at a meal should be two handfuls. Ideally, one third of the stomach should be filled with food, one third with water and one third with air. Allow at least an hour before and after your meal before drinking a quantity of water (or any liquid) as this will dilute the digestive juices and hamper proper digestion.
TIPS TO HEALTHY DIGESTION:
- Only eat when you are hungry.
- Only drink when you are thirsty.
- Eat freshly prepared food.
- Have small sips of water during your meal.
- Take time eating your food.
- Leave 4-6 hours between meals with no snacking in between.
- Eat when the sun is up.
WINTER OFFER: Abhyanga full body massage was so successful during Autumn that I will continue to offer it at 10% discount through winter!
Now the longest night has passed; the Sun has travelled far to the South and reached the end of its journey. The earth sleeps. Time to be patient, to wait; for in this dark, stark, place when all of nature is bare and barren, beneath the cold surface of the earth the magical creative forces are at work and the fires of creation are reborn. The promise of the coming of the light at Winter Solstice is a celebration of longer, lighter days to come. So dream now, sow the seeds of your new dreams within your heart that they make take root and flourish. The cycle of life begins again.
Sending you good wishes at this time of potent, creative energy. And wishing you a Happy and Healthy 2016.
Om Shanti