Surrender Into Fall

“The imbalances in our mind-body system can be managed and pacified by diet, lifestyle and herbs from time to time, but if you reset the system through periodical cleanses, it will not just help stabilize your health at the time, it can prevent future problems.”

~Charaka Samhita

Surrender into Fall. One of the things that I most appreciate about Ayurveda is it teaches us to remain present in both our internal and external environments. While most of the United States has already felt the seasonal change, here in Arizona, we are just now moving into fall. Even though the Autumnal equinox occurred on September 22nd this year, in Phoenix we had a high of 102 degrees that day. To my body that still feels like summer, so I have not shifted into my fall daily protocols yet. One of the first things that will change is the oil for our daily massages. We will switch from oils for cooling the mind and body to a blend that will warm and ground as the mornings become chilly.

As the crops begin to change in the fields, our diet will follow and naturally become more vata pacifying. This is one reason I encourage everyone to shop weekly at a farmers’ market where they can build relationships with local farmers. This will naturally foster you to eat a diet relevant to the current season and specific location. What they are harvesting right now in Vermont is very different from where I am.

So, as we now move into fall it is time to plan for a seasonal cleanse to prepare ourselves for Vata season. Why do we cleanse? To get rid of toxins. In Ayurveda, we define toxins as any material, energy, or principal that disturbs our normal mind-body system. Anything the body doesn’t burn, digest, eliminate or process fully leaves behind residues in the cells that Ayurveda calls “ama” or toxins. This can range from emotions that do not serve us, to chronic constipation, to harsh chemicals in the environment.

We always want to cleanse during the mild equinox seasons. It is not recommended to cleanse during the harshness of summer or winter. At this time of year, we flush out the built-up toxins that have accumulated during the Summer. We can remove any accumulated excess heat (Pitta dosha) and ama in our minds and bodies.

If you want to learn more, I will be partnering with Metta Yoga on Sunday, October 17th for a hybrid in-person/online workshop called “Ayurvedic Principles of Cleansing in the Fall”. You can find details here.

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We are wrapping up our series on the sense organs with the ears. Hearing is related to the ether/space element and vata dosha. It is appropriate that we end this series in October as we shift into vata season. A good example of an easy way to aggravate vata dosha is by exposing the ears to cold wind. It is advised to always cover your ears, and the back of your neck when outside and exposed to cooler weather.

There are many ways to balance and cleanse the sense of hearing. Begin by giving yourself time each day in silence to intentionally tune your hearing. An easy practice is to allow your hearing to extend outward and just notice what you hear. Each sound we hear will have both a psychological and a physiological effect. What are the sounds of nature that you hear and what are mechanical sounds that you may notice?

Next begin to bring the awareness inward until you can tune into your breath. Listen for your heartbeat. Listen to the words that you speak to yourself in your mind. That is a very powerful type of listening. Notice if you can infuse those words with compassion and kindness or if your tendency is to be hard on yourself.

When we listen to beautiful music, receive sound healing, or hear poetry a stream of feel-good chemicals flows through the body. These will support our immune system, rebuild the tissues of our bodies, and ease our mind. Tune in to feel your body and you will know if what you are hearing is creating balance in the system. Hopefully you feel refreshed, clear and harmonious.

Sound/music therapy is a wonderful way to bring balance and healing to any of the three doshas that may be out of balance. Depending on your constitution or current imbalance, listening to different types of instruments and rhythms can help to restore balance. According to Ayurveda the opposite quality will bring balance.

Since we are leaving summer, many people are struggling with a heat imbalance. Pleasant music with medium tones and even gentle rhythmic drumming is advised to balance Pitta. The clarinet, saxophone, violin, and flute can be soothing. Nature sounds of water like gentle ocean waves or a running stream will cool and ground the intensity of a Pitta.

If your vata is high you may feel ungrounded and anxious due to the exacerbation of the ether and air elements. Music that is very mellow, soft, and rhythmic with lower tones will help balance Vata. Find recordings with instruments that have deep resonance like bass, cello, wind instruments or perhaps some relaxing acoustic guitar.

The heaviness of kapha dosha due to the earth elements needs invigorating and energizing music to get them moving. This individual needs tones that are higher with a solid bassline to move any dullness or stagnation. A good kapha remedy is dancing. Listen to something that makes you move.

You can find some great music on any of the platforms by just searching for “Ayurvedic music to balance doshas”. You can sit, close your eyes, and feel the music in your body. Observe the quality of the mind while listening to the various types of music. That is the mind-body connection. It is an interesting experiment.

As mentioned, hearing and sound is primarily related to Vata. Another wonderful way to calm this dosha is to put oil in your ears. The practice of Karna Purna will have the effect of enhancing your hearing, calming the mind, keeping you grounded when traveling, reduce crow's feet, reduce anxiety and help with insomnia. Please don't do this if you have a punctured eardrum or any recent trauma to the ear. Using warm organic sesame oil, put a few drops in each ear canal and massage the base of the ear, the ear lobe and the ear cartilage. You can also use black sesame oil or heat sesame oil in a pan with a clove or two of garlic. Gently heat the oil until the garlic becomes caramel color, strain and keep in a dark jar with a dropper. If you want a deeper treatment, every week or two, fill the ear canal with warm oil and rest on your side for 15-20 minutes. Plug the ear with a cotton ball, roll to the other side and repeat.

Lastly, a beneficial way to balance the sense of hearing is to be mindful of conversations that we engage in, avoid gossip and surround yourself with higher vibration communication and entertainment. Intelligent and genuinely funny comedy is wonderful too as a good laugh will feed the soul.

From: October 2021 Newsletter