Transitioning into Fall
Important Changes You Can Make to Arrive Strong in the Cold and Flu Season
Sep 1, 2020 | Written by Leticia Padmasri
Ritusandhi is the merging of the seasons. It marks the end of one season and the start of another. In Ayurveda, transitional times are crucial to pause and take inventory of how we feel. It is the time to do a mental and physical reset. We are moving now from the height of summer’s heat to cooler weather. This is a critical time to prepare our bodies for the colder days of autumn.
We know very well of the weather-shifting illnesses. At the end of the summer, we are usually experiencing hot and cold temperatures. It is common to move from sweats to chills. Our bodies need to work harder to deal with these changes. Our bodies also have accumulated heat, creating more dryness in our tissues. In addition, in an attempt not to overheat the digestive strength gets weaker. There is a vulnerability between the seasons that Ayurvedic transitional routines can mitigate. Here are a few important ones to transition into autumn:
Take this time to check your vitality and ask yourself: do I usually get sick when fall comes? Is it usually the same illness? Consider your seasonal practices and determine what could be improved (food, exercise, sleep, etc.) to help your immunity.
What is your level of stress? If stress is high, our health is at stake. Multitasking is a primary reason for stress. Reflect on possible ways to manage your tasks and time to create more ease in your daily routine. Consider practicing meditation regularly. It helps us to build natural resistance to stress. Yoga asanas (postures) and pranayama (breathing practices) also can help our body to deal with stress and enhance our vitality.
Stay hydrated! During this time of the year, the accumulated heat and dryness dehydrate us. Be sure to stay hydrated. A guideline is to drink half of our ideal body weight in ounces of water per day.
Apply oil to prevent the dryness! The heat of the end of the summer is creating dryness in our bodies. Also, we are entering a season with a very dry quality. Try a gentle scalp massage before bedtime with coconut or almond oil with 2 drops of high-quality lavender essential oil. This practice will nourish your scalp and hair and promote relaxing sleep. A full body self-oil massage is also a great idea. It will lubricate the body’s deep tissues and encourage them to eliminate toxins.
A strong digestive fire reflects strong immunity. Boost your digestive strength so you can enter the fall season able to digest not only the heavier foods of the period, but also the foreign organisms that enter the body. Spices such as fennel, coriander, fresh ginger, basil, cardamom, parsley, and cilantro will support digestion without causing overheating. CCF tea can help us in this transition. This tea gives us a gentle detox from any toxin accumulation during the summer and, at the same time, kindles our digestive fire.
Cumin Coriander Fennel (CCF) Tea
Combine in an airtight container equal parts of cumin seeds, coriander seeds, and fennel seeds.
To make the tea:
Combine 2 teaspoons of the mix with 2 cups of water.
Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and let the tea simmer for 5 minutes.
Remove from heat, strain, and serve!
CCF Tea can be made in larger batches at the ratio of 1 teaspoon per 1 cup of water. Just make sure you make it for one day at the time. And remember, this does not substitute your water intake.