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Finding the Joy in Living - Tame the Flame This Summer
July Newsletter, 2010
“I found a June Bug and I’m trying to show him I care but he’s lost his head and I think he’s dead.” Sophia Kierstead-Abbass, 4 yrs old
Happy Summer fellow Yogis!
Summer is upon us now and outside of last week’s down pour (poor timing for the Queen’s visit), we typically experience the hottest time of the year. In Ayurveda, the sister science to yoga, from mid-March to mid-July, we are in what is called Pitta season.
Pitta is one of the three body types that mingle through our society, symbolized by the sun. This powerful solar energy possesses characteristics such as ambition and intensity. The upside of Pitta season is that we tend to find ourselves enjoying outdoor activities with more energy and inspiration for daily tasks. The pitfall to Pitta season is that we can easily find ourselves over-heated and irritable, zealously burning the flame within.
The fire of Pitta is a beautiful and necessary energy, what we call tejas, but we all know that a small fire can easily become a blazing forest fire that consumes our once creative energy. Imbalanced fire energy then quickly leads to Vata imbalance (another body-type), which looks like those of us who are held hostage by our schedules, running around like a chicken (or June Bug) with it’s head cut off. The effects of these imbalances reek havoc on our hormonal systems, immunity and states of mind.
Here are some suggestions for maintaining healthy levels of tejas/fire for the next few weeks, until we move into our Vata fall season.
• The ancient Yogis recommended two ways in which we can extend our lives:
1) Eat moderate amounts of food, just enough to be well nourished. One of my heroes, John Robbins wrote in his book May All Be Fed, “Today a greater percentage of the human race is overweight than at any other time in history. Meanwhile, a greater percentage of the human race suffers from malnutrition than at any other time in recorded history.” At our house, we eat our main meal at lunch time when our digestive fire (agni) is at its highest and digestion is most efficient. Supper is a light meal of salad and soup or smoothy. Aloe Vera is a super food that helps to balance Pitta, 2oz twice a day is recommended.
2) Decrease physical and mental temperatures. Consume foods that are cooling, like water with lime and ice, raw salad greens and fresh vegies. The Yogis recommend that we fill our lives with sweetness, natural sweetness that is, like we find in a ripe, juicy mango. Mentally, we can aspire to speak in ways that promote harmony and act in ways that express compassion for all of life. Summer is a fine time to turn off the TV and scheduling devices and establish calm, joyful routines.
Thank you for your ongoing responses to these yogic columns, stay close and have a fabulous summer!
Jenny
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Past Newsletters
July 2010
June 2010
May 2010
April 2010
March 2010
February 2010
January 2010
December 2009
November 2009
October 2009
August 2009
July 2009
June 2009
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January 2009
December 2008
August 2008
June 2008
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