Welcome to Earthen Apothecary's Fall Newsletter! We have both NEW offerings and upcoming events, so please read on for the juicy details! You'll also learn a few ways that Ayurveda can help you to transition smoothly into the new season. Happy reading! 

Transitions

While Fall may not officially arrive until the 22nd, the start of the school year seems to mark a seasonal transition in our household. Gone are the lazy pool days and spontaneous summer cookouts...although not-so-sadly replaced by evening walks, bug-free backyard dining, delicious soups, homemade apple crumbles and eventually, that beloved crispness in the air. Paying attention to the external seasonal rhythms- and cultivating our own seasonal rituals- can bring joyfulness into our lives. By syncing our biorhythms with nature, our cycles balance, our intuitive faculties sharpen and we begin to feel more grounded- both physically and mentally. 

This, too, is Ayurveda. "Ayur" (life) and "Veda" (science, or knowledge) is an ancient healing system that teaches us how we can bring our bodies and minds back into balance, in natural ways. Because being in balance- and not merely absence of disease- is true health. Achieving this balance happens in a very practical way, through balancing of the five elements (air, ether, fire, water and earth). When we are ill, our doshic balance has shifted away from homeostasis leaving us with too much or too little of one or more of these elements in our body. How does this happen? Some common ways include: eating poor quality foods, eating the wrong foods for one's constitution, improper food combining, constipation, suppressing natural urges (i.e. burping, passing gas, etc.), poor sleep habits, emotional disturbances and seasonal changes in the environment. Yes, just the change of season can cause a doshic imbalance! Ayurveda often works on many levels simultaneously to bring the elements back into balance. Diet, yoga, exercise, breathing practices and herbs may all be a part of what is needed to bring the affected system or organ back into balance efficiently.

Tips for a Healthy Fall

Fall (or Autumn) in the United States is a Vata season. In Fall, the air cools and the wind starts picking up. The qualities most prominent in the environment are shifting from the hot, sharp and bright Pitta qualities of Summer to the cool, dry, light, rough, clear and windy qualities of Fall, and of Vata dosha. It makes sense, then, that exposure to these qualities in the environment causes us to absorb some of these qualities. Our goal, however, is to ensure that these qualities don't increase in our bodies and minds to the point that we experience an imbalance in our constitution. Ayurveda teaches us that the effects resulting from seasonal change can be well-managed by shifting one's diet and lifestyle for that period of time to maintain balance. With that in mind, here are just a few important tips that can help us transition into Fall:

• Eat a Vata-pacifying diet
• Favor foods that are sweet, sour and salty
• Eat warming, soothing and easily-digested meals, such as soups and warm cooked foods
• Avoid cold or iced drinks
• Go to bed early and wake up early
• Keep warm and stay out of strong winds

UPCOMING EVENTS

Ayurveda for Autumn at Harold's Cabin

(a LOTUS Charleston collaboration)

• The Art of Ayurvedic Self-Massage & Daily Routines for Self-Care:  September 17th from 4-6 

This class is team-taught by NAMA-certified Ayurvedic Wellness Counselor Jennifer Byrne, MPH and Abigail McClam, Ayurvedic Massage Therapist.  Participants will learn about the importance of daily Ayurvedic self-care routines and how to integrate them into our already busy lives. Such routines are called dinacharya, and include: tongue scraping, neti pot, self massage with oil (abhyanga), nasya (nasal oiling), yogic postures and breathing, and creating your own daily tea with appropriate spices for your dosha.

• Staying Healthy this Fall with Ayurveda: October 22nd from 4-5:30pm

According to Ayurveda, the period from fall to early winter is the Vata time of year. The weather naturally becomes cooler as the days shorten, and soon the qualities of dryness, roughness, movement and subtlety begin to predominate. As we learn to recognize the cyclical rhythms of nature, we can begin to shift our diet and our activities to synchronize with the new season and avoid common seasonal imbalances such as colds/flu, achy joints, dry skin and anxiety. We will learn Ayurvedic principles and practices that can help us to transition into a healthy fall and winter. 

• Ayurvedic Nutrition: Eating The Right Foods For Your Dosha Type:  November 19th from 4-5:30pm

Did you know that bananas aren’t good for everybody? Or that raw foods can aggravate Vata dosha? Eating the right foods for your body can be your best defense against illness and disease. Join NAMA-certified Ayurvedic Wellness Counselor Jennifer Byrne, MPH to learn how to choose foods that are balancing and nourishing for your Ayurvedic constitution. You’ll also learn about the six tastes, incompatible food combinations, using spices medicinally and seasonal dietary considerations.

Click on the following link to register:

https://www.eventbrite.com/e/lotus-co-op-soul-soil-series-ayurveda-for-autumn-tickets-27241032662       

EXCITING NEW OFFERINGS!

Initial Ayurvedic Consultations - 1.5 hours, $90

An Initial Ayurvedic Consultation is an opportunity to learn more about your Ayurvedic make-up and to assess and address any current doshic imbalances. Your original constitution and current state of health will be assessed using traditional Ayurvedic techniques and evaluation methods, in order to create a personalized program based on your individual needs. Consultations are with a 600hr NAMA-Certified Ayurvedic Wellness Counselor and include nutritional and lifestyle counseling, recommendations of traditional herbal treatments, and therapeutic yoga and meditation instruction.

Follow-Up Consultations - 1 hour, $60

Follow-up consultations are essential for case management. It's recommended that you schedule your first follow-up within 4 weeks of your initial visit to review how your program is working and so that we can adjust and support where necessary.

All consultations are with NAMA-Certified Ayurvedic Wellness Counselor Jennifer Byrne, MPH. To learn more, or to schedule a consultation, please email me at  jennifer@earthenapothecary.com or call (404) 372-0509.

Ayurveda Q&A

Q: Technically, Fall begins on September 22nd. However, here in Charleston, it really doesn't start getting cold until late October. Given this, when would it be appropriate to start following a Fall seasonal routine?

A: You should wait to begin a Fall seasonal routine until you actually notice the  atmospheric qualities shift from Pitta-predominate to Vata-predominate. Once the cool, dry, light, rough, clear and windy qualities of Vata are evident in the air and outdoors, you will want to implement your Fall routine. 

Q: What are "Vata-pacifying Foods"?

A: Vata-pacifying foods are foods that reduce the accumulation of Vata dosha in the body. Eating Vata-pacifying foods can reduce the inner accumulation of Vata dosha that happens during the Fall. Ayurveda teaches us that there are six tastes found in food: sweet, sour, salty, pungent, bitter and astringent. Foods that are pungent, bitter and astringent increase the quantity of Vata dosha in the body because they share the same qualities as Vata dosha (i.e. cold, dry, rough, mobile, subtle and clear) since they are made up of the same elements as Vata (air and ether). Sweet, sour and salty foods are pacifying to Vata dosha, as they are made up of the opposite elements (earth, fire and water). Here are some examples of great Vata-pacifying foods by taste:

• Sweet: milk, rice, oats, wheat, sweet fruits (i.e. mangoes, peaches, pears, cherries, dates), pumpkins, winter squashes, carrots, honey, molasses
• Sour: citrus fruits, yogurt, vinegar, aged cheeses, sour cream, lemons, fermented foods
• Salty: seaweeds, sea salt, rock salt, nutritional yeast, seafood, tamari, miso