01 autumn 2014:transitions

journal

autumnsummer

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Autumn to Summer is a blog featuring recipes created with seasonal, natural ingredients and inspired by Ayurveda. The journal is an extension of the blog. It explores Ayurvedic ideas about how to live in each season. This first autumn journal contemplates transitions: how we move from one space to another. There are some useful recipes and a yoga playlist to inspire your practice. I hope you enjoy.

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transition: from summer to autumn

Ayurveda recognises that what happens on the outside affects what goes on in the inside. The transition from the heat and dryness of summer to the cool of autumn has an effect on the body. It is the time when vata can become unstable. The climate begins to reflect the qualities of vata: light, dry, rough, mobile. Anyone with a vata predominant constitution will feel the transition to autumn. Digestion might become unsettled. Ama (toxins) might start to accumulate. Indecisiveness and fuzzy headedness; behaviour might become a little bit erratic. Sleep might become disturbed. Arthritis pain might become more pronounced.

Transitions are important in Ayurveda: the juncture between day and night, between one season and another, between one stage of life and the next.They represent the space between. Not fully in one state, one place nor in another. It can feel unsettling. In that in between space, feelings can flow in to fill it. Sometimes they are welcome feelings of excitement and anticipation. Sometimes they are unwelcome and that space might fill with feelings of anxiety and a sense of ungroundedness.

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Physically, the doshas can become unstable. Excess of one can disturb another. The transition between summer and autumn is an opportunity to prepare for the next season. It is a good time to cleanse - clear any excess pitta created from the summer heat to avoid accumulating toxins. And balance the build up of vata which starts towards the end of summer. Undergoing panchakarma is the ideal. Many people can’t invest the time and money needed to undertake a full cleanse. A gentler, home cleanse will also support a healthy transition and can work in a weekend or a dedicated seven day cleanse. Fasting is an effective way to detox. It gives the digestive system a rest and allows the body to get rid of what it doesn’t need. Take your constitution into account. Mung bean soup is an effective detox soup. It ignites the digestive system to help burn toxins and is naturally nutritious.

detox

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recipe: mung bean soup

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Ingredients1 cup mung beans1 cup spinach½ red onion2 bay leaves1 tbsp coconut oil½ tsp turmeric½ tsp ground coriander1” piece fresh ginger, grated1 cup fresh spinach1 tsp cumin seeds1 clove garlic, finely chopped2 tbsp chopped, fresh coriander500ml water

Soak the mung beans in water overnight or for at least four hours. Drain before use.

In a pan, place the mung beans,water, ginger, ground coriander and cumin. Bring to a boil and them simmer for about forty minutes or until the mung beans are soft.

In a separate pan, heat the coconut oil, cumin seeds and garlic until aromatic.

Just before serving, add the spinach and allow to wilt in the heat of the soup. Ladle the soup into a bowl.

Drizzle with the coconut oil and top with chopped coriander.

Massage with warming medicated oil. Sesame is particularly good for vata. Any good vata balancing oil will work. Take some time on a weekend. Warm your chosen oil and use long, sweeping strokes along the body, circular strokes on the joints. Sit for a while. Allow the oil to work. Make sure you are warm. Then wash off with a warm shower. Ground yourself before bedtime. Rub the soles of you feet with warn sesame oil.

abhyanga: massage

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diet Phase raw foods out of your diet now as they are more difficult to digest and will aggravate vata. Avoid cold drinks,ice cream and ice. Introduce warm, mildly spiced foods to encourage moisture and counteract the drying qualities of autumn and approaching winter. Chyawanprash is a great food tonic,supporting the immune system and balancingvata.

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breakfast recipe: stewed apples

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This is a very balancing breakfast dish for autumn. It is easy to digest, deeply cleansing and increases vitality. This is a perfect light breakfast for vata types. If you are still hungry after eating, wait for thirty minutes before eating any other breakfast foods to allow your body to digest it.

ingredients1 cup water1 apple, peeled and chopped 2 clovespinch cinnamonginger2 cardamom pods

Place all of the ingreients into a pan and getnly heat until the apples are soft (apporximately twenty minutes.)You could also add a spoonful or warmed ghee or cocunut oil before serving.

yoga

The transition from summer to autumn can affect vata. Vata’s relationship with the nervous system means can increase anxiety and indecisiveness when out of balance. Practice mindfulness. Sit with the feelings which flow in. Don’t judge. Don’t push them away. Breathe into those spaces in your body where you notice you are holding tension. Slow your yoga practice right down. Slow sun salutations, twists and inversions support vata through the transition into autumn. Practice alternate nostril breathing (nadi shodhana). Listen to your body. When the season becomes more established, you can return to your regular practice.

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autumn playlist

telepopmusik: breathe

slow your yoga practice right down

gonjasufi: ancestors

harold budd, brian eno: first light

vekta: dolores

bonobo: get thy bearings

j-boogie: try me

high highs: white water

lemongrass: crystal mind

jayme ivison: ni su nave

tori amos: nevermind

linda perhacs: the soul of all things

photek: modus operandi

the postal service: this place is a prison

toddla t sound: worst enemy

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words | pictures | design | recipes | joanie magillautumntosummer.com