Autumn Yoga: Stretches & Mantra for Immunity, Grounding & Peace
To help you prepare for autumn, we are offering special classes for Immunity, Grounding & Peace on Monday and Tuesday evenings
Monday 18:30-19:00 JST Stress Release 10/5 – twists for good digestion 10/12 – grounding: feet & ankles 10/19 – grounding: legs 10/26 – opening the side body
Tuesday 18:30-19:15 JST Mantra & Meditation 10/6 – Breathing & Mantra for Bliss 10/13 – Breathing & Mantra for Power 10/20 – Breathing & Mantra for Clarity 10/27 – Breathing & Mantra for Peace
Autumn is Here! A cool, crispness has begun to descend upon us. At this time of year, we are usually busy planning weekend getaways and yoga retreats to picturesque spots in Nagano and Niigata. But of course, with the world preparing for what could be a difficult winter season, we have had to put our plans on hold.
Nevertheless, this is an important time to keep mentally and physically active, continue to practice yoga and stay positive. We can’t let the colder and shorter days bring us down! This is also a good time to prepare your body (and mind) for the colder, drier months ahead.
Ayurveda & Autumn As we move from the pitta (fire) of the summer into vata (wind) of fall & winter, the skin, eyes and hair become dry and itchy while the body becomes cold and more susceptible to illness and pains.
But don’t worry! Ayurveda, the ancient medicine of India, and Yoga are here to help! Ayurveda provides us with a host of tools including diet and massage, while Yoga helps us create physical and mental fortitude through asana, pranayama (breathing practices) and meditation techniques.
Ayurveda Tips for a Healthy Autumn
Regular meal times – although we can skip meals in the summer time and still feel good, in autumn skipping meals aggravates vata (wind). So stick to regular meal times, make lunch the main meal and eat dinner earlier.
Eat warm, nourishing foods – raw foods such as salads may be healthy in the heat of the summer but come fall, we need to shift to warmer, more grounding foods. Try hearty soups made with plenty of vegetables and stay hydrated with warm water and teas.
Simple oil massages – a great way to reduce vata is a simple massage you can do at home on your own before bed. Take 1-2 small spoons of warm sesame oil and massage to the soles of your feet. Wait 20-30min. Wash / clean your feet.
Yoga Tips for a Healthy Autumn
Adjust your practice to the season – to counter fast-moving vata look to slow down your practice. You can still work hard and sweat but don’t overwork!
Warm up well – check-in with your body before you start practicing and consider a hot bath or a warm-up routine to reduce chance of discomfort and injury
Grounding poses – select poses such as virabhadrasana (warrior), vrikshasana (tree), trikonasana (triangle) that help you to ground both physically and mentally.
Twists – standing, sitting or lying down, these poses are great for clearing vata from the nervous system.
Breathing, Mantra & Meditation to Boost Immunity With COVID and the flu season about to collide, we need to be especially careful this year. Three keys to boosting immunity and staying grounded are pranayama (yogic breathing), mantra (chanting) and dhyana (meditation) practices.
No one loses anyone because no one owns anyone. That is the true experience of freedom: having the most important thing in the world without owning it.
Ayurveda, the ancient practice of medicine originating in India over 5000 years ago, lays out very specific guidelines according to the individual – their ‘dosha’ (constitution), age, the season, and other factors. However there are a number of foods that are recommended more generally to support optimal health.
Here are a few of the key items that I have daily:
Turmeric & other antioxidants — every morning I take about 1/2 teaspoon of turmeric with black pepper and honey (honey can be substituted with milk). Turmeric is a powerful anti-inflammatory, anti-viral, antibiotic, immune system booster. Personally, I source turmeric grown in Yakushima due to the incredibly clean air & water along with energy-rich soil. You can buy it on Amazon!
Almonds — a great source of Vitamin E, calcium, iron and other micro-nutrients. Soak 10-12 almonds overnight, remove peel, and eat (the skin of almonds contain tannin which inhibit nutrient absorption). *Kapha dosha should eat in moderation
Warm lemon and ginger water — just boil fresh a few slices of fresh ginger and fresh lemon (or other citrus peel) & drink. This simple concoction will keep you warm and hydrated throughout the day. Ginger is heating so you may need to reduce or remove if you are pitta dosha, hot, or if the weather is warm. Note that teas and coffees are stimulants which may cause an already anxious mind to become more jittery.
These are just a few simple but powerful examples of how what you eat and drink can be more than just pleasure. They can and should be your natural medicine!
The world has changed in an instant and we all anxiously wait for ‘normality’ to return.
However, there is a lot we can do in the interim to improve our chances of staying healthy and thereby reduce risk to those around us and extra burden to the health system.
Clearly, staying home & isolated is essential. But while at home, it is important to take great care of both your body and mind.
Here are a few things I do everyday to maintain physical health and boost immunity:
Maintain routine — sleep and wake up at around the same times as usual (even if you are not going to the office or morning Mysore practice!!) and don’t forget to make your bed! These seemingly mundane tasks can give us a sense of accomplishment and propel us to take on more tasks throughout the day.
Do regular exercise / yoga asana — while gyms & studios are off limits right now, nothing is stopping you from practicing or exercising at home. There are plenty of online yoga and exercise classes you can join LIVE to keep you inspired and fit while staying at home. (check out our classes here…)
Do NOT overeat — its all too easy to when you’re stuck at home to reach for a treat. But eating out of boredom or stress is hazardous to your health. Eat when your digestive fire, not your tongue, calls you to eat. And avoid junk! It may seem like a good idea at the time but you will pay for it later!
For those of you don’t have healthy routines, now is a great time to start. And for those of you did, keep doing what you do but just do it inside!
How to Strengthen Lungs: An Introduction to ‘Kapalabhati’ pranayama
After being stuck indoors for all these days, its not just our bodies and minds but our lungs as well that long for the outdoors. We need air for our lungs to rejoice. And we need our lungs to be strong to deeply breathe in this air that supports every activity in our body from movement and digestion to immunity.
So one of the other practices (in addition to Trāṭaka candle meditation we introduced last week) that I have recently ramped up is “Kapalabhati”. Like Trataka, this is one of the Shatkriyas / Shatkarmas or 6 purifications of Hatha Yoga. It is known to:
cleanse lungs and respiratory system
strengthen & tone the abdominal muscles
energize us! – hence the name “lustrous or shining (bhati) skull (kapala)”
The actions consist of a powerful exhalation – like blowing out the candle after your candle meditation but with your mouth closed – and a passive inhalation.
While on the surface Kapalabhati may seem like a relatively simple practice, it requires a lot of control and refinement. So like any of the great yoga practices, it is important to learn this technique under the guidance of an experienced teacher and then practice, practice, practice!
Kapalabhati is one of those amazing high return practices that requires only a few minutes but benefits us the whole day. So the next time you are feeling a little down or low energy, think about adding this traditional breathing practice to your daily regime.
Coronavirus, uncertainty, and self-isolation have inspired me to rediscover and re-explore my yoga practice in a new way. One practice I reinserted into my daily regimen is Trāṭaka, one of Shatkriyas.
In traditional Hatha yoga, we are introduced to the concept of Shatkriyas (aka Shatkarmas) or six purification techniques. These techniques are said to cleanse various parts of the body like the sinuses (‘neti’ nasal cleaning), digestive tract (‘dhauti’), etc. Trāṭaka is one such kriya that not only cleanses the eyes but is a powerful meditation technique to reduce anxiety and normalize sleep.
Trāṭaka typically involves focusing one’s gaze on a candle however the object of focus could be an idol, picture, etc. Yogis believe that focusing on a single point activates the ‘ajna chakra’ (‘third-eye’) and results in a multitude of cognitive benefits. Research published at NCBI (NIH) concluded that “Trāṭaka can be used as a technique to enhance cognition in the elderly”.
What I realized in going back to this practice is that I had been unknowingly storing a lot of stress in my eyes – all that staring at screens during isolation and being ultra-sensitive whenever I left my apartment had taken its toll. And I think that this is even more true for those who tend not to cry very often (whether for joy or pain). Tears are cleansing.
So try adding a brief Trāṭaka (candle meditation) to your daily self-isolation routine and sleep and feel better. Thank you ancient Yogis!
Take care, stay calm, and stay vigilant yet optimistic. We will get through this together.
The world has changed in an instant and we all anxiously wait for ‘normality’ to return.
However, there is a lot we can do in the interim to improve our chances of staying healthy and thereby reducing risk to those around us and to the health system.
Clearly, thorough and frequent hand washing along with social distancing (reducing contact with others especially large crowds) are essential. Also important is self-care of both your body and mind.
It is equally important to take care of the mind. The uncertainty surrounding this virus creates anxiety and fear. And these emotions put strain on the immune system at a time when we need to be at our strongest.
Here’s what I do to maintain mental equilibrium:
simple breathing practice — take even just 5 minutes every morning (or several times a day) to sit quietly, observe your breath, and deepen it comfortably. ‘sama vritti’ (‘even waves’ of inhalation & exhalation) is a simple but effective practice.
simple meditation — again take even just a few minutes every morning (or several times a day) to sit quietly and observe your mind. You can do this before and after your breathing exercises.
sound / mantra — sound vibrations can be extremely calming. If you have a mantra you like to chant, use it as a practice. Or listen to sounds/music that has a calming or uplifting effect.
Do the simplest things to take care of yourself. And in that way, you will be in a much better position to care for others.
