Seasonal Transition - Summer to Fall
You know fall is approaching in Colorado when the Purple Asters bloom
Wandering through the woods in Colorado, searching for mushrooms, I’ve begun to notice the subtle signs of fall revealing themselves. The landscape is now painted with the blooms of purple asters—a sure sign that autumn is quietly making its entrance. There’s a crispness in the air, signaling the beginning of the transition from summer to fall. In Ayurvedic medicine, these seasonal transitions, known as Sandhya, are powerful times to realign with nature’s rhythms.
Embracing the End of Summer
As summer draws to a close, the elements within and around us begin to shift. In Ayurveda, the body is seen as a microcosm of the macrocosm, reflecting the changes in the environment. During this time, the pitta dosha, associated with the fire element, is at its peak. The accumulated heat from the summer intensifies within our bodies, and if not managed properly, it can lead to imbalances.
My favorite Ayurvedic scholar, Vagbhata, teaches us that “During this time, agni (digestive fire) is weak due to it already being debilitated by the summer.” The heat that spreads from the core of the body weakens our digestive fire, making it essential to adopt measures to support our digestion and balance the doshas.
3 Tips for Improved Digestion at the End of Summer
Cooling Herbs: Incorporate cooling herbs like fennel, coriander, and cilantro into your diet. These herbs stimulate digestion while supporting the body’s natural detoxification processes, helping to counterbalance the accumulated heat.
Space Out Your Meals: Allow your body to fully digest one meal before adding another. This practice helps prevent digestive overload, which is especially important when your agni is already weakened by the summer heat.
Practice Mindful Eating: Eat your meals in a calm, distraction-free environment. Chew your food thoroughly and avoid multitasking during meals. This allows your body to focus on the important task of digestion and nutrient absorption.
Tikta (Bitter) Ghee: A Seasonal Remedy
To support the transition from summer to fall, Vagbhata recommends using Tikta ghee, or bitter ghee. This Ayurvedic remedy is effective in pulling accumulated heat out of the body. The bitter taste is both cooling and drying, making it ideal for pacifying pitta, which is hot and oily by nature. If you don’t have access to Tikta ghee, you can increase your intake of bitter foods over the next month.
Bitter taste benefits include:
Clearing excess heat from the body, particularly from the liver.
Lowering blood sugar levels and purifying the blood.
Supporting healthy skin by alleviating common pitta imbalances such as burning, itching, inflammation, or swelling.
Incorporate bitter foods like bitter gourd, kale, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, collard greens, dark chocolate, and dandelion greens into your meals. For best results, enjoy your bitters before or at the beginning of a meal.
Ancient Seasonal Suggestion - Virechana
Purgation, known as Virechana in Ayurveda, is a cleansing therapy used to eliminate toxins and excess pitta (heat) from the body, particularly from the small intestine, liver, and gallbladder. It is one of the five main cleansing procedures in Panchakarma, the traditional Ayurvedic detoxification and purification regimen.
The process typically involves the use of specific herbal formulations or substances that induce controlled bowel movements, helping to clear out impurities, excess bile, and heat from the digestive system. The goal of Virechana is to restore balance to the body by removing accumulated toxins and reducing pitta-related imbalances, which can manifest as inflammation, digestive issues, skin problems, and emotional disturbances like anger or irritability.
Virechana is usually performed under the guidance of an Ayurvedic practitioner, who customizes the treatment based on the individual's constitution and current state of health.
Triphala
One of the most common forms of purgation therapy in Ayurveda is the use of the herbal blend Triphala.
Daily Triphala: Triphala is a traditional Ayurvedic blend that supports digestive health, promotes cleansing, and balances pitta.
To take Triphala, mix ½ teaspoon with warm water, let it sit overnight, and drink it in the morning on an empty stomach. Always consult with an Ayurvedic practitioner before starting any new regimen.
Aligning with Nature's Rhythms
As the purple asters bloom and the air turns crisp, the signs of fall's arrival are all around us. These moments of seasonal transition are opportunities to realign with nature's rhythms and support our bodies in harmonizing with the changes in our environment. By embracing Ayurvedic practices, we can navigate this transition with balance and clarity, ensuring that our bodies remain in harmony with the world around us.
May you find balance and clarity as you journey through this beautiful transition from summer to fall.