Moving through the Holidays in Optimal Well-Being  Harmonizing with the Season

A student of mine recently asked for guidance in how she might maintain her well-being during the fall/winter seasonal change.

Due to her question, I chose to share the following, edited from an article I wrote for The Healthy Planet publication, November 2002.

I hope to expand your awareness or remind you of those things which stress the human system, decrease immunity, and set up fertile ground for illness.

My suggestions come from my firsthand experiences and observations as well as training in the practical application of the ancient teachings found in Ayurveda (the ‘knowledge of life’, a comprehensive system of knowledge, which originated in India).

According to Ayurveda, immunity is referred to as the vital force of the body, and in the change of season, the body is naturally weak in immunity.

          A major goal is to increase and sustain the vital force.

Learning about and implementing ways to enhance immunity may impact the occurrence and severity of bouts of flu-like illness and colds this winter.

Ayurveda offers practical guidance for self-care in the season transition period.

Examples of things that stress the system include:

Chemical pollution * Extreme weather conditions, *Overeating * overworking * Overactivity (of both body and mind) * Worry, grief and fear * Excessive sweets and empty calories.

Natural living practices which help to maintain harmony and strengthen the body, mind, and immunity, include:

Regular exercise * Staying warm * Eliminating cold beverages * Warm ginger tea with honey *Nurture and Nourish – such as a warm bath, applying oil or lotion to hands and feet * A happy and relaxed state of mind – achieved through such things as gratitude, optimism, meditation * Consuming a diet of freshly prepared, easy to digest, seasonal food * Eating a moderate quantity of food * Maintaining a moderate work schedule * Getting a sufficient amount of quality rest and sleep.

As you traverse the holiday season, gift yourself with the application of these concepts and notice how new choices make you feel. Change is a natural part of life, not necessarily easy, but with potential for positive outcomes and growth.

Watch how the natural world slows down as a reminder that we are a part of nature. The bear enters the cave to hibernate, innately knowing this is to be done. While we cannot actually hibernate, we can consciously choose to slow down, go within, and notice how different choices increase our overall feeling of well-being.

…and we can remember to breathe and take in the Life Force behind it all.

In this season of focus upon thoughts of harmony, unity, and peace, let’s direct our actions toward the one and only precious body-mind we each possess and gift ourselves with attention to a higher level of self-care and self-awareness.

To learn more about Ayurveda, visit my website page, Ayurveda | Heal with Harmony

To your optimal well-being

Donna