PRACTICE WELL
Om
18
october 2017yogajournal.com.auWelcome the season of renewal and harness your vital life
force with healthy practices and rituals to kickstart your day.
Morning
GLOR
PHOTO: DAVID YOUNGSPRING IS THE PERFECT time for renewal.
It’s also, according to Ayurveda, one of
the most changeable seasons. Vata
dosha (which is comprised of the air
and space elements) is the predominate
dosha in spring. The different doshas —
Vata, Pitta and Kapha — are the mix of
the five elements not only in the body,
but in the natural world. The season,
time of day, even your age and stage of
life has a dosha. The key word for Vata
is movement, which is also the perfect
word to describe spring. One minute
it’s warm and balmy, and the next it’s
windy, cold and rainy. Do we wear a
coat, bring an umbrella or just risk it?
When the weather is changeable our
body, mind and emotions are affected
too. We can catch a cold, feelBy Rachel Zinman
ungrounded, lose focus and suffer
from anxiety or insomnia.
That’s where yoga comes in. Yoga is
not just a physical postural practice —
it includes the Sat Kriyas (physical
cleansing techniques) and Ayurvedic
lifestyle practices to open the channels in
the body (Srotas) and clear out stuck and
stagnant energy. A yogi style spring clean!
So what are the best and simplest
spring cleaning rituals you can do every
morning to kickstart your day?WAKE BEFORE DAWN
Make a habit of rising just before 6am.
This is the time when prana (life force)
is closest to the earth and the most
easily absorbed into the system. Before
getting out of bed, check to see whichnostril is dominant. Then step onto the
floor with the opposite foot. This will
immediately harmonise the flow
between the right and left side of the
body and facilitate balance throughout
the day.WASH YOUR FACE
Rinse your face with cool water seven
times while holding fresh water in your
mouth. This is a simple yogic practice
which wakes you up and removes excess
heat from the system. This is especially
relevant if you’ve eaten a heavy meal,
have a fiery constitution, or didn’t sleep
deeply due to excess mental activity.PRACTICE KAPALABHATI
Kapalabhati means ‘shining skull’. It’s
also a breath practice to eliminate the
excess Kapha (the earth and water
elements) that has accumulated during
winter.
To practice Kapalabhati:- Take an inhalation and exhale fully.
- At the end of your next inhalation,
begin by pumping the abdominal
muscles (drawing them in strongly
and quickly) to force the breath out
of the lungs. - Once you release the abdominal
muscles briefly in between
contractions, the inhalation will
naturally occur, without any action
on your part. - Continue with this action of
pumping the abdominal muscles
for 36 rounds.
DRINK A HOT LEMON,
GINGER AND HONEY TEA
Sipping a hot drink with a squeeze
of lemon, a small slice of ginger and
a dollop of honey when you first
wake nourishes all the tissues in
the body and helps with elimination
and detoxification. Ayurveda
recommends that instead of drinking
coffee or tea, you sip hot water
throughout the day. Try carrying
a flask with you so you can feel
warm and nurtured wherever you are.Rachel Zinman has been practicing yoga
since 1983, teaching since 1992 and teaching
teachers since 2000. She’s studied with some
of the most influential teachers in the West
including Alan Finger and Mark Whitwell,
as well as immersing herself in the study of
Vedanta. She writes for many online and in
print magazines. http://www.rachelzinmanyoga.
com and http://www.yogfordiabetesblog.com