November MOON CHILLIES…
November’s MOONDECK Card Draw
“SANCTUARY”…
… my home is a sacred space full of beauty, inspiration and protection.
Home is a private sacred haven. It’s a place where we can ground, love, unwind, celebrate, cry, laugh, and restore. Your home is an expression of your spirit and wants your love. When you create it with a sense of beauty, inspiration, and protection, you create a sanctuary. An altar lifts the vibration of your home and can be a place to cultivate deep presence. This is your special nook, where you can meditate, pray, journal, contemplate and create. Maintain your own version of sacredness and tend to your space. Clear and clean regularly. Offer flowers and stones throughout. Light special candles. Add images, textures, and colors that uplift you. Discard anything that brings you down, no matter how sentimental. Put this into practice and create a sacred home anywhere. (RITUAL at bottom of page)
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AYURVEDA METHODS
A smart and wonderful woman I spent time serving school lunches with, shared her knowledge of Ayurveda with this group, and it is time to revisit her wisdom as winter approaches and some advice on herbs for warmth can warm our souls again. Thank you, Archana Joshi, and hope this newsletter finds you ALL well :-)
People are born with a specific constitution called, Prakruti. There are seven types of Prakruti: vata, pitta, kapha, and their combinations. Each dosha is responsible for certain bodily functions. Doshas are constantly affected by day/night, seasons, diet, exercise, environment etc. We are predisposed to the problems associated with the dosha that is predominant in our Prakruti.
This would be a good time to visit the website I shared with you last month, and find out your Dosha:
https://www.theayurvedaexperience.com/dosha-test/
Vata controls bodily motions like chewing, swallowing, nerve impulses, breathing, muscle movements, thinking, peristalsis, bowel movements, urination, and menstruation. When vata is out of balance, any of these movements may be affected.
Pitta plays a role in digestion, metabolism, temperature maintenance, sensory perception, and comprehension. Imbalanced pitta can lead to sharpness, and inflammation in these areas in particular.
Kapha plays an important part in growth (anabolism), lubrication, fluid secretions, patience, and compassion. An imbalance of kapha leads to obesity, problems associated with the lymphatic system, and allergies.
“Health is a combination of healthy body, mind, senses, and spirit/soul,
and is much more than the absence of a disease.”
Health is achieved by doshas, when they are in balance. Ayurveda seeks to know what brings balance within doshas. The balance can be maintained by following a diet specific for the Prakruti type, and practicing the daily Ayurvedic routine meticulously. Likewise, any imbalance can be corrected by simple lifestyle changes, dietary changes, and by treatment with herbal remedies. Archana has also suggested a few ways to improve our overall prakruti, regardless our dosha type:
breathe
Bhastrika, Kapalbhati, Anulom/vilom Pranayama: Provides quick relief from stress, anxiety, and sleeplessness. I have noticed a great increase in positive thoughts immediately after practicing. It also naturally decreases appetite, and helps with weight loss. I strongly believe Pranayama has a tremendous power to heal us if practiced diligently.
https://www.yogaoutlet.com/guides/how-to-practice-kapalabhati-pranayama-in-yoga
love
Acupressure points in hands: Get into a habit of pressing the acupressure points while sitting/ watching TV. This releases any obstruction in the energy flow in the body. Copy of hand diagram from October is attached to the email :-)
nourish
Palming : Brings great relaxation to eyes. Here is a link to a YouTube video… I have yet to try this, but think it would be a great addition to meditation as a double-bonus!!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z-OgRoCKGPA
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I found a great article on BanyanBotanicals.com, written by Melody Mischke… she speaks directly from an ayurvedic mind-set, focused on the foods to consider this winter. I have included the main food portion of the article, but the link is below if you want to reference the entire piece:
https://www.banyanbotanicals.com/info/ayurvedic-living/living-ayurveda/seasonal-guides/winter-guide/
A Supportive Winter Diet
Winter is actually the season when the digestive fire is strongest. The body requires more fuel to stay warm and healthy in the winter months, and the cold weather forces the fire principle deep into the core of the body—igniting the digestive capacity. Our bodies therefore crave a more substantial, nutritive diet at this time of year, and you will likely find yourself eating larger quantities of food. A supportive winter diet will be aimed at pacifying kapha without increasing vata or visa versa and, for many, appropriate winter dietary habits actually come quite naturally.
In general, you’ll want to focus on eating warm, cooked, slightly oily, well-spiced foods, favoring a balance of the sweet, sour, salty, pungent, bitter, and astringent tastes. Drink room temperature, warm, or hot beverages and avoid iced or chilled drinks, if possible.
You can increase heat and circulation while encouraging clean and clear respiratory passages by drinking a tea boiled for five minutes with ½ teaspoon each of dried ginger, cinnamon, and clove. Teas made with combinations of ginger, cinnamon, and black pepper or coriander seeds, cumin seeds, and fennel seeds encourage strong digestion and can be taken after meals.
Hearty, heating vegetables like radishes, cooked spinach, onions, carrots, and other root vegetables are generally well received this time of year, as are hot spices like garlic, ginger, black pepper, cayenne, and chili peppers.
Cooked grains like oatmeal, cornmeal, barley, tapioca, rice, or kitchari make a terrific breakfast, and lunches and dinners of steamed vegetables, whole wheat breads, and mushy soups are ideal.
Legumes are generally good for kapha, but they should be well-cooked, well-spiced, and garnished with a dollop of ghee so as not to aggravate vata. Can sprout your own beans and remove many of the gaseous issues, plus increase nutrient absorption.
If you eat them, winter is also a great time to enjoy eggs (especially poached or hard-boiled) and meats like chicken, turkey, rabbit, and venison. In the evenings—either before or after dinner—you can treat yourself to a few ounces of dry, red wine.
And while dairy is best reduced in the winter months, a cup of hot, spiced milk with a pinch of turmeric or dried ginger and nutmeg before bed can help to encourage sound sleep and should not be overly congesting.
It is best to reduce or avoid cold, damp foods, excessively sweet foods, overly heavy or oily foods, and frozen foods. You may also find that your body responds well to an occasional one-day water or juice fast.
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GROUNDING JOURNAL PROMPTS:
- What helps me feel into my ancestral lineage and purpose?
- What am I wasting energy on?
- What story am I carrying that is getting in my way?
- What weight (foliage) am I ready to shed?
- What uplifts your spirits and gets you cooking, gardening, drawing, moving your body?
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The following is a list of ideal winter foods:
Fruits to Favor
· Apples (cooked)
· Apricots
· Bananas
· Berries
· Cantaloupe
· Cherries
· Dates
· Figs
· Grapefruit
· Lemons
· Limes
· Mangoes
· Oranges
· Papaya
· Peaches
· Prunes (soaked)
· Tangerines
Vegetables to Favor
· Asparagus
· Beets
· Brussel Sprouts
· Carrots
· Chilies
· Corn
· Eggplant
· Garlic
· Green Beans
· Greens (cooked)
· Mushrooms
· Leeks and Onions
· Okra
· Potatoes
· Rutabaga
· Spinach (cooked)
· Winter Squash
· Turnips
Grains to Favor
· Amaranth
· Barley
· Buckwheat
· Corn
· Millet
· Oats
· Quinoa
· Rice, Brown
· Rye
· Seitan
· Wheat
Legumes to Favor
· Lentils, Brown
· Lentils, Red
· Miso
· Navy Beans
· Tempeh
· Tofu
· Tur Dal
· Urad Dal
Nuts and Seeds to Favor
· Almonds
· Brazil Nuts
· Cashews
· Hazelnuts
· Macadamia Nuts
· Peanuts
· Pecans
· Pine Nuts
· Pistachios
· Walnuts
· Pumpkin Seeds
· Sunflower Seeds
Dairy to Favor
· Butter
· Soft Cheeses
· Cottage Cheese
· Cow's Milk (not cold)
· Goat's Milk (not cold)
· Sour Cream
Animal Products to Favor (If You Eat Them)
· Eggs
· Freshwater Fish
· Poultry
· Rabbit
· Shrimp
· Venison
Oils to Favor
· Almond Oil
· Corn Oil
· Flax Seed Oil
· Ghee
· Mustard Oil
· Olive Oil
· Safflower Oil
Sweeteners
· Honey
· Jaggary
· Molasses
Spices to Favor
· All spices will generally be supportive during the winter months.
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MUSE Art Reclaimed HOLIDAY SHOPPING … Saturday, DEC. 5, 2-6pm
Come & check-out Tahoe Boho’s moisture-rich “Body Oil” & “Face Oil”…
Shop for this season’s must-have “hand sanitizer” or…
Splurge on yourself with an inspiring necklace…
Local artisans will be selling their good; hot mulled wine & kids’ crafts!
750 N. Lake Blvd., Tahoe City, CA
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SANTUARY RITUAL: DESIGN YOUR ALTAR SPACE
CAN BE APPLIED TO OUR ‘THANKSGIVING TABLE ALTARS’ OR ANY OTHER ALTER YOU CHOOSE
With simple and thoughtful touches, you can make any space feel sacred and beautiful. Consider this ritual an expression of your spirit. Design your sanctuary so you feel held and inspired. Refer to the blurb on the first page for ideas:-)
· Begin by moving the air: Open your windows and/or smudge your home.
· Build your altar: Find a desirable spot for your altar. It can be ornate or simple, on a small table or in a corner. Clean and clear the space, add your special pieces. Sense how your altar wants to look as you follow your intuition.
· Existing altar: Remove everything and give your altar a good cleaning. Reorganize and redesign it so it feels current and fresh to you.
· Light a candle at your altar and sit quietly for several minutes.
· Then, walk through the rest of your home and tend to the areas that need love.