TARA’s unique Staying Healthy through the Seasons program brings awareness to our changing needs throughout the year and to the importance of attuning to the natural rhythms and cycles of nature for optimum health and well-being. We feature specific wellness- themed products to support the body’s needs as it seeks to restore and maintain balance during each seasonal change.
Our program incorporates the wisdom of Ayurveda, the world’s oldest healing science. Ayur means “life” and veda means “truth.” Ayurveda is the science of experiencing the truth of who you are. It emphasizes that good health is closely linked to maintaining balance in our life — through right thinking, diet, lifestyle and herbs. Becoming intimately familiar with and connected to our own body and tuning in to the intelligence of Nature are the keys to making the lifestyle choices and changes that will keep us in balance and good health.
According to Ayurveda, we each have a particular pattern of energy or combination of characteristics that make up our constitution. The three basic types of energy are identified as Vata, Pitta and Kapha. Everybody is made up of all three energies, with one of them usually being primary and referred to as your “dosha.” To determine your own primary energy pattern, take the quick test on TARA’s Constitutional Analysis Card, then, for in-depth descriptions of the characteristics that make up Vata, Pitta and Kapha constitution types, the Ayurveda Brief Introduction & Guide.
Like our bodies, the seasons also have particular characteristics and Ayurveda divides the year based on how these characteristics relate to these same three energy patterns.
Late Winter is wet, heavy, dense and cold and is primarily a Kapha time of year which extends into the warmer and still moist Spring season. If your climate is cold and dry, there will also be a Vata component.
Summer is hot, bright, intense and dry and is a Pitta time of year.
Autumn (and early Winter) is windy, light, dry, cool and irregular and is a Vata time of year.
Our environment (the macrocosm) affects our overall state of inner balance (the microcosm) and the unique qualities of each season can either pacify or aggravate that balance. Personal seasonal routines can help reduce and restore inner balance.
Following are recommended TARA products for massage, scrubs, soaks and skin care as well as additional suggestions to help you meet the challenges each season presents to staying in balance.
Winter
Winter is time to Warm and Boost the Immune System
We can stay resilient by strengthening the immune system to support a deep defense and the body’s natural immune responses against the cold and flu bugs encountered at work or in social interactions. Winter is a time to go inside both literally and figuratively, to redirect our energy inward and to embrace a slower, more relaxed pace. We seek warmth, both physical and emotional. Exercise and yoga are good ways to support physical and mental health during the colder and darker winter months.
Spring
Spring is time to Cleanse, Detoxify and Renew
It’s also the time of year associated with new beginnings, changes and growth. “Spring cleaning” applies to our bodies as well as our homes. The human body has an amazing ability to process and eliminate wastes and toxins. However, sometimes these systems can get overwhelmed and congested, especially during the harsher winter months. Detoxification reduces the harmful substances held in the body while also supporting the systems that naturally remove them. Using herbs and essential oils to decongest, detoxify and purify is the best way to give your body a “reboot.”
Summer
Summer is time to Cool, Soothe and Refresh
Summer is a Pitta time of year, relating to the fire element which needs to be cooled and soothed. It’s also a time when our own Pitta dosha can become aggravated. If left unchecked, this can turn into chronic inflammation, a growing health concern for many people today. It’s time to get outdoors, take a hike, play tennis, lounge by the pool, and, most importantly, we need to protect and rehydrate our skin!
Autumn
Autumn is time to Restore and Maintain Personal Balance
Lazy days at the beach, family outings, vacations and looser summer schedules are over. It’s time to return to regular, more structured work and school schedules and also start gearing up for the holidays. The weather’s becoming cooler, drier and changeable. All this can be stressful and anxiety producing.
According to Ayurveda, too much stress aggravates Vata, which is the energy that governs the nervous system. The seat of Vata is in the large intestine where the neurotransmitters that regulate how our nervous system reacts to stress are produced and stored. When a body is under prolonged stress, messages declaring, “emergency, emergency” are sent out from these neurotransmitters to all the cells in our body. Since calming and soothing our nervous system is essential for maintaining health and well-being, we need to engage practices that send messages of peace and calm to the brain, soothe our nervous system and help restore balance in the body.
ADDITIONAL RESOURCES
Visit the Ayurvedic Institute’s website for complete lists of foods recommended for each constitution type.
Visit Dr. John Douillard’s website for basic information about Ayurveda, seasonal diets and recommended herbs for staying in balance.
Visit The Seasonal Food Guide to learn what foods are in season in any state and in any month of the year.