by Deborah Keene | Aug 29, 2022 | Summer, Vibrant Living
There can be challenging forces at play when August comes especially when the heat continues to be a predominant force. The accumulated heat can cause inflammation and a dry internal environment.
We can experience fatigue, overwhelm, and agitation.
We also have the change in the air now with cooler nights, signaling Vata is on the rise. (This means the nervous system will be more tender.)
The good news is that the body will let us know if there are things going on that we need to pay attention to.
And, thankfully, we have the wise ways of Ayurveda’s daily and seasonal lifestyles and foods, yoga practices, and the underlying philosophy of both, Vedanta, to help show us the healthy path through the ebb and flows of the changing days, nights, seasons, and life cycles.
Before I get into some tips for late summer care, I want to remind you of a fundamental principle of Ayurveda. It’s one of the first things I talk about when I’m asked about Ayurveda.
We’ve got to get this one.
Ayurveda says that Mother Nature’s law and rhythms guide all of life including ours. Our greatest health is found when our daily and seasonal lifestyle practices are synced with nature.
- Rise with the sun and the birds
- Sleep with the moon and the stars.
- Eat 3 meals per day with the main meal in the middle of the day.
- Read spiritual scriptures.
– My teacher, Dr. Lele’s prescription for health
Translated:
- Rise by 6am- the time of Divine consciousness- a perfect time for yoga and meditation
- Bed by 10pm-when the energy supports settling and sleep
- Eat the biggest meal between 11a and 2p based on foods for the season when the digestive fire is the brightest
- Awaken to the truth of our spiritual nature- so that we can remain situated within our own selves and feel the joy, peace, and love that is our birthright
This guidance falls into the Dinacharya –Daily Routine – category.
The teaching about specific foods and practices fall into the Ritucharya –Seasonal Practices category. These two go together and are equally important.
Signs of imbalances
-and things we can do to alleviate them in late summer
Some of the telltale signs of imbalances:
- irritability,
- feeling critical, angry, short tempered,
- impatience,
- a tendency to “push” too hard,
- loose stools or constipation,
- dry skin,
- skin rashes, especially the ones that spread quickly,
- anxiety,
- and sleep troubles just to name a few.
What to do!
We want to make sure we hydrate well and lubricate the tissues of our bodies.
And we want to slow down. Regardless of what we are doing, see if we can do it a little more slowly.
- Favor foods with sweet, cool tastes
- Focus on hydration
- Eat smaller portions in general
Here’s a partial list of foods to favor ~
- peaches, plums, cantaloupe, watermelon, grapes, zucchini, yellow squash, cucumbers
- green beans, carrots, dates, raisins
- white chicken or turkey
- mung beans
- ghee, olive oil, coconut oil
- coconut water
- sunflower seeds
- cumin, coriander, fennel, dill, cardamom
- Reduce dry, hard, rough foods like popcorn, pretzels, chips
- Reduce salt
- Pungent taste such as raw garlic and onion and spicy foods
We have a lot of say when it comes to health and wellness. We need to remain aware of the connections between how we are living and how we are feeling.
If we want to sleep good tonight and feel good tomorrow, we need to pay attention to how we are living today.
“A well lived day is medicine unto itself.”
Today is a perfect day to begin living an awakened life.
Thank you to all of my teachers and to all the Yoga And Ayurveda Community.
by Deborah Keene | Jun 3, 2022 | Practice, Summer
These troubling times continue on.
So many of us feel the heartache, anger, despair, and overwhelm. We go through our days not quite knowing how to feel or what to do.
My daily practice helps me stay strong and steady. And, I often look to inspirational readings.
Here is one that helps keep things in perspective for me:
“Sadness gives depth. Happiness gives height.
Sadness gives roots. Happiness gives branches.
Happiness is like a tree going into the sky, and sadness is like the roots going down into the womb of the earth.
Both are needed, and the higher a tree goes, the deeper it goes, simultaneously.
The bigger the tree, the bigger will be its roots.
In fact, it is always in proportion. That’s its balance.”
One thing I know to be true.
We need our practices more than ever to help us stay grounded and balanced.
Movement, breath work, mindfulness, and meditation are some of the keys to help maintain inner stability.
Training ourselves daily with our sadhana, or practice, helps us develop a stable emotional body and a calm mind which in turns bring about peace and happiness.
When we uplift ourselves then we also deepen our roots and we can shine our light and help uplift and root all those around us as well.
This takes work. Freedom takes work. Doing our own inner work is what is needed more than ever now.
The saying goes: Peace begins with us.
I encourage you to reflect upon the following questions and write down insights, thoughts, or anything all all that comes to mind. This practice will help clarify and guide you on your path.
Some Questions to Ponder:
- What are the areas within us that needs healing?
- What are our triggers that bring on shame, anger, resentment, blame, and pain?
- What can we do to help uplift ourselves so we can uplift all those around us?
We are encouraged to let ourselves feel what is going on.
We are encouraged to take the time to self-reflect and self-correct.
- What are our thoughts, how are we behaving?
- How are we living day in and day out?
- What are we surrounding ourselves with? What are we eating?
- Are our daily habits supporting our mental and emotional health?
“Stop a minute. Relax your shoulders, shake your head and spine like a dog shaking off cold water.
Tell that imperious voice in your head to be still.”
-Barbara Kingsolver
by Deborah Keene | Aug 21, 2019 | Summer, Women, Yoga
Connect to the source of your personal power
I have a weeklong Women’s Camp starting this coming Monday, August 26 and one spot just opened up.
This program is based upon the Women’s teachings of Kundalini Yoga, meditation, and Ayurveda.
I have been guided to develop this program because of the profound impact these teachings and practices have had on me, my life, and my service in the world.
“Woman has the power to beam out energy in any way and send a message in any form. She can totally fix things the way she wants.”
Yogi Bhajan
A woman’s basic problem arises from not knowing her essence as a woman and from not having a strong connection to her Soul.
Women haven’t been taught about what it means to be a woman. We are often not connected to the “power of a woman’s radiance”.
We fill ourselves up with outside forces that pull us away from our own center and our deep feminine strength: our Shakti.
We compete with and compare ourselves to other women, forgetting that we each have our own special gifts and unique creative powers. We become disempowered and weakened by our insecurities and fears. We become needy and develop self-defeating habits and behaviors.
“Women are either fueling their duality or feeding their divinity.”
A woman needs to be awakened to the truth of who she is.
We need to understand at a very deep level that the divine feminine nature of a woman and the inherent powers we hold have the capacity to change our own lives and the lives of others. We need to understand that we are highly intuitive beings by nature and train ourselves in developing this deep inner knowing so that we can be guided by our own highest authority on a daily basis.
A woman must have her security come from within herself.
We cannot do this by thinking our way through things and self-analyzing.
We need to create the conditions inside ourselves so that we develop the pranic power necessary to clear the energetic blocks and outdated thought patterns and raise our vibrations to uplift ourselves and all those around us. Our vibration and consciousness determines the quality of our lives and what we attract into it.
“Women need to address external problems by addressing internal issues. Every woman has the power to change her own psyche. She is the only one that can do it.”
This is the only way to inner peace, true lasting happiness, and the ability to love deeply.
My teachers have taught me that women are needed more than ever. There is a call for us to claim our rightful place within ourselves and in the world. We need to claim our divine feminine creative power – our Shakti – so that we can sit deeply within ourselves and our inner knowing and live from that place.
“When women come into their power, the men will line up and the violence will stop.”
Yogi Bhajan
It is in this spirit that I offer Women’s Camp.
We will gather daily to study and practice together. A momentum builds with daily practice; there is nothing that can replace that.
For any deep, lasting, transformative change, a daily sadhana is required.
We will recalibrate and build a strong container through powerful yogic practices, meditations, and chanting.
We will:
- Awaken and connect to our deep inner strength – our Shakti – our divine feminine creative power
- Connect more deeply to our soul so that we are guided from within.
- Re-pattern behaviors and habits that are self-defeating
- Increase our inner and outer radiance
- Begin to develop a solid daily practice
This program has taken me a good long while to develop. It is born from my own life experiences, the teachings and practices that have been at the heart of my studies for many years now, and my deep love and commitment to helping other women connect to their own internal strength and intuitive powers. I am deeply passionate about sharing these Women’s teachings, this science and technology.
If you feel called to this offering, please e-mail to hold your spot ayuyoga@fairpoint.net. I will respond to let you know whether it’s been filled or not.
Women’s Camp
August 26th – 30th
6:30-8:30am
Monday thru Friday
$140. Please make check payable to: Deborah Keene
No prior experience necessary: for any level and any age.
Please see here for more info: https://ayurvedayogacenter.com/womens-programs/
My love to everyone, Deb
“Have you ever seen that there is nothing more Divine than you? You have become what a mirror tells you and you do not know where your soul is! You do not know where your grace is! You do not know where you are. You have to find it.”
Yogi Bhajan
by Deborah Keene | Jun 18, 2019 | Seasonal Events, Summer
Summer Solstice Celebration
This Friday, June 21st – 6:30-8:30am
Live with more lightness of being and a more joyful, loving heart.
I invite you all to join this wonderful community right here in Liberty where we are fed on all levels. There is a lot of heart and soul here with offerings that are uplifting, grounding, and deeply healing: all to help us live happy, healthy, purposeful lives.
Everyone is welcome.
I am happy to share a picture of the Studio’s new Gong.
The Gong produces sound vibrations that help to heal the nervous system, remove negativity, ease stress, and so much more. The Gong works on all levels to heal and transform. Please come and experience the Gong’s sound vibrations for yourself.
Also, another surprise has arrived! Come see what’s new in the Studio
~Summer Solstice and International Day of Yoga Celebration
3 spaces left!
This Friday, June 21th – 6:30-8:30am
We go deep with our practices: this one has the Yoga and Ayurveda Camp vibe. Includes healing session with the Gong. Tea is served. $20-$30. Sliding scale Please e-mail me if you wish to register. (Pay when you come on Friday.)
Weekly Schedule
See the Schedule and offerings page of the website for more info: Ayurveda Yoga Center.com Currently in Liberty at the Ayurveda Yoga Center
-Vibrant Living Yoga
Tuesdays, 9-10:15am
-All Levels Yoga
–Wednesdays, 8:00-9:30am Time change! We have return to the summer hours for class.
-Kundalini Yoga for Anyone
Thursdays – 6:00-7:15pm
Yoga and Ayurveda Camp for summer – Pitta Season
July 8 ~ 12 Monday thru Friday
6:30-8:30am
1 space left! $120. Early registration
Checks payable to:
Deborah Keene
61 Stevens Pond Rd.
Liberty, Maine 04949
I hope to see you.
Love, Deb
