Fragrant September Greetings, 
Welcome to our Early Fall issue of
Mystic Musings, a guide to living in balance every day with the simplicity of Ayurveda. The slight chill in the air and early changing of leaves, brings to our attention the Vata time of year. A season of cool dry air, lots of activity and movement in the cosmos as well as within ourselves. A time to keep our internal balance as we take on new challenges and busy schedules.
Traditionally in Ayurvedic practices this is one of the junctions of the seasons where we ready ourselves for
purification and rejuvenation therapies. We will talk about practices such as
Pancha Karma and healing foods in our ‘
Ayurvedic Apothecary’. In ‘
Diapers to Doshas’, Spice Ambassador Julia ponders her daughters doshas and in ‘
Mind over Mantra’ we look into the meaning of the auspicious number 108!
Your EDEN offers another nourishing practice;
self massage or abhyanga, as we continue to develop home practices for balance and well-being, creating good habits for life. Friend, Yoga teacher, Ayurvedic colleague and co-founder of Indigo Yoga and Holistic Healing, Madhuri, shares her insights on
Yoga and Ayurveda, with suggestions for asanas (postures) to balance yours!
We address the question of copper in this months ‘
Mystic MaShala’ and invite you to
submit your own questions or thoughts in the next issue to this open forum on Ayurvedic wisdom.
Awaken to the wisdom of these Ayurvedic practices and
enjoy!
Namaste and fragrant blessings,
Spice Mistress Glynnis
Ayurvedic Apothecary by the Spice Mistress 
Aaaaah, Summer is winding down and Fall is almost here. The Vata dosha is getting ready to take extra care in finding and maintaining balance. It is this time of year that can be most aggravating to the mutable air constitution which in turn can disrupt the balance of the others.
Kichadi! (also called kichari) is a simple and quick to make one pot meal with a bunch of benefits. Kichadi is the core of Ayurvedic nutritional healing and cleansing. A balancing, grounding dish of split mung beans and basmati rice with the right spices and herbs, Kichadi not only nourishes Vata but is also the preparatory diet for
Pancha Karma (the five actions-of cleansing). The transition of the seasons is the ideal time for these Ayurvedic cleansing therapies which help to reset the body clock, rebalance the
doshas and remove
Ama from the system.
Ama is an accumulation of toxins which can form in the body from poor diet, undigested foods, stress, lack of appropriate exercise and a generally unhealthy lifestyle.
Pancha Karma is best practiced under the care and guidance of an Ayurvedic practitioner and involves many facets, however Kichadi is a food easily made at home and very nurturing to Vata for any meal specially during this season.
Kichadis take on endless variations depending on the herbs, spices and vegetables used in them.They are very
sattvic (balancing to the body, harmonious to mind and soul) and easy to digest. My personal favourite Kichadi recipe is a deliciously simple version. I really never get tired of eating kichadi!
TRIDOSHIC KICHADI 4 tablespoons ghee
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
1 teaspoon coriander seeds
Half a medium onion finely diced
1 inch fresh peeled ginger, finely diced
1/4 teaspoon hing (asafoetida) (this reduces the gaseous nature of beans during cooking)
1 cup split mung dal
3/4 cup white basmati rice
1/2 bunch spinach (alternate with 1-2 cups of other greens or veggies such as diced butternut or squashes for a sweeter kichadi)
1 1/2 teaspoon sea salt/rock salt
4 1/2 cups water (may add more water for a more watery soup kichadi or less for a drier stew)
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon turmeric
In a heavy-bottomed pan, heat the ghee on medium and add the onions and ginger to saute until tender. Add the whole cumin and coriander seeds, saute for 2 or so more minutes. Add the hing and stir in. Wash the dal and rice until the rinse water is clear, drain well and add to the mixture. Saute for a few more minutes and add the cold water, cover and bring to a boil. Once boiling, stir, lower heat and simmer until tender with the lid on, about 20 minutes. While the kichadi is cooking wash and chop the spinach/greens. Add the greens to the top of the mixture and replace the cover. Allow to ‘steam’ on top for 5 minutes. Stir in and add salt and mix in. Add in the powdered cumin and turmeric and stir in. (If you are using veggies that take longer to cook than greens (like squash), add to mixture 10 minutes before done).
Garnish with a squeeze of lime, fresh cilantro or parsley, a small dollop more of ghee, toasted sesame seeds (or your Gomasala from
last month's Mystic Musings). YUM, so satisfying. Enjoy!
Click
here for the benefits of the seeds and herbs.
Yoga & Ayurveda
by Madhuri It seems that Yoga has become a household term and people of all ages, religions and demographics are enjoying the benefits of this ancient art form. Subsequently, the forgotten marriage between the two ancient Vedic sciences of Yoga and Ayurveda are now being reunited through awareness and the desire to find balance and stillness within the ‘busy-ness’ of our lives.
These two beautiful wisdoms, Yoga & Ayurveda cannot be separated. The farther we travel along the path of Yoga asanas (postures) we inevitably stumble upon the gem of Ayurveda. Ayurveda being the ‘Science of Life’ enhances not only our yoga practice but also informs the approach we take in yoga and in our life (these are one and the same).
Once we have an understanding of the 3
doshas or constitutions in Ayurveda and how the 5 elements of earth, water, fire, air and ether exist in all matter, including the individual we begin to notice the physical, psychological and sensory impressions being influenced by these elements. The 5 elements combine into three basic energies, vata (air and ether), pitta (fire and a little water) and kapha (earth and water) and determine how the individual finds balance, or goes out of balance. Our yoga practice can be one that brings us great peace, relaxation and joy or if we are choosing the incorrect practices for our constitution, the season, the stage of life that we are in, the time of day or the climate, we may be taking our selves further away from the balance in which we seek.
Learning, understanding and (the key), applying the principles of Ayurveda into our yoga practice and our life may look like the opposite of what our habitual patterns are. For those who are always pushing and competing (Pitta), a gentle cooling and relaxing class will bring balance. Postures such as the bow pose, cobra, boat and fish pose all release tension from the solar plexus, small intestine and liver where pitta accumulates. For those who are on the lethargic side (Kapha) a more dynamic practice will be most effective in returning to perfect health. Postures such as
virabhadrasana I & II (warrior posture), backbends and dynamic sun salutations to invigorate and energize are best. For anxious or overly stressed individuals (Vata) a grounding, centering and relaxing practice will be useful. Postures to emphasize are seated asanas such as lotus pose, forward bends, balances and a deliciously long relaxation practice to sooth any nervous energy.
As we enter onto our yoga mat let us consider our Ayurvedic constitution, how we are feeling in the moment and what postures will enhance the qualities in which we aim to enrich and not distract us from our journey of well-being.
To contact Madhuri please visit her
online.
What is EDEN? Quite simply I believe we can create harmony on a daily basis with very little, but consistent effort, with Every Day Essential Nurturing. Taking on
one small practice a month makes things manageable, and over time accumulate benefits, positively affecting our entire state of health.
This month, being the time of
Vata disturbance, we need to look at balancing the air and ether elements regardless of our Ayurvedic constitution. The weather is drying, cool and changeable and to bring nourishment and calm to the whole system we incorporate ‘
abhyanga’ or self-massage to our daily routine.
Self-massage nourishes and softens the skin, promotes circulation, lubricates the joints, calms the nerves, tones the muscles, gives mental clarity, and brings a sense of confidence vibrant health and well-being. Abhyanga is a rhythmic Ayurvedic massage using long firm strokes, which deeply nourishes the entire body. The Ayurvedic massage is traditionally performed in the morning before your shower or bath. Sesame oil is the ideal choice for Vata, and also for the other doshas in the Vata season. It is the classic base oil used in
abhyanga. (You do not want to use the toasted variety! Cold pressed organic sesame oil is best if available). As an alternate, for Pitta in the Summer, you may prefer sunflower or coconut oil and for Kapha in the Spring, you may use mustard or almond oil.
Prepare to nourish yourself: 
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community of women-owned business globally. Herbs are sustainably harvested and products are crafted honoring traditional Ayurvedic processes.
Ayurvedic experts recommend filling a copper cup with pure water each night and drinking the water early the next morning.The water will have absorbed copper, this essential mineral that balances acidity and helps digestion and assimilation. The body primarily digests copper in the stomach and upper intestine. If you have absorption issues, which may be a result of ama or toxin build up in the body, there may be other minerals as well as copper which are not being properly absorbed. It is wise to have your copper, iron, calcium and zinc levels checked as they all work together to affect proper absorption.
