November in Your Body
We enter the season of the hearth and healing as November rolls in. We turn inwards as the days get shorter and the weather gets colder. While nature diminishes, we return to the home and the household to build our strength and energy for the year ahead. Our bodies intuitively begin to pull blood and heat from the extremities to the center to kindle the digestion and metabolism to begin storing our energy for the season.
Lifestyle & Routine
As without, so within on every level. our blood vessels constrict to keep heat in, building heat around our midsection. Our digestion, or internal furnace, heats up while it processes the sweet and heavy foods of this time of year. Like bears hibernating towards the cooler season, we do well to take a load off when we move into November. It gives our systems a chance to fully recovery after the exuberance of the Summer.
Once the clocks fall back, daylight hours become an invaluable resource. Our bodies need natural light, our eyes process the light as part of it’s circadian regulation. We need Circadian Rhythm to keep our sleep/wake cycles “regular” and our digestion operating efficiently. With fewer daylight hours, we are inclined to miss out on the sun and the signals that come from that direct connection. Take 5 minutes a day to go outside, stare at nature, or simply feel the wind on your skin. The light gets scarce, so capitalizing on the resource is a huge step towards success.
Additionally, our skulls are this neat instrument, robust with holes and openings covered in skin. In the cold chill of the impending season, having proper hydration in all orifices keeps the mucous layers healthy so that they can perform their duties as if business as usual. We stay moistened through abhyanga (oil massage), nasya (nasal oil), and oil pulling (swishing coconut oil around in your mouth). Our cell’s membranes thrive on the viscosity and permeability of the oils that we consume and use, so be sure to source from trusted suppliers.
The big takeaways from this time of transition is to dress properly for the weather (keep your head-holes covered), plan for an earlier and longer bedtime (let the day-change support your rhythm), and continue to prioritize your intuitive patterns over your expectations for yourself (the body knows).
Diet Staples
There are six main tastes in ayurvedic healing (sweet, sour, salty, pungent, astringent, bitter). Like increases like, and opposites balance. in a season of mobile climate, air element, light crisp leaves, and sharp winds, sweet taste and heavy quality keeps us grounded and nourished. Sweet, from the Ayurvedic perspective, is not intended to mean to sugary snacks with long shelf lives. Instead, sweet is in the things that build our muscles and fat tissues to keep us well. Butter, oils, cheeses, root vegetables, and meats are a must to keep the body strong as it resets from the year.
While like increases like, too much of a good thing can actually aggravate. In a cold season, consider gently warming herbs such as cinnamon, ginger, cardamom, and allspice will heat you up with out burning you out. Bear in mind that pungent (or spicy) can heat up and diminish so rapidly that the body ends up feeling colder after.
November is soup season! Soups are great because they are typically easy to bulk batch, often include the bonus broths to keep us liquid in a parched time, and can be a fun creative outlet when going outside is not on the agenda.
Soups for the season include all of the roots, veggies, broths, herbs, and meats that you can mix harmoniously to create a unique and fun experience each time.
What’s Next
Continue to give yourself the space to slow down, give yourself permission to say “no” to opportunities. Allow yourself a chance at truly saying “yes” to yourself. Slowing down and taking rest, I’ve learned, is not about “doing nothing” but more about letting the body do what it needs to do to support you. If you’re interested in learning more or navigating your specific constitution, always keep in mind that you can contact (me) your friendly neighborhood wellness professional!
