Now that I’m allergy-free I look back and see the obvious internal imbalance of my allergies in graphic detail – the language my body was communicating to inform me how to avoid the unwanted outcome of allergies. Read on and I’ll get you acquainted with what your allergies are trying to tell you. I’ll give you simple solutions to decode and uproot the internal imbalances that cause your allergies. First, you need to to understand what the heck is going on here with allergies.

Why are you allergic to Nature?

To people with allergies we’re heading into allergy season. For everyone else, we’re simply entering into the season where Nature grows, thrives or decays. (People don’t have allergies in winter because Nature takes a break.)

Ever step outside and have a respiratory attack or mucus-removal fest? While it may appear you are allergic to Nature, chances are you’re out of sync inside your body.  My experience is that out-of-sync bodies become reactive bodies when an internal tipping point is reached. This tipping point is often reached when seasons change.

What kind of allergies you have, and what else is going on inside you tells us how to uproot your allergies. To figure that out, you need to learn the language of allergies.

The language of Allergies 

Ayurveda understands the language of your allergies. Through the language of your allergies, Ayurveda does it’s best to interpret what your body is effectively communicating. Here are a few important statements your body is currently making:

• What an acute attack is like, in juicy detail.
• What your body is experiencing chronically, in juicy detail.
• When they are worst, or best.

See how this plays out with me, Jack and Henry and you’ll get insight into what is happening in you.

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Check out 3 allergy-attacked individuals.

(1)  Cate is sixteen. She’s a strong athletic gal with a sweet tooth. She can gain weight easily and keeps this in check with exercise and eating a lot of fruits and vegetables. She’s suffered constipation since early childhood, but it’s gone undiagnosed. She started having allergies when she hit puberty in the form of itchy eyes and embarrassing amounts of snot, especially after meals.

(2)  Henry is a skinny 8 year old who seems to be allergic to everything. He gets really involved with imaginary play and has to be coerced into eating. His mother and doctor have determined he is allergic to 13 foods, 10 normal household substances, including dust, most animals, and grass. His allergic reactions vary from sneezing, wheezing, coughing, headaches, and random itching.

(3)  Jack is 40, has a high intensity job, a rapidly receding hairline, and a penchant for finding an effective hay fever medication. None of the medications he has tried work without unwanted side effects. However, if he doesn’t take them, his eyes get swollen and itchy to the point of interfering with his ability to work and meet with people. They get worse mid-morning and last until sunset.

From these 3 descriptions, you can see that what we call allergies ranges drastically. How they should be treated ranges drastically as well.

Now many of you, my holistic mavens, see a range of imbalances that are provoking the bodies immune response to the allergen. But, for those who don’t have a clue, I’ll spell it out.

Cate has ama in her system. Ama is undigested food that stores as toxin, first in the g.i. tract, and later wherever convenient in the body, which for her is her sinuses. Her ama built up from incomplete elimination. Her stomach lining is coated with mucus, which is why the attacks come after eating in the form of snot. Top 3 things Sally can do right now:

• Detox to clear the ama
• Take triphala or Downward Flow every night and every morning, up to 1 tsp. of powder in 4 oz. water
• Enjoy crazy amounts of vegetables at lunch and dinner, especially the green variety

What should Hypersensitive Henry’s mom do?

Henry needs some belly fire. His lack of internal combustion power is weakening his immune system, which is reacting on all fronts. He needs:

• A strict routine around eating 3-4 times a day.
• Taking some digestive spices or Fire Starter before meals.  A few pinches of ground fennel and cardamom mixed into a tbsp. of fresh yogurt would work.
• Daily bath with oil massage to built immune integrity.

What should Itchy–Man Jack do?

Jack’s system is packed with a heat toxicity we call pitta ama in Ayurveda. His liver is stressed out from his high-intensity lifestyle and acidic diet. His body is now dumping toxic heat out through his eyes. Not an ideal toxic dumping ground. Top 3 things Jack can do right now:

• Do an anti-inflammatory detox, and stick to an alkaline diet
• Stick to a Pitta reducing lifestyle
• Take Liver Repair in spring, summer and/or fall.

What do these 3 peeps have to do with you? First, ask yourself,

Are you out of sync?

If you have allergies, you’re out of sync. Whenever I have any allergy reoccurance, even subtle allergies, I use that particular information to correct an internal imbalance. How you are out of sync determines what you need to do to uproot your allergy.

What You can do about allergies:

1. Locate any imbalance within your inner environment and uproot it.
2. Detox if strong enough.
3. Strengthen your immune system if not strong enough to detox.
4. Locate any pollutants in our outer environment and remove them.

What we shouldn’t do about allergies as a long term solution:

• Medicate to suppress or mask symptoms of internal imbalance. Otherwise, plan for side effects.
• Focus on removing external pollutants while ignoring internal imbalance.

I created a 2 hour Allergy Relief Workshop , which you can purchase for only $25 and download immediately, if you’re looking for allergy relief for yourself or the peeps you take care of.

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For me, the things that can throw me off balance are fresh-baked cookies, a glass of wine, or late night dinner to celebrate with a friend. Most of these small indulgences are no big deal when they are occasional, let’s say – once per month. It is when we begin to use the wine or cookie as an escape, having it weekly or even daily, that it can develop into a new bad habit which can be hard to shake.

How Indulgences Becomes Sticky Goo

When our habits don’t support our true nature and go against the rhythms that support our being, we accumulate Ama. Ama is the sticky, gooey sludge that is leftover from anything undigested – be it too much food or too much sun. You might equate Ama to the concept of metabolic waste in modern science. Ama takes hold in our fatty tissue and our joint spaces, which is why you may find yourself with an extra 10 lbs after a sluggish winter, or with painful joints after an overactive summer.

What do you do when you notice your over-indulgences emerging too often? What do you do when you realize those ama-building bad habits are beginning to produce the symptoms of disease?

Try Seasonal Cleanses

Try seasonal cleanses! Seasonal cleansing is an old tried-and-true practice in Ayurveda. From an ancient tradition to a popular modern day practice, Ayurveda recommends cleansing protocols on a biannual basis to clear the body’s channels, strengthen digestion, clear Ama and break negative habits and their effect on the body. When we cleanse, we tap into our true and natural rhythms.

Align with Ayurvedic Rhythms

When we think of the word “rhythm” in the Ayurvedic and yogic sense, we are thinking of the natural cycles that are present in nature and how our daily habits either support those natural rhythms or go against them. Think of seasonal rhythms, such as winter snow that blankets the environment and lends its inherent qualities (cold, insular, quiet) to the hibernation of plants and animals. During this seasonal rhythm we, too, are meant to retreat, sleep longer, and nourish our body with warm food. Daily rhythms in nature can be observed by watching the sun rise and set. When the noonday sun rises highest in the sky, it aligns with our body’s bile production, which also reaches its peak at noon. When we protest these rhythms by keeping too busy in winter, or by eating our largest meal when the moon is up instead of the sun, we create dis-ease.

In reality, our body desires to keep us aligned with nature, in sync with both daily and seasonal rhythm, and in pure health. Seasonal cleanses gives you the opportunity to slow down enough to sense your own pace, your own rhythm. It gives your body and your digestion the space to rest, where it is able to resolve the residual effects of those negative habits by processing the Ama collected from your fat, your joints, and your mind.

Cleansing is the ultimate renewal. Just as you feel the urge to “spring clean” your home or to rake the decaying leaves of fall, you may feel an urge to clean your internal space. While any cleanse protocol requires some discipline, the qualities of spring and fall naturally support what is required of the body during a cleanse.

The Vata Season

Think of nature in autumn. The leaves begin to change color, dry out and fall away. The breeze becomes friendly. There is an ethereal state to autumn mornings and evenings, as crisp, cool air takes the place of summer humidity. The food we find in season during this time, squash, apples, and root vegetables, have a naturally sweet taste. Fall is Vata season in Ayurveda, a naturally light and dry time of year. Tapping into the impulse to lighten the body, one may follow any number of dietary cleanses, paying special attention to fresh juices, the abundance of weeds available in fall for salads, and the various root vegetables for balancing the constipating effects of Vata on the body. Following the same impulse, one may want to release and cancel all activities that aren’t absolutely necessary. When there’s less to do, the fall seasonal cleanses time will be sweet, sweet with rhythm, relaxation and release. In this way we support the needs of the body to slow down, not only for this season but for the duration of our fall cleansing cycle.

The Kapha Season

In the Spring, we find nature supports us in choosing different cleansing foods and activities. The spring is Kapha season in Ayurveda, a time known for its damp and cohesive nature. The wonderful effect of this time is that young, new plants provide themselves for our nourishment. Greens and sprouts are abundant, which dry any accumulation of mucus in our body. Weeds, too, are sprouting with young, succulent leaves. Those new to using weeds in their diet may find the natural sweetness of weeds at this stage to be an enjoyable addition to their dietary repertoire. Cleansing in the Spring eliminates many seasonal allergies, especially if we eat locally and seasonally.

The earthen, physical nature of Kapha time allows us to tolerate more vigorous exercise, burning through the accumulation of cold from the winter. We may choose cleansing protocols that are high in warming spices, greens and pungent foods. We may choose exercise that allows us to sweat, or take dry sauna baths to further balance the moist, phlegm producing nature of excessive Kapha in our system.

Listen to Your Body

What exactly are we supposed to do to cleanse? Allow me to dispel the myth that seasonal cleanses has to be hard on the body, or needs to include fasting of any type, or that it must involve complete austerity. I like to think of my seasonal detoxification (or cleansing) cycles as lovely opportunities to re-connect. We are so frequently swept up in life we forget to truly listen to our body. We begin to use the brain to make executive decision about everything. “What will I do today? What pace will I force my body to keep because of work, family, or other external commitments? What food will I put in to solve my feelings of boredom, sadness, anxiety, or joy? What music, tv, and electronic stimulation do I choose even when I’m tired?” You see, it is SO simple to develop bad habits when we are using the brain to override the needs of the body. Detoxing allows us to listen to what our body needs.

As seasons change and we feel the natural urges to lighten up, clean up and try new things, it is completely natural to also lighten up, clean up and try new things in the the body. When we do so, we fine tune the body’s listening skills. We have the chance to renew the natural intelligence and rhythm of the body and give it a chance to speak, to override the loud voice of the mind, to break bad habits and, most importantly, to heal.

Designed for You and Only You. You can design your cleanse to go as deep or as subtle as you like. The main goal of a cleanse should be to attune the body’s rhythm to that of nature, to create space for healing and to fine tune your ability to listen to your internal voice.

My top five tips for an Ayurvedic seasonal cleanses

1. Take a break from electronics. Turn down external noise by setting a defined time to go screen free. During this time you should use devices sparingly. You may find it helpful to set 15 minute periods when you can check and respond to only the most imperative communication, but otherwise let it go. Give friends and family a heads up that you will be social media free during this cycle and limit computer use to only what is necessary in your business day. Free your mind from these Vata-stimulating distractions and use the time to tap into nature, connect with family, or sit in silence.
2. Let go of excess social engagements. It is important to get quiet during cleanse, and it’s hard to do that when you are focused on meeting the needs of others or when you are stuck in loud or over-stimulating social settings. You may look ahead at your calendar and block a period of time in which you will say “no” to outside engagements. While the slower rhythm can, at first, seem unnerving, your body will soon learn to relish these seasonal periods of freedom and the quiet break to go internal.
3. Make nourishing practices like self-massage and mineral baths a priority. You may feel anxious about what to do with the new found space and time. Let your mind know that the body is in charge with practices that send the clear signal “Don’t worry, ‘mind,’ I’ve got this!” Dry brushing, silk glove, or oil self massage puts your hands in touch with your tissues. As you cleanse you will get the sense of how your tissue is changing, and perhaps more importantly, what your tissue needs. For example, if you notice your skin drying you may want to add oil to your massage or diet. And if you notice your fatty tissue dissipating, it may give you incentive to continue forward in your cleanse cycle and stay engaged with your body. Mineral baths can follow self massage as a way to let go at the end of the day and quiet the mind for deep, restful sleep, further attuning you to natural daily rhythms of wake and rest. Both practices can be part of a lovely, self-nourishing and relaxing bedtime routine.
4. Create a plan and ask for specific support. Meal plan! Include the what, how and when of the meals you will eat on your cleanse. The planning will ease your stress around the process of cleansing and stave off cravings. It is also very helpful to tell your friends and family what you will be doing and how that will affect your availability to their needs. Set expectations and give specific ways in which friends and family can help you to be successful with your cleansing process. You may wish to follow a book, a doctor’s advice, or join a detox support group. All of these things will help ensure the success of your cleanse.
5. Be easy on yourself. Even the best laid plans sometimes must change. Being an experienced seasonal detoxer, there have been times when I have planned a deep cleanse only to encounter illness or an emergency that required me to take a lighter approach. Or the opposite – when I plan to take only an electronic device detox, but end up following my body’s desire into a deep juice cleanse. All is good and all is well. Just use the opportunity to explore, be curious, slow down, and be at ease with what arises. That is what seasonal cleanses is all about.

Oh sure, occasional travel can be exciting and fun. I would be the last to knock it, having traveled extensively throughout my 20s and 30s. But truth be told, we have to be intelligent and skillful with our self care if we want our bodies to stay healthy while traveling. Only careful planning and strategic actions will keep our minds grounded during travel considering the stressors travel brings.

In the Ayurvedic, view, travel provokes Vata which is linked to overwhelm, anxiety and nervousness in the mind. Vata also causes constipation, dehydration, and dryness in the body.  Vata consists of air and ether.

How does Vata relate to travel?

Let me explain…

• Air is related to movement. When we go from point A to B that implies movement.
• Ether, aka space, is involved in travel as we start out in one space and end up in another space. This requires the body to adjust to the different requirements in those spaces including climate, food, timezone, altitude and maybe even a different culture.

Travel is particularly impactful the older we get

As children we are naturally strong and resilient because we are in the Kapha phase of life (earth and water). As adults we maintain our system with Pitta energy which is not quite as strong as Kapha, but still has a maintaining quality on our physiology.

As we hit 35 years of age, Vata increases with age. The older we are the more pronounced Vata becomes. Travelling, a Vata inducing activity during a Vata time of life, results in a lot of Vata.

Too much Vata has consequences…

Vata has a deteriorating quality by nature

For this reason grounding and nourishing practices are of utmost importance when we travel.  And, please, don’t think that I am unfairly judging. There are lots of beautiful things about Vata.

Vata is the great mover in the body. Circulation, lymph movement and breathing are just a few physiological processes that require Vata energy.

When Vata is balanced a person is creative, visionary,  enthusiastic and genuinely excited about life. The pitfall comes when Vata rises too much. We call that Vata aggravation. The equation goes:

Travel (Vata) + Age above 35 (Vata) + Vata inducing lifestyle = too much Vata

We don’t want too much Vata. As I said before, Vata is deteriorating to the tissues in the body and it creates an unstable mind.

Keep your Vata in check and make travel an easeful and enjoyable experience with these seven travel tips. Feeling good in your body and mind makes all the difference when you travel long distances to spend time out with loved ones for the holidays.

Seven Stellar Travel Tips from Ayurveda

1. Prep for your trip.

Get plenty of sleep before you start your trip. Eat grounding foods like root veggies, soups and stews, unless it’s the blazing heat of summer. Hydrate a lot.

Prevention is the best medicine. Also take at least 5-10 min to get clear on how you will spend your time. Write it down. Is there anything practical you need to attend to or can you totally chill? Being clear about the intention of your trip including what activities you’d like to do, calms the nervous system and allows you totally let go.

2. Eat grounding foods.

You know how they give you pretzels and crispy sticks in the airplane? Forget about those. They are drying and aggravate Vata. Instead opt for soup (before travel, while in the airport or on the road), lots of hydrating drinks (forget beer, wine and coffee all of which are dehydrating; go for the water instead, hot is best).

Beets have an incredibly grounding effect on the body and increase downward flow. That is good to prevent constipation. Eat those if you can.

3. Take a bath.

Upon arrival, the first thing I do is take a bath, ideally with epsom salts. Water counteracts the light Vata energy, salt is heavy and grounding. If you can’t take a bath because there is no tub, take a long, hot shower. If you can’t do that, wash your face, hands and feet with hot water.

This bathing practice not only grounds the Vata in the body but the mind too. Water relates to the Moon and thus our emotions. Surrounding yourself with lots of water grounds your emotions and washes away any anxiety, overwhelm and nervousness.

4. Take deep belly breaths.

Vata energy, when imbalanced, has an upward and outward movement. The feeling is: I am crazy and all over the place. Taking full, deep belly breaths draws the energy down into the center of our body. Do it whenever you are standing in line somewhere or first thing when you sit down in a chair.

5. Do Self massage.

Use oil. Lots of oil. Ideally with grounding essential oils or vata reducing herbs. Check out this blog on Abhyanga (aka self massage) to get more details. Also listen to this podcast on how to alleviate achy joints and muscles. Sarah and I talk extensively about abhyanga.

If you have never done this practice before, start out by massaging your feet with sesame oil. Add any grounding essential oils like Vetiver, Jatamansi or Chamomile. Put a pair of old socks over your feet and let the oil sink in.

6. Choose airports and places that feed your senses.

According to Ayurveda, one of the major ways we get out of balance is through the misuse of our senses. Misuse refers to both overuse, underuse or incorrect use. Travelling inherently causes overuse of the senses. We are exposed to tons of impressions, through our eyes and ears especially.

Consider eye masks whenever possible and ear plugs whenever appropriate. Also, what I have found helpful is choosing routes on my trip that are less aggravating to my system. For example, I frequently travel from the US to Germany. Choosing stop overs in smaller airports like Portland or Reykjavik keeps me more calm and settled versus travelling through noisy and overstimulating airports like New York. The smaller airports also tend to have more holistic food choices.

7. Use essential oils.

They are a great rescue remedy that fit into any purse. You can also go through security with small bottles when air travelling. Essential oils are power houses as they carry the essence of plants in just a few drops.

Putting various drops of essential oils on key places such as the crown of the head, palms of the hands and soles of the feet ground and seal in your energy and prevents Vata energy all over the place.

Making It Work

If this sounds like a lot, pick one remedy and do it diligently. Next time you travel adopt a second one, then a third one. Over time these practices will become habits. Your body will thank you.

And hey, if you need help getting a grip on these practices, we, as Yoga Health Coaches are here for you. That’s what we do. We help you establish healthy rhythms and routines even while travelling.

P.S. By the way, air travel is even more Vata aggravating than car or train travel. Think about it. Air travel as the name already suggests, makes you deal with the air but also the ether element. Vata is comprised of air and ether. in contrast, during car and train travel you still have some connection to the earth, thus counteracting the impact of the movement a bit more. Still in all cases you want to ground Vata.

As you look back in your life, do you notice a pattern of your body weight?  Do you forget to eat or do you reach out for food when you are upset?  Do you know someone who eats exactly like you but doesn’t gain an ounce while you struggle to keep the weight off?  Where do you feel discomfort when you have digestion issue?  Is it your stomach, intestine or colon?   

Your Ayurvedic Constitution

According to Ayurveda, there are three body types (doshas or constitution) that correspond to our physical and personality traits: Vata, Pitta and Kapha. Understanding your dosha is the first step in gaining tremendous insight in your body as you learn the right diet, exercise routine and lifestyle that are optimal for your health. You may find an Ayurvedic practitioner to accurately determine your dosha or you may take the online dosha quiz to get an idea. Most people are a combination of two doshas, but one typically predominates.

Don’t get too hung up on the detailed analysis of your dosha quiz as you might find different results each time you take the quiz.  You want to know your dominant dosha so that you start paying attention to how you body reacts to different foods at different time and you become more connected with the food that you eat.  As time goes by and you get to know yourself better, the quiz result will become closer and closer to your true self.  For example, when I was younger and less self-aware, I thought I was Pitta-Kapha, but having looked back at how I reacted to eating in my younger years, I realized I am actually Pitta-Vata.

Let’s look at your diet based on your body type:

Vata

Vata is made up of ether and air.  It is light and dispersing. Those with predominantly Vata are naturally thin and difficult to gain weight.  Foods containing a lot of ether and air which are raw, dry and cold should be avoided.  

Vatas favour sweet, salty and sour tastes. They should eat moist, warm, oil and heavy (grounded) foods.  When Vatas are out of balance, their poor digestion will cause bloating and constipation.  They tend to forget to eat when they are overwhelmed or upset.  Looking back at my own life, I realized that my Vata imbalance that had caused me to not feel hunger when I broke up with my boyfriend during my final exam in university many years ago.

Check out Overweight Vata Podcast.

Pitta

Pitta is made up of fire and water.  It is intense and radiating.  Those with predominantly Pitta are medium build, can gain and lose weight fairly easily.  Their digestive fire is strong and sometimes they think they can eat anything.  I am very Pitta (more than 50%) and I had had very huge appetite during my younger adulthood.  This is a very common problem for most Pittas because we think we have been eating this much of food in the past without putting on the extra weight and we should be able to still do the same. The reality is our body becomes more efficient as we get older and it requires less food.  So if we don’t adjust how we eat, we can still gain weight easily.  This is exactly what happened to me when I was in my 30’s and I started to pile up a couple of pounds every year, going from size 0 to size 6.  Not until this spring when I started intermittent fasting (meal spacing that cycles between at least 13 hours of fasting and eating) that I finally regained control of my healthy weight.

Pittas favour sweet, bitter, and astringent tastes. They should eat sweet juicy fruits, cooling vegetables like cucumber, kale and lettuce while avoiding hot and spicy foods, alcohol and caffeine.  When Pittas are out of balance, they suffer from acid reflux or heartburn.

Check out Overweight Pitta Podcast.

Kapha

Kapha is made up of water and earth.  It’s heavy and dense. Those with predominantly Kapha are heavy build and find it harder to lose weight. I have a Kapha girlfriend who loves to have healthy snack frequently in small quantity, and she likes her sweets too. You can see the snacking (or meal stacking) and sweets are aggravating Kapha. It will be very difficult for her to maintain a healthy weight unless she starts to intermittent fast and obey her dosha-favoured diet.

The Kaphas favour pungent, bitter, and astringent tastes. They should eat a lot of vegetables and high fiber foods like legumes while minimizing dairy, oily foods and sweets. When Kaphas are out of balance, their slow digestion may lead to weight gain.

Check out Overweight Kapha Podcast.

Meal Stacking May Cause Disease

Regardless of your body type, if you are constantly eating (i.e. snacking or meal stacking), you will have food at different digestion stages along your gastrointestinal tract —  an apple from an hour ago in your stomach, a cookie from 3 hours ago in your intestine and your lunch from 4 hours ago in your colon. This constant buildup of food depletes our energy to actually do a proper job in digestion, absorption and elimination. When food builds up like this, we start to accumulate ama (toxins from undigested food and usually caused by weak digestion). If you have more Vata in your constitution, ama will accumulate in colon, Pitta in small intestine and Kapha in stomach.

You want to pay close attention to ama because it is the first stage of disease according to Ayurveda’s six stages of disease.  

So how can you prevent ama from building up?  

Have your largest meal between 10 am and 2 pm  – when your digestive fire is the strongest. Eat when you are truly hungry (not emotional hunger) and space your meals for proper digestion, absorption and elimination.  According to Ayurveda, Vata should eat 3 to 4 times a day, Pitta 3 times and Kapha 2 to 3 times, and no snacking in between meals. This is also called intermittent fasting. This concept is foreign to some people who have been told to constantly graze to boost metabolism.

Besides meal stacking, dosha imbalance may also happen when you violate your daily habits like eating late heavy dinner when the digestive fire is weak, going to bed late with full stomach obstructing digestion and proper body cleansing, eating junk food or not eating mindfully.

What is your take?

Should you care how you eat for your body type?  Intermittent fasting or meal stacking? Experiment it for yourself, connect and listen to your body, and notice how you feel. Check in with your body when you crave certain food.  Is it the pure craving or is it dosha imbalance? Our body is very intelligent, if you attune your diet and lifestyle to your body constitution and the natural rhythm of life, you will start to find your healthy weight and have a radiant longevity.