I’m just home from a short, sweet, much anticipated fall retreat. It’s not straightforward to carve out time for yourself to truly reflect, plan, unwind, and just BE yourself with a tiny human (I’m sure I’m speaking to the choir here) and I’m sure this sheer fact is helping me to feel that this particular seasonal reset was one of the most potent yet.
Before Leo arrived, I would take luxurious 10-day forays into silence, body work and Ayurveda and always pop out on the other side a new human being. This mixed 10-day format was a bit less idyllic, but no less important; I planned, set intentions, wrote in my journal, went for hikes in the plains, dunked in hot springs, practiced yoga, ate simply, cooled the heat in my body, reset my digestion and spoke to nary a soul for 4 days. (They say that having a baby makes you more productive than you were before and *they* were RIGHT!) But this wasn’t about productivity or achieving, it was about letting go. Unwinding, resetting, and preparing for the season ahead.
The practices of Fall Reset help our bodies to clear the abundant heat left over from an active summer, and prepare our systems for the physiological shifts that happen as the weather starts to cool. Namely, that our bodies produce a protective, cushiony layer of kapha dosha to protect our internal organs from the harsh cold of winter. (This is particularly true for those of us who run, ride, ski, and train outside through the winter months, and those who live in bitter cold climates, but it’s also true for those who live in warm climates — everywhere has a relative “winter!” ) When this dense, heavy blanket of kapha settles in the body. if there’s heat trapped beneath it, things start happening in the body. In Chinese medicine, this is referred to as “damp heat,” and it’s not great.
“Damp heat” in the body starts to cause complications with the liver and kidneys, it implicates gut health and digestive balance, leads to malfunctions in the large intestine, and ultimately compromises our body’s ability to assimilate and metabolize our nutrition. This – in addition to the compromise of digestive health – leads to reduced immunity and….that’s how we get sick.
We can avoid this by resetting! But, if that’s not in the cards for you this year, I offer you the next best option: Immunity-Boosting Fire Cider
…or something like that. Fire ciders are more of a modern herbal convention, but the making of cider and herbal vinegars is a practice that has been around for centuries. Tipping back a tablespoon of cider, or mixing it in with tea, warm water or a bit of straight apple cider is a wonderful way to make yourself an immunity tonic this season. Yum, health!
How does it work? It’s quite simple, really. This flavorful, warming tonic warms up the body, promotes circulation and boosts the digestive system (agni in Ayurveda.) Keeping things warm, moving and digesting means that bugs don’t stand a chance and keeps you cold and flu free!
Disclaimer: this recipe DOES take 1 month to make but it basically takes ZERO effort. All you do is gather your ingredients, combine them in a jar and let nature (and time) work their magic. Store your cider in a cool, dark place and mix it daily with a little twist of your wrist. When the 30-days are up, give it a taste, adjust and pour!
In the recipe notes below, I elaborate on a few ways to use and make this powerful, flexible bev but to be sure, there’s LOTS of room to make this your own! Mix and match ingredients, use what’s seasonal and local for you if you wish, just keep the Six Flavors intact!
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