Whether you’re “getting back to school” or simply watching the spinny, adventurous nature of summer sink over the horizon, it’s that time of year when our routines reset and we settle “back in the groove.” This season is the perfect chance to rebuild rhythms, strengthen immunity, and carve out care for yourself after the chaos of summer.
This process will look a bit different for each of us; maybe we need a little inspiration to plan meals, stay hydrated, listen to our breath, organize our thoughts, create space.
As I send our little one back to school, and find myself thinking about the care and containers I need to support me and inspire me through fall, these are the tools I’m turning to:
I would be lost without our meal plans and packed snacks, and I hear the same from my clients. In my experience, if I don’t have a container to pack the food I have, I won’t take lunch. If I only have soup to pack, and don’t have a logical carrying device now I am lunchless. In effort to make my meal prep stretch, and ensure that both we and Leo are having high-quality foods for our meals away from home, I dove in a few months back and bought a whole arsenal of containers and boxes from Planet Box that suit our needs and we haven’t regretted the purchase one bit. We have both the Shuttle and Rover boxes, as well as the small containers that organize ingredients within and the hot/cold thermoses that are perfect for little hands and mouths. These are the lunchboxes we CANNOT live without. No leaks, no losing the lids and sleek enough that both we, and Leo, are willing to use them. From snacks on the airplane to daily lunches these are the boxes that are coming with.
Working on staying hydrated? You won’t drink if you don’t have liquids. Instead of having a lot of less-functional bottles cluttering our house, we decided to buy him one great, sturdy, vaccum-sealed bottle designed for kids (and while I was at it, I upgraded my own daily drinker.) The straw functionality ensures that we never have spills, and he loves opening and closing the bottle himself. I carry the Wide Mouth Bottle with me on the daily; a sleek and less “outdoorsy” bottle that slips into all of my bags and the cupholder of my car easily (which is more than I can say for other wider bottles I have and use for outdoor pursuits.)
Want to sleep better? Start with the way you engage with your screens.
From an Ayurvedic perspective, blue light overstimulates pitta (fire + intensity) in the eyes and vata (nervous system energy) in the mind, which can lead to strain, dryness, headaches, and restless sleep. Wearing blue light glasses acts like a modern form of netra raksha (eye protection), calming the senses, preserving ojas, and supporting deeper rest when evening rolls around.
Further, a randomized controlled trial found that adults with insomnia symptoms who wore blue-blocking glasses for two hours before bedtime experienced significantly better sleep quality, longer total sleep time, and deeper, more restful slumber—compared to wearing clear lenses.
I wear these blue-blocking glasses anytime I’m working on my computer or watching T.V. and try to use it when during high phone engagements times.
I love a quiet morning where I have plenty of space for my morning practice, and a luxurious start to the day. But that doesn’t happen everyday. And if the only place I can “practice” is at home on my mat, there are chances that my daily routines will fall completely by the wayside. So this fall, I’m packing this little Lili Pad from Kama Surfaces in my car/pocket/backpack. It means that I can create space to sit, breathe or just be ANYWHERE.
Looking to boost your microbiome? Give yourself a spray. Our microbiome exists in the gut, but it also exists ON our skin. And, this little ecosystem is responsible for healthy, glowing skin, a reduction in acne and more. I apply this Skin Support Spray from Ion. It helps to support the microbiome on the skin, and also to heal and repair skin damage. I’ve noticed a marked difference in the dark spots on my face from sun, adolescent acne and more since I started using it over a year ago. You can use the code LENTINE15 to try the product, and any of their products sitewide at 15% off.
If we don’t state our goals, we’ll never reach them. Fall is a fabulous time to chart out intentions, make plans and set goals so we can create the scaffolding to hold them. From an Ayurvedic perspective, this brings organization to a season of swirling, as fall collides with the chaos of summer, and helps our bodies to keep both pitta and vata dosha organized and balanced. I recently picked up the Productivity Planner from Intelligent Change to refresh my accountability system for some big fall goals. I love the simplicity and the daily prompt to write down my ideas and inspirations. You can use the code LENTINE for 15% off your purchase, sitewide.
Immunity starts long before we get sick. As a preventative measure, everyone in our house (including Leo) is getting a little spoonful of honey at breakfast as an immunity supplement.
Turmeric honey is basically ojas in a jar. Turmeric (haridra) is praised for its krimighna (antimicrobial) and rakta shodhana (blood-purifying) qualities — it burns off ama (toxins) and strengthens the body’s defense systems. Honey (madhu), when raw and used properly, is considered yogavahi — it carries herbs deeper into the tissues and balances excess kapha. Together, they create a potent rasayana (rejuvenative) that sharpens agni, clears stagnation, and fortifies immunity by keeping the inner channels clean and resilient.
Many of us find we have to wake up early to get in all of the meaningful pieces of our days. But keeping phones out of the bedroom is critical for high quality rest. For my partner Pete, it’s a non-negotiable. Love that guy. So when our friend Jamie Kripke launched OneClock several years ago, we put ourselves on the pre-order list. This beautifully designed fixture in our bedroom is a disconnected analog clock that wakes us up with beautiful music. On the rare occasions that I need an alarm to start my day, I find myself loving the melodies it plays, and feel wooed into my day instead of shocked into it.
The juncture between summer and fall is a time recognized by Ayurvedic medicine as an appropriate time to cleanse and reset, because our bodies are naturally doing so; slowing down, preparing for colder months ahead, letting go of what no longer serves them. I recently started incorporating this beautiful powder subtly into my meals and drinks to support the shift. Pau D’Arco is a towering tree native to the Amazon rainforest and other tropical regions of South and Central America. Used for generations by Indigenous peoples, its inner bark has long held an important place in traditional wellness practices across South America.
Revered for its astringent and grounding nature, Pau D’Arco supports overall vitality, internal balance, and seasonal wellness. Its deep color and complex flavor reflect the richness of its long-standing use as a daily herbal tonic. I swirl it into warm almond milk-based hot chocolate, add it to porridge or chia pudding, or mix it with almond butter before stuffing it into Date Bombs.
When we’re feeling swirly, there is no greater medicine recommended by Ayurveda than a little slathering of oil on the skin. As summer winds into fall, the air shifts, vata starts to rise, and our energy can feel scattered or restless. Abhyanga, a daily or regular self-massage with warm sesame or herbal oil, acts like a grounding anchor. It nourishes the skin, calms the nervous system, stimulates circulation, and moves lymph — all while balancing vata and supporting ojas. This simple ritual turns a few minutes into a pause for yourself, helping you transition seasons with steadiness, warmth, and resilience. There are many oils that are supportive of the doshas in this season – sesame oil is a favorite. But I love this Hinoki Body Oil because it makes me feel well-cared for and the smell is a powerful tonic for grounding vata dosha and taming pitta.