AYURVEDA • DETOX • APPLES

author: R.R. Shakti, PhD

And just like that, the summer season is over here in the Rocky Mountains. The evidence is everywhere–golden aspen leaves, cooler nights and crisper air. But the summer heat still lingers. Especially in your body where, according to Ayurveda, internal pitta has built up throughout the summer. It takes time for all that heat to dissipate as the weather turns cold. These mismatched "outside" and "inside" conditions can lead to wellness imbalances like excess acidity, inflammation, compromised immunity and skin irritation.

Prepare for the seasonal shift with an Equinox Detox. Using principles from Ayurveda, you can transition from Summer to Autumn with ease and set yourself up for balanced wellness through the winter. The key is to take it easy on your digestive system as you slowly replace cooling foods with warming options. This can be as simple as cooking those things that you may have eaten raw through the summer months–things like leafy greens, fruits and veggie. Ayurveda recommends eating seasonal foods from local sources when possible. These foods provide both nutritional value as well as reduce carbon footprint. 

Apples are a particularly good choice for an Autumn cleanse. Apples dissipate excess heat in the body.  They scrub the intestinal walls and act as an internal flush for your system. Cooked apples are warm, sweet, soft and grounding; perfect for balancing vata dosha.

These seasoned apples are an annual staple to kick-off my Equinox Detox. They are especially delicious for breakfast. And easy! Here's how: 

Choose ripe, sweet apples. Chop them into 1/2 inch cubes and toss them into ghee over medium to medium/low heat. Add a tablespoon of lemon juice, 1/4 c. apple cider vinegar, and spices that are warm enough to keep your digestive fires burning (without aggravating pitta). I use fresh ginger, cinnamon, cardamom, and turmeric, with just a dash of cloves. Cook the apples until they are soft and juicy. Add a tablespoon of maple syrup near the end.

Upon serving, you can add a little fresh yogurt, which is both cooling and pacifying for the pitta/vata shift. Because of their oils, protein and fat, nuts are also vata-pacifying. I might throw in some pepitas or dried fruits, to mix things up throughout my cleanse. 

TEA • MOON • LISTEN

Author: R.R. Shakti

Dear Soul Artist, 
Last night we made our signature CHILL moon tea, wrote poetry, and listened to some of my favorite old records.

The August Moon is about "Big Transformation." And usually a full moon will stir me into brazen creative activation. But after a weekend of road-tripping to the Garden of the Gods and reminiscing with some dear old friends, I felt a deep sort of contentment just staying home last night. With no sense of urgency, or even a plan, I seized a simple moment to bask under the lunar night-light with my daughter. She told me all about her first day of 7th grade. We tried a new recipe of Creamy Feta Beans & Greens, using leafy things from our garden. (By the way, it was delish.) We took turns choosing the music. We listened softly. And that was enough.

Sometimes "Big Transformation" is discovered inside the simple little heart-open moments of delight. Sometimes creative activation feels more like a slow ripening. I'm calling on Pachamama energy this month, to tend my energetic garden with patience and persistence. She reminds me of the seeds I've planted in Love, and to trust in their ultimate fulfillment.

What about you? 
Are you waiting for a "Big Transformation" that never seems to happen?
Are you making "Creative Activation" harder than it is?

Listen for moments of simple contentment?
Learn to patiently, persistently tend the garden of your visionary heart?
At SoulArtist.life you are invited to align with the rhythms of nature and remember your creative freedom–sometimes with a brazen, audacious expression of cosmic power.

Other times, it is more like listening to the soft crackle of vinyl while sipping moon tea.


CHILL: our signature summer blend of herbal delight includes Rocky Mountain Spearmint and cooling Peppermint straight from our Vail Colorado garden. Hibiscus provides calming properties that are found to lower blood pressure, reduce inflammation and boost your immune system, while Rosehips are high in vitamin C and provide relief from join pain and stiffness during the active sunny season. *Organic Stevia leaves provide refreshing sweetness. 

Our favorite way to brew is under the moon. 🌒 🌓 🌕

True.
Salad is typically a "spring & summer food" around these parts.
But sometimes you just get a hankerin'. Like today, when Marley said, "Mom, will you make a beet salad for lunch?

So when it comes to salad + winter in the Rocky Mountains, a few ingredients keep our vata mellow and nourished, while stoking our cold, sluggish kapha: 

• 8-10 BEETS (golden & red)
• ENDIVE & RADICCHIO (4 small heads)
• LEEKS (4 large)
• ARUGULA (2 cups)
• SUNFLOWER OIL (3 TBS)
• APPLE CIDER VINEGAR (2 TBS optional) 
• BALSAMIC VINEGAR (1/2 cup) 

Beets and leeks help to ground vata dosha and balance kapha dosha, while balsamic vinegar stimulates your digestion. The bitter/spicy greens are warming and purifying. When the bitter and spice is balanced with little orange morsels, vata stays calm. 

SO MANY exciting flavors make this salad worth breaking a few Ayurvedic rules for:

• ORANGES (two large)
• OLIVE OIL (1/2 cup + 2 TBS) 
• RICOTTA CHEESE (2 oz)
• FETA CHEESE (4 oz) 

​
Olive oil and cheeses are all heavy enough to use sparingly during kapha season, but if you MUST use cheese (and in this recipe we MUST), light cheeses like goat cheese, ricotta, and feta are the most kapha-neutral options.

Ayurveda 101: Kapha flavors to savor include: bitter, spicy, and astringent. 
Vata is balanced by sweet, sour, and salty.  Vata season transitions to Kapha Season between January & February in the Northern Hemisphere. LEARN MORE. 

Quarter the beets, drizzle with Sunflower oil, add a dash of salt and pepper.
​I also sprinkle on a little Jalepeño pepper, to add a touch of warmth. 
Roast at 400 degrees for 30 minutes (or until just tender.

Tear your "greens" and soak them in a "citrus bath" of 1/2 cup orange juice, and 1/4 cup lemon juice. You can also add 2 TBS of apple cider vinegar for a little extra zest. 

Slice your leeks vertically and drizzle with oil. Salt/pepper and roast for 15-20 minutes.
They can join the beets in the oven at 400 degrees F.

This salad gets 3 dressings. 
The first dressing is the citrus bath for the radicchio and endive (above).
The second is a creamy blend: 2 oz. ricotta, 4 oz. diced feta, and 1/2 cup olive oil.
The third dressing is a drizzle of balsamic glaze made from reducing balsamic vinegar over medium heat for 15 minutes, or until a thick glaze forms. 

ONCE YOUR BEETS & LEEKS HAVE COOLED:
Cut orange wedges into small morsels.
Line a plate with fresh arugula.
Top the arugula with endive, radicchio, leeks, beets, and orange morsels.
Dollop with the creamy cheese blend.
Drizzle with the balsamic glaze.
Top with a bit of cracked black pepper to taste.
ENJOY!