Integrated Life Archives

Nature’s Timekeepers: Solstice & Equinox, Breath & Circadian Rhythms

Noticing Rhythms

My Ayurvedic friends often say “honor the rhythms of life and nature”. From the rhythm of your breathing to your sleep, wake and meal schedule, cultivating your awareness of nature’s rhythms – the flow of moments, days, seasons – provide a life-affirming dance. Re-attunement to nature’s timekeepers – solstice & equinox, and your internal pulse of breath & circadian rhythms is, in my humble opinion, one of the most health-enhancing gifts (from Ayurveda, Traditional Chinese Medicine, Native American Traditions and other nature-based cultures from which we all descend) that we have remembered. The latest science agrees!

Solstice & Equinox, Breath & Circadian Rhythm

Nature’s timekeepers, including solstice & equinox, synchronize the rhythms of life on earth. The earth’s tilt towards or away from the sun, the length of daylight and darkness, and the fluctuation between summer and winter are earth rhythms. These natural phenomena are in perfect sync (or can be) with your inner biological clocks.

A circadian rhythm (from Latin: “about a day”) is a physiological cycle that repeats itself about every 24 hours. That clock is in mammals, plants, and even in the fungi and bacteria populating the earth’s soil and your own gut. These rhythms are endogenously generated, meaning they originate from within an organism as part of its natural physiology rather than by an external stimulus such as light or temperature. These rhythms allow adjustment to regular variations in the environment at predictable times.

In this post, I’ll explore some of nature’s timekeepers and why they are so important for your well-being. I’ll share some science and what you can do to align or re-align with them. Solstice & equinox, breath & circadian rhythm connect what’s outside to what’s within.

Why does it matter?

If you have a digestive or metabolic condition, trouble sleeping or low energy, understanding your natural circadian rhythms and your breath can likely help. Natural rhythms are the daily and seasonal cycles of nature that affect our mindset, mood, energy, and sleep. Circadian rhythms are the 24-hour cycles of light and dark, and they help to regulate our hormones and energy levels. Finally, your breath is a powerful tool for stress relief and relaxation. Taking slow, deep breaths cultivates rest and recovery and can lower your heart rate and blood pressure, helping you to relax and feel more grounded.

Solstice and Equinox:

The Dance of Time, Darkness & Light

For two moments each year – the solstices – the Earth’s axis (the centerline around which earth spins – once daily) is tilted most closely toward the sun. The hemisphere (top or bottom half of the earth) tilted most toward the sun experiences its longest day, while the hemisphere tilted away from the sun sees its longest night.

Solstice (from the Latin “sol” for “sun” and “sistere” for “to stand still”) is a natural moment of pause for the earth.

Summer & Winter Solstice

The summer solstice marks the longest brightest day of the year. The sun is at its highest noontime point in the sky, and for several days before and after the sun feels bright and intense. The whole hemisphere feels it!

The winter solstice is the shortest day and longest night. The sun rises late and sets so early – darkness and stillness in nature are at their height.

Ready for a visual? Here’s a good one from the US National Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).

Winter solstice happens in about the third week of December in the Northern Hemisphere. Summer Solstice occurs about the third week of June. Find Northern Hemisphere solstice times here.

Spirit of Solstice

The solstices are obvious pauses in nature. The summer solstice is a celebration of full light, warmth and all that brings – nature is at its fullest point, and the activity – of plants, fireflies, and most of us is at its height. Dancing, rolling down the hill laughter, lawn games, flowers, and evening parties are in order.

Winter solstice is a time of dark velvet quiet. It’s a moment of pause in the silent depth before we begin to see and feel the return of the light. Days begin to get longer and lighter. It’s a time of reflection. The fall harvest is in, and we are usually in winter. That’s the going-in season. Winter solstice is a lovely time to take stock of the year that has been and to reflect on what went well, and not so. It’s a time of integrating lessons. You can reflect on the major events that unfolded, and when your own choices and actions were in alignment with your higher self. Or not!

Celebrations of winter solstice around the world often involve gatherings, gift-giving, candles or other lights in the darkness, and honoring of what nature has provided for the year.

Breath & Circadian Rhythms:

Your Internal Timekeepers

You and I are organic beings, so we have a collection of internal clocks. Modern science is showing us that, just like Ayurveda has been saying for thousands of years, honoring the rhythm of nature and life can take you far in healing your energy & stress levels, improving digestion, and regulating your metabolic health.

The Rhythm of Your Breath

Breathing is your only physiologic action that is both voluntary and involuntary. That is, you can control how deeply, how fast, and the way you breathe, but, if you don’t try to control it, you’ll continue to breathe. Happily.

The yogis have a whole complex science and practice of breathing as an energy-enhancing practice. That practice – called Pranayama in Sanskrit – entails regulating the level and quality of our energy through practice.

Below I’ve included an easy exercise (in the pink box!) to begin to entrain your breath in nature’s time – the cycle of a day, and the cycle of a year.

Your Inner Circadian Rhythms

We humans naturally have a number of internal rhythms – you are more deeply connected to nature than you may feel! You have circadian rhythms of sleep, and regular mealtimes (meal timing; energy, micronutrient (like vitamins & minerals), and macronutrients (carbohydrate, protein, fat, and water) balance) can also have biological rhythms. Even your digestive bacteria are most active in the middle of the day, when the sun is highest, for example. So, eating your largest meal toward the middle of the day makes biological sense.

There is a master circadian clock in your brain, in your hypothalamic suprachiasmatic nuclei (SCN), which is sensitive to light, and syncs with other bio-clocks in your tissues. Chrono-nutrition – the study of how these rhythms interact with sleep, foods, and the timing of meals to impact metabolic health (like fatty liver), and digestion – is a young but exciting area of research. Intermittent fasting (IF, eating at certain times, or limiting your eating window) is a related practice, but the science of IF is still young and from what I see, different meal timing patterns may work for different people (so, work with a qualified nutritionist or dietitian…hmm, who might that be?).

Your Internal Timekeeper: Breath

The rhythm of your breath is deeply connected to time and to nature. Tuning into your breath is an easy first step to creating more awareness of your internal clock and its connection to all of life.

Here is an exercise to help you feel your breath connection.

1. Sit up (on the floor on a cushion or blanket, or in a chair where you can place your feet on the floor), and if you’re in a chair, sit forward from the chair back. Your spine can then be nice and long, and your breath can expand the front, sides, and back of your body.

2. Now, notice your natural breathing. Let your hands rest at your sides, and on an inhale, reach through your fingers as the inhale lifts your arms to shoulder height, then overhead. On the exhale, reach through your fingers and bring your arms back down. Continue this “sun breath”, reaching up on an inhale and back down on the exhale.

3. Now, let’s entrain with time. One cycle of your breath (inhale (I), pause (P), exhale (E,) pause) is akin to day, where the pause at the top of the inhale is high noon, and the pause at the bottom is midnight. As you consider this, notice which of the beats of the breath (I, P, E, or P) feel most familiar or easeful and which is more mysterious or a little more challenging. Extend and lengthen each beat of the breath as is comfortable.

4. Now, think of your breath as the wheel of the year. The pause at the top of the inhale is – you guessed it, the summer solstice. Feel the fullness, perhaps brightness, and vibration. The pause at the base of the exhale – the winter solstice. Feel the stillness, the rest with a tinge of anticipation. Notice which of the beats of the breath feel most easeful and does that relate to the current time of year, perhaps your birthday or something else.

This energy (pranayama) practice can help you tune in to solstice & equinox breath & circadian rhythm – they are entwined. You might begin for 5 minutes daily. Slowly increase it to at least 10 minutes most days. Twenty is even better! This can also be a centering part of your morning ritual.

Enjoy

Breath & Circadian Rhythms:

Entrain Yours for Wellbeing

When your circadian clock is off – due to artificial light at night, an irregular schedule like shift work, eating at night or even a digestive issue (it’s a little like the chicken and the egg – which came first?). Your sleep can get interrupted or shortened, which in turn can impact your stress and energy level, digestion, and metabolism. You might feel generally crummy. A chronic condition that runs in your family may come knocking.

These past several years when we all worked at home or were taking time away from regular schedules, many folks are out of whack. I haven’t seen too many folks getting back into regular schedules yet. Still, there is quite a range of recovery. So, if you have not been feeling well, have gained weight, or are working with a chronic issue, thinking about a reasonably regular schedule – sleep, meals, movement, and rest – can be helpful. Helping you to reconnect with your natural rhythm is one of the first things I do when I work with you as a nutritionist and yoga therapist.

Breathe, Feel, Allow…

There are a number of ways of reconnecting with your internal rhythms and re-synchronizing them with nature and life. Certainly joining my community by signing up for the newsletter if you don’t yet receive it – it comes out twice monthly – will help. I’m all about seasonality and reminders for you to honor the flow of time and nature.

What Can You Do Right Now?

Simply beginning to notice the regularity (or irregularity) of your schedule – of getting to bed, turning off electronics, getting up at close to the same time, have usual regular mealtimes, if you have a morning contemplative ritual like meditation or breathing – these are all opportunities to reconnect with and shift your rhythms. Just notice.

Then, look to nature. The night is for sleeping and rest for most of us. If yours is different – it may be OK, or may not be OK for your energy level and well-being. Experiment.

Keeping a regular sleep schedule and limiting exposure to light at night can help to keep your circadian rhythms in tune.

Likewise, look at meal timing, composition (what), and how you eat. All these things can be adjusted and personalized to address your health and well-being. For some, IF works well, for others not so much. Find a guide for support.

Know when the solstice is. Then, find out what it means to you.

…and Connect

Mostly, know that you are indeed connected to nature. Your very body is filled with clocks that want to sync with your natural environment. Can you see the challenge of our modern life? You don’t need to be perfect to benefit. Just experiment and notice what happens.

Modern science is yet again finding data suggesting that the yogis were pretty much right all along. It matters. Everything is connected. There is a rhythm that you are an integral part of. There is a web of nature and life that you operate within, that is speaking to you in a thousand quiet ways. If you can learn to listen, they will teach you.

So if you’ve been feeling out of sync with life, and want to enjoy better physical and mental health, tune in to these natural rhythms, your own circadian rhythms, and your breath. Taking a few moments each day to connect to your rhythms and breathe deeply can have a huge impact on your well-being, particularly if you have a digestive, mental health or metabolic health condition.

Let’s chat!

Are you aware of nature’s rhythms? Do you re-entrain with nature’s rhythms? I want to know! Leave a comment.

Do you have a ritual for the solstice or equinox – or birthdays – that you celebrate? Let’s talk about it!

May you dance to your own music within and without.

Namaste!

Annie

If you liked this article, here’s one on Healthy Mindset you might also like.

Healthy Mindset: What, Why and How to Develop Yours

My Healthy Mindset Wake-up

I was recently reading my weekly horoscope (yep, I find it helpful), which said to the effect: out with the old, in with the new.

It’s been a challenging few years, and I know I haven’t had the healthiest mindset. So I was ready for ‘out with the old’; a list sprung to mind: isolation, too much TV, too little movement and a heavier starchier diet than I know serves me.

But what, I wondered, was the new? What is the affirmative vision for myself, my life and my health now? I was pretty close to stumped. This, my friends, can be an indicator of the need for an overhaul.

Heading into my 60’s, I’m changing for the better and….the different. Metabolic issues are knocking, mental health is usually good but…I need more tenderness of care, and to be more gentle with myself.

Where to begin?

My Ayurvedic brothers and sisters say it all begins in the mind. I’ve been skipping the mindset exercise in every training I’ve taken these past couple of years…maybe it’s…

Mindset. I want a healthier mindset.

Updated December 11, 2024

Mindset & Mental Health

Health is a state of body and of mind (and spirit, energy and more). Mental health is much more than not having a condition like depression or anxiety. A healthy mindset is about being and feeling empowered in life, feeling and appreciating your full range of emotions, having the tools and the skill to manage stress well, and being able to deal with everyday ups and downs.

What is a Healthy Mindset?

A healthy mindset is having a flexible, realistic yet optimistic approach to life. It encompasses things like high self-esteem and self-approval or acceptance, and a willingness to learn from what unfolds in life – even your difficult and uncomfortable experiences. The essential ingredient of your healthy mindset is your thoughts. If you can learn and grow from your own thoughts, and change them, rather than being overly reactive and controlled by unhelpful thoughts, you have yourself a healthy mindset.

Cultivating a healthy mindset helps you to cope with stress and life’s challenges more effectively, so it supports helpful habits. A healthy mindset isn’t a destination or an achieved fixed-state of being. It is a journey; a practice. It is an evolving and ever-changing process you actively work at. It takes time and attention to recognize your areas of focus to develop a healthier mindset, and the process is imperfect, but if you are interested in leading an examined life, it’s very worth it. With time and imperfect effort, you can become a friend to yourself or even feel abiding self-love.

It happens – a lot!

Mindfulness & Healthy Mindset

Mindfulness is one approach (the one I use in my practice) to a healthy mindset. It is a practice that can help you see things as they are, not as you imagine them to be, or as you fear they might become. It’s about being fully present and aware of the moment, moment by moment, without judgment. A person with a healthy, or growth mindset believes their own characteristics like intelligence are not fixed but can change with attention and practice.

The first step towards developing a growth mindset is becoming aware of your current beliefs. Once you become aware of your thoughts and underlying beliefs, you can work on changing thoughts and characteristics of yourself that are not so helpful.

Why Having a Healthy Mindset Matters

A healthy mindset has been shown to improve health including making healthy foods more appealing. It can help you to feel more in control and less stressed in daily life. When you feel able to have more in control (or as though you are participating in what the heck is happening), it’s easier to be wise about solutions to problems (rather than waiting and hoping for someone else to step in, or a miracle). We all know that miracles happen all the time, but creating your own is empowering, and just might make miracles more likely.

A growth mindset can help you to see the best in others, have more realistic expectations of yourself, and see setbacks and difficulties as opportunities to grow and learn. When you have realistic expectations of yourself, you are less likely to become stressed or anxious when you make mistakes or don’t meet your own impossibly high standards. This in turn makes you more likely to be kinder to yourself and help you avoid self-sabotage or blaming others for your problems.

Sounds easy, right? Well, not so much. It’s a practice. So, when you begin, you may not be very good at it. Keep practicing. You’ll get better at it.

We’re all imperfect beings. We all make mistakes – sometimes doozies. Learning from our mistakes while understanding that making mistakes is a natural part of life is part of having a healthy mindset.

What the Yogis Say: Compassion & Witness

Yoga and Ayurveda have a lot to say about mindset. Yoga philosophy and psychology focus on your inner landscape, so naturally address mindset. Recent science suggests that a yoga mindset is a very healthy mindset in today’s world. This quote by Swami Kripalu is a beautiful summary of a yoga mindset.

“The highest spiritual practice,” said Swami Kripalu, “is self-observation without judgement.”

Yoga & Compassion

Mindfulness, which is paying attention moment by moment, can help you to relax and enjoy what’s happening right now. Taking the bit of extra time that mindfulness requires helps you take kinder, more thoughtful, less reactive action. It slows you down!

When you slow down, relax and tune into what is happening around you, it’s easy to appreciate smells, colors, sounds, tastes and textures of the world around you. You’ll likely enjoy the experience more than if you rush through it, be it having a meal or going through your usual morning routine.

Two guiding principles drawn from the Yoga Sutras, a foundational philosophical text of yoga, are non-violence (Ahimsa, in the ancient language of Sanskrit) and contentment (Santosa). The practice of non-violence or compassion is central to a yogic lifestyle. So, the practitioner pays attention to their own thoughts and choices, and aims to become more and more compassionate with themselves and others over time. Contentment is another tenet of yoga practice – again, not a destination or something you finally achieve, but an ongoing practice happening right now. You can cultivate contentment now. It’s a practice. You get better at it.

Yoga & Witness Consciousness

Do you find it hard to pause in the moment – when you get triggered – before responding impulsively?

Along with compassion, being able to ‘step back’ or take a pause – especially when you get poked or irritated – is called ‘accessing the witness’. When you mentally step back, pause and consider the situation from a broader, less judgemental perspective – you actually change your consciousness. You access witness consciousness.

As you practice non-judgemental awareness, it gets easier to understand that you are doing the best you can with imperfect information, and that much of what you do is rational – maybe even admirable. Non-judgemental awareness also allows you to experiment with a different response than your emotional self might. Being mindful can help you recognize when you’re feeling overwhelmed and in need of support.

Setting Intention

With regard to mindset, intention is getting clear on what you are seeking. I often ask people what they are looking to cultivate in life from the habit we’re experimenting with…be it eating well or moving more or practicing healthful habits. Intention speaks to the why – the personal why that motivates your behavior.

Here are a couple of my past writings on setting your intention, and preparing to set intention by letting go of what no longer works.

Here, also, is a meditation practice that can be very helpful in shifting your mindset. It’s called loving-kindness (metta) meditation. Enjoy.

Loving Kindness (Metta) Meditation

Loving Kindness (Metta) meditation is a tool that can help you, over time, adopt a healthy mindset toward yourself and others.

In loving kindness meditation, we wish ourselves well, several times until we feel it. Then, we expand our bubble of loving kindness to someone we love who could use it – a sick relative, a struggling friend. You can continue to expand, to your community, country, world itself, then back to you. Here is an easy version of a loving kindness meditation, from my friend and colleague, Stephen Cope (Kavi).

May I be happy,

May I be healthy

and May I stand in the light of my own true self.

You might begin this meditation for 5 minutes daily, and slowly increase it to at least 10 minutes most days. Twenty is even better!

Here is an episode of Quickeners, a podcast I host, on Metta Meditation.

Enjoy.

Manifestation: Breath, Believe, Receive

Setting your intention, then adopting an experimental mindset of noticing and adjusting is a mindful approach to making change easier. Breathing and relaxation exercises, meditation, and visualization can all help keep you in the flow of helpful shifts. These practices can also help to keep you grounded in the present moment.

In this process, it’s important to think in terms of learning when things don’t go as planned. Rather than give up, you compassionately examine what happened, and think about how to overcome the obstacle that made the practice too hard to do. There is not failure, just lessons.

Focused attention and helpful affirmations can also support mindset. Imagining a vision of what your future might look like is a great way to keep you motivated. When you feel discouraged or frustrated by setbacks along the way, access your witness consciousness and remind yourself that you’re a human in an imperfect world that is progressing. Whatever you need to do – a glass of water, or saying to yourself “that happened” – to clear and get back to practice. If you can do that, I can guarantee you transformation.

It’s All Happening

Mindfulness helps you enjoy your unique journey, rather than constantly worrying about your destination. It can help you to be less attached to outcomes, no matter how important they are to you. It can help you to let go of expectations, and see things more as they are, rather than as you imagine them to be or as you fear they might become.

Most importantly, mindfulness meditation helps you to appreciate the moment you are in, and the one unique wacky painful beautiful life you have. It can help you to be more fully present in your everyday life and for those you love. It’s a tool to help let go of the past and of worries about the future. It can help you to see the beauty and magic in the world around you, and realize that events and experiences are happening in such a way as to benefit your spiritual progress, even if it doesn’t seem so in this moment.

Namaste. Keep going.

What is a healthy mindset for you?

What helps you notice and shift, reset or keep a healthful mindset?

We want to know – send us a comment!

Annie

Spring Clear & Renew Ritual

How to Do Abhyanga: Warm Oil Massage for Stress Relief and Better Sleep

Jan 20, 2025 | Heal with Nature, Plant Alchemy

Here in the Northeast, we get dry and chilly in winter. The ancient Ayurvedic practice of abhyanga, a massage using specific warm oils, can be done by an Ayurvedic professional, or you can do it yourself as a daily practice. Abhyanga has transformed the quality of my winter skin and made me feel calmer and more balanced.

This deeply nourishing ritual supports your body, mind and spirit. It promotes relaxation, detoxification, and metabolic health. Whether you’re new to Ayurveda or a seasoned practitioner, incorporating abhyanga into your daily routine can profoundly affect your overall well-being.

Just What is Abhyanga?

Abhyanga is a traditional Ayurvedic practice that involves massaging your entire body with warm oil. The word “abhyanga” translates to “oil massage” in Sanskrit (an ancient language). This holistic practice is rooted in the Indian system of medicine, Ayurveda, which emphasizes balancing the body’s constitutional energies (doshas) to promote health and prevent disease.

The oils used in abhyanga are typically infused with herbs tailored to an individual’s dosha type (Vata, Pitta, or Kapha). Sesame oil, coconut oil, and mustard oil are common base oils, each offering unique therapeutic benefits. The practice is believed to improve circulation, enhance lymphatic drainage, and rejuvenate the body.

Here’s what my abhyanga set-up looks like:

pyrex bowl on a coffe cup heater, with 2 oils next to it, and oil warming in the cup

How to Perform Abhyanga

Doing abhyanga at home is simple and can take just 10-20 minutes (longer for your oil to soak in, which is ideal).

Here’s a step-by-step guide to help you get started:

Choose Your Oil

Select an oil that suits your dosha. For Vata calming, warming sesame oil is ideal. Pitta balancing benefits from cooling coconut oil, while Kapha calming thrive with lighter oils like mustard or safflower. If in doubt, it’s hard to go wrong with Vata pasification (which tends to be calming). I use jojoba oil, which suits all doshas, and one infused with rose.
Warm the Oil

Heat the oil slightly to enhance absorption. Place a small bowl of oil in a larger bowl of hot water to gently warm it. Or, use a plug-in coffee cup heater and a small Pyrex bowl to warm the oil for about 10 minutes.
Create a Calming Environment

Find a warm, quiet space where you won’t be disturbed. Light candles, play calming music, or use essential oils to create a serene atmosphere. If you are in the bathroom, take a moment to look in the mirror and say to yourself – I am nourishing my nervous system with loving self-care.
Begin with Your Head

Begin by massaging the oil into your scalp, beginning with the crown of your head, with circular motions. This stimulates blood flow and nourishes your hair follicles. Massage your outer ear, and ear lobes, gently massage your forehead, temples, jaw, chin and neck.
Move to Your Body

Use long strokes on your limbs and circular motions on the joints. Apply light pressure on sensitive areas like your abdomen and chest and more vigorous pressure on thicker-skinned areas like the soles of your feet and palms. Do this massage lovingly, paying attention to your body and sending it good wishes as you massage.
Focus on Your Marma Points

Marma points are sensitive energy points in the body (similar to pressure points in acupressure) in the Ayurvedic energy system. Gentle stimulation of these points can help release blocked energy and promote healing.
Give the Oil Time to Soak in

After completing the massage, allow the oil to sit on your skin for 15-20 minutes. I massage myself naked, then put on old clothes to shuffle around in for a while while my oil soaks and softens me. This allows the herbs and nutrients to penetrate deeply.
Take a Nice Warm Bath or Shower

Rinse off excess oil with a warm bath or shower. Use a gentle cleanser to avoid stripping your skin of its natural oils.
Consistency is Key

When I am under stress or need to perform, I try to do abhyanga daily – it keeps me relaxed and energized. For the greatest benefits, perform abhyanga daily or at least three times a week. Ultimately, whenever you can do it is great!

What does the science of Abhyanga say?

From a Western clinical perspective, there are not yet large randomized controlled trials (RCT) for using abhyanga. RCTs are the gold standard when comparing treatments to see what works best for what.

There are however, several case studies and trials, including a pilot study funded by the National Institutes of Health (4). Some of the studies use abhyanga within a mixed Ayurvedic regimen that suggest substantial benefit for inflammatory and stress-related conditions (1-3). The NIH funded pilot (n=20) also suggested substantial stress relieving benefit. It is well established that massage has physiologic and psychological benefits, and that the aroma of warm oils has an impact.

Abhyanga is an extremely low-risk intervention – if you have sensitive skin, don’t do full abhyanga until you’ve tested the oil on a small patch of skin. Be aware of just warming the oil so that it’s pleasant and comfortable.

The bottom line is how it feels and how it benefits you in your life as a self-care practice. If you have an inflammatory or stress-related condition or are at risk for one, if this appeals to you, check it out!

How Abhyanga Manages Stress & Balances

One of the greatest benefits of abhyanga is its ability to help manage stress. Chronic stress is almost universal today, is associated with health problems, including anxiety, depression, insomnia, and metabolic disorders, and makes almost every health issue worse.

Here’s how abhyanga can help:

Activates the Parasympathetic Nervous System: The gentle, rhythmic strokes of abhyanga activate the parasympathetic nervous system, also known as the “rest and digest” side of the autonomic nervous system. This helps calm your mind and body, reducing the physiological effects of stress.
Improves Circulation: This massage enhances movement and blood flow, promotes the delivery of oxygen and nutrients to tissues while helping to remove toxins. Improved circulation also supports lymphatic drainage, helping the body eliminate waste more efficiently.
Balances the Doshas: According to Ayurveda, stress can cause imbalances in the doshas, particularly Vata. Abhyanga helps ground and stabilize Vata energy, reducing feelings of anxiety and restlessness.
Promotes Better Sleep: Lack of quality sleep is an epidemic in our busy culture. By calming the nervous system and relaxing the body, abhyanga can improve your quality of sleep. Restful sleep is essential for managing stress and maintaining metabolic health.

How Abhyanga Benefits Metabolism

Metabolic health refers to the body’s ability to create and process energy – to maintain optimal levels of blood sugar, cholesterol, and blood pressure. Poor metabolic health can lead to conditions like obesity, diabetes, and cardiovascular disease, thyroid imbalance and even some cancers.

Abhyanga offers several potential benefits for those struggling with metabolic issues:

Reduces Inflammation: Chronic inflammation is a key contributor to metabolic disorders. The herbs and oils used in abhyanga have anti-inflammatory properties that can help reduce systemic (body-wide) inflammation. In one small study using abhyanga within a combination Ayurvedic treatment, nearly 65% of a group with osteoarthritis reported significant improvement, and an additional 23% reported moderate symptom improvement.(1)
Supports Detoxification: Massage can stimulate the lymphatic system, supporting the removal of toxins. A well-functioning lymphatic system is essential for maintaining metabolic balance.
Enhances Insulin Sensitivity: Regular abhyanga can improve insulin sensitivity by reducing stress and promoting circulation. This is crucial for anyone with metabolic issues, including individuals with insulin resistance or type 2 diabetes.
Improves Digestion: According to Ayurveda, abhyanga supports agni (digestive fire), which is essential for breaking down food and absorbing nutrients efficiently. Healthy digestion is a cornerstone of metabolic health.

The Mind-Body Connection:

Abhyanga & Emotional Well-being

Beyond its physical benefits, abhyanga can have profound effects on your emotional well-being. The act of self-massage is inherently nurturing and fosters a deep sense of self-love and compassion. It encourages mindfulness and helps you connect with your body, promoting a positive self-image.

Additionally, abhyanga can help release stored emotions and trauma held within the body. The gentle touch and mindful practice create a safe space for emotional healing and self-discovery.

abhyanga oil massage Annie B Kay holistic dietitian

Incorporating Abhyanga into Your Modern Life

While abhyanga is traditionally performed daily, it can be adapted to suit modern lifestyles. Here are a few tips:

Start Small: If daily practice feels overwhelming, start with once or twice a week.
Focus on Key Areas: If time is limited, focus on key areas like the head, feet, and hands.
Make it a Ritual: Treat abhyanga as a sacred time for self-care. Set aside time each week to unwind and reconnect with yourself.Abhyanga is a powerful nurturing Ayurvedic practice that offers a myriad of benefits for physical and emotional well-being. By incorporating this self-massage ritual into your routine, you can help manage your stress, promote balanced health, and support your metabolic health journey. Whether you’re looking to reduce anxiety, improve sleep, or enhance your overall vitality, abhyanga provides a holistic approach to achieving wellness from the inside out.
Have you embraced this ancient wisdom and made abhyanga a part of your self-care toolkit for a healthier, more balanced life? I want to know!

Please share a comment!

Sources

(1) Clinical study on Sandhigata Vata w.s.r. to Osteoarthritis and its management by Panchatikta Ghrita Guggulu. Akhtar B, Mahto R, Dave A et al. (2010) Ayujournal, 31(1).

(2) Role of Shirodhara and Abhyanga on serum cortisol in Anxiety – A case report. Sharma et al.(2025).J Ayurveda and Integ Med 16 100948

(3)Ayurveda management of Major Depressive Disorder: A case study. Tubaki B, Chandake S, SarhyalA (2021)Journal of Ayurveda and Integrative Medicine 12, 378e-383.

(4) Pilot study investigating the effects of Ayurvedic Abhyanga massage on subjective stress experience. Basler AJ. Altern Complement Med. 2011 May;17(5):435-40. doi: 10.1089/acm.2010.0281. Epub 2011 May 13. PMID: 21568717.

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Forget Resolutions – Set Intention Instead

Updated 12/16/2024

Set Intention

Wise life coach Marcia Goldberg once wrote, “Intention is the thread on which the pearls of our life experience are strung”. If we go through life without intention – without consciously knowing what we want to embody – we are more likely to have haphazard experiences in life.
There’s a balance between going with the flow and setting the agenda. Intention speaks to why – the motivator – of your actions that can help you know when to let go, and when to lean in.

Finding that balance is a fun and fascinating experience, if you also hold a sense of being open to the odd ironies of life that surround us. First, however, get clear on your why – set intention.

How To Set Intention

As you vision your life unfolding over the next year, consider what you’d like to have more. Peace, abundance, fun, balance? How about taking some time to visualize what it would feel like to embody a life with more of what you vision – can you open your senses to explore how it might feel to be living your intention? What would you be doing most days? How would you be feeling physically, emotionally, in your bones?

Your intention speaks to what you are seeking in life. It speaks to the why behind your actions. When I hear, for example, that someone is interested in addressing metabolic (weight-related) health – things like high blood sugar or high blood pressure – I always ask why. Why do you want to be healthy? That’s when I hear – “I want to see my son graduate from college”, or “I want to see my grandkids get married” – I can feel the energy behind the intention. That’s motivation!

From there, your practices for the year are grounded in and fired by the motivation of intention. In my own life, this adds meaning to my planning and what I choose to do to each day. If I can take some time daily, reminding myself of my intention – the why, it directs my conscious and unconscious being in the direction I’m aiming.

Intention Rather than Resolutions?

New Year’s Resolutions – our declarations about doing this or that, being this or that in the New Year, are designed to fail. “Lose Weight!” “Get Healthy!” “New Job!” These are missives and there is nothing wrong with a declaration. Resolutions fail when they are not rooted in intention and do not follow up with a plan. When it is just a declaration without the why or thought of how, well, that’s when, in March, for forget what your resolutions even are.

So, this year, try something new.

What is your intention for the New Year?

You can see that I have a free transformation workbook available to you to help you find your intention, and then to power it with some mantras and affirmations. This is the type of work that can be fun and helpful in supporting real change. Give it a download.

In the coming year, I plan to continue to cover the connections between nutritional science, spirit, and wisdom and to grow our community with online opportunities (personal & professional!) to learn together.

Hopefully, as the year unfolds, I will see many of you in person at some of our favorite gathering spots. Much of my year, however, will center on online offerings.

Thank you to those of you who have commented, dugg, stumbled, twittered and otherwise reached out.

My wish for you is that you enjoy health, happiness, and the light of your truest self.

Namaste!

Please please share your intentions for the New Year in the comments!

Holiday Stress? Mindfulness Can Help

Updated 11/9/2023

Here it comes – the wave of winter holidays.

Time seems to speed up now, and the season can seem a bit sugar-coated and a bit stressful. Suddenly so much to do! Decorating, attending gatherings, figuring out if you should send cards or get gifts for the people in your life, and dealing with extended family can be overwhelming. If you have a business – double the decisions!

It doesn’t have to be quite so stressful. Holiday cheer doesn’t require weight gain (here’s a study from the National Weight Control Registry (1) about what works). Mindfulness can help you enjoy the holidays a little more, and stress a little less.

If you find yourself feeling holiday-rattled and you’re not basking in a glowing sense of cheer, the practices of mindfulness might help you take a break from expectations and reconnect with the reason for the season.

Can Mindfulness Really Help?

The short answer is yes. Practicing mindfulness – both the meditation practice and taking a more mindful attitude toward the activities of the holiday – can help. Mindfulness can provide that little shift in attitude that can be the difference between feeling overwhelmed and feeling excited about the holiday.

Mindfulness practice and attitudes can help you become more aware of your own needs as you move through the season of giving. It can make you more aware of your choices and give you space to choose in a more thoughtful way. Mindfulness can also help you to be a little easier on yourself for being human should you not create holiday perfection or if you over-indulge.

How does Mindfulness Manage Stress?

A mindfulness practice can help you step away from the fire, mentally and emotionally, and practice the power of pause – of taking a breath when things get overheated or overwhelming. When we get triggered by an unkind or unintended nastiness, or feel that we are not up to the job of holiday bliss, pausing for a breath tends to help us take a step back and see things in a little less pressured light. Then, we can respond in a wiser, kinder way. This takes practice, my friends, but it is interesting how quickly the attitudes around mindfulness – kindness, compassion – can make life better and ease the tension of the holidays.

With a mindful attitude, we become more aware of the results of our choices – how our choices impact how we feel, and how our lives unfold. Eventually (with practice, self-compassion and awareness) the practice of mindfulness can be a framework within which we begin to choose to feel a bit better, then make the choices that will create that result.

As it happens, this particular time of year is excellent for cultivating quietness and a meditative mindset. It may be one reason that we can feel so overwhelmed with our over-commercialized holiday – that this season is, naturally, a time of slowing down and turning inward. The winter solstice is akin to the end of the exhale for the earth – a time of dark and quiet and reflection before the next year begins. In the Celtic wheel of the year, this is a time when the veil between worlds is thin – when you can “see” or imagine your way into your future, and “see” and appreciate your past. It is a great time of the year for honoring and integrating what has unfolded for you, and for visioning what may come. Mindfulness practice can help with that.

So, What is Mindfulness?

Mindfulness is a meditation practice, and it is also the attitudes and mindsets that a meditation practice encompasses. In mindfulness, you:

Adopt a meditative mindset. We humans have the capacity to change our consciousness from our everyday distracted state to a calm, clear relaxed and open one. With this change, you focus attention inward and relax.
Pay attention to what is happening moment by moment. Mindfulness is meditation while…(whatever you are doing). So, you get curious about whatever you are doing – be it walking or eating. Slowing the process down so that you can get fascinated enough that you lose yourself – you lose track of time – is mindful meditative absorption.
There is a particular attitude of mindfulness called non-judgmental awareness. As you practice, you become aware of judgments like comparisons (this food is healthy therefore good, that food is less healthy, therefore not so good, for example). In mindfulness, while eating, for example, you aim for a direct, sensory relationship with what you are eating. Cultivate an attitude of kindness – toward yourself and others.

How can I Practice Mindfulness this Holiday?

There are limitless ways to practice through this particular season.

Here are just few ideas:

Start or re-charge your morning meditation practice. If you are just beginning, start with just 5 or 10 minutes to sit in a quiet place, with music or not, and get quiet. You can focus your attention on your breathing – on the expansion of the inhale, and letting go of the exhale. Alternatively, you can focus on your thoughts – noticing your thoughts as they arise, label them “just thoughts” and let them float away.

Practice mindfulness meditation while eating.

Practicing mindful eating can help you explore your sensual relationship with food as well as your hunger and satiety (fullness) indicators. When I see people eat more of their bites as a mindfulness meditation practice, they begin to recognize that their eating patterns are tied more to external signals – things like getting home from a stressful day of work or seeing one of the endless food-porn ads on TV. Over time, the practice of mindful eating tends to help people tune in more deeply to their internal guidance system with regard to hunger, fullness and how much food is enough.

Here’s my post on how that can unfold.

Mindful Eating: The Practice of Eating Better

It’s difficult to practice mindful meditation while socializing – meditation just doesn’t work that way! But, you can be mindful of your breath, mindful of something kind you would like to say to someone or practice appreciation of your friends and family. With regard to food, can you simply practice what I call the power of pause – and take in the visual beauty of the holiday food?

Another practice you might play with this year is the mindful practices of kindness and of contentment. How might you be kind to yourself and others through this season? Is there something that you do, or way you are through the holidays, that doesn’t really serve you anymore?

In yoga contentment is a practice – one of my wise teachers used to say “Try less”. What a great motto for life!

Can we practice – intentionally – being content with things as they are right now – in their perfect imperfection.

References

Olson, Kayloni et al, Strategies to manage weight during the holiday season among US adults: A descriptive study from the National Weight Control Registry. Obesity Science and Practice. 2021 Apr; 7(2): 232–238.

Quickeners Podcast Episode 4: Not Your Fault. Now What?

In psychology there the idea that “it’s not your fault that you…”. We did not personally create many of the dysfunctional parts of our life. Many of our struggles are rooted in early events and our of our control.

But that’s not the end of the conversation of change. In yoga philosophy, not your fault is only part of (half of?) the conversation. The other part is – now what? Once you realize that you didn’t create these situations, one option is to take responsibility to clean it up anyway because it will likely make your life better to do so.

This dichotomy and the tension in the dichotomy is an aspect of life – it’s the dance of action & embodiment, of being & doing, of masculine & feminine, Shakti & Shiva. In yoga philosophy we need both – we need to accept that it’s not our fault, yet we have the capacity to shift, renew, embody our own experience.

In this episode I’ll tell stories and give examples, and then a 3-step process to navigate from doing to being.

« Older Entries

Nature’s Timekeepers: Solstice & Equinox, Breath & Circadian Rhythms

Noticing Rhythms

Solstice & Equinox, Breath & Circadian Rhythm

Why does it matter?

Solstice and Equinox:

The Dance of Time, Darkness & Light

Summer & Winter Solstice

Spirit of Solstice

Breath & Circadian Rhythms:

Your Internal Timekeepers

The Rhythm of Your Breath

Your Inner Circadian Rhythms

Your Internal Timekeeper: Breath

Breath & Circadian Rhythms:

Entrain Yours for Wellbeing

Breathe, Feel, Allow…

What Can You Do Right Now?

…and Connect

Let’s chat!

Healthy Mindset: What, Why and How to Develop Yours

My Healthy Mindset Wake-up

Mindset. I want a healthier mindset.

Updated December 11, 2024

Mindset & Mental Health

What is a Healthy Mindset?

Mindfulness & Healthy Mindset

Why Having a Healthy Mindset Matters

What the Yogis Say: Compassion & Witness

Yoga & Compassion

Yoga & Witness Consciousness

Setting Intention

Loving Kindness (Metta) Meditation

May I be happy,

May I be healthy

and May I stand in the light of my own true self.

Manifestation: Breath, Believe, Receive

It’s All Happening

Spring Clear & Renew Ritual

How to Do Abhyanga: Warm Oil Massage for Stress Relief and Better Sleep

Just What is Abhyanga?

How to Perform Abhyanga

Choose Your Oil

Warm the Oil

Create a Calming Environment

Begin with Your Head

Move to Your Body

Focus on Your Marma Points

Give the Oil Time to Soak in

Take a Nice Warm Bath or Shower

Consistency is Key

What does the science of Abhyanga say?

How Abhyanga Manages Stress & Balances

How Abhyanga Benefits Metabolism

The Mind-Body Connection:

Abhyanga & Emotional Well-being

Incorporating Abhyanga into Your Modern Life

Please share a comment!

Sources

Forget Resolutions – Set Intention Instead

Updated 12/16/2024

Set Intention

How To Set Intention

Intention Rather than Resolutions?

Holiday Stress? Mindfulness Can Help

Can Mindfulness Really Help?

How does Mindfulness Manage Stress?

So, What is Mindfulness?

How can I Practice Mindfulness this Holiday?

References

Quickeners Podcast Episode 4: Not Your Fault. Now What?

Topics

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