RYAN SMITH'S WELLNESS PLAN

Fall 2024

INTRO:

Currently, we are in the Autumnal season. The temperature outdoors is going down, the leaves are changing colors, and humans & animals are preparing for winter. Things tend to dry out this time of year; the air is less humid. The tree's leaves dry up and fall to the ground. You may notice that your skin gets drier, or maybe it's more difficult to stay hydrated. The colder air temperature may cause problems with aches and pains (arthritis). Your joints may feel stiff, and you may suffer from some respiratory issues (cold, flu, allergies, etc.).

This presentation is meant to promote a healthy Ayurvedic Diet; it suggests Yogic exercises and breathing exercises known as Pranayama. Since I'm currently in Baltimore, Maryland, experiencing Fall, the Ayurvedic portion primarily focuses on the VATA Dosha...

In addition to a healthy diet, I will also suggest yogic exercises & Pranayama to reduce stress & fatigue. Finally, I'll suggest exercises, food, tea, and/or supplements that could help with arthritis or any other pain & inflammation you may experience this time of year.

PERSONAL NOTES:

This time of year I get allergies, dry/runny nose, sinus problems, and I have respiratory issues. I often have pain in my knee from arthritis, and chronic pain in my hip; the discomfort is worse on cool rainy days. Some days I feel flexible, yet weak and stiff. On cold windy days I tend to stay indoors, instead of venturing outside.

Some of my difficulties:
- Staying hydrated is a constant struggle.
- Poor diet & too much coffee consumption.
- Relaxing, and staying asleep is a problem.
- Reducing stress, and anxiety is difficult.
- & learning disabilities: dyslexia…

AYURVEDA

Dictionary Definition of Ayurveda:
"...the traditional Hindu system of medicine, which is based on the idea of balance in bodily systems and uses diet, herbal treatment, and yogic breathing [Pranayama]."

ESSENTIAL SCIENCES for Therapeutic Massage
by Sandy Fritz & Luke Fritz
Text (p. 32):

1) "...The word Ayurveda means knowledge or science of life."

2) "Ayurveda is based on the premise that an individual is made up of 5 elements" : Ether (or space), Air, Fire, Water, & Earth

3) Elements combine to create various physical functions called "Doshas":

VATA: Ether & Air (movement)

PITA: Fire & Water (transformation)

KAPHA: Water & Earth (structure & stability)

Fall: The Vata Season

Ayurveda considers a seasonal routine an important cornerstone of health year-round. Balancing the nature of your local climate with lifestyle choices that offset the potential for seasonally-induced imbalances is one of the simplest ways that you can protect your well-being.

General Tips for Fall:
"By making diet and lifestyle choices that counter the effects of each season, you can better maintain your internal sense of equilibrium throughout the year."

"If we consider the Ayurvedic principle that opposites balance, vata season will be less aggravating if you fill it with warmth, oiliness, deep nourishment, loving relationships, and a sense of stability, routine, and groundedness."
- Melody Mischke, AP
(Ayurvedic Practitioner)

https://www.banyanbotanicals.com

Breakfasts:
- cooked grains—like oatmeal,
- cream of rice,
- cream of wheat

Lunches & dinners : include steamed vegetables, hearty grains,
*soups, and stews are grounding and moisturizing

Resources:

Anjali Sunita, Village Life Wellness
(Formerly: Baltimore Yoga Village)
https://www.villagelifewellness.com/

Dr. Vasant Lad, The Ayurvedic Institute:
https://ayurveda.com/about-vasant-lad/

AUTUMN diet:

Through the Vata season, you can enjoy foods that are:

-sweet, salty

-high in protein and healthy fats

-cooked with warm and stimulating spices (ginger, turmeric, cumin, coriander, fennel)

-soft, such as porridge, made from oats or tapioca and garnished with butter or oil.

-If your digestive fire (agni) is strong, your meals can also include hearty grains, meat, eggs, nuts, seeds and dairy products.

-Steamed vegetables, stews and soups are very grounding and internally moisturizing.

-Ensure that all vegetables are well-cooked and preferably served with butter or healthy oils.

*In the cooler months, do not eat: cold and frozen foods OR raw vegetables...
- cruciferous vegetables such as cabbage, kale, broccoli, cauliflower, brusselsprouts
- AVOID dry foods such as toast, crackers and dried fruit.

During autumn it is common for people to increase their intake of food.
While it is grounding, we must be careful to not overeat or burden our digestion.

https://www.VibrantAyurveda.com.au/2023

YOGA

Dictionary Definition of Yoga:

...a spiritual discipline, a part of which, including breath control, simple meditation, and the adoption of specific bodily postures, is widely practiced for health and relaxation.

"As a well cut diamond has many facets, each reflecting a different color of light, so does the word yoga, each facet reflecting a different shade of meaning and revealing different aspects of the entire range of human endeavor to win inner peace and happiness."

- B. K. S. Iyengar

*There are many varieties of yoga: hot vinyasa yoga, hatha yoga, tantric yoga, chair yoga, etc.. In this section, I will focus on yogic joint rolling, which could be practiced while standing or seated. Likewise, the yoga video for the Sacral Chakra could be modified; you could sit in a chair instead of on the floor. Yoga that focusses on your lower chakras help to ground your body, and steady your mind. If you are feeling scatter brained, these yogic exercises will help you focus.
*Enjoy connecting your body, mind, and spirit.

* Do what you can, and try to have fun :)
- rS

There are seven chakras that run from the base of your spine
to just above the top of your head.

1 Muladhara (Root Chakra)
2 Svadhisthana (Sacral or Pelvic Chakra)
3 Manipura (Navel [or Solar Plexus] Chakra)
4 Anahata (Heart Chakra)
5 Vishuddha (Throat Chakra)
6 Ajna (Third-Eye Chakra)
7 Sahasrara (Crown Chakra)

Chakra literally means 'spinning wheel.'

"The chakras are thought to be spinning disks of energy that should stay 'open' and aligned for optimal emotional and physical well-being. If energy becomes blocked in one of the chakras, it triggers physical, mental, or emotional imbalance. For example, you may feel symptoms such as anxiety, lethargy, or poor digestion. A well-tuned [yoga] practice can free up energy and stimulate an imbalanced chakra, paving the way for that wonderful internal shift for which yoga is known. With just a little bit of coaching, you can tap into the chakras as a potent way of harnessing and shifting your energy in the direction you want it to go."

yogaJournal.com/beginners-guide-chakras/

Yogic joint rotations 10-15min:

"Rotating the joints secretes synovial fluid into joint tissues which helps the joints to move more freely as well as protecting them from injury. It's fun and easy to do and does not need to take a lot of time. This will allow you to connect with your body and your joints to have better mind-body connection and awareness."
https://jenniferreisyoga.com/blog/joint-freedom

This sequence of 'rolling the joints' is a tour through all the articulations of the body to mobilize them and in doing so, they self-lubricate! It is an excellent start to the day to awaken the whole body.

- David Lurey (EkhartYoga.com)

https://youtu.be/WPy8bI4r5o0?si=IO-ueMWuzxgdjKT7

The SACRAL CHAKRA (page 187)
[ESSENTIAL SCIENCES for Therapeutic Massage
by Sandy Fritz & Luke Fritz]

Relates to : Taste, Sensations, Feeling, Sex, Reproduction, Food, & appetite.

Sacral Chakra Yoga Flow | 15 min. Yoga

"...a practice for The Sacral Chakra or the Svadishtansa Chakra, which is situated in the lower abdomen.
Associated with orange color, a balanced Sacral Chakra helps in maintaining emotional balance, improving creativity and passion."
- Bharti Yoga https://youtu.be/g_dUtPcHZaI?si=kntxwJ7qrlGBV1Rf

chakra

PRANAYAMA

Dictionary def:
(in Hindu yoga)
the regulation of the breath through certain techniques and exercises.

Massage Total Well-Being
Massage and Meditation for the Seven Centers of Health
by: Anne Kent Rush

" In Chinese medicine and spiritual practices call life-energy: Ch'i (Qi).
In Indian medical and spiritual terminology, energy (prana) is believed to come from the air."

-https://www.amazon.com/Massage-Total-Well-Being-Anne/dp/078930502X

https://youtu.be/blbv5UTBCGg?si=5Vl4Sc9g1aNpJ3JS

WELLNESS PLAN:

Note to self: do it because you love it.

Solutions:
go outside (rain or shine) move around, exercise, and BREATHE

- Drink more water

- Less coffee, more herbal teas, *cardamom tea!

- Eat a more Ayurvedic diet

- Eat vegetables for my seasonal Dosha: Vata

- More root vegetables & squash:
sweet potatoes, beets, ginger, turmeric, pumpkin, yellow squash… soups & stews.

- warm oatmeal in the morning, w/ More fruits & less sweets

-Yoga reduces my stress, and lifts my spirits, and daily meditation is beneficial
(as little as 10 min a day, if you are "busy" then 30min!).

- my learning disabilities will never go away. However, certain types of yoga, and pranayama (breath work) will help me to focus & concentrate.

*LISTEN TO MUSIC THAT HEALS YOU*

Fundamentals of Therapeutic Massage
by Sandy Fritz & Luke Fritz
Text (p. 689):

ANTIINFLAMATORY DIET:
ginger, turmeric, cumin,
pineapple & papaya
protiens: egg, fish, chicken
oils: olive oil, flaxseed

Anxiety:

"One rat study suggests that cardamom extract may prevent anxious
behaviors. This may be because low blood levels of antioxidants have been
linked to the development of anxiety and other mood
disorders."

https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/cardamom-benefits#TOC_TITLE_HDR_10