Surviving Winter in Upstate New York!

Ocala National Park

Greetings from the tundra of Upstate  New York! I took a little break from writing to get through the holidays and start our first weeks back to school.  Yes...Brian and I have gone back to school! He will be working towards becoming an Ayurvedic Life-Style Consultant and I will be working towards becoming and Ayurvedic Practitioner.  This will be an exciting time for our local friends, as they get the benefit of being our practice clients.  I will also be going through Panchakarma (a deep detoxification process) in March at Amrit Yoga Institute.  We'll talk more about that later.

Brian making Halva

Brian hiking in the park

Rule #1 for surviving Winter in Upstate New York...get out of town - if possible to someplace warm! We did!! It was such a treat to step away from the cold and spend some time in Florida. We  made some beautiful new friends and have filled our heads with wonderful information on health and healing.  We spent time in the kitchen enhancing our "kitchen medicine" skills! Brian was in his element and having a blast making treats for our classmates.  Then it was time to return to the reality of the North....and the aggressive weather that comes with it.  

Naomi & Dr Shehkar talking spices

Adirondack Ski Trail

Welcome to Late-winter (Kapha) season! Kapha season will look cold, clouds in the sky, and the environment will feel heavy or dense.  This is the reason we want to crawl into a hole and hibernate with a blanket and a pile of cookies.  In central NY we also have the benefit of an additional Vata component.  Vata will bring the qualities of dry, cold, rough and mobile...think about the extreme cold blowing snow that we've had this year. The piles and piles of snow....the extremely cold (34 below zero) temperatures that make the snow squeak when you walk on it. 

Brian driving the "Ice Road" across Racquette Lake-Andirondacks

The cold this winter has presented a challenge that we haven't had to deal with in years. Sooooo....the question is, "What do I do to bring balance to my world during this cold season?"  Honor your bodies desire to hibernate (within reason).  Warm oil massage to insulate and protect your skin from the dry/cold weather.  Stay away from too much raw foods (they are cold and rough) - this will aggravate your systems and dampen your digestive fire.. No ice drinks this time of year (can't imagine why you would want them?!). Warm tea, Chai, Ginger tea and plain hot water will keep your digestive fire strong.  To bring balance back to your world it's time to go to the kitchen and make soup.  Soups are warm, easy to digest and nurturing.  

Our first yummy - is super easy and fast! My plan is to throw you short posts with easy go-to recipes.  I'm in the preparation zone for my Panchakarma- meaning I'm starting the detox process slowly by simplifying my dietary intake with fresh warm wholesome foods.  I plan to share the cleansing dishes that I whip up in the kitchen and I hope they will improve your health too! Today we're having Onion-Leek-Kale Soup! Click on the link here
http://naomikenealysbonusdays.blogspot.com/p/onion.html

Enjoy!
Keep your ears covered!
Blessings to All!
Warm Onion-Kale Kisses!
Namaste`
Naomi