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May
25

An Afternoon Nap… My Guilty Little Secret

It’s certainly not something I let my neighbors in on.  I think my sister knows…. My dad occasionally drops in at ‘inopportune’ times in the afternoon and discovered my secret…. My friends?  I think I may have referenced the occasional Saturday afternoon indiscretion.  The inlaws?  NOT!

But, in considering outing myself publicly here, I figured, “what the hell… I’m tired of the sneaking around, the secrecy… the SHAME!

I am a napper.  If I can swing it… I’ll do it.  At about one in the afternoon, after a morning of school with the kids and lunch… I’ve about had it.  If I’ve no demands or plans for that time in the afternoon, my body, in no uncertain terms, makes clear its needs… and I search out my favourite chair… my favourite blankie… and, if they’re in the mood, a kitten or two to snuggle with… sometimes even my youngest child… and I embrace a short date with dreamland.

It is nothing short of heaven.  I lay back my head onto the cool inviting leather, curl the blanket more securely around my shoulders… and in moments, I there I am… the sweet spot:  that delicious space where you can actually feel your mind and body falling into the soft, welcome reprieve of suspended consciousness.  I often think at that moment I must be smiling.

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May
12

Pitta… Patta… of Little Doshas

What’s your Dosha… and does it matter?

I recently learned that I am of the Pitta pursuasion. I am of medium size and well-proportioned.  I have a medium amount of physical energy and stamina.  I also tend to be intelligent with a sharp wit and a good ability to concentrate.  I am passionate, driven, courageous and enjoy a strong sex drive… but I also have a tendency to blame, can be somewhat irritable (I’m sure I don’t have to look too far to have these last points confirmed….) and am prone to over-spending.

I am Pitta… here me roar!  Or, more likely, ‘speak merely to convey a point’.

And so it is with we, Pittas.  Ye of the somewhat sleepy, skinny-minny Vedas or the sturdier and eternally optimistic Kaphas may tell of a different reality.  As we search for ways in which to achieve balance in all of the various corners of our lives, these characterizations can be fun and even a little helpful.  Understanding our Doshas allow a little better insight into our current mind-body state, which in turn allows for a better understanding, in Ayurvedic terms, of what it is our bodies and minds require.

In most cases we are, not surprisingly, a unique combination of all three Doshas, often dominant in two with one being considerably less significant.  While I introduced this post claiming myself to be Pitta, I’m actually a combination of Pitta and Kapha, mind and body, leaning more heavily to the Pitta.

It’s a fun exercise, really, with a few ideas to help in alleviating some of the issues that go along with an accumulation of Pitta, Kapha or Veda in the body and mind.  So, go take a quiz.  Or another.  Check in with your Dosha and take a little heed of the advice offered, from how to best manage stress (for we, irritable and aggressive Pittas), and how to target a diet better geared to your current Dosha.g

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