October Downshift in Paris: Week 1
Practical Ayurveda, cozy food, body oil recommendations and a 2-part solution for improved hibernation
Welcome to the first installment in a 3-week series designed to help you establish a routine that is in line with what’s happening outside your window. You don’t have to live in Paris to notice that the light, air and trees are changing form and color; you just have to live in the Northern hemisphere 😉 in October.
Last week we suggested you approach autumn Ayurvedically—meaning that you slow down and let Nature’s seasonal changes inform your own habits and practices, like so:
Preparation is everything
One thing we love about Ayurveda is that as much as it emphasizes trusting your intuition about your body and its needs, it is also incredibly pragmatic and stands firmly in the “an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure” camp. Prevention requires preparation, and preparation requires planning.
In October:
Bookmark recipes then stock your pantry so you can cook and share delicious meals without stress. Try Yotam Ottolenghi’s vegetarian chickpea fritters that use up the last of summer’s courgettes (more on this below); cook Alison Roman’s mushroom soup with tofu and toasted garlic (highly recommend); devour Angèle Ferreux-Maeght’s cake au miel et à la camomille (a ‘cake’ in France refers specifically to a loaf cake, fyi)
Baby your skin and keep it hydrated. If you’re interested in testing an oil, choose untoasted sesame oil (if you’re Vata), coconut oil (Pitta), or almond oil (Kapha). Not sure about your Dosha? Take the quiz.
Make restorative, healing sleep a self-care priority (see below)
Arrange a date with a friend who makes you laugh (cannot stress this enough!)
Nourish, treat, support, connect. These are vital ingredients for a deeply satisfying, restorative, joy- and moisture-filled life.
Sommeil Serein: a 2-part workshop for tranquil sleep (Paris)
at Nata Yoga with Pamela Weber & Alisonne Sinard
A good night’s sleep is essential to a healthy, vibrant life but sometimes getting a full eight hours of restful slumber can be elusive.
This workshop is divided into two parts (which can be taken separately, by the way) and begins with an overview of sleep: theory, sleep issues, anatomy. You’ll experiment with practical exercises to discover more ease in your own sleeping position. In the second part of the workshop, you’ll use this new understanding of how to find comfort in a supine state during an hourlong Yoga Nidra session. Yoga Nidra, also known as ‘yogic sleep’, is a guided meditation technique during which you are led into a state of tranquility and relaxation through voice, music and visualizations.
👉 Saturday Oct. 7th, 2023
👉 Part One: 16h30-18h30; Part Two: 18h30-19h30
👉 40€/Part One; 22€/Part Two
👉 Reservations required
Special offer for people signing up together: if there are two of you, you can save and benefit from a discounted rate. See registration page for details.
SIGN UP HERE (Part One) or SIGN UP HERE (Part Two)
About the courgette, chickpea and herb fritters: It’s a very flexible recipe; the only ingredient you may not have on hand is chickpea flour but once you have that, you can make the fritters all the time. And having made the fritters all the time, some advice:
Don’t worry about having less than 370g of courgette flesh; it’s actually better to be under 370g than over
It’s ok to have a different combination of herbs than what’s written: parsley + coriander, chive + dill, mint + tarragon are also great
Be confident when you flip the fritters in the pan, and add more oil if the cooked side looks dry once flipped
Two fritters per person is actually a good portion as the fritters are really satisfying
Eat with yogurt as suggested, or tahini sauce or make it a triple chickpea deal by adding a side of hummus (did this, wasn’t mad about it)
❤️ I make a similar chickpea zucchini pancake with a recipe from Deliciously Ella. Her recipe is made with chickpea flour and has an avocado, almond, and cilantro topping. So yummy!
Love the recipe. Big fan of Ottolenghi’s cooking.