October is the last chance to alkalize before the winter. To alkalize, in Susan's teaching, means to open the channels and release. October is the last chance to release the excess dosha accumulated from the previous season: the air from autumn and the fire from summer. Ayurveda's October practices are about getting any excess trapped heat out before the body seals up for winter, and about using the squashes and ghee that are now coming in to nourish the cells that summer dried out.
Why October is the last chance to alkalize
You accumulate too much air in autumn, and too much fire in summer. One or more of the gunas (qualities) corrupts the dosha. Once the fire gets too hot, it is the hot-sharp quality corrupting Pitta dosha. The gunas mix with the bodily tissues, the dhatus. The corruption came from a guna that corrupted a dosha. It localizes in a bodily tissue and changes it.
This is how Ayurveda talks about the beginnings of disease.
October is the last chance to make sure that you got out any excess trapped heat. Pomegranate, the last of the cherries and berries, the lymph movers. The squashes are coming out. When squashes are very sweet, sweet pacifies the heat from the summer. If cells are too dry, the sweet taste helps them open up. Ghee and spices help the cells open up.
What squashes to cook in October (and which not to eat the peel of)
October is squash season. Susan teaches a few ways to use them:
- Butternut squash soup with ghee and spices.
- Fresh-squeezed apple cider with pomegranate and spices.
- Spaghetti squash as the alternative if you are craving spaghetti but trying to get rid of gluten.
The orange squashes have so much beta carotene: pumpkin, butternut, acorn.
Important thing to know: do not eat the squash peel unless it has been pressure-cooked. Otherwise, scoop and serve.
Why ghee is the October cooking fat
Susan's five reasons to use ghee:
- 96% absorption rate. The body uses almost all of it.
- Most adorable of all the oils. You are left with butter oil. All the animal solids are cooked off. It is the most refined essence of the butter.
- Carries across the gut wall with ease. Ghee delivers what you cook with it directly into the cells.
- The most effective carrier of nutrition against the gut wall. Whatever spice or food you cook in ghee gets carried in with it.
- Gets the liver moving. Liver health is the underlying autumn project.
- High smoke point. You can cook with it at the temperatures fall cooking needs.
How each dosha moves through October
Vata. Hard time. It is so dry, windy, and mobile out there. The body responds with the opposite: oleation internal and external, heavier foods, getting grounded and bundled up.
Pitta. Susan calls them the discerning and distilling ones. Their biggest risk is they get burned out over the summer; that dried up all their water. They need to spend October alkalizing. Find a way to get the nourishment, oleation, and sweetness into the cells. Spaghetti squash, coconut milk casserole. Coconut chia seed pudding with lots of cardamom and ginger is great for Vata and Pitta both.
Kapha. Easy time for Kapha. This is the time of year when they are likely not dehydrated or lacking in internal oil. Eat seasonally and get lots of spices. Heavily spiced foods serve Kapha well now.
How to honor the ancestors in October
October is the season when Ayurveda honors the ancestors and those who came before you. Susan teaches that the veil between the spirit world and the physical world is never more thin than it is right now.
Build an altar to the ancestors who came before. You can communicate more effectively with those who have passed on during this time. It is an easy time to cross over.
This is not a recipe. This is a practice. Honor what made you.
What October's coconut chia pudding is
The October Vata-Pitta dish:
- Coconut chia seed pudding
- Lots of cardamom
- Lots of ginger
The cardamom breaks up any lingering heat from summer; the ginger keeps the digestive fire moving as the weather cools. The coconut nourishes the cells the heat dried out.
Frequently asked questions
What does alkalize mean in Ayurveda?
Alkalize means to open the channels and release. October is the last chance to release the excess dosha you accumulated over summer (fire) and early autumn (air). Once winter starts and the body seals up for the cold, the trapped heat stays trapped.
Should I eat the peel of squashes?
No, unless the squash has been pressure-cooked. Scoop and serve otherwise. The peel is too tough for the gut to break down.
Why is ghee good for cooking in October?
Ghee has a 96% absorption rate, carries other nutrients into the cells, gets the liver moving, and has a high smoke point. It is the most refined essence of butter, with all the animal solids cooked off. It delivers whatever spice you cook with it directly into the gut wall.
What is Susan's October Vata-Pitta recipe?
Coconut chia seed pudding with lots of cardamom and ginger. The coconut nourishes cells the summer heat dried out, the cardamom releases lingering heat, and the ginger keeps the digestive fire moving as the weather cools.
What is the ancestor practice in October?
October is when Ayurveda honors those who came before. The veil between the spirit world and the physical world is never more thin. Build an altar to the ancestors and use the time to communicate with those who have crossed over.