As I write you this month, my office brwindow is open to the sounds of late summer in my neighborhood. Cicadas brcontinue to trill their up and down crescendo chorus (I hope you enjoyedbr our article in the August issue about local singing insects). A brlawnmower somewhere down the block, cars in the distance, noisy brchipmunks, cooing mourning doves and a few squawking blue jays round outbr the effect. I’m trying to take it all in before we start that turn brtoward autumn.
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Yet as we transition into fall, I go back to the word vitality,br which back in my January letter, I proposed as a personal word of brinspiration and resolution that we strive for throughout the year. brVitality is now a key word for recharging our personal batteries for thebr coming colder seasons. This month, we’re focused on various ways we canbr use proven strategies like bodywork and yoga to be more proactive in brour health, counter and perhaps prevent some of the negative effects of brstress, aging and everyday challenges on our bodies. In our main brfeature, writer Marlaina Donatobr provides a comprehensive guide to help ward off inflammation and brpremature cell death in “Age-Defying Bodywork: How to Turn Back the brClock.” She explains how fortifying our nervous system through massage, bracupuncture and reflexology is critical to combating age-accelerating brstress hormones like cortisol—and has been em aced by the medical brmainstream.
We also cele ate September as National Yoga Month with Donato’sbr take on “The Power of Yoga: Tapping Into the Life Force.” Another brpotent stress-buster, yoga’s contribution to mind-body fitness is brproving to be a reliable defense against age-related loss of mobility, brcardiovascular disease and depression. Yoga takes on many forms, and breach has its benefits. Several local experts have contributed this monthbr to our yoga feature. As you’ll learn, yoga principles can help to brinvigorate us when we wake up, guide busy moms through a hectic week andbr even improve our golf game! For those with physical and other brchallenges, adaptive yoga can bring great benefits as well.
Of brcourse, what we choose to eat is also at the forefront of the mind-body brconnection, and we love to bring you new ways to eat healthy and enjoy brthe season’s local bounty. You may have noticed that in addition to the bralways enticing seasonal produce recipes we feature, we’ve recently bradded a gluten-free recipe section. This month, we also focus on Ayurvedicbr cooking, an ancient system wherein food is medicine; the menu is brseasonal and local, and timing and preparation are critical to brrebalancing our health.
How are you preparing for the upcoming brchange in seasons? What routines invigorate and nourish you? Please let brus know via email at [email protected] or connect on Facebook @Natural Awakenings Chicago Magazine, and on Twitter and Instagram @NAChicago. While you’re there, please like, follow and share!
Asbr always, I encourage you to get outside and enjoy our late summer in thebr Chicago area. It’s a great time to visit a local natural area to brdiscover the late-season colors and watch the migration of birds throughbr our area.
Onward to September!
