ÁMEZING NEWS #22: FALLING INTO PLACE
Autumn Equinox Energy
Autumn is here!
Whether it's the cooler mornings or the darker evenings, the drop in temperature or shift in the light, chances are you’ve already noticed the season changing. Perhaps you are too?
Here at ÁMEZING NEWS, we asked a few of our favorite wellness professionals for their best tips, tricks, and tonics to navigate this seasonal transition.
We hope everything falls into place for you.
Camila Casañas
Latinx Chef, Herbalist, and Holistic Wellness Practitioner, Founder of Camila Creates
The season shift can bring up a plethora of emotions, both pleasant and challenging. The energetic shifts can be felt most deeply when going from the intensity of summer heat, to colder, slower days. Fall is an invitation to begin readying yourself for inwardness. Hibernation is essential for restoration, where we incubate internal shifts and store energy for that absolute stillness of winter and the inevitable transformation and rebirth of self when Spring returns (nature’s real new year.) My advice is to follow your intuition, listen to your body, limit hyper-stimulation, put yourself into positions that create perspective and cultivate inspiration, get massages, take hot baths, drink calming herbs, surrender to slowing down, spend time in nature, make friends with a tree, walk barefoot on the earth, read books, listen to soothing music, if it’s not a f**k yes, it’s a no. Rest, rest, and more rest.
Food
It’s always about protein for me. It keeps my mind, blood sugar, mood, and satiety balanced. Whether it’s plant based or animal based, just get it in! Reducing cold and raw foods is important for a balanced Qi and optimal digestion, when the weather cools down eating cooked vegetables and warmer foods will help your body and immune system adapt with ease. Tap into nature’s shift more easily by going to the farmers market - that will tell you exactly what’s in season and what to be eating. Regular grocery stores source monocropped produce so you won’t get that same intelligence or nutrient density there that you will from your local farmer. My go-to restaurants are always Amara Kitchen and Yang’s kitchen, for healthy, well sourced satisfying and delicious food in a welcoming environment.
Drink
When all else fails, tend to your digestion. Our biological homeostasis and seasonal fortitude comes from a balanced gut. Begin preparing things like bone broth, herbal infusions, and mineralized water. I crave hibiscus year round because it’s so versatile. It can be cooling and hydrating in the summer when served cold, and immune system boosting and tonifying in the winter when served hot. Look to herbs like ginger, turmeric, rosemary, oregano, thyme and mint.
Sleep
Seasonal transitions require deep rest, always. It’s just a given. As the weather cools down, we may find ourselves winding down earlier, and needing more sleep than usual. Honor that. Don’t push yourself to continue to do more and defy the needs of your body in the name of capitalism, surrender to the natural rhythms of the earth beckoning us to enter a more turned down state of
being, to begin gathering energy storage and preparing for the hibernation of winter. It is what nature intended. This is where we find peace and wellbeing.
Move
For me, I always crave moving heavy weights. It completely quiets my mind of chatter, while simultaneously commanding me to be present, intentional, and move with precision. It’s a quiet and powerful practice. On days when I don’t have the energy for that, simply just stretching and saying hello to my body can be deeply nourishing.
Breathe
Every moment can be a meditation, I find myself rushing through so many parts of life’s little moments. So I’m always reminding myself to slow down, breathe, and honor each second of joy that even the most mundane tasks bring; like doing the dishes, or feeding my dogs, the satisfaction that can be felt after cleaning your space. It can sound trite, but gratitude truly is the antidote to the components of modern life that can dampen our spirit.
Celebrate the seasons with Camila at Embodying the Equinox: A Feast for the Senses. At Soho Warehouse this Sunday. The tasting experiences features each of the four seasons as unique stations, each paired with a specific performance. In collaboration with Chef Heidi Ross, with dance performance by Empara and curated by Meg Paradowski. Featuring live improvised modular synth sounds by 2092. Buy your ticket for $30 today.
Taj
Chef, Niche Fragrance Collector, Creative Director, Astrologer
One of the most ritualistic and reorienting practices that I do during a transitory season is start cleaning. And I mean deep cleaning. It's something I've found myself doing almost instinctively—I clear out the spice rack, give a bag or so of items to GoodWill, get my oil changed, throw away old make-up, and on and on. I also do a lot of rearranging and curating. I'll pull green, musky fragrances to the front during a transition into fall, for example, because it helps me hold onto the sticky, lush pollen of the summer just a tiny bit longer.
I make seasonal playlists and edit my resume. I also take inventory of my personal goals. I ask myself, "Where did I say I wanted to be, again? Regardless of my orientation to that goal, am I comfortable where I am?" and then I adjust accordingly. Sometimes the thing that transition seasons highlight the most is how much we want to be where we already are (that's fixed energy into mutable energy), and sometimes transitions can't come fast enough; where we feel stuck and as though we must evolve (that's mutable energy into cardinal energy).
All in all, I'd say since this particular transition is moving from the slow, sticky summer into the violent temperamental weather of fall, pushing us to get as much done with the last bits of light we can. Check in with yourself—if you're feeling good about moving into a darker space in time (literally) then ride that wave. If you're feeling overwhelmed, maybe it's time for a deep clean.
Food
Right now I'm cooking the Japanese eggplant that's popping off in my garden boxes. Also the overgrown cucumbers, and the plethora of hot peppers (which I'm making prik nam pla with, and pepper jelly!)
Spicy food is comfort food to me (from my dad's BBQ to my moms gumbo with andouille), so anything I can add a bit of heat to is a bonus dish in my eyes. I've also been making a lot of hot soups, stews and braises. My latest experiment was braising whole, orange-wedge stuffed chicken in extra spicy giardiniera. It's simple and it was delicious.
Drink
Honestly, I've been vibing with Olipop for when I need a bubble fix. I don't understand why they put so much soluble fiber in those drinks, but it definitely makes me feel less guilty.
Sleep
I'm a morning person, so typically when the sun goes down my body starts to shut down. The problem is Tik Tok lol. I have a rule that if it's bedtime, I switch to audiobooks or podcasts (audio only) so that I can disengage with screens for a period of time before I sleep. That usually works pretty well!
Move
Walking walking walking. I walk to cafes, I walk around my neighborhood park, I walk to the store—it helps clear my headspace and pull me out of screens. I also try to go to the gym in the morning before work a few days a week, so that I can get some strength training in. I find that being physical before I start my workday helps me focus and feel more accomplished at the end of the day. It helps with sleep as well.
Breathe
This is tied into movement and sleep—I think cardio is a great way to get inside of your body and start to practice being more self-aware. It requires a lot of focus to control the tempo you must keep to do any type of endurance cardio.
Follow Taj on Tik Tok here. View more of their portfolio here.
Tori Amoscato
Acupuncturist, Founder of Lark Acupuncture and Wellness
We’re in late summer/early fall—it’s more fall in LA this week, but next week could be wildly hot. When the weather is dry, I look to nourish the Lung and Large Intestine systems to support immune health and release.
Eat
Eastern medicine recommends warm foods, especially when the weather starts to cool down, which helps denature the proteins to make them easier to digest and more bio-available, leaving us with more energy.
I’m especially into a warm breakfast this time of year, like squash cooked with bone broth, eggs, fresh herbs and the kale and pumpkin seed pesto from Lindsay Maitland Hunt’s wonderful cookbook, Help Yourself. I like to focus on nourishing meals with root vegetables, nuts and seeds, and to include broths in my cooking.
Drink
Ginger tea, hot water with lemon, Woodenspoon Herbs mushroom coffee and plenty of water.
Sleep
Always 8h, and a little earlier as the season shifts. My natural rhythm shifts earlier for both sleeping and wake times with the seasonal change. I trust it, and I look forward to it!
Move
Pilates and yoga, both moving breath practices, 5x/week, and lots of walking and hiking in the local hills to strengthen my lungs and my heart.
Breathe
I meditate every morning and focus on letting go with every breath. It supports my lungs as well as every part of my life, and I highly recommend it.
I also am getting immune system tune-ups at my acupuncturist and switching up my seasonal herbs—it’s a great time of year to check in with your practitioners and prep your body for the cooler months.
Buy Here’s Where to Start: a short video workshop for self-inquiry and action ✨
Rachel Day
Acupuncturist, Herbalist, Founder of Day Acupuncture
In Chinese Medicine we live in accordance with the seasons. Summer is a time of what we call more “yang energy." I give an example from my mentor Russell, about the seasonal cycle being a ferris wheel. During summer, we are at the top of the ferris wheel.
Summer is usually spent mostly outside in the sun, usually traveling or seeing lots of friends. In Chinese medicine we call late august to early September ‘Late summer’ as a distinctly different time between summer and fall. This is the descent of the ferris wheel. (Click through the IG post to see a visual representation of the wheel!)
In late summer, we tend to feel the exhaustion of all the outward activity in our bodies. I recommend to myself and my patients that this is a good time to slow down and sort of regroup. This is a good time to spend checking back in with our bodies. For me this looks like getting acupuncture, and resting a little more. I also took some time off at the begging of September to get organized on some personal projects.
Eat
In the fall, we are focused on foods that are hydrating to combat the drying nature of the season. I am back to having congee for breakfast, alongside incorporating more broths with meals like bone broth and miso soup. I am reminding patients that focusing on warm foods this time of year is key! (This is the major school of thought in Chinese Medicine!)
Drink
My occasional iced lattes are no more and I am only drinking hot beverages!
Soak
I love soaking in epsom salt to help unwind after a busy day at work to help relax and ease my muscles.
Book a session with Rachel. Catch up on her amazing Substack here. It’s full of “Ways To Take Care.”
Kyle Miller
Yoga Instructor, Retreat Leader
The seasons are a huge passion of mine since learning about them through the lens of Traditional Chinese Medicine from my teacher Nevine Michaan. Now I incorporate the lessons from the seasons and the movement between the polarities of yin and yang into my daily life. Fall marks the transition from the high point of yang energy (think output, external growth, all things solar, activity, doing, sunlight, brightness) towards yin energy (lunar, internal, receptive, quiet, dark). All of nature begins to slow and rather than expanding outward with the new growth of spring and the utter ripeness of summer, things fall away. Days get shorter and there's less heat and light in the atmosphere.
To harmonize and embody the season, move through the transition with consciousness and allow yourself to follow nature's lead. There are so many ways to do this. Rest more. Notice how nature is shifting.
Move
Book a trip to see the leaves change (I have one cabin left for my yoga and nature retreat in Pennsylvania. It’s at a regenerative farm during the height of fall's colors!). Allow yourself to be more yin and to recognize and appreciate that nature is preparing for the most yin time of the year, winter.
Meditate
Introspective practices like journaling, meditation, and yoga can help you reflect on your experiences and gain insight. I like to stay very aware of the seasonal transition and to observe how I feel, to notice my own energy shifting with nature's patterns.
Eat
I allow myself to rest, read, bake, and appreciate all of the seasonal delicacies.
Drink
Order a pumpkin spice latte!
Catch Kyle teaching yoga every day of the week. Browse her retreats here.
Andrea Amez
You know me!
Eat
As we often experience sickness during this transition, my partner and I try to cook as seasonally as possible. We focus on stews, soups and cooked root vegetables. Because we are following the cycles of nature, root vegetables will help support the skin and most importantly overall vitality. Root vegetables help strengthen the sacral chakras, so there is some emotional support there too. I’m a proud SOUP girl through and through, so I feel very supported in the fall. I crave bean stews and lots of sweet potatoes and squash. I love hearty vegetables, so this really is my season.
Drink
Well in terms of alcohol, my drinking really starts to decrease from here until the end of the year (minus the holidays). I’ve worked really hard to lessen my wine drinking as the sugar truly at this age makes me feel like absolute crap. I’m drinking tons of tea and there is so much fun one can have here. With my specific constitution (and when I say constitution I’m referring to TCM and the work I do with my acupuncturists) I run quite damp so I end my nights with either licorice root, peppermint or spearmint as a digestive tea.
I typically wake up and have about 8-12oz of water and I add some Ting by Moon juice, which has basically gotten me off caffeine almost entirely. During my work day, my goal is to drink 64oz or about 2 liters of water and I often have beef bone broth as a snack somewhere in the afternoon for energy and collagen support. Beef broth and hydration is a big way to support your immunity here. (Keep reading to receive a special bone broth recipe by Camila down below!) And have no fear, I’m steering towards a no/low caffeine lifestyle, but there is nothing wrong with it– I just want to make that clear.
Sleep
As the sun starts to slowly fade at an earlier time, you may find yourself feeling sleepy at an earlier time. This is so natural. Sleeping and rest is everything. For your night time routines, start to consider more emollient moisturizers or re-introducing back your oil cleanser if you were taking a break from them during the summer.
Also, we always call the fall and winter “acids, peels and treatment season.” The reason is because the sun/UV index is no longer as strong or powerful as it was during the summer, we can now start to focus on more corrective and aging forward products by using retinols, AHA/BHAs and acids more aggressively– it’s simply safer not to do this during the summer. Remember to start slow and reintroduce these ingredients / products 2x a week as a starting point.
Move
This is so vital to health, immunity and skin support. When we move, we are supporting our vascular system and our lymphatic system. I’ve become very gracious with myself in the realm of movement and exercise – my baseline goal and my suggestion for you is to move at least 30 minutes a day to get circulation and blood flow. Stretching and mobility is something I couldn’t stress enough especially if you are entering your 30s or 40s – a small routine will really change how you feel when you wake up.
With healthy cardio and lymph, which can be as easy as jump-roping, walking, skipping or bouncing, you are cueing your body to release toxins. We want a steady flow and constant release! As the seasons start to get colder, it is equally, if not more important, to move during this time. Although hibernation is imminent, we must must MOVE. I also recommend diving into more yin-paced things like slow flows and restorative yoga. I love Kyle Miller, whose tips you just read, the crew at Silver Springs in LA and of course Sky Ting in New York.
Breathe
These days I do most of my breathing exercises with my yoga instructors. I have slipped away from a daily meditation practice, but I consider yogic breathing to be the gateway towards that. I’m making this work for me. Skin and health support lies so much in our central nervous system and managing the big one– STRESS. Stress can cellularly wreak havoc on our bodies. Breathing and movement are two key tools to really to help self-soothe and regulate your nervous system. Many of my clients have enjoyed using the meditation app OPEN, which I have yet to try, but I’m interested!
Protect
It's cold and flu season so protect your neck and feet to avoid catching that fall cold (which I sadly caught last week, icky)! It's going around, as well as surges in COVID-19. Be mindful, wash your hands and stock up on vitamin c (liposomal is best). Zinc tablets, propolis throat spray, elderberry or throat coat lozenges, and herbs from a licensed practitioner are also great to have on hand in case sickness hits.
With all this in mind, please enjoy Autumn! Shed what’s dead, embrace what’s growing!
Tell us if you resonate with these tips, and if you have anything to add, please share it in the comments.
ÁMEZING RECIPE
Herb Infused Bone Broth by Camila Creates
INGREDIENTS
4 pounds of beef or chicken bones, preferably a mix of marrow bones and bones with a little meat on them.
3 medium unpeeled carrots, cut into 2-inch pieces
1 large leek, end trimmed, cut into 2-inch pieces
1 medium white onion, quartered
1 garlic head, halved crosswise
6 celery stalks, cut into 2-inch pieces
2 bay leaves
2 sprigs of rosemary
8 slices of whole Reishi mushroom (not powdered)
¼ cup of chopped ginger (peeling not necessary)
1 tablespoons black peppercorns
1 tablespoon ashwagandha root
1 tablespoon burdock root
1 tablespoon unrefined sea salt
2 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
1 sheet of wakame
8-quart (or larger) stockpot or a large slow cooker
PREPARATION
Preheat oven to 450°F. Place beef or chicken bones on a roasting pan or rimmed baking sheet and roast for 20 minutes. Toss around the contents of the pan and continue to roast until deeply browned, about 20 minutes more.
Into your stockpot, add the roasted bones, along with the rest of the ingredients and 12 cups of water (super high quality filtered water - NO tap water!) Add more water if necessary to cover bones and vegetables.
Bring contents of the pot to a gentle boil. Then reduce heat to a very low simmer and allow to simmer, skimming excess fat occasionally, for at least 8 hours (but up to 24 hours) on the stovetop. The longer you simmer it, the better your broth will be. Add more water if necessary to ensure bones and vegetables are fully submerged at all times.
Remove the pot from the heat and let cool. Strain broth using a fine-mesh sieve and discard bones and compost the vegetables. Let the broth cool completely before storing. Broth can be stored for up to 5 days in the refrigerator and up to 6 months in the freezer.
ÁMEZING UPDATES
Our Aliangé x Ámez pollutant masks should be arriving any day freshly bottled form Australia. Thank you for your patience!
We are so thrilled for all of you to have these restocked on your shelfies ;)
And for those who are new to the product, I can’t wait for you to try it! We are so proud of this formulation. They will be sold online on amezskin.com and in-studio as well. We have some new treatments that are in development, hopefully by the end of October, so stay tuned for more updates! We are also gearing up and amping up our retail section and we will soon be offering a small curation of beauty products, which will be available in the studio only. So much good to come!
😊