New blog & Fall Elderberry Syrup, the Ayurvedic Way
Hey friends! I’m starting a blog here on my website.
You’ll find my seasonal wisdom, recipes and Ayurvedic tips posted here. If you’d like to go deeper, my Substack carries the same posts in expanded versions, with more of the why behind the practices, more classical Ayurveda and more ways to bring it into your daily life. [Substack blog] Grab a cup of tea and come explore with me.
Welcome to weekday wisdom! A space to deepen your understanding of the body’s rhythms and return to balance through presence, curiosity, and embodiment. These posts are here to help you learn the language of your body — one thread at a time. So grab a cup of tea, maybe a blanket, snuggle in and together let’s learn another layer of the body’s magic!
This week, we’re stepping into fall: what this season stirs up in the body, why it’s such an important time for our immunity, and how to care for yourself through it. And of course, I’m sharing my favorite Ayurvedic elderberry syrup to keep in your fridge all season long.
** Fall elderberry syrup recipe below
This season
Fall is here. The air turns crisp, the wind picks up, leaves blow around, and the days swing from warm afternoons to cold nights (well that depends where you are, but trust me, it’s a transitional season!)
In Ayurveda, each season has its own qualities, and our bodies take them on. Fall is dry, cool, light, rough, windy and always moving. These are the qualities of vata, the energy of air and space. That’s why fall is known as vata season. Whatever is happening outside starts happening inside us too.
What that looks like in the body
When vata builds up, you might notice:
Drier skin, cracked lips, brittle hair
Cold hands and feet
Lighter sleep, or waking up in the night
A busy, scattered or anxious mind
Achy, stiff or cracking joints
Gas, bloating or constipation
A scratchy throat, dry cough, or catching every cold going around
And in this season — immunity!
Two places feel this season most.
The gut. Specifically the colon. It’s the first place we feel fall, as gas, bloating and things not moving like they used to.The chest and throat (lungs). This is where breath lives. Dry, windy air leaves it vulnerable, and as the weather gets colder, mucus starts to build. That’s why colds and coughs show up now.
Ayurveda also sees a connection between the two. When things get stuck below, the energy that should move downward moves up instead, and it can show up as coughing and congestion. Caring for your digestion is part of caring for your lungs. (AKA colon health is lung health!)
What your body is asking for
Ayurveda balances with opposites. If fall is dry, cold, light and moving, your body is asking for:
Warmth: warm drinks, cooked food, warming spices
Moisture: good oils, soups, stews, oil massage
Grounding: routine, regular meals, rest, slowing down
Strong digestion: in Ayurveda, good digestion is the root of good immunity
Movement in the right direction: keeping your digestion regular so things flow down and out
A clear chest: helping the body let go of mucus before it settles in
Why this season matters for your immunity
In Ayurveda, immunity isn’t just about fighting off germs. The tradition describes it as the body’s ability to keep illness from taking hold, and to keep it milder when it does. That strength comes from ojas, the essence left over from good digestion. Ojas is the vitality that makes us resilient, steady and glowing. Warm food, good digestion, rest and routine build it. Dryness, stress, skipped meals and poor sleep wear it down.
This is why fall matters so much. Ayurveda teaches that imbalances build quietly before they show up as illness.
The dryness, depletion and scattered energy we let slide now don’t just disappear. They get carried into winter, when the cold and damp set in, and that’s when the colds, flus, lingering coughs, mood crashes, and exhaustion show up. The shift between seasons is an especially vulnerable time, when the body is adjusting and needs extra care.
Caring for yourself now is like preparing the soil before winter. You’re building the reserves you’ll draw on through the coldest, darkest months.
How to support
The simplest fall medicine is a warm, steady life: cooked meals at regular times, enough sleep, layers to stay warm, and a little oil on your skin. On top of that, this is my go-to syrup for the season.
Elderberry isn’t a traditional Ayurvedic herb, but it’s one of my favorite remedies and my body craves it every year! So I built this version the Ayurvedic way, designed to support our weaknesses in this season, and balancing the properties to make it perfect for everyone!
Fall Elderberry Syrup
Makes about 3 cups (48 servings)
Ingredients
1/2 cup dried elderberries (or 3/4 cup fresh, stems removed)
4 cups filtered water
3 tbsp fresh ginger, chopped
3 cinnamon sticks
4 whole cloves
2 long peppers (pippali)
5 black peppercorns
1 tsp licorice root
1 tsp coriander seeds
1 tbsp dried tulsi leaves (holy basil)
1 cup raw honey
Preparation
Put everything except the tulsi and honey into a pot with the water, and bring it to a boil.
Turn it down and simmer uncovered for about 45 minutes, until the liquid has reduced by about half.
Turn off the heat, add the tulsi, cover, and let it steep for 10 minutes.
Mash the berries, then strain through a cloth or fine strainer. Squeeze out every last drop.
Let it cool until it’s just warm to the touch, below about 104°F (40°C).
Stir in the honey until it’s fully dissolved.
Pour into clean glass bottles and keep in the fridge for up to 1–2 months.
How to take it: 1 teaspoon to 1 tablespoon 2-3x day through the season. Take it straight or in warm (not hot) water. For kids, 1 teaspoon daily.
Who should check first: Never give honey to babies under 1 year old. Licorice isn’t recommended with high blood pressure, kidney concerns or pregnancy. If you’re pregnant, nursing, have an autoimmune condition or take medications, talk with your practitioner before using it.
Fall asks us to slow down and come home: to our routines, our kitchens and our bodies. You don’t need to do everything perfectly. Warm your food, keep a rhythm, rest a little more, and keep a jar of this syrup in the fridge. Small, steady care now is what carries you through winter feeling strong. Tend to yourself this season the way you’d tend a garden before the first frost.
Thanks for being here!May this transitional time of year flow quietly through the body and I hope you are find calm, soft, peaceful, and connecting places to land Leah :)
More Ways to Connect and Go Deeper
If this post resonated, here are a few ways to keep exploring with me:
Read the expanded version on Substack. My Substack carries deeper versions of these posts, with more of the why, more classical Ayurveda and more practices to try. [Click here]
Book a session. I’m in La Ventana this season, seeing clients at Casa Tara Wellness Retreat. Consultations and Ayurvedic treatments are available, and you can enjoy the spa space before and after your session. [Click here]
Join a Panchakarma immersion. Ayurveda’s deepest reset, offered this winter at Casa Tara and this spring in California. [Click here]
Stay for a winter getaway. Make it a retreat with a stay at Casa Tara, including three Ayurvedic meals a day. [Casa Tara Info]
Follow along. Find everyday Ayurveda, recipes and seasonal tips on Instagram [@LeahLevenson_]
I’d love to hear from you. Reach out anytime with questions, or just to share how your fall is going. Leah@embodiedbeinghealing.com
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