As we come into March on the East Coast of Australia the late summer winds start to appear more frequently. At first, they are welcome, the breeze is a relief, but they soon become overpowering because of the heat they carry from inland.
Even so, those lazy late summer afternoon naps can be a thing of joy and help us catch up on lost sleep. Napping is something you don't need as an adolescent, but something discovered, as the decades roll by.
Sleep is an important health topic and next to stress it affects our wellbeing the most. I mean a lack of sleep or more to the point a lack of good undisturbed sleep, and the rest that our body needs to rejuvenate and function well.
Any mother can tell you the value of finding a few minutes for a power nap. Poor sleeping can run down your immune system very quickly and sleep habits can affect others around you. Snoring and sleep apnea are only a few of the topics we will cover this month in our Vitalis Library.
I guess, we have to remember we spend many waking hours doing exercise, eating right and taking care of our needs. Yet we often fall into neglect with planned sleep patterns for health and well-being. It is puzzling when you consider that we spend quite a bit of our life in a somnific state.
March is an interesting time of year because of the Equinox. Strangely Australians do not celebrate the Equinox. Even though it is harvest time. This is strange because most traditional cultural events occur around seasonal activities. The tradition of the harvest like Octoberfest or Spring festivals, which are especially important festivities welcoming the end of Winter and embracing increased
activity.
In the cultural anomaly that is Australia, we celebrate a lot of Northern hemisphere festivities completely out of line with the seasons and our bodies digestive rhythms.
In the other half of the world. Stone fruit provides a release for the colon in Spring and Summer months from needed comfort food that was consumed during Winter. At Christmas you show gratitude and feast, preparing for the Winter cold.
In contrast, Australians eat Turkey, Ham and Triffle in December when it is hot, to honor Northern traditions. When we should be eating Mangos Avocadoes and Prawns.
The availability of food year-round and out of season confuses our bodies.
It is an interesting cultural question for Australia and admittedly we celebrate Christmas in July at our house. We buy our organic Turkey in December when they are available in the marketplace and then we freeze them till the Winter Solstice.
Our Southern Hemisphere Neighbours have not let the harvest Equinox pass without fanfare.
In Argentina the Fiesta Nacional de la Vendimia takes place annually. It is a world-renowned celebration of wine and wine making and one of the most important festivals in the country. The festivals roots are sown in the combining of local Indian culture and Colonialists in the 18th century.
There are ten nights of celebration with shows and ceremonies of folkloric dancing and the coronation of the national harvest queen. The African continent is largely the same.
Ok, we almost forgot about St Patricks Day which falls in March!
St. Patrick's Day has grown into an excuse to meet up with mates for a drink and tell tall tales. All in good spirit of course. St. Patrick is the patron saint of Ireland. The holiday celebrates Irish culture with parades, special foods, music, dancing, drinking and a whole lot of green. But is not a seasonal holiday linked to the Equinox.
St Patrick is touted to protect us against false prophets, heathens, heretics, witches and warlocks.
I reckon we all need a bit of help from St Patrick in our modern media environment!
Meanwhile, come in for a colonic and help yourself!
Regards,
