Noticing the shifts in light, temperature and energy that accompanies any changing season?
It is important that we change with the seasons — just as nature does — by adapting our daily habits, movement practice and food choices. According to Ayurveda, there are three primary doshas, or energies. Just as each person has a dosha that predominates, each season is also dominated by one of the three Doshas - Vata, Pitta, Kapha.
The fall brings with it a predominance of air element and prana (the vital breath, the subtle essence of life) is abundant in the atmosphere.. The Vata Dosha is most prevalent during autumn. Vata governs movement in the body, as well as activating the nervous system and the processes of elimination. The qualities of Vata are cold, dry, rough, light, changeable, irregular and moving; windy, cool, subtle, erratic and clear (or empty). Vata is composed of the elements of air and space. Because of Vata’s association with the nervous system, its state is often reflected in our mental health.
But while we cannot change the seasonal weather shifts, we can maintain internal balance by adjusting our lifestyles to counter the predominant Vata energy in nature.
6 food recommendations how to stay grounded and calm
1. Choose foods that are warm, cooked and moist. Sweet, salty and sour tastes are calming to Vata.
2. Eat autumnal food and herbs. Eat root vegetables to enhance
your connection to the earth.
3. Eat lots of warm soups 4. Eat two apples a day to aid with elimination. It is important to feast on plenty of fresh, late-summer harvested fruits
5. Drink enough hot water in the morning on an empty stomach, optional to add some freshly squeezed lemon. Drink warm tea of fresh ginger, cardamom and cinnamon. This will warm the body and enhance circulation and digestion. If not this tea, aim to drink some kind of warm beverage.
6. Increase your intake of warming spices such as ginger, basil, cardamon, cinnamon, salt, cloves, mustard, black pepper, fennel, and asafoetida.
7 healthy lifestyle tips for adults 1. Sleep! Try to get a enough sleep during night. 2. Take walks in nature, bathe in the forest. Get your body rhythms in tune with the Earth. Walk on her. Feel her beneath your feet. 3. Whenever the sun is out, turn your head towards it and absorb the sun energy for at least 1-2 min. each time through your eyes 4. Consistent, moderate exercise regulates Vata’s mobile nature, best in the morning 6-10am and evening 6-9pm 5. Curb your tendency to talk unnecessarily, and settle into the rejuvenation of silence whenever possible. Commit to a regular meditation practice to assist in quieting, centering and grounding the active Vata mind. You can allow yourself to make time to disconnect from the world so you can connect with yourself. 6. Apply oils to the skin to keep it most. Warm oil possibly. This practice, called oleation, reduces the Vata emotions of anxiety, depression, fear and nervousness. Book an Ayurvedic Treatment like Abhyanga and Shirodhara. 7. Practice everyday Alternate Nostril Breathing before you eat. 8. The art of organising and tidying up. Fall is busy ... just watch the squirrels. Use this time to declutter. By being surrounded only by the things that spark joy, your life naturally begins to achieve clarity.
Stay grounded. A regular routine and plenty of rest is the best way to pacify Vata.
