Autumn is Vata season. Ayurveda teachings share a lot about adjusting to each season. How we eat, how we exercise, our lifestyles, can all help us be balance our personal physiology. By knowing your own balance (or imbalance) and the tendency of the seasonal change to disrupt you, the most individualized approach is possible. This article gives general info about the season. For more about your own personal balance, consult with me or another Ayurveda practitioner.
Of course where you live determines what the season is like. I live in Colorado. It’s generally dry, changeable, windy, high in altitude, so thin of air. These conditions tend to increase the Vata in our systems – more air and space. Our Falls tend to be temperate moving slowly into colder temperatures – unless there’s a sudden snow storm, which is also possible. It can be windy.
In general, Autumn is a Vata season – when plants die back, crops are harvested, leaves fall from trees, nights become cooler and frost will begin to appear. It is a time of Nature letting go above ground, going down into the roots in preparation for Winter cold.
So to guard against the drying, changeable, cooling effects of Autumn, eating a cooked, soupy diet of seasonal vegetables is in order. Crockpot meals are handy and soothing. Avoid any foods that cause gas for you, such as beans or broccoli, unless very well cooked and spiced to increase digestion. That expansive property is too common in this season. Root vegetables are very grounding and balancing for Vata.
Protect yourself against the wind and cold by covering yourself, especially your head and neck.
Vata can agitate the nervous system. After the long days and activities of summer, it becomes time to guard against too much activity, electronics or other ways that can over stimulate us. We begin the inward turning, just as the sun recedes from our hemisphere as the Earth tips away from it.
Other Vata soothing measures that you may include in your daily routines include:
- slow, gentle warm oil massages with sesame or almond oil before warm showers or baths
- keep well hydrated to maintain physiology
- drink warming teas – ginger tea is especially indicated
- keep a routine for eating and sleeping times
- moderate exercise and time in nature and fresh air
- moderate sexual activity to avoid depletion
- be settled, avoiding too much travel or moving your home or business
Autumn is a wonderful time to enjoy the harvest of food and memories from the summer work and play.
