Welcome to the airy, light, irregular, cold, dry, rough, and windy season of Vata! As our external environment shifts to this state, our internal environment shifts to a more ethereal and airy state as well. Have you noticed a change in your body or mind? Do you feel more anxious, overwhelm, restlessness, dry, cold, creative, inspired? That's all vata energy babyyyy.
Our bodies naturally desire more structure, grounding, nourishment, strengthening, and balance during this time. Remember like increases like, so if you are going against the natural rhythms of your body + nature, you are going to be feeling a lot of resistance. Here are my Ayurvedic recommendations so you can feel your most balanced self during autumn.
Get your sh*t together: Having any type of structure will keep you organized and focused on your goals (which counteracts the irregularity and anxiety of Vata). Whether you use a planner, journal, sticky notes, Asana, a whiteboard calendar, or perhaps you have an awesome tribe to hold you accountable for meditation/exercise/etc, having an outlet to store your tasks + ideas will help you create and maintain healthy habits. You can also look back and see the progress you have made over time. Having a consistent routine will help alleviate any stress and will keep you grounded. We are also about to enter the holiday season, which is where a lot of us tend to play and indulge with food, parties, alcohol, and gifts. While those are all enjoyable, be mindful to not lose sight of your vision either. It's about balance and moderation.
Go out in nature: Earthing is especially wonderful during the cooler months. When we place our bare feet on the earth's soil, we absorb the earth's electrons, and this energy rejuvenates and balances our charkas. Earthing helps with our immunity, blood flow, cellular repair, and brings us into a more calmer, peaceful state. If you are traveling, I encourage you to earth afterwards and notice how you feel mentally and physically. Try to earth for 2-5 minutes, then work your way up.
You can also take a walk or place a blanket down on the earth and observe the trees, air, water, animals, flowers, and plants. You can mediate, read, practice yoga, write, or draw. How does nature inspire you?
Consume warming, hydrating, nourishing foods and herbs: Unfortunately, according to Ayurveda, smoothies are not recommended during the cooler months (unless they are room temperature or warm). To stimulate your digestion in the mornings, consume warm water with lemon, cinnamon, and ginger. This will ignite your agni, aka your digestive fire, and will help with elimination. You can add a bit of honey as well if you desire.
Favor foods such as carrots, steamed greens, sweet potatoes, squash, pumpkin, and parsnips, rice, and quinoa. Stews, curries, and soups will help keep the body warm, grounded, and nourished.
Ghee is an excellent source of healthy fats, and keeps the body warm and lubricated. It helps with digestion and elimination, and is also great for the skin. Add ghee to your fall dishes for extra nutrients. Depending on where your dosha, Vatas Kap
Herbs to incorporate this season are turmeric, ginger, nutmeg, cinnamon, fennel, coriander, and cardamom. These assist with digestion, inflammation, immune function, blood circulation, and detoxification. If you need some extra kidney and liver support, dandelion is great for detoxing. Avoid anything raw, cold, dry, which will only aggravate vata.
Move your body: Favor more strengthening, grounding, and balancing practices. For exercise, incorporate weight training, kickboxing, or tai chi. For yoga, include asanas such as tree pose, chair, yoga squat, warrior 3 (any of the warriors, really), sun salutations, plank, and dancer.
Balance with breathwork: Alternative nostril breathing helps balances out the left and right hemispheres of the brain, reducing anxiety and bringing in a sense of calm. Kapalabhati breath (skull shining breath) brings heat to the body and clarity to the mind. It stimulates digestion, lungs, sinuses, and strengthens the abdomen. If those options are too advanced for you, try the 4 by 4 breath work. Inhale for 4, hold for 4, and exhale for 4. This is a grounding practice that relaxes the nervous system. Do 4 rounds and notice how calm you feel!
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