Vata-Balancing Yoga: An Ayurvedic Yoga Sequence for Fall
- juliegtheyogi
- 6 days ago
- 5 min read
Feeling a little scattered as the seasons shift? This Ayurvedic yoga sequence for fall helps you ground your energy, release tension and move into the season with calm, clarity and warmth.
In Ayurveda, yoga's sister science, known as the "sacred knowledge of life," fall marks the rise of vata dosha, which brings with it the elements of air and ether (space) and the qualities of dry, cool, light and mobile. That's great news for creativity and fresh starts, but not so great if you’re already feeling anxious, restless, scattered or exhausted.
That’s where yoga comes in—not just any yoga, but a sequence designed specifically to balance vata. An Ayurvedic yoga sequence for fall focuses on slowing down, grounding and breathing deeply.
This yoga sequence is my go-to during the fall when things can get pretty chaotic; it can help you find steadiness and ease.
Why Fall Needs a Different Flow
Think of vata season like the wind—it moves constantly, never quite still. When vata is out of balance, you might feel:
Scattered
Overwhelmed and anxious
Have trouble sleeping
Experience dry skin and digestion issues
To stay grounded through the season, your yoga practice should focus on:
Slower, intentional movement
Longer holds and steady breath
Grounding, strengthening poses
Time for stillness and reflection
10 Yoga Poses, 20 Minutes: Ayurvedic Yoga Sequence for Fall
Move slowly, breathe deeply and make a ritual to reconnect and restore as part of your morning routine or evening routine.
Total time: 20 minutes
1. Easy Seated Pose and Breathwork (3 to 5 minutes)
Sit comfortably. Rest your hands on your knees. Close your eyes or keep them open with a steady gaze in front of you. Begin by observing your breath or with calming, grounding pranayama like Nadi Shodhana (Alternate Nostril Breathing).
Why it helps: Calms the nervous system and invites grounding energy
Try this mantra: I am steady. I am supported.
2. Balasana (Child’s Pose) – 5 breaths
Find Tabletop, take your knees as wide as your yoga mat, sink your sit bones to your heels and forehead to the mat. Stretch your arms forward or rest them alongside your legs. Breathe deeply into your back body.
Why it helps: Encourages surrender, softens mental chatter and grounds energy
3. Marjaryasana/Bitilasana (Cat-Cow) – 5 rounds
From Tabletop, inhale drop your belly toward the ground and lift the heart, exhale to round your spine toward the sky. Keep alternating between these two movements and keep them slow and intentional.
Why it helps: Gently warms the spine and encourages fluidity in a grounded way
4. Anjaneyasana (Low Lunge) – 5 breaths per side
From Tabletop, bring your right foot between your hands. With right knee stacked above your right ankle, reach your arms overhead or place them on your right thigh. After five breaths, move back to Tabletop and repeat on the other side.
Why it helps: Opens hips and grounds the lower body, which can be tight during vata season
5. Virabhadrasana II (Warrior II) – 5 breaths per side
From Tadasana (Mountain Pose), bring your feet about one leg's distance apart (length-wise on a yoga mat). Bend your right knee over your right ankle and turn your left toes in and left heel out. Extend your arms into a "T" position and look past your right fingers. Focus on a steady gaze and grounding through your feet. After five breaths, switch sides.
Why it helps: Builds strength and presence and helps you feel rooted
6. Prasarita Padottanasana (Wide-Legged Forward Fold ) – 5 breaths
With legs wide, turn your toes slightly inward and your heels outward. Bring your hands to the ground, yoga blocks or your ankles. Allow your upper body to surrender and feel supported by the ground or blocks.
Why it helps: Releases tension and calms your mind
7. Paschimottanasana (Seated Forward Fold) – 5 breaths
Find a seat on the ground and bring your legs forward. Flex your ankles and ground the back of your legs to the earth. Reach your arms up on an inhale. As you exhale fold from your hips, resting your hands on your shins, feet or the ground. Focus on lengthening the spine on each inhale and sinking a little deeper into the stretch with each exhale.
Why it helps: Soothes the nervous system and draws energy inward
8. Setu Bandha Sarvangasana (Bridge Pose) – 5 breaths
Bring your back and feet to the mat. Walk your heels toward your sit bones and press your feet into the mat to lift your hips to the sky. Keep your arms alongside your body with your palms on the ground.
Why it helps: Opens the heart space and strengthens the legs, promoting energy and calm
9. Supine Twist – 5 breaths per side
Hug your knees in, and let them fall gently to the right side. Bring your arms to a "T" and melt your shoulders on the mat. Keep your gaze toward the sky or shift it toward the left. Breathe into your belly. After five breaths, switch sides. Modification: Instead of a twist, take your feet as wide as your mat and let your inner knees fall toward each other. Rest your hands on your belly, or one hand on heart, one hand on belly.
Why it helps: Unwinds tension and helps with digestion (of thoughts and experiences, too)
10. Savasana (Relaxation Pose) – 5+ minutes
Extend your legs forward mat distance apart and bring your arms alongside your body with your palms facing up. Come back to observing your breath.
Why it helps: Deeply restores your body and calms your mind
Ayurvedic After-Yoga Rituals
After your practice, try these simple Ayurvedic tips to seal in the calm.
Drink a cup of warm tea like ginger tea.
Eat warm, grounding meals—think soups, stews and roasted veggies.
Journal or rest quietly for a few moments before reentering your day.
Practice Abhyanga (self-massage with warm sesame oil) before a shower or bath.
Your Fall Flow
A fall yoga practice doesn’t have to be fancy or long—it just needs to be nourishing. Think warm, slow, steady and supportive. Ayurveda has this gentle presence in your life that reminds you that when you live in sync with the seasons, you thrive.
So let this sequence be your invitation to turn inward, slow down and care for yourself in a way that feels deeply nourishing and supports your lifestyle.
Want more Ayurvedic self-care tips like this?
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Note that this website is for informational purposes only and should not be used as a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Speak with your doctor before beginning any new exercise routine or wellness plan.