Learn a fall self-care routine to help you stay balanced in autumn, which is not only pumpkin season but also vata season in Ayurveda.
Every season of the year is associated with a dosha (pitta, vata or kapha). Each dosha increases during its season, which means the weather has an impact on your dosha. Vata time of year is late autumn into early winter. Even if you have less vata in your constitution, you'll want to keep it in balance this time of year due to its seasonal impact.
Just as the summer heat can aggravate pitta qualities, fall weather can increase our vata qualities (called gunas). Clear, cold, dry, hard, light, mobile, rough and subtle qualities reign in the fall.
The colorful, crunchy autumn leaves are a great example of many of the vata qualities that are present this time of year. When leaves turn dry and light, they can no longer attach to the tree branches because of the vata elements air and ether.
Vata governs all movement in the body and is behind our racing thoughts and multitasking, so it’s challenging for people with excess vata to be still. They crave variety and can adapt to change quickly.
When out of balance, people with excess vata lack consistency and are scattered. They’re great at beginning things—just not finishing them. They tend to drink less water, skip meals, eat cold foods and move quickly and often. An imbalance in vata can create deficiencies, which leads to dryness.
Of all the dosha types, people with a vata imbalance have the most sensitive constitution and have the weakest digestion.
When vata is in balance, creativity flows, energy is steady, and the mind is calm and focused.
Fall Self-Care Routine to Balance Vata
People with excess vata tend to have an inconsistent daily routine. Following a self-care routine that aligns your daily rhythms with the rhythms of nature can pacify vata. Below are some vata-balancing self-care practices to help you feel warm, grounded, nourished, focused and calm.
People with a vata imbalance need more sleep than the other dosha types. Wake up at the same time every day—around 6 a.m. when kapha morning time begins.
Drink warm water with lemon in the morning. The post-digestive taste of lemon is heating.
Practice balancing breath work, such as Nadi Shodhana (Alternate Nostril Breathing).
Eat warm, cooked meals to support digestion, and eat at consistent times every day in a peaceful setting free from distractions.
Practice Abhyanga (self-massage with oil) with warm sesame oil before a shower or bath.
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