Staying Well in Autumn

As the days become shorter, darker and cooler it’s a great time to turn inwards, slow down and take more rest.

According to Ayurveda (the sister science to yoga), Autumn is the season which aggravates Vata Dosha. Dosha means energy and there are three types based on the natural elements of fire, water, earth, air and ether (space).

Vata – Air + Ether (Autumn)

Pitta – Fire + Water (Summer)

Kapha – Earth + Water (Winter + Spring)

We are all made up in our mind-bodies of these five elements and most of us have a predominant one. Vata types are prone to insomnia, anxiety, constipation, feeling cold, fatigued and restlessness when unbalanced. Vata is made up of air and ether energies and is dry, cold, light and mobile. If we are a Vata type then we are even more prone to becoming unbalanced in the Autumn that any other time of year as this is when our Earth is most dry and windy really whipping up the Vata element.

Thinking of the Air + Ether element with it’s dry, light qualities, we want to counteract this coolness with warming, nourishing and grounding practices. Ways in which we can balance ourselves in Autumn are listed below:

Avoid light, dry foods like potato chips and crackers.

Keep warm, particularly your head where Vata accumulates by wearing a scarve around your neck and a beanie on your head.

Eat moist, cooked root vegetables that have been grown in the earth such as sweet potato, carrot, ginger, turmeric, fennel and beets.