Fall and early winter is Vata season, when the summer season of productivity has passed, and all of nature, being a bit depleted from the effort, begins to grow dry, brittle, and cool. The breeze picks up, foliages dry and drop, a crispness enters the air, and the light becomes softer. Intuitively we start to long for warm, cozy clothes, roasted pumpkin and squash, hardy soups and stews, and time to cozy up with a cup of tea and rest. When Vata dosha is high in the environment around us, it elevates the level of Vata in our minds and bodies too, causing us to feel a bit more airy, scattered, sometimes anxious, spacy, erratic with our energy levels, a little more chaotic and airy in general, and in need of more warmth and rest. Here’s why and what to do to ground and nourish ourselves during this inspiring, waning, and diminishing season.
UNDERSTANDING VATA DOSHA
Vata dosha is one of the three functional energies that animates all of life, according to the ancient, holistic philosophy and science of Ayurveda. Vata is comprised of the elements of ether and air, and its qualities are cool, dry, mobile, light, irregular, rough, and spacious. This means that during Vata season, which spans the fall and early winter months, there are more of these qualities in the environment, which by nature increases them in the mind and body.
When Vata dosha is balanced, it brings us spontaneity, creativity, inventiveness, lightness, clarity, and flexibility. We can feel more clear-headed, inspired, full of ideas, and ready for action. Vata loves movement, so whenever we get the urge to travel or make a change, it’s Vata energy at play. All change increases Vata too, which can push it out of balance.
When Vata is out of balance in our bodies, it can take shape in experiences like sore or cracking joints, aches and pains, erratic sleep or appetite; or feeling scattered, spacy, or anxious. Too much Vata from so much depletion and activity and change can cause hair and nails to be brittle and can weaken digestion and absorption.
BALANCING VATA DOSHA
The good thing is that there are many simple shifts and adjustments we can make to start to calm, ground, and nourish Vata dosha and return to a more harmonious mental and physical state. Ayurveda, which is an ancient and comprehensive system of healing and wellbeing, teaches a simple principle for returning to balance: Like creates more like (and imbalance) while opposites soothe (and restore balance).
Where there is an excess of anything, take the fall’s cool, dry wind for example, which can feel very irritating to a lot of people, especially if they are naturally Vata-dominant, anything physically or metaphysically “mobile” or “drying” will accumulate more mobility and dryness and cause imbalance in the body and mind (causing anxiousness, irritability, feeling spacy or airy, aches and pains, and/or causing gas and bloating and potentially constipation in the digestion). Conversely, anything physically or metaphysically “grounding” or “nourishing” will help reduce that chaos and dryness and restore balance to the body, mind, digestion, and overall health.
The same goes for Vata’s depleting nature: anything depleting in our work, diet, or experiences (including music we listen to or shows we watch) increases that depletion and can make us feel more agitated or exhausted or even more vulnerable to getting sick. At the same time, anything grounding and nourishing will help us stabilize and build back more immunity, stamina, and vitality. It’s a wonderfully simple and logical rule of thumb.
ACTIVITY RECOMMENDATIONS
During Vata season, try to reduce the amount of change, travel, or exertion in your life. It’s time to wind down for the season. Your body and mind need grounding and nourishment after the productivity of the summer, just as we see around us in nature. Instead of going for a run or a long workout, opt for a walk, or a grounding yoga practice, or lifting weights to build more stability in the body. It’s important to stay warm, so bring that extra layer and keep yourself cozy. It will do a lot for your immunity and vitality.
If you are working weddings and events, the very nature of event work is chaotic and erratic, so it is Vata aggravating. All you need is to counterbalance that high level of activity and constant change with more grounding and nourishing activities, like having a cup of tea and sitting for 5-10 minutes to breathe each morning (Try My 5-Minute Mindfulness Practice!), get to bed early, and try to keep to a routine with when you get up, when you take your meals, and when you go to sleep. Structure and routine are the two keys to balancing Vata dosha.
NUTRITION RECOMMENDATIONS
During Vata season, if you listen to your body, you already know what feels good (and is balancing and nourishing) this season: warm cooked foods, hearty soups and stews, roasted root vegetables, warm ginger tea, and basically comfort foods. The most helpful things during Vata season to reduce are: cold beverages, dry foods like popcorn or kale chips, raw vegetables or roughage, and any kind of chaos in your day.
The most helpful things during Vata season to increase are: warm beverages, warm and cooked foods that are unctuous and grounding (oatmeal, stewed apples, cinnamon spice, curry spice, rice and lentils, roasted kabocha squash, steamed or sauteed greens or other vegetables, etc.), and keeping to a routine with your mealtimes. Try to have a warm breakfast by 8am, a warm and hardy lunch around 12:30/1pm, and a warm cooked and spiced dinner by or before 7pm. These may sound like odd and arbitrary details when it comes to overall health, but Ayurveda teaches that the seat of all health is in the digestion. We are not what we eat; we are what we digest. These guidelines help our body to have a stronger digestion and absorption of nutrients, which directly contributes to our immunity and vitality, especially during Vata season.
LIFESTYLE RECOMMENDATIONS
During the fall and winter months, balance your Vata with structure, routine, and time to rest. Go to sleep early — ideally before 10pm. Wake naturally before dawn after having a full 8 hours of sleep. Have warm ginger tea in the morning and bring both grounding foods and grounding activities into your lifestyle. Simplify. During Vata season, less chaos means happier and more balanced Vata. It might feel really good to go through your closet or belongings and do a “fall purge,” which is great for making space and freeing up energy. Just make sure you also keep to your routine and give yourself intentional time to relax and feel grounded.
Wear warm, cozy clothes that feel good to wear. Opt for warmer, brighter colors. Play cheerful music, and give yourself space to be free and creative just for fun. Vata energy loves to explore, have alone time, and creatively play. Give it the support and nourishment it needs in your own being to thrive this season. Go to sleep early, and sleep well this season.
THE GIFTS OF VATA DOSHA & VATA SEASON
Vata energy is bright, clear, playful, creative, and inventive. It is a wonderful energy to feel, and it’s a fun season to experience as all of nature around us goes through a big shift from productivity into dormancy before the rebirth in the spring. This is such a fun time to enjoy that sparkly creative energy and also to really make a loving effort with yourself to create a routine, to nourish and ground yourself, and to allow for time to rest and recuperate. Celebrate what is, feel gratitude for the abundance of life, and look after yourself as you would the person you love most. Vata season reminds us of the importance of cycles and rest to our health and wellbeing.
A GENTLE REMINDER
And just a reminder as I bring this to a close: Ayurveda has a lot of guidelines and so much wonderful advice that at times it may feel overwhelming or like so much to change or try that it’s not possible. What I love about Ayurveda is that alongside all of these helpful guidelines, it also teaches that you only need to do the best you can at any time. Being gentle and supportive with ourselves is much more important than doing “everything right” and feeling stressed about it (or about not doing it all). Just do the best you can — pick one or two things to adopt, and see how you feel. If you were to choose only two things from what you’ve learned in this post, my advice would be to make it (a) eat warm, cooked foods, and (b) make a regular daily routine out of when you wake up, when you take meals, and when you go to sleep.
With love and support for you, friend!
XX
If you enjoyed this post, you might also like:
- Simple & Nourishing Tridoshic Kitchari Recipe
- Winter: Kapha Season Tips for Balance & Wellbeing
- 5-Minute Mindfulness Practice
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Cover image captured here in the studio by Stetten Wilson.