Ayurveda + Fall

Ayurveda is beginning to blossom in the West because of its practical approach to self care. At it's foundation, Ayurveda is logical, accessible, and truly holistic. With a few basic concepts we are able to maintain and restore balance physically, mentally, and emotionally.
In Fall the air element is dominant. In Ayurveda we call this the Vata time of year. Imagine a windy Autumn day. The air is dry, cool and moving. Vata, like the wind, cannot be sensed directly--its expression is more subtle. We experience Vata by the way it colors our physical, mental and emotional experience. As these qualities in nature increase during the fall and winter seasons these qualities increase in our nature as well.

General Guidelines for Balancing Vata:
Follow a regular daily routine
Keep calm, meditate, listen to calming music, breathe, relax
Keep warm, avoid extreme cold. Take warm showers and baths
Do gentle exercises like yoga, tai chi, take walks
Massage the body daily with warm sesame oil
Go to bed early, rest when tired, take naps
Follow creative and artistic passions

Diet:
Foods that are in season such as root vegetables and winter squash will help nourish and balance the body. Try carrots, beets, sweet potatoes, pumpkin, acorn, butternut, and delicata squashes. These have the qualities of sweet, heavy, smooth, dense and moist and are the most balancing for vata. Casseroles, soups, and stews are easily digested and can be very nourishing for Vata, warming the body from the inside out.

Eat warm nourishing, fresh cooked foods and warming spices
Favor foods with sweet, sour and salty tastes
Limit foods with bitter, pungent and astringent tastes
Eat warming spices like ginger, cumin, coriander, cardamom, black pepper, and cinnamon
Incorporate ghee, sesame oil, and other healthful oils in the diet
Avoid ice cold drinks, particularly taken with meals or immediately after
Limit raw, cold foods such as salads and raw vegetables

via the Seventh Heaven Yoga Studio newsletter