Seasonal changes are the most important times to take care of your health because shifts in the weather can create imbalance in your body and mind. As we move from the hot days of summer into the cool, windy days of fall, it’s essential to adjust your routine to stay healthy! Having an Ayurvedic fall routine will keep you calm and healthy during the shifts and changes.
As the leaves begin to fall in September, nature shows us that it’s time to let go and prepare for the new season. The change from summer to fall can make us more vulnerable to health issues. We might experience weakened digestion, allergies, bloating, dryness, restlessness, anxiety, or trouble sleeping.
During this time, we need to balance the effects of summer (Pitta dosha) with the incoming fall (Vata dosha). If we don’t address Pitta's leftover heat and inflammation and start supporting Vata’s cooling and windy qualities, we can feel “burned out,” like a forest fire. Ayurveda, an ancient health system, suggests gradually changing our habits to match the new season. The most important self-care practice during this time is seasonal cleansing, such as a kitchari cleanse.
Autumn is all about the decline of Pitta dosha and the rise of Vata dosha. Vata brings qualities like dryness, coolness, and unpredictability. As the fiery energy of summer fades away, the airy energy of autumn takes over. According to Ayurveda, balancing Vata during this season is key to maintaining good health and well-being.
Below you will find a wide variety of things you could start implementing in your daily life. Try not to go overboard at once. Pick a 1 or 2 things that you could change in your life, when those feel comfortable move on to the next. If you change too many things at once, no matter how healthy the choices are, you will experience overwhelm. This will eventually also push your vata up into an imbalance.
In this Article:
Balancing Your Vata in Autumn
Autumn is dry, rough, windy, cool, and clear. These are all qualities shared by vata dosha.
It’s a season of change, where many trees lose their leaves and prepare for winter. To keep your vata balanced during this time, it’s important to bring opposite qualities into your life, like warmth, moisture, grounding, and stability.
Fall: The Vata Season
In Ayurveda, following a seasonal routine is key to staying healthy all year long. Matching your lifestyle to the changes in the weather can help you stay balanced and prevent seasonal imbalances. But remember, seasons are different everywhere, and what they bring can vary greatly.
Paying attention to the qualities of your environment helps you adjust to both daily and seasonal changes. Many of us already make these adjustments without even realizing it.
For example, in the hot summer months, we naturally crave cooling foods like salads and fresh fruits, which help counter the heat. By October and November, we start to enjoy more comforting foods like pumpkin bread and hearty soups, which help balance the dryness and lightness of fall.
Tips for Staying Balanced in Fall
To keep your body balanced all year round, it’s important to make food and lifestyle choices that counter the effects of each season. In the fall, according to Ayurveda, using the idea that “opposites balance,” you can stay grounded by adding more warmth, moisture, nourishing foods, loving relationships, and a steady routine to your life.
The following tips will help most people stay balanced in the fall.
How to Eat to Stay Healthy During Fall
Eating the right foods is a great way to keep your body balanced during fall. You might feel hungrier as the weather gets cooler, but it’s important to listen to your body and eat according to your appetite and how well you can digest food.
This is also a great time for a kitchari cleanse (a dish made with rice and mung beans), which is easy to digest and nourishing for the body.
Since vata needs plenty of nourishment, it’s best to avoid fasting during fall.
What to Eat During Fall
Focus on eating warm, nourishing foods that contain protein and healthy fats. Choose dishes that are hearty, oily, and spiced with warming, stimulating spices. Favor foods that are sweet, sour, and salty in taste. Opt for soft, mushy foods and add plenty of ghee or oil for extra moisture.
Eating local, seasonal foods is also beneficial. During fall, you can enjoy a mixture of late summer and early fall produce. If possible, visit local farms to pick fresh fruits and vegetables.
Sweet tastes help balance both vata and pitta doshas. In Ayurveda, this doesn’t mean sugary desserts! Sweet foods include naturally sweet fruits, root vegetables, and grains like rice, barley and oats.
Stay hydrated by sipping warm water or herbal teas throughout the day. You can make a simple CCF tea by mixing equal parts cumin, coriander, and fennel seeds. Boil about a teaspoon of the mixture in water, strain, and enjoy!
Avoid too many pungent spices like chili, cayenne, cinnamon, and paprika. Use more gentle spices like cumin, coriander, fennel, cardamom, turmeric, and fresh ginger instead.
For breakfast, try cooked grains like steel cut oats, or our favorite breakfast porridge. Lunches and dinners with stir friend vegetables, hearty grains, soups, and stews are also great choices.
Foods to Avoid During Fall
In the cooler months, it’s best to eat warm, cooked, and moist foods that are grounding and nourishing for the body. If you do eat foods that are cold, dry, or hard to digest, try adding warming spices, healthy fats like ghee, and cooking them well to make them more suitable for the season.
Here are some foods to minimize:
• Cold and Frozen Foods: These can slow down digestion and make it harder for your body to process food.
• Raw Vegetables: Raw veggies can be tough to digest when it’s cold. Cooking them makes them easier on the stomach.
• Cruciferous Vegetables: Veggies like cabbage, kale, broccoli, cauliflower, and Brussels sprouts can cause gas and are hard to digest, especially when raw. If you do want to enjoy them add some healthy fats like ghee and some warming spices.
• Dry Foods: Foods like toast, crackers, and dried fruit don’t have much moisture and can dry out the body, which isn’t ideal in a dry season like fall.
Simple Fall Lifestyle Tips
To stay balanced during fall, it’s important to have a regular daily routine, especially for those who are prone to vata imbalances. Try to do the same things at about the same time every day—like waking up, exercising, eating, and going to bed. Waking up early lets you enjoy the calm and quiet of the morning, which can be really grounding.
Daily Routine Basics:
• Wake up by 7 a.m.
• Eat meals slowly and mindfully.
• Exercise moderately.
• Go to bed before 10 p.m.
Stay Warm and Protected:
As it gets cooler, dress warmly and wear scarves to protect yourself from the wind. Avoid loud noises, fast driving, and aggressive music to help keep your mind calm. Wearing colors like orange, red, yellow, and white can feel comforting during this time of year, and scents like geranium, vetiver, and citrus are great for fall.
Massage and Moisture:
Give yourself a calming massage with warm sesame oil or herbal oils like Abhyanga to nourish your skin and calm your nerves. You can also apply a couple of drops of oil, like sesame or Anu Tailam, in your nostrils for extra benefits. After your massage, take a warm shower, leaving a little oil on your skin to absorb throughout the day. Using steam baths and humidifiers can also help keep your skin and body moisturized.
Try Yoga and Meditation:
The cold weather can make your body feel stiff, which is a sign of increased vata. Gentle yoga and 10-15 minutes of meditation can help reduce this stiffness and improve your sense of stability and wellness. Focus on warmth, grounding, and stability in your yoga practice. Breathe deeply and smoothly, and choose poses that calm vata.
Warm up slowly, do some joint rotations, and move intentionally. Keep your hands and feet grounded on the mat, and avoid jumping between poses. Gentle yoga flows like a relaxed Sun Salutation are great for fall. Standing and balancing poses like Mountain, Warrior I, Warrior II, and Tree Pose can help you feel stable and strong. Grounding poses like Thunderbolt, Cat-Cow, Cobra, and Child’s Pose connect you to the earth, while forward bends and gentle inversions, like Legs Up the Wall, are calming and soothing for vata.
Dress for the Weather:
Wear warm autumn colors like red, yellow, orange, and white. Make sure to dress warmly enough for the cooler weather, and cover your head and ears when you go outside to protect them from the cold wind. When sleeping, use warm blankets and wear cozy socks to keep your feet warm, which helps prevent vata imbalances.
Fall Exercise Tips
During the fall, it’s important to keep your vata balanced by choosing exercises that are slow, gentle, and strengthening. Fast or intense workouts can throw vata off balance, so it’s best to avoid them.
Here are some exercise tips for the fall:
• Best Time to Exercise: The ideal time to exercise is in the early morning between 6 and 10 a.m. Exercising in the morning can help you start your day off right.
• Choose Gentle Exercises: Focus on exercises that are slow and strengthen your body, like walking, biking, hiking, tai chi, and yoga. Try to exercise at about 50–70% of your maximum effort.
• Balance Exercise and Rest: Make sure your routine includes a mix of effort, rest, and relaxation to help your body recover and stay healthy. Always breathe through your nose while exercising, and get enough sleep and downtime so your body can rejuvenate properly.
Enjoy the Season
Remember, following a seasonal routine is a great way to take care of your health and well-being. Everyone can benefit from aligning with nature’s rhythms throughout the year. This fall, embrace the unique gifts of the season and enjoy it with a sense of stability and gratitude.
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