The Ayurvedic Year
Autumn is the vata season – with it comes high energy, unpredictable weather, and increased activity. Vata energy is a combination of the elements air and space. Often compared to the wind, the vata nature is erratic and changeable.
Smack in the middle of this year’s vata season we’ve been hit with Hurricane Sandy followed by a nor’easter just a week later. With this excess of vata energy swirling around it’s difficult to stay grounded and balanced.
Typically, you may notice that your skin is a dryer and energy levels fluctuate this time of year. You may be feeling “scattered” or out of sorts. In order to feel more balanced, feed the body with warmth and moisture and adopt routines in daily activities whenever possible. Here are some suggestions:
Eat less – more often – four small meals a day are generally better than three large ones, especially for Vata types. The more types of food the digestive system encounters at once the harder it has to work – eat fewer varieties of food at a single sitting or combine several foods in soups or stews, they are easier to digest.
Eat seasonally – Eat according to the seasons -find locally grown foods of the season at farmers markets, etc. During autumn, pacify Vata by eating plenty of cooked root vegetables.
Keep hydrated – To keep the body hydrated and detoxified, drink plenty of herbal teas and warm or tepid water between meals.
Nurture your body – Fuel your body with warm, moist foods, and drink warm herbal teas. Oil your skin several times a week with a natural edible oil. Book a regular massage as part of an overall commitment to slowing down and treating yourself lovingly.
Take warm baths – Relax into a warm bath with lighted candles and soothing essential oils so you emerge feeling calm and rejuvenated.
Establish routines – With regular daily routines you are less likely to feel exhausted and will be better able to enjoy fast-paced lifestyle. Be sure to insert rest breaks throughout your daily routine for yoga stretches and slow breathing exercises.
Exercise gently – Even if you love vigorous exercise, regular gentle exercise can slow the erratic vata energy of the season. Exercise based on controlled movement and discipline is ideal – such as T’ai chi or yoga, in which your mind is fully absorbed in your actions. Schedule exercise and meditation in your calendar and stick to it.
Oceans of wellness to you!
by: Dorothy Ruggiero, LMT SeaStones Natural Therapies, LLC 24 Long Hill Road, Guilford, CT
SeaStones Natural Therapies 