ayurvedic guide to autumn: what the doshas need in fall
fall is vata season
vata is light, cool, dry and windy, which are the trademarks of fall. the leaves get crispy and fall off, the air gets colder, the wind picks up, and the first hints of snow and cooler weather start.
i am a kapha constitution, and i have a love hate relationship with fall. summer is when i thrive, but fall is so cozy! making warm drinks and wearing 10 blankets while i read a book is my dream. it also means that winter is close-ish, which is my least favorite season. colorado is known for the cold and snow, which is great for two days. after that, i’m over it and i want 80 degrees back.
speaking of cozy drinks, check out my ayurvedic chai recipe!
why should i follow a seasonal ayurvedic routine?
humans have biological responses to different seasons, so it makes sense that we should tweak our routines to help our body feel our best.
while ayurveda personalizes routines to your personal constitution, it also takes into account time of year. your constitution can change over time, so it’s important to take seasonal changes into consideration.
vata in fall
in ayurveda, like increases like. if vata is your main dosha, you are going to be feeling extra vata-y. this can be great if you’re in balance. you may feel extra creative, energetic, and feel in tune with the world.
if you have an excess of vata, fall will only make it worse. you could feel more anxious, have digestive issues, experience insomnia, and a host of other things.
to pacify and abundance of vata, you are going to want to do things that ground down and bring you back to earth.
cooked, warming and spiced foods are great for balancing vata. meals should be ate sitting down without distractions.
vata-pacifying foods
most fruits (avoid dried fruit, raw apples and watermelon)
avocado
squash
beets
cucumber
garlic
cooked onion
sweet potato zucchini
oats
quinoa
rice (no puffed rice or rice cakes)
seitan
wheat
lentils
tofu
miso
all nuts and seeds
all oils besides canola oil
all sweeteners besides white sugar
most spices
vata-pacifying exercise
slow, strengthening yoga poses.
walking
swimming
hiking
vata daily routine for fall
sleep in until 7. you never hear this in ayurveda, but it’s fine to sleep in a little! sleep is an essential part of stress reduction. if you’re feeling that insomnia and overwhelm, it’s okay to get a few more hours of sleep, but don’t be extending your wake up until noon or anything.
put ginger in your morning water. you should start every morning with a little warm water with lemon, but ginger is a great vata balancing herb and is great to start your digestion. caffeine and coffee is a no-go for vata, so no psl for you.
do that grounding exercise. after your water, meditation and grounding yoga can help your body wake up without blasting it into full cardio, which is not great for vata.
have consistent meal times. routines are !! so !! important !! for balancing vata. make sure your meals are warming, grounding and scheduled so there is no snacking for skipping meals.
use a journal or planner. again, having a routine is essential for vata constitution! plan at your day and stick to it.
no screens one hour before bed. all that blue light will keep you up, making the insomnia worse. make sure to shut down screens and have a relaxing night ritual, such as reading a book, planning the next day, or taking a bath.
bedtime is 9:30. you may not fall asleep until later, but shutting off the lights early gives you a good chance to get a few great hours of sleep.
kapha in fall
kapha constitutions rejoice! the cooling, airy qualities of vata are great for balancing kapha.
that being said, you may be feeling like curling up for winter already. resist that urge and use the warmer weather while you have it! get outside, see friends, exercise outdoors and fuel up on that vata and pitta so you don’t get dragged down in the winter.
kapha can get away with eating some foods they normally can’t. make sure not to overindulge and totally smother your digestive fire! this watermelon poke bowl recipe is cooling, spicy, and great for kapha types!
foods permissible for kaphas in fall
avocado
some oils
tofu
seitan
nut butters
exercise for kapha in autumn
power yoga
brisk walks
high altitude hikes
fall daily routine for kaphas
wake up before sunrise. kapha time starts at 6 a.m. so it’s great to wake up before then, but the sun comes up so late it’s okay to sleep in to just before sunrise.
put ginger in your morning warm water. just like fir vatas, ginger is great for balancing kapha.
get in your exercise. it’s still important for kaphas to do rigorous exercise, especially outdoors.
leave time for creativity. the rise of vata can help your creativity, so having unstructured time to play is beneficial.
enjoy the warm nights. since kapha dosha needs less sleep to balance it, you can stay out for a bit and enjoy the night while you don’t need a parka.
pitta in fall
fall means the end of pitta season, so the imbalance of pitta will decrease. pittas should be extra mindful to not keep charging ahead like they would in summer, and take time to move with the seasons and enjoy the cooler weather.
pittas should take advantage of the cooler weather to enjoy some of the activities that were too pitta-y in the summer, as well as eat some warmer food that they couldn’t in the summer (yay hot sauce!) pitta types should be mindful of the signs of rising pitta and cool down accordingly.
the light, active qualities of vata season may aggravate pitta, so following a grounding routine will help you not be caught up in the fire.
acceptable foods for pitta in fall
apples
sweet bread
tofu
miso
root vegetables
other pitta and vata pacifying foods
exercise for pitta in fall
grounding yoga
slow walks
exercising in the cool air
fall daily routine for pitta
wake up before the sun. take advantage of the cool hours before sunrise to ground down and enjoy the cool air.
meditate every morning. this helps you ground down and out of the mind.
check in with yourself throughout the day. with the agile qualities of vata rising, is it aggravating pitta? make adjustments as needed.
go to bed early. take time during the evening to set up a perfect sleeping space, turn off screens, and lull yourself to sleep early.
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