Autumn – The season of Change and Transformation
Go outdoors, look out of your window…what do you feel is happening in Nature currently? Do you feel calm? Do you feel anxious? Do you feel grounded? Do you feel energised? There is no right and wrong in what you are feeling. What you feel is what you feel. Pay attention to it, pay attention to your body, pay attention to your breath. Connect with it and enjoy the feeling.
Autumn is arguably the most important season when it comes to Ayurveda, nature, and immunity. This is the season of Change and Transformation. If we learn to navigate our way through this season well our immunity will improve, we will be ready for the winter and we will be ready to continue our journey of transformation.
During Autumn, we see leaves falling, we see colours of nature changing, we see more instability with the weather and around us there is a rush of activity and lots of changes happening. In the Spring and Summer energy has been expansive and going outwards to help birth, growth, and development. Now is the time the energy makes its journey back inwards. If nature is starting to go inwards, we should also start to go inwards. We should work with nature and not against it.
According to Ayurveda, in Nature, the Pitta dosha which was dominant in the summer is reducing and the Vata dosha is starting to become dominant. This shift in dosha dominance is the cause of the changes we see. Remember, we are inherently part of nature so whatever is happening outside in Nature is happening inside in our body.
Vata has the following qualities: Dry, light, cold, rough, subtle, and mobile. These qualities manifest themselves in our body and nature. For Kapha and Pitta dominant individuals this increase in vata won’t cause too many issues as some qualities of Vata are opposite to the qualities of Kapha and Pitta. In fact, Kapha and Pitta individuals may feel balanced, more energetic, and creative at this time of the year. These people should use the energy in nature to enhance their creative side, ground themselves more and connect with themselves more.
Vata individuals on the other hand will find this season difficult. Mentally, they may find themselves ungrounded, anxious, erratic, uncomfortable, insecure, full of fear, hyperactive, indecisive with minimal focus. Physically, they may suffer from joint aches, constipation, gas, bloating, irregular appetite, muscle aches, dry skin, painful and irregular periods, lack of energy, lack of stamina and may feel cold all the time.
The reason why people get ill around this time of the year is that they are still in the mood of summer and expending energy while nature is telling them to go inwards. So, this opposing movement of energy causes waning of immunity and hence illnesses set in.
The trick to enjoy Autumn and to use nature for our benefit is to do these simple things:
- Set up a good sustainable daily routine which you can follow.
- Oil your body daily. If you cannot oil the whole body at least do the scalp and soles of your feet.
- Sit down and do 10 minutes of Anulom Vilom breathing daily in the morning and before bed. If you do not know what this, then do 10 minutes of simple deep breathing morning and evening.
- Spend more time doing leg work at the gym. Having strong legs help ground Vata.
- Do something creative every evening.
- Slow down a little. Relax more.
- Eat more healthy fats in your diet such as ghee, sesame oil, olive oil, oils containing Omega 3, 6 and 9.
- Eat more root vegetables and healthy organic grains.
- Eat more soups, broths, nourishing foods and avoid salads.
- Avoid cold, dry, processed and junk food.
These small tips will make your journey through the Autumn season more rewarding, and your mind body and soul will feel great because of it.
For more information about Autumn and the dos and don’ts or for a full Ayurvedic consultation, please contact info@swasthaveda.com
