Autumn has begun to settle in here in the northern hemisphere—the temperatures are dropping, the air is feeling more crisp, and the leaves on the trees are getting ready to change colors and start falling. As the external environment changes, so does our internal environment.
Seasonal changes are a big time of transformation in the environment and in our body, as the qualities surrounding us as well as inside of us shift. Our body and mind can have a hard time maintaining balance during the seasonal transitions, and our immune system can get bogged down—ever notice how there is often a surge of illness right around the seasonal transitions?
Ever since I started incorporating Ayurveda into my life a decade ago, I noticed a pattern that emerged every autumn. I was in a couple of car accidents a long time ago, and had a lot of sports-related injuries, and have overcome a huge amount of chronic tension and pain through my spinal release yoga practice and implementation of Ayurveda in my life. Most of the time these days, I am pain free, or only experience very mild symptoms. But every September/October as summer gives way to autumn, I suddenly get a resurgence of pain and lack of stability in the same old spots - in my SI joint where my sacrum and hip bones meet, and in my neck/shoulder area.
So, why is that? What does this shift into autumn look like?
Pitta dosha was at its peak in the environment over the summer, and was naturally building in our bodies as a result. Pitta dosha is primarily made up of fire and water elements. This gives Pitta dosha qualities of hot, sharp, light, slightly oily/unctuous, and spreading. Pitta governs transformation, including the ability of the body to digest what we take in, and maintains the equilibrium of heat in our body.
Now that we are transitioning into autumn, Pitta dosha is subsiding and Vata dosha is on the rise. Vata dosha is primarily made up of air and ether/space elements, which gives Vata dosha qualities of mobile, subtle, dry, light, rough, clear, and cold. Vata governs all movement in the body, including the flow of digestion, blood, nerve impulses, bowel movements, menstruation, urination, and child birth.
(There is a third dosha, Kapha, which I’ll get into more later, as it increases in the late winter/spring.)
So the heat gives way to cold, dry, rough, and an increase in mobility. In this transition to autumn, you may experience more dryness and roughness (e.g. dry/rough skin, dry/rough stools), an increase of cold (e.g. simply feeling cold, but also cold increases constriction, which can result in increased pain and stiffness in the body), and also you may experience more irregularity/mobility (e.g. going back and forth between constipation and loose stools, having less ability to stay focused as your mind may be more distracted, or less stability in the joints). We have the heat that’s built up from summer that needs to move out, at the same time as the qualities of vata are coming in.
So, what do we do about it?
A key principle of Ayurveda is that like increases like, and opposites balance or reduce. Here are a few general recommendations that work for most people to help balance the qualities of this transition to autumn.
Increase warm, moist, unctuous, well-cooked foods to help balance the dry, light, rough, cold qualities of vata. Think of soups, stews, and porridges. Cook with healthy unctuous fats to balance dryness, such as ghee, sesame oil, sunflower oil, or avocado oil. Drizzle olive oil over cooked foods, rather than cooking with it.
Increase autumn vegetables that will help balance the qualities of vata, such as root vegetables (e.g. sweet potato, beets, carrots, celeriac).
Reduce/eliminate cooling foods during this season, such as salads and cucumbers.
Cook with spices such as cumin, cinnamon, coriander, ginger, and cardamom to support your digestion.
Try my new recipe for delicious baked spiced apples for breakfast, which takes several of the above principles into account.
Drink plenty of warm water—keep a thermos full of warm water so you can take sips as thirst arises throughout the day.
Routine is key for balancing the irregularity of Vata. Focus on eating your meals at regular times every day (e.g. breakfast at 7:30-8am, lunch between 12-1pm, and dinner at 5:30-6pm) and having consistent sleep/wake times (e.g. 10pm / 6am).
Massage your body with warm oil at least once per week, depending on your digestive strength. If you are experiencing an increase of pain in certain joints, massage warm oil into those joints on a daily basis.
Lastly, as I discussed in my prior post, times of transition are more complicated and can be balanced with simplifying. Check that post out for more simplification tips.
Ayurveda is an individualized science. While these recommendations generally work for most people, there is much more that can be done to support an individual’s state of balance. Try incorporating some of these recommendations into your routine, and then schedule a consult to troubleshoot and discuss a more personalized approach!