— HeyMonicaB

Didja know that each dosha has a season? Sure, yep. They do. Fall (and early winter) is the season of vata and it just blew in on the 21st of September. The air is a little more crisp in the morning and we bring out the sweaters and coats we had stowed in the back of the closet. We might crave warm “comfort foods” like oatmeal, chili, soups or mac n’ cheese. Somehow ice cream doesn’t “hit the spot” any more. Because it’s chilly! And windy! And dry…leaves are dryin’ up and blowin’ away. We might also find that our hands start to become dry and we need to apply lotion. This all makes sense because this is our body’s way of balancing us as nature evolves from the heat of summer to the cool of fall. Changes in the season are potential for our doshas to go out of balance. We can’t control nature, but we can maintain balance by changing our life-style to suit the changing seasons.

So, cool. Now that we know that there is a reason for all this preparedness for fall, what else can we do to keep ourselves balanced? Vata gets imbalanced with too much dry, rough, cool and windy qualities in your body and/or environment, so the key for vata balance is to keep moist, warm and “stick to the routine.”  Sticking to the routine is especially difficult because vatas like to change their mind all the time. Vatas need to stick to their routine about diet, about work habits, about exercise and sleep to maintain a sound mind and focus.

Here are a few tips for bringing vata balance into your daily routine for fall:

• Oil massage. In the morning before you shower, use some sesame oil or any thick oil and give yourself an oil massage. Let it sit for 10-20 minutes and shower it off.
• Steam bath or shower. Brings warmth and moisture to the body
• Warm, moist foods. Stick to cooked vegetables (no raw) and root veggies (pumpkin, beets, carrot) rice, soups, and stews. And don’t forget to add ghee! Foods should have a decent amount of sauce and can be mildly spicy. Skip the salads, dry/stale sandwiches or snacks, cold foods.
• Warm drinks. Teas, warm apple cider, warm milk with ghee (before bed! omg, you will sleep like a baby). Stay away from cold or icy drinks.
• Stick to the routine. Create a routine that is close to “nature’s clock” and the most important thing is to stick to it! Religiously.
• Exercise. The best exercise for vata is yoga or walking. Running or biking would increase the “cold and windy” qualities in us. Not great.

When we use the knowledge and tools we are given, we are leagues ahead when it comes to our health care. And it’s not rocket science, nor is it expensive, it just takes some willingness for us to become responsible for ourselves. Yeehaw!