Your Vata Season Guide

Right now, we’re in the vata season– the chilly, brisk days of autumn and winter where we find ourselves searching for warmth and comfort.

Despite  feeling disconnected and removed from the natural world collectively,  the fact of the matter is, we’re still very much a part of nature! And  as a part of nature, our psychophysiology is strongly affected by the  changes in our environment that occur year round.

Right  now, we’re in the vata season– the chilly, brisk days of autumn and  winter where we find ourselves searching for warmth and comfort.  Regardless of your own dominant dosha type you may experience feelings of overwhelm, worry, and anxiety…like your  nervous system has been thrown out of whack! Sluggishness, trouble  focusing, and just generally feeling like you’re not grounded are common  this season.

Through this guide, Unify Mind Body will  help you to explore the ways that Ayurveda encourages and supports you  in going with the flow so that you can adapt to all the changes and  transitions of vata season. With a little restructuring of your diet and  daily habits, you’ll get back to feeling grounded, centered, balanced,  and, most importantly, back to feeling like you!

Symptoms of Vata

First of all, let’s get clear on the physical and psychological signs of vata imbalance.

As  defined in Ayurvedic medicine, imbalance occurs when you have an over  abundance or deficiency of a particular dosha. Of the following  symptoms, you may experience one or two, or the list might be more  extensive– that’s okay, this is just to give you a better idea of what  imbalance looks like.

Appetite: Appetite becomes variable, you may forget to eat or be prone to snacking rather than consuming larger meals.

Digestion:  You experience gas or bloating at least three times per week. Stool is  hard and difficult to pass and you may be eliminating less than seven  times per week.

Sleep: Falling asleep and staying asleep are more difficult.

Energy levels: Energy tends to spike in the morning, but come late afternoon (2pm-6pm) your energy dips.

Skin conditions: Skin tends to be dry and cracked.

Menstruation: You experience painful cramps during your period.

Emotions: Feelings of worry, anxiousness, and overwhelm are frequent.

So  how can we counteract these symptoms? What practices and habits can we  cultivate in order to regain balance? Ayurveda recommends we invite the  elements of water, fire, and earth into our diets and daily routines to  balance the abundance of air and ether present throughout autumn.

In  fire, we find discipline and consistency. Earth brings us structure.  Through water, we find nourishment and surrender to go with the flow.

Here’s what incorporation of these elements could look like:

Lifestyle Practices

Through  vata season, it’s especially beneficial to have structure– establishing  a steady routine for each day can bring something solid and predictable  in a time known for its chargeability. Keep things chill; now's a time  to engage in activities that are soothing. So if you’re prone to having  things fast-paced, surrounding yourself with loud noises, or keeping  yourself highly stimulated, try out some practices that will help you to  slow down.

These routines and  practices are recommended by Ayurveda tradition and can be incorporated  either in the morning or at night. Don’t feel like you need to make room  for all of them in your schedule–play around with them and see which  ones are nurturing to you.

• Go to bed by 10pm and rise early (6am or 7am) to take full advantage of the quiet and stillness of morning.

• Self massage, or abhyanga: Because of the  influence of vata season, it can be hugely beneficial to calm the  nervous system upon waking up. Through self massage, or abhyanga, with  sesame oil followed by a warm shower, the nervous system can be soothed.  Leave some oil on the skin to be absorbed throughout the day.

• Yoga: Another means of calming the nervous  system and bringing mind-body unification is through yoga. Practices  that favor moon postures, yin style, inversions, gentle seated postures,  and supine positions are recommended. (Psst..when you join the  Mindfulness with Myckie monthly membership, you'll gain acess to our 5  Day Ayurveda for Aspiring Yogis Challenge to support you in cultivating a  regular practice!)

• Meditation: A sure way of becoming grounded  and centered within yourself is meditation. Try out some meditations  that center around the root, sacral, and solar plexus chakras. Chants  and mantras to incorporate include “So Hum” and “I am grounded.” Join  the Mindfulness with Myckie subscription for more guided meditations!

• Workouts: Throughout vata season, it is  beneficial to incorporate gentle and slow practices to counteract the  quick and anxious energy that can be present. Walks in nature, pilates,  and hatha, yin, or hot yoga are recommended to help you gain strength  and steadiness within your body.

• Use essential oils: Check out our article on essential oils to find the best ways to use oils for balance.

Vata Balancing Diet

In  Ayurveda, the six tastes (sweet, salty, sour, bitter, astringent, and  pungent) make up a guide for how we should eat throughout the year. To  balance vata, an emphasis should be placed on consuming foods that are  sweet, sour, and salty. Cooking with ghee, sesame, coconut, and avocado  oils is recommended.

Foods that provide sweet taste:

• Fruits and berries: avocados, bananas, mangos, figs, coconuts, raspberries, blueberries, blackberries

• Grains: basmati rice, rolled oats, wheat, tapioca

• Meats, fish, or tofu

• Milks: coconut, almond, fennel, oat

• Root veggies: potatoes, sweet potatoes, carrots, garlic, beats

Benefits: Ground the body and soothe inflammation

Foods that provide salty taste:

• Celery (cooked) himalayan pink salt, seaweed, tamari

Benefits: Strengthen digestive fire while soothing the nervous system

Foods that provide sour taste:

• Fruits: lemons, grapefruits, limes, oranges, tomatoes, fermented fruits

• Dairy: yogurt, cheese, sour cream, butter

• Vinegar

• Sourdough bread

Benefits: Strengthen digestive fire and move stagnation in the liver

Conscious Eating Habits

By incorporating conscious eating habits like sitting down in your optimal environment and saying a grace or prayer before your meal that counteract the variability in diet that comes along with vata.

Eat in a peaceful environment

Just  as we consume food, we consume the things in our surroundings. When you  have a meal, try eating in a calm, peaceful environment. This will help  to bring serenity and a feeling of grounding.

Be intentional with your time

Eating  gives us a chance to connect with the things that are nourishing to us,  so food is best consumed in time set aside for it alone, the same way  we set time aside for meditation. This will help to bring structure to  your day.

Cook with healing herbs

Herbs  are known to be healers of ailments of the body, so adding them to your  dishes will bring health and vitality in any season. They’ll give your  digestion a boost by aiding in food breakdown and fueling your agni, or  metabolic fire. Herbs can also assist your cognitive function–promoting  stable moods, increasing memory, and reducing stress. Try using ginger,  coriander, cardamom, cumin, and fennel to reap their many benefits!

Spiritual Practices

Spiritual practices help us to feel connected to the Earth and nature, and in-tune with their changes.

• 40-day meditation: Choose one meditative  practice that makes you feel centered, then for 40 days engage in this  practice. It will help to create the habit of meditation and bring  structure and discipline to your daily life.

• Earthing: Reconnect your physical body to the  Earth by touching trees on a walk, placing your bare feet on the  ground, or laying in the grass.

• Fire ceremony: Take advantage of the  transitional time of vata season by letting things go. Write down what  you want to release on paper and burn it away in a fire.

Just integrating even a few of these Ayurvedic  practices into your daily routine will help bring you unification in  mind and body! So whatever vata season has in store for you, you’ll be  able to handle it with grace.