Embracing the Vata Season: A Guide to Transition with Ease
As the warm, sunny days of summer give way to the cool, crisp air of autumn, we begin to feel the shift of the seasons within and around us. According to Ayurveda, this is the transition into Vata season—a time of year characterized by dryness, cold, wind, and change. Vata, one of the three doshas or fundamental energies in Ayurveda, governs movement and flow in the body and mind. When Vata is in balance, we feel creative, energetic, and vibrant. However, an imbalance can lead to anxiety, restlessness, and physical discomforts like dry skin, constipation, and insomnia (if you’re new here, we talk a lot about sleep so stick around.)
I want to write a series of blogs on how to transition in to the fall and beyond to say farewell to summer and welcome the autumnal vibes, whether or not you worship pumpkin spice.
To stay grounded and balanced as we enter this season of movement, it’s essential to adjust our daily routines and practices to harmonize with Vata’s cool, dry, and airy nature. This is one of the best times of year to start new routines beccause of the Fresh Start Effect.
The Fresh Start Effect suggests that the best time to start new habits is at a clear change in our lives: the start of a new job, the start of a new school year, the start of a new dace, the change of season etc.
Others call September “The Other New Year,” since it has a similar feeling of newness that January 1st brings. Personally, I find it easier to start new habits at the start of September because the weather is more inspiring. The nights are cool and I have the energy and inspiration to tackle all the things that I wanted to do over the summer when it was too hot.
We are in a honeymoon phase of the new season with very few drawbacks. You’ll see as we move deeper into the autumn and winter that issues with digestion, dry skin, trouble sleeping and other problems get worse. For now, we can use this time to set the habits that we will rely on through the rest of the year. So here are my tips for you:
- Make a list of habits you have been dreaming of adding to your life. Now’s the time to put pen to paper and envision how you’re going to integrate them.
- Stay hydrated. It’s not ridiculously hot out anymore, so it’s easy to forget to drink water and a balanced diet full of electrolytes. I dont’ want to make recommendations for how much salt you need, but I will say that personally, adding salt to my life solves about 90 of my 99 problems.
- Eat seasonally. It’s the harvest season! Stock up on apples, starchy vegetables and whatever else is in season in your area.
- Swtich from raw to cooked foods. Apple crisp, soup, cooked veggies etc. Cooking them makes them easier to digest and often far more delicious. They don’t need any intensive cooking. Instead of salad, lightly sautee your greens or steam your carrots. Personally, I’m pretty lazy so I put a lot of food in the oven because it requires less supervision (yes even things like ground beef. I don’t care if it’s not normal, it frees me up to do other things around the house.)
- Resist the urge to sleep in with the sun even though is coming up later. If your schedule allows it, mornings can be a wonderful time. But more on mornings and circadian rhythm later…
For now, enjoy the last days of summer 🙂
ZenwithGwen 