Calming your Vata Dosha this Fall

By Maggie Reagh • October 17th, 2008 • 9119 Views

Healing Tips from Ayurveda

What is Ayurveda
Ayurveda, the traditional medicinal system from ancient India, has been healing humanity through lifestyle modifications and herbal medicine for over 6000 years. Ayur-veda, meaning the knowledge of life, suggests that our lifestyle be examined before taking medicine. These lifestyle modifications are simple things that your own grandmother might have told you, especially if she were from India. We will examine some of these simple home remedies that will help promote calmness during the fall season.

3 Doshas-4 Seasons
In Ayurveda, there are 3 primary energies or doshas (dośas): Vata (Air-Ether), Pitta (Fire-Water), and Kapha (Water-Earth). Just as every person and every time of day has a dosha that predominates, every season is also dominated by one of the 3 doshas. Fall is ruled by Vata, winter by Kapha, spring by Kapha-Pitta, and summer by Pitta.

Calming your Vata this Fall
No matter what your prakrti (natural constitution), you are always affected by the changes in your environment including the seasonal ones. When the dry, cool fall winds start to blow, it is important to adjust your lifestyle to balance the Vata predominant in nature. If you have a Vata constitution (endomorph, thin, tight body type), these tips are even more important as you will be doubly affected by the Vata season. Kaphas (endomorphs, large, round body types) and Pittas (mesomorphs, medium, muscular body types) are more affected by winter and summer, respectively.

Daily Lifestyle Routines
The word routine is death to Vatas, but that is exactly what they need to calm their over stimulated nervous systems. Ideally, going to bed before 10 pm and getting up before 6am is the suggested sleep pattern for all prakrtis, especially during the fall. Another important routine is that of eating. Regular eating times, a light breakfast, a heavier lunch, and a light dinner before 6pm, all aid digestion and calm vata imbalances. Since both of these ideals are difficult to achieve in our 24-7 society, do the best you can to at least establish a regular routine, no matter what it is. Getting up early one day and sleeping in the next or eating at 6pm one day and at 10pm the next, all promote Vata imbalance and poor digestion-elimination.

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Location:  Vancouver, CA

Maggie Reagh, BA in Classical Philosophy, MA in Teaching, E-RYT began studying Yoga at age 3 with TV’s, Karen Zebroff. She resumed her practice of Yoga in her twenties after a pre-professional career in Modern dance came...