Falling for Fall
As we pass into the Fall Season here in the Western hemisphere with the Fall Equinox on 9/22/24, we enter into the vata season. In Ayurveda, there is an understanding of the elements: earth, water, fire, air and ether. Everything in existence is some combination of these elements. From these elements, there are the doshas. Doshas are energy principles that can be seen in us/our bodies, in the seasons, in our life cycles and in our 24-hour cycle.
Colorful fall foliage with the colors reflected in a still lake.
Why does this matter? How does it apply to our day to day?
An important concept in Ayurveda is our prakriti, or our constitution. Best understood, this is the unique combination of the doshas in our body that is set at conception. While we all have all 3 doshas, some of us have one dosha more dominant, some have two more dominant (most common) doshas or some have a more equal spread of each dosha. There is also our vrkriti, this is our current state. This is the state where our imbalances may exist. The idea in Ayurveda is to continually come to our own balanced prakriti. And we do this through understanding how nature works, the cycles of nature and by using the practices called ritucharya (or the lessons of each season).
We know what the elements are, how do the elements align with the doshas?
From earth and water, forms the energy of kapha. Kapha is the energy of stability and nourishment. From fire and a little bit of water, comes the energy of pitta. The energy of transformation. Finally, the elements of air and ether form the vata dosha. Vata is the energy of movement. When we view the doshas as seasons, we understand that kapha, with its elements of earth and water, represents the season of spring. The cold of winter is melting, things become muddy and can become stagnant. However after a long winter, there is nourishment provided from the qualities of water and earth. As the sun starts to shine brighter, warmer and longer in the summer, we see pitta. The heat dries the land of the mud and flooded waterways, transforming the landscape! The dryness takes over in fall, as kapha has been completely burned away. When we experience less intense sun, more wind, and cold. This is the season of vata.
Beautiful trees with pink leaves are reflected in water.
If you feel more restless, depleted in this time… and if you notice some erratic or inconsistency in your bodily systems at this time. That is the nature of vata!
A few tips to help in this season:
Introduce warm, moist and heavier foods like soups, stews and even pasta.
Enjoy nuts, butter and natural cheeses (these are good sources of fats and are examples of ‘heavy’ foods from above).
Slow down, the period between the summer solstice and the winter solstice is known as Visarga (release), take time to reflect on things you want or need to let go of.
Favor sweet, salty and sour tastes with your food items.
Adding in a balancing pranayama (breathwork) practice like nadi shodhana (alternate nostril breathing) will be lovely.
A buddha statue surrounded by lotus petals and candles.
As trees shed their leaves with ease, may the fall season be a reminder of how good it feels to let go.
Many blessings this season my friends!
