As we shift into the Autumn season, keeping ourselves grounded is the most important thing we can do to support the health of our body and mind. According to Ayurvedic Science (the sister science of Yoga), Autumn through to Mid-Winter is when the presence of Vata Dosha (i.e air/space) is the most predominant. Inherent in the elements during the Autumn and early Winter season are the qualities of cold, dry and light (airy).

Just as we experience these elements in our external environment, with nature changing to endure the wind and cold air, they will also impact the mind and body—particularly if there’s already an imbalance present. This is why we can often become unwell and out of balance as the seasons change.

As the Autumn season is a predominately dry, cold and windy time influenced by the reigning elements of air and space, some of the things that can cause imbalance are: cold, raw, dry and airy foods, focusing on too many things at once, multitasking and excess technology use / overstimulation—all of which can exasperate what we are already experiencing from the external elements and leave us extremely ungrounded. 

If we are experiencing imbalance as a result of any of the above, we may feel anxious, fearful, indecisive, agitated and experience dryness in all aspects of our lives from our skin and hair to our sex life. Constipation, bloating and trembling are some other common indicators of a Vata imbalance.  

Keeping ourselves grounded with nurturing practices, warmth & regularly soothing the nervous system helps to protect us from ‘drying out’ during the Autumn season.

Here are some small steps you can take to ground yourself during the Autumn and early winter seasons:

• Nurture yourself with warm, cooked foods and use warming spices such as cardamom, cinnamon, ginger, cloves, pepper and others.
• Avoid foods that are dry, cold, crunchy or light(airy), for example potato chips, smoothies, raw salads, popcorn, toast, etc.
• Cover your neck, head and ears with a scarf / beanie and wear heavy layers when exposed to the wind and cold.

• Give each task your full attention and respect for example, avoid checking socials while watching a movie, avoid eating while driving or talking on the phone while cooking dinner, etc. Multitasking is very overstimulating, especially if we are already experiencing imbalance during the autumn season.

• Avoid excessive use of screens, especially fast moving like social media for 1-2 hours before you go to bed.

• Massage your body and feet with a little warmed oil before bed and dab some lavender oil on your wrists/temples. 

• Let your creativity flourish in the mornings with art, journaling, a fiction novel or engage in the daily asks that allow you to potter in presence, like organising / housework. 

• Engage in grounding, body based practices like restorative yoga, walking and gentle breath-work in the evenings.

So, if you find yourself experiencing imbalance with symptoms that include dry skin, constipation and anxiety remember that this could be the result of eating too many dry foods, not covering the neck, head and ears in a cold windy climate and multitasking too much.

Be conscious to invite these grounding practices in your daily routine throughout Autumn/Early Winter by including heavy, hydrating and warm foods, body-based practices like oil massage to buffer the impact of a windy climate, an embodied yoga practice, a steady daily routine and most importantly, do your best to be conscious to avoid mental overstimulation by concentrating on one task at a time. 

 With love, Team PK

                               Written by Denise Battany