Fall/Autumn
Fall (even more than spring) is the time of new beginnings in our social and economic world, and with this comes intense activity. What a contrast to the easy-going, lazy days of summer! Ayurvedic Tips for the season...
According to Maharishi Vedic Medicine, the qualities of all objects and tendencies can be known and utilized to create balance in life -- both in human life and the life of the environment. The corollary of this precept is the Principle of Similars and Opposites (samanyavishesha siddhanta) which states that in order to create a balancing influence in one's physiology and mind, one needs to adopt influences that have the opposite effect of the imbalance.
We are now in the fall season. The heat of the summer has reached its peak and the days become shorter, darker, and cooler (in the northern hemisphere, the opposite is the case in the southern hemisphere). We can anticipate cool, crisp days that will soon give rise to the peak of cold in winter.
This is a period of transition from pitta dosha to vata dosha. Pitta is the physiological operator governing transformation and metabolism and accords its heating, penetrating, sharp and intense qualities to mind and body. Vata governs all movement in the physiology and mind, and if aggravated, creates drying, irregular and moving influences that are the most common seeds of disease.
The influence of a season on our health is not only determined by the weather. Fall (even more than spring) is the time of new beginnings in our social and economic world, and with this comes intense activity. Children go back to school, sports and music lessons; companies launch new initiatives; TV networks launch new seasons; the cultural scene places its demands on us with late nights at the theater or other meetings. What a contrast to the easy-going, lazy days of summer!
All this activity has a vata aggravating influence on the mind and body. Therefore, this is a season to pacify both pitta and vata. The principle to remember is that vata, being quick, light and moving, is the mover, the leading dosha, the rajdosha to whom one must pay homage even before pitta and kapha.
During this fall season it is important to stick to one's good daily routine: go to bed early and try not to undertake at odd hours any activities that act as a chronobiological pacemakers such as meals, exercise, and meditation. Most importantly, avoid working late into the night.
Get plenty of sunlight during this season to avoid mood changes that can come on during winter. This is a season for pitta and kapha types to reduce weight and get in shape, because you can now exercise abundantly without getting overheated.
Begin to take more hot beverages during the course of the day: hot ginger water (made by boiling a teaspoon of minced fresh ginger root in a quart of water) can be sipped all day. In the evening, sip cumin tea, made by boiling a teaspoon of cumin seeds in 1.5 cups of water for 5 minutes. At bedtime, try hot milk with a few threads of saffron.
Most importantly, during this season, if you find yourself feeling overextended and vata-aggravated, learn to say "No!"
More articles
This information on "Fall/Autumn" is in the "Seasonal Health Tips" section of AyurvedaMed.com website. To return to the index page of this section, please click here.
| 
{Contact Us}