9 Tips to Live Ayurveda This Fall

Keeping with our theme of your health and Fall/Autumn, take a look at this article our very own Manas Kshirsagar wrote for Mapi.com.  

9 Tips to Live Ayurveda This Fall

As we transition into the fall season, the season of Vata, we can empower ourselves by bringing as much energy and happiness as possible into our everyday life with these simple ayurvedic tips. With a few easy changes in our routine, it may surprise you how easily we can transition from one season into the next!

Be with Nature

Take time every day for a walk in the sun. Early morning is a wonderful time. Turn off the phone and listen to the sounds of nature or the environment, wherever you are.

Eat Mindful Meals

Energy, calm, and joy — obtainable from the food that we eat. The trick, according to ayurveda, is to eat in accord with the rhythm of the seasons. As you read this, subtle changes in season have set in already. From October through February, when it is colder and dry, Vata qualities tend to dominate. To balance the effects of fall Vata, start with this resolution: "I will favor warm, cooked foods that nourish my body; have my main meal at lunch; and eat dinner at least three hours before going to sleep… before 10 p.m…” If we can keep this simple resolve, we'll be rewarded with some excellent health benefits. Here are some suggestions to help you decide on which foods to eat and what to avoid this season: Cook with olive oil or ghee, both of which balance and calm restless Vata. Drink Organic Vata Tea — thermos it, drink it and share it. Brew it in hot milk for a special Vata-balancing treat. Avoid raw foods, cold sandwiches, cold salads, and dry cereals with cold milk! Instead, try beginning the day with a warm stewed apple (get the recipe here!) or pear, and/or either oatmeal or cream of wheat cereal made with part or all milk. Eat well-cooked vegetables, rice with ghee, and mung dahl soup for lunch, made with Vata-balancing spices such as turmeric and cumin; or try our Organic Vata Churna. Snack on a chapati (flat bread made of wheat), soaked dates, or fresh non-acidic fruit with warm milk. Stay away from coffee and other caffeinated drinks, as they aggravate Vata. Try hearty soups and bread for dinner. Take a cup of warm milk with a pinch of nutmeg and some sugar or honey just before bedtime to promote sound sleep (remember to add the honey when the milk has cooled, as heated honey is considered very hard to digest and is actually toxic, according to ayurveda).

Try the Vata-Balancing Herbal Pack

Organic Calming Vata Tea, Worry Free and Organic Ashwagandha. Don’t be deceived by the name… If you have any Vata-aggravated symptoms, Worry Free is one of our most powerful Vata-balancing formulas and, taken with our Organic Ashwagandha, it is a hard combination to beat!

Take a Rasayana

Try Amrit Kalash, our herbal rasayana that has been shown to defuse destructive, age-accelerating free radicals 1,000 times better than antioxidant vitamins C or E.

Add Exercise to Your Routine

Children, work, stress — we all have activities in our lives that can compel us to put exercise on the back burner. But those who have discovered how to weave a simple workout into their days are those who look and live younger. Does "working out" conjure in your mind visions of heavy weights and marathon runs? Relax. Light, non-strenuous exercise like walking or yoga asanas is a wonderful addition to our routine. Done regularly, these activities yield tremendous balancing and healing benefits and can enhance our experience during meditation.

Use Healing Aromatherapy

Beat the stress of your week by treating your senses to healing aroma oils every evening. Lavender is only one among dozens of aromas that can promote feelings of calm and cheer. Our dosha-balancing Aroma Oils are a great way to scent a room naturally and balance our body. When inhaled, the scents have a healing influence on the limbic area of the brain, which controls memory and emotions. Our oils are specifically formulated to balance the doshas… vpk. Use the scent that smells the best at the time you are ready to use the aroma. Let your body guide your decision.

Find Balance, Not Perfection

This week, go to work with the resolve that you'll seek balance in everything you do — not perfection. The quest for perfection is what stresses us out; however, the quest for balance restores us! Breathe deep — this will help you remain calm under pressure. Are you happy in what you are doing? Are you bringing joy to others? If not, what are your options? Reexamine your goals and priorities — even small ones. Share some joy with those around you. In all you do, seek to feel good about yourself and other people. Balance is the keyword in ayurvedic healing: if you work, love, eat, play, and live in moderation, you'll live long and happy. And there's no better time to remember this than on a full, busy schedule.

Give Your Skin Some Love

Self-massage, or the ayurvedic technique of abhyanga with a good-quality oil is now, more than ever, an essential. It really does need your attention — especially now that the drying Vata dosha is in the air, and deep winter just around the corner. It is no doubt easier to think about skin care on the weekend, but if you devote even 15 minutes to your skin every day, you'll feel an amazing difference in skin texture and complexion. If you already have a dry, Vata-type skin, then these 15 minutes will count even more. Our rich Youthful Skin Massage Oils for Men and Women are a luxury worth experiencing. Just 15 minutes! That's all it takes.

Heal Yourself Helping Others

Sattva, or goodness, is the highest of qualities, say ayurvedic healers. Take time to help others in need. Stay rested and nurture your heart and those around you. By helping others, done with pure intent, we heal ourselves.

*by vpk® by Maharishi Ayurveda Staff Writers on October 08, 2015

Disclaimer
The sole purpose of these articles is to provide information about the tradition of ayurveda. This information is not intended for use in the diagnosis, treatment, cure or prevention of any disease. If you have any serious acute or chronic health concern, please consult a trained health professional who can fully assess your needs and address them effectively. If you are seeking the medical advice of a trained ayurvedic expert, call or e-mail us for the number of a physician in your area. Check with your doctor before taking herbs or using essential oils when pregnant or nursing.