Vata Season is upon us! Lets nourish ourselves in Autumn..

Hello beautiful ladies...

I hope you are all really well and enjoying the changes this season brings.

 We had the most magical time in Ibiza and now I am beginning to settle into the Autumn flow and ready to inspire you to live seasonally, make a few tweaks and ramp up the self care to support your system through Autumn and into Winter.

I am looking forward to being back on Monday with Bedtime Yoga and Ayurvedic wisdom for the Vata Season with some gorgeous nourishing Earth Element Yoga & Relaxation.

In Ayurveda this is the Season of Vata Dosha - or Air element.

An element of movement and change and an invitation to make some changes, let things go and begin to Slow Down.

Creating an Autumn program based on Ayurvedic wisdom can be a beautiful way to support the mind, body, and spirit as the seasons change.

In Ayurveda, Autumn is associated with the Vata dosha, which is characterized by qualities like coolness, dryness, lightness, and movement.

To balance these qualities, the focus is on grounding, warmth, and nourishment. Here’s a supportive program for Autumn:

How to stay grounded and supported in Autumn through Yoga and Ayurveda.

Your diet is a powerful way to soothe vata this Autumn. You may find yourself naturally wanting to increase your intake of food but be careful to follow the lead of your appetite and digestion.

This is also a great time of year to do a mono diet (same food) warm apple and cinnamon is lovely, type of Ayurvedic cleanse for a day. 

Vata requires adequate nourishment, so it is best to avoid full fasting.

Types of Food to Favour in Autumn.

Substantive, oily, nourishing foods that are high in protein, high in fat, brought to life with warming, stimulating spices, and served hot, will go a long way toward maintaining your internal reserves of moisture and keeping you grounded through the vata season.

You’ll also want to favour the sweet, sour, and salty tastes. In general, eat mushy, soft foods and garnish them generously with ghee or oil.

Breakfasts of cooked grains—like oats, or creamy rice with stewed apple and cinnamon are perfect at this time of year.

Lunches and dinners that include steamed vegetables, hearty grains, soups, and stews are grounding and moisturizing.

If you eat meat and eggs, this is one of the best times of year to enjoy them.

Dairy products and all nuts and seeds are also beneficial.

Ideal Autumnal Foods

The following is a list of ideal vata season foods:

Fruits

Apples (cooked) – Avocados – Bananas – Dates – Figs - Grapefruit

Grapes- Lemons – Limes – Mangoes – Oranges – Papayas - Prunes (soaked)

Raisins (soaked) – Tangerines - Clementines

Vegetables

Beets – Carrots – Chilies – Garlic – Onions - Pumpkins

Squash - Sweet Potatoes

Grains

Basmati Rice - Brown Rice – Oats - Quinoa

Legumes

Kidney Beans – Miso - Mung Beans (soaked overnight before cooking) - Lentils.

Dairy

Organic Butter- Cheese – Cream – Ghee – Kefir - Milk (not cold)

Sour Cream - Natural Yogurt.

Oils

Almond Oil – Ghee - Olive Oil - Peanut Oil - Safflower Oil - Sesame Oil

Sweeteners

Honey – Jaggary - Maple Syrup - Rice Syrup

Spices (Most Are Recommended)

Allspice – Anise - Asafoetida (Hing) – Basil - Bay Leaf - Black Pepper

Cardamom – Cinnamon – Clove – Cumin – Dill – Garlic - Ginger

Mustard Seeds – Nutmeg – Oregano – Paprika – Parsley - Rosemary

Saffron - Turmeric

Foods to Minimize.

In general, you’ll want to reduce your consumption of raw vegetables, cold and frozen foods, as well as the bitter, pungent, and astringent tastes.

It is best to minimize light, cooling, and drying foods like broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, sprouts, leafy greens, white potatoes, beans, popcorn, crackers, millet, and dried fruit.

If you do eat these foods, eat them in moderation and make sure that they are soaked, well cooked, or served with ghee.