Five simple tips to calm Vata this fall

Vata is the force that governs movement within our bodies. Vata is at play when we take in food, and when we eliminate. It is present in the constant movement of our breath, bringing air in and out of our lungs, and in the synapses of our nervous system moving thoughts, emotions and sensations through our awareness.

When Vata is in balance, creativity is flowing and enthusiasm for life is strong. Those with a healthy balance of Vata in their constitution tend to be spiritually-minded, free-spirited, and artistic. When out of balance, excess Vata can cause anxiety, fearfulness and depression. Because Vata is movement, those with excess Vata often have a hard time sitting still, focusing for long periods of time, or committing to a steady routine. I know I’m dealing with a Vata imbalance when my mind starts spiralling into negative thoughts, I have trouble making even small decisions, and I feel pulled in a hundred different directions.

The elements that make up Vata are air and space, and the qualities associated with Vata are cold, light, dry, mobile and rough. Looking to nature, you can clearly see that Vata dominates the fall and early winter seasons. The leaves become dry and brittle, the cold winds of change start to blow, and ultimately more empty space is created as the trees shed their summer skin and prepare for a dormant period.

It’s natural for the world to go through these cycles, and for our bodies to respond by reflecting the qualities of our environment. For example, as the weather turns cold and dry, we may be more likely to experience dry skin or constipation. Imbalance happens when we forget to bring in the opposite qualities, and give ourselves over to the energy of Vata. This can be caused by both inner and outer circumstance, or simply a lack of awareness.

Uncertainty and irregularity are both attributes of Vata, and in the fall of 2020, we’re facing a lot of this. After over half a year of dealing with the coronavirus pandemic with no end in sight, we’re now facing an extremely uncertain and divisive election. Checking the news on any given day is enough to send me into a Vata whirlwind of anxiety, doubt and panic.

As we head into the end of this very strange year, navigating flurries of misinformation and facts that seem to change daily, finding ways to ground ourselves is more important than ever. Ayurveda offers an array of wonderful, practical tools to balance Vata. These are the practices I turn to when the weather shifts, my anxiety is high, or the future is uncertain.

There is a saying in Ayurveda – the more complicated the problem, the more simple the remedy should be. In that spirit, I encourage you to pick one of the tips below to implement, rather than trying all of them right away. Vata will be most soothed by slow, steady changes.

1. Ground yourself with root veggies

It makes sense that eating food that has grown deep in the ground, soaking up the dense, moist and earthy qualities of the rich soil, brings balance to the light and airy qualities of Vata. Root vegetables also have a good amount of the sweet taste, which is especially nourishing for Vata. Fall is a wonderful time to indulge in beets, carrots, sweet potatoes, and other less common but delicious roots like parsnip and daikon.

For a simple autumn dinner, try roasting a sweet potato until it is very soft, cutting in half and topping with some ghee, almond butter and cinnamon. I cannot get enough of these! Or if you want to try something a bit more ambitious, here’s a colorful and flavorful recipe for roasted fall veggies. This recipe utilizes a plethora of warming spices and a creamy tahini sauce to further soothe Vata. I like to make a big batch of these for the week. I use it to top a fall salad for lunch, or with a side of steamed quinoa for dinner. This recipe is adapted from The Everyday Ayurveda Cookbook by Kate O’Donnell.

Roasted Root Veggies

Ingredients

Roasted veggies:

2 beets (red or golden)
2 carrots
2 parsnips
2 sweet potatoes, yams, or 1⁄2 of a butternut squash 2 tablespoons ghee or coconut oil
1 tsp chopped fennel seeds
1⁄2 tsp powdered coriander
1⁄2 tsp powdered cumin
1⁄2 tsp powdered turmeric
1⁄4 tsp powdered ginger
1 tablespoon coconut aminos (optional)

Tahini sauce:

1⁄2 cup tahini
1 tablespoons olive oil Juice of 1⁄2 lemon
1⁄2 tsp salt

Preheat the oven to 375. Chop all veggies into 1⁄2 inch cubes. Melt the ghee or coconut oil in a pan over medium heat, until liquid. Add fennel seeds and spices and saute for 30 seconds to a minute, stirring.

In a large bowl, toss the veggies with the oil and spice mix, until well coated. Spread veggies onto a large baking dish or sheet. Bake for 20 minutes, then remove pan and flip veggies with a spatula. Bake 10-20 minutes more, until soft.

While the veggies are baking, make the tahini sauce. Add all ingredients to a large bowl, and whip with a fork or whisk until the mixture becomes smooth. If it’s too thick, add warm water, 2 tablespoons at a time, until desired consistency.

Remove veggies from the oven and serve drizzled with the tahini sauce!

2. Soothe yourself to sleep with spiced milk

When I led my fall cleanse, everyone’s favorite recipe was the evening golden milk! This is a delicious evening treat that can help ease you out of other habits if you’re someone who tends to get very hungry or crave sweets before bed.

Ayurveda teaches us that we should eat dinner before the sun goes down — the sun is said to mirror our digestive fire, and it’s not considered healthy to eat a large meal after dark. However, a warm spiced milk before bedtime is often recommended, and can be especially helpful to balance Vata.

If you can digest dairy, organic raw milk or whole milk is extremely nourishing for Vata. Organic soy milk is also a good choice. Both soy and dairy contain significant amounts of protein, which is building and grounding, and will also help sustain you through the night. Personally, I don’t digest dairy or soy well, so I usually opt for homemade almond milk.

This recipe makes use of carminative herbs, which help to prevent and relieve gas. Remember that Vata is air and movement, so gas is a typical symptom of excess Vata in the digestive tract! I’ve also included an optional addition of shatavari. This is not a carminative, but a wonderful rejuvenative herb that strengthens the tissues and promotes a healthy reproductive system. I often recommend this herb after completing a cleanse, as it is great for rebuilding healthy tissue.

Bedtime Golden Milk

Ingredients

1 cup of milk
1 tsp ghee
1⁄2 tsp turmeric powder
1⁄4 tsp cardamom powder
1⁄4 tsp cinnamon powder
¼ tsp shatavari powder (optional)

Warm the milk in a small pot. Add the ghee and spices, and mix to combine. You don’t need to boil the spices, just bring it to your desired temperature, pour into a mug and enjoy!

3. Warm your body with oil massage

The practice of abhyanga, a self-massage with warm oil, is one of the most nourishing Ayurvedic practices, and is particularly beneficial for bringing Vata dosha into balance. Imagine that Vata is an erratic energy scattered throughout your system; an oil massage immediately calms that energy and brings it back to the center with a warm, loving touch.

Sesame oil is the best to use in colder weather. You can buy organic cold-pressed sesame oil from the store, or go to Banyan Botanicals for an oil infused with herbs specifically designed to balance Vata! You can practice your oil massage either in the morning or in the evening before bed. I suggest doing it whenever your anxiety tends to be higher. If you’re someone who wakes up very anxious, already worried about everything on your to-do list, abhyanga is a great way to start your morning and create a protective energetic field around you for the rest of the day. If you have more trouble winding down at night or suffer from insomnia, try a soothing oil massage before bed.

Here’s how I do my abhyanga:

Warm the oil. I do this by placing the bottle of oil in a larger sized glass jar, and filling the jar with hot water from the tap. I then leave the bottle of oil in the hot water for about 5-10 minutes to warm up.
Place an old towel on the floor to create a cozy space and avoid oil spills on your floor. Undress and sit or stand on the towel.
Working from feet first, move up your body, slowly working the oil into your skin. Use a light to medium touch – this isn’t a deep tissue massage. Use long strokes on your arms and legs, and circular strokes around your joints, breasts, and belly. If you have breasts, spend some extra time on them! Breast massage has been shown to have wonderful benefits of moving lymph and preventing stagnation in breast tissue.
Follow your oil massage with a warm bath or shower. Continue to massage the oil into your tissues in the warm water. Don’t use soap except on the underarms or other needed areas. The excess oil will absorb into your skin — this is what you want! If you can take a long bath, the oil will continue to absorb into your skin even longer. This is especially lovely in the evenings.
Pat yourself dry with a towel. Be aware of what towel you use, as over time it will accumulate oil and need to be replaced. (Yes, the health benefits are worth the cost of a few extra towels.)

4. Calm your nervous system with a regular routine

Because vata energy is flighty and irregular, a regular routine is the perfect remedy. A daily routine doesn’t have to involve a long list of complicated steps. In fact, simple is often better! The most important things to consider when committing to a routine are that it’s 1) something you love and look forward to, and 2) something you can stick to. A morning routine can be as simple as lighting a candle and setting an intention, or starting each day with a warming cup of tea or lemon water.

Bringing regularity to your mealtimes is another great place to start. If you can have breakfast, lunch and dinner at roughly the same times every day, it will do wonders to regulate your nervous system, and your digestion as well. When your body knows when to expect the next meal, it will get used to the rhythm, and the process of digestion will start before you even sit down to your meal! Skipping meals often leads to unnecessary stress and burnout, so make sure to set those mealtimes and treat them with as much importance as anything else on your calendar.

Lastly, try to get outside for a few minutes around the same time every day. A daily morning or evening walk can actually support balanced hormones! Exposure to natural light helps align the body with the natural rhythms of nature, giving you more energy during the day and helping you sleep better at night.

5. Nourish yourself with all the love you can get!

Nothing is more effective for a Vata imbalance than the feeling of unconditional love. Especially during a year where seeing friends and family may be harder than ever before, it’s important to make sure we’re all getting ample love in our lives. Self-care and self love go a long way, but time spent cuddling with a pet, a child or a partner is a different kind of medicine. A professional massage can also provide that healing touch.

Surrounding yourself with love doesn’t always just mean being more social. As we head into the end of the year, it’s a good time to assess all of our relationships, and determine which are feeding us and which are draining. If you have trouble figuring it out, always ask the body. What are the people or relationships that make you feel relaxed, at ease, like you can take deep breaths? Which relationships create more constriction in the body?

Vata types are often social butterflies, good at mingling and connecting to different groups. Whether it’s in real life or on Zoom, make sure that you’re not overextending yourself and that you’re taking time to feed the relationships that genuinely fill you up. One or two close friendships or partnerships can often be more grounding and nourishing than a full social calendar.

A fall cleanse is a great way to get started with an Ayurvedic routine. Click here to download your free fall cleanse guide with recipes and tips for a simple cleanse.