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The ancient wisdom of Ayurveda helps us to align with the natural cycles of seasons and, in the northern hemisphere as we move into autumn, there are lots of things we can do to stay healthy and enhance our wellbeing over the next few months.
Although in the West we are familiar with many aspects of Yoga, Ayurveda is less well-known. This is a shame because it too can offer us powerful ways to enhance our well-being on many levels.
Even those readers who have some experience of Ayurveda may not realise that it is a vast science and takes many years of study to become a qualified Ayurvedic doctor, or that it has eight specialisms including paediatrics and psychiatry and that its treatment includes not only diet and herbs but also surgery and specialist clinical procedures such as panchakarma.
Thankfully, despite its sophistication, there are several simple entry points through which we can all access Ayurveda’s wisdom. An understanding of one or two of its foundational principles and a few simple adjustments to our diet and daily routine are all that we need to begin our Ayurvedic journey.
There is no time like the present and, as we see the signs of autumn all around us, this represents the perfect time to adopt certain seasonal practices that can help us to maintain balance and enhance our wellbeing over the next few months.
However, before we look at these practices, let’s take a moment to consider in a little more detail, what exactly is Ayurveda?
We can say that Ayurveda is an ancient medical system which, although universal, has its roots in India. It is often described as the sister science to Yoga and I like to think of the two sciences as inter-related branches of the same magnificent tree of Vedic knowledge.
At its heart there is a deep understanding and reverence for the laws of nature and a recognition that we do not exist in isolation from the natural world but as an integral part of it. When we recognise that we are at one with and a part of nature, our understanding of this rich and complex system begins to reveal itself.
And, as we begin to study nature, we recognise that its qualities vary throughout the day and the year in a predictable and regular way. When we begin to align our activities to these rhythms and cycles, we start to optimise our wellbeing and move closer to swasthya or true health of our body, mind, emotions and spirit.
To help us make this re-connection with nature’s rhythms and cycles, Ayurveda gifts us daily guidelines called the dinacharya as well as seasonal routines called the ritucharya. Yogasana and pranayama form part of both routines and we can use this knowledge to help us to better support our own health and, if we are teachers, to support our students’ health too.
To understand why these are so important, let us consider a few of the key foundations of Ayurveda.
The Five Great Elements
Like Classical Yoga, Ayurveda is underpinned by Samkhya philosophy which gives us a map of the universe and an explanation for how cosmic consciousness manifested itself into form.
As part of this, Ayurveda uses the theory of the Five Great Elements or Pancha Mahabhuta to explain how the external forces of nature and the internal forces within our own bodies are linked together.
The Five Great Elements are:
1. Space (Akasha)
2. Air (Vayu)
3. Fire (Agni)
4. Water (Ap)
5. Earth (Prithvi)
The Three Doshas
The Five Great Elements then condense to the three doshas of Vata, Pitta and Kapha to make up an individual’s unique Ayurvedic constitution or Prakriti, as follows:
Each dosha has certain distinctive characteristics that will help us to recognise it.
- Vata is dry, light, cold, rough, mobile
- Pitta is hot, oily, sharp, liquid, penetrating
- Kapha is heavy, cool, slow, damp, slimy
It is important to note that every individual is made up of ALL three doshas - it is just the proportion of each that varies and which gives us our unique constitution.
The word dosha means, ”that which has a tendency to go out of balance” and, whatever our unique constitution, any one of the three doshas may go out of balance.
However, knowing our own unique doshic make-up or Prakriti can help us to better understand those influences that are more likely to cause imbalances and what it is that we need to maintain and restore equilibrium.
Agni and Ama
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Two further key foundations of Ayurveda are the concepts of Agni and Ama.
Agni is our digestive fire and refers to our body’s capability to digest and transform what we consume into simple substances that can be assimilated by the body.
When our Agni is low, perhaps because of unhealthy eating habits, a diet consisting of processed food or overeating, the food we consume remains undigested and unabsorbed and the toxic substance that results is called Ama.
This thick, heavy and sticky substance ferments and clogs up the channels of the body and is believed to cause many imbalances within the system.
Signs of imbalance
The body tells us when it is experiencing this low-Agni, high-Ama imbalance in a number of ways. We may, for example, notice a coating on our tongue, poor appetite, a feeling of heaviness, bloating, low immunity and/or constipation.
This leads us onto the Ayurvedic daily routine.
Daily routine
As mentioned before, the daily routine or dinacharya is one of Ayurveda’s most precious gifts. It consists of a certain set of self-care rituals performed daily to reconnect us to our natural rhythms and restore and/or balance our digestive fire. These include simple practices such as daily tongue scraping and drinking a mug of hot water first thing on an empty stomach.
Seasonal routine
In addition to the daily routine, Ayurveda also guides us to make certain additional adjustments as the seasons change.
This is because the seasons also reflect the doshas so, for example, summer is the season of Pitta dosha influence. As these forces increase in nature, they also increase within our own body and so during the summer months we may begin to experience the symptoms of this increase – feeling hot, increased sweating, skin irritation and burning.
To help prevent the accumulation of the doshas Ayurveda guides us to adopt the appropriate seasonal routine or ritucharya.
Autumn in the northern hemisphere
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In the northern hemisphere it’s obviously autumn.
Although there will always be some fluctuations, in the autumn months of September, October and November, the weather is usually cold, dry and windy. These are months that embrace the space and air elements which, as we have seen, are the elements that govern Vata dosha.
We will experience this in our body, so for example, we feel colder and may notice increased skin and hair dryness or loss and, as Vata dosha also governs the mind, we might also feel a sense of agitation and mental overactivity.
Like increases like and opposite balance
The final two principles that we need to consider are, “like increases like” and “opposites balance”, which will help to inform the seasonal routine.
So, if we are looking to mitigate the cooling, drying and unsettling effects of Vata dosha at this time of year, we should aim to focus on foods and lifestyle practices that encourage warmth, lubrication and grounding. Using the principles of like increases like and opposites balance, we are guided to:
- Enjoy lots of nourishing, warming, grounding foods such as hearty soups, dahls and stews
- Avoid raw vegetables, favouring steamed vegetables instead
- Add a little warm oil or ghee to food before serving
- Avoid cold and frozen foods, as well as the bitter, pungent, and astringent tastes
- Include warming spices such as ginger in cooking
- Avoid ice cold water and drinks and replace with warm drinks such as ginger tea
Yogasana
In terms of our asana practice, the following will also be very beneficial:
- Take time to warm up slowly, releasing the joints with the joint-releasing sequence
- Focus on grounding poses such as Mountain Pose, Warrior 1, Warrior 2, Tree Pose and Pose of a Child
- Move with intention, focus and breath-awareness
- Include restorative poses such as Legs Up Against the Wall Pose
- Make time for a long Savasana at the end of practice covering yourself with a warm, cosy blanket
Pranayama and meditation
Pranayama and meditation can also have a profoundly calming effect on Vata dosha in the autumn. Practise Nadi Shodhana Pranayama (Alternate Nostril Breath) as well as Bhramari Pranayama (Humming Bee Breath) and include 10 minutes’ meditation in your daily routine.
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Warm oil massage
The lubrication of a warm oil massage can also be a wonderful way to pacify the drying effects of excess of Vata dosha (not suitable for pregnancy). Use an untoasted sesame seed oil and follow with a warm bath before an early night to aid restful sleep. BlissJ
Finally, if thinking about all the different elements of the seasonal routine makes you feel overwhelmed, please don’t be. Just choose one practice to start with and integrate that into your life and then, when you are ready to, adopt the next.
Remember that good health and wellbeing is the result of a series of small steps taken consistently.
Interested to learn more?
I hope this article has sparked an interest in the fascinating science of Ayurveda as a powerful way to support and enhance your well-being.
If you would like to find out more, you may be interested in :-
- Enrolling on my new 6-month online Ayurveda module, Beginning Your Ayurveda Journey
- Joining my Yoga and Ayurveda retreat in Thailand in March 2025
- Booking a 121 Ayurvedic consultation with me
- Reading my blog An Introduction to Ayurveda which is also on this website
Please message me for further details of any of the above or with any questions you might have at:
[email protected]
