Mood swings, changes in tone, appetite and skin condition – this is how, according to Ayurveda, an imbalance of doshas manifests itself in us. At the beginning of autumn, Vata Dosha (changeable, like the north wind) usually goes out of balance, and from the middle of the season – kapha (lethargic and gloomy, like a cloudy sky). By balancing them, you can get rid of the autumn blues and improve well-being. I’ll tell you how.
How the Outside Impacts the Inside
Is the balance of doshas related to what is happening outside the window? The answer is yes. It is because we are part of nature, so all its fluctuations are reflected in our state. And it usually happens according to the principle “like strengthens like”. Therefore, an excess of some dosha outside of us provokes this inside our body as well. Don’t believe it? Then remember what happens to our mood and well-being in cloudy weather: it becomes difficult for many of us to maintain cheerfulness and a perky mood.
Autumn, the Season of Predominance
From the point of view of Ayurveda, autumn is the time of the predominance of vata dosha. Its characteristic qualities are lightness, windiness, transparency and fragility. And in some regions of Russia, autumn is just like that. But in many parts of our country, all this is mixed with manifestations of kapha dosha, which is characterized by rain, fog, high humidity, and a certain heaviness. Without proper diet and lifestyle adjustments, this can upset the balance of the doshas in the body and create health problems. Another way to relax is to enter National Casino and let stress fade away while playing the various games the casino has to offer.
Vata Dosha Imbalance
It is provoked by windy, cold and dry weather. This is a positive factor for Pitta people (a term used in Ayurveda) with its hot nature. But for people like cotton wool – a negative factor, since their nature is already cold. This will also adversely affect people of the kapha constitution: their predominant dosha increases with an excess of cold.
Vata dosha imbalance in the body has clear signs. General symptoms of its imbalance are dry skin and mucous membranes, pain in the joints, bones, limbs, colds, various cosmetic problems, such as hair loss or dandruff. It also included mood swings, anxiety, insomnia, weakness, cravings for sweets and fatty foods among the signs of “raging” cotton wool in the body.
Kapha Dosha Imbalance
Kapha is usually aggravated by damp, cold and gloomy weather, rain, sleet, heavy clouds. The predominance of this dosha in nature is well tolerated only by people of the pitta type: it, as mentioned above, slightly cools their temperament. But those who have a constitution of vata or kapha will most likely suffer from its excess.
There are many manifestations of excess kapha in the body. On the mental and emotional levels, kapha can show up as a feeling of lethargy, a slightly depressive, apathetic mood, an unwillingness to go out, try something new, meet strangers. Physiologically, kapha can manifest as excess mucus, cellulite, nasal discharge, and respiratory problems in general.
What to Do?
You can restore the balance of all three doshas in the body with the help of changes in diet, lifestyle and cosmetic procedures. How to act?
1. Define your type of constitution
If any of the cold doshas predominates in you, keep in mind that in the autumn-winter period you need special attention to the diet.
2. Find out which dosha is dominant outside today.
If you look outside and see that it is cloudy, damp, sleet or raining, then most likely you should pay attention to balancing kapha. At the same time, the change of seasons, any changes are always associated with cotton wool. Therefore, in the fall, cotton wool will in any case be in abundance, even if today it is humid or just cloudy outside.
3. Choose the appropriate strategy by listening to your body
Have you noticed symptoms of imbalanced vata? Try to exclude dry and light foods and dishes from the menu (for example, chips, bread, muesli, crackers), as well as everything cold. Reduce the amount of food with a bitter and astringent taste: they can lead to constipation and will dry out the body from the inside. Focus on food that is slightly spicy or sweet, oily or fatty (add ghee to dishes, eat more nuts and seeds).
The practice of yoga is also worth reconsidering. Vata is fragile, it is balanced by soft practice, with circular movements of the joints and a slow warm-up. Salutation to the Sun, exercises for the lower abdomen and lower back will work positively.
Do you feel that kapha is out of balance? Reduce the amount of fatty, salty and sweet foods in your diet, reduce the amount of dairy products and meat. Cold foods should also be avoided. The emphasis on the menu can be made on dishes with stimulating spices, hot soups and stewed vegetables.
In practice, you should pay a lot of attention to backbends and any active movements. This will disperse the stagnation of kapha.
Both “problematic” doshas in autumn will benefit from self-massage with warm sesame oil, herbal teas with ginger and honey. Warming breathing, such as bhastrika or kapalabhati, will help a lot. They warm up the body and improve blood circulation and lymph flow. In general, it is believed that in autumn it is worth paying special attention to tonic therapy (that is, maintaining vata), the accumulation of strength.
By balancing the doshas according to the season, you can improve your well-being and mood.
