We’re fast approaching the season of wind (vata), which brings us transition and movement. For many of us, it is a time when we are caught up in the whirlwind of life and perhaps feeling a bit overwhelmed. Anxiety is common this time of year, as is difficulty concentrating, restlessness and insomnia. Be careful this season with allowing the wind to blow you toward extremes—try to find the middle ground. Use these ayurvedic tips to root and ground yourself!
- Oil every orifice! (I’m serious.) We are oil-pulling (mouth); doing nasya (nose and ears), and basti (colorectum) in my house. Vata is dry, dry, dry. In Ayurveda, oiling helps to fortify the epithelium that lines the orifices and prevents against vata imbalance in these areas, thus helping to prevent upper respiratory infections, earaches/infections, constipation and so on.
- Oil your skin. This is the largest organ of the body, and a digestive organ. Medicinal oils are so important this time of year. Oil yourself after bathing in place of a lotion or shea butter. Twenty minutes on your skin is all it takes for something to be detected in your bloodstream.
- Cook with ghee. Ghee, to me, is like the clarified life force from breast milk. It doesn’t have the lactose sugars and waxes/debris found in butter that clog arteries. It nourishes all tissues, is known to help rejuvenate deeper tissues, and pacifies vata and pitta. Ghee reduces dryness and increases the quality of tissues from the inside out. On this note, avoid dry and cold foods!
- Lock into some kind of routine. Routine is rhythm, and that rhythm is what our internal clocks (such as our circadian rhythms) will set to. With routine to anchor your mind and body, there is greater harmony amongst the millions of processes taking place inside your miraculous self. This synchrony helps guard against imbalance.
- Spend quality time with supportive people in your life. In other words, stabilize yourself with healthy kapha. Really plug into the people who ground you. Maybe instead of going to get a drink in a noisy bar, you go for a walk together; instead of watching a movie, prepare a meal together. You get the idea—in other words, be present during your time together.
- Move around less (that means stay at home more). Constant movement is the hallmark of vata. Stay still. Leave space in your schedule. Lie on the floor, stare at the trees outside your window, meditate, breathe… just be. After all, we are human BEings, not human DOings.
- Go to bed before 9pm. I know, that is a G-rated bedtime… and almost impossible during holiday festivities. But really, this is when vata time of night really kicks in, so the more days you can accomplish this, the less vata you will take in.
- Spend less time around electronics. All EMR (electromagnetic radiation) is movement—TV and laptops screens are moving so fast. And that movement is stimulating to our brains. Less stimulation = less vata. Get yourself grounded by connecting with the earth.
- Get massaged (with oil of course). Human touch is grounding. Massages reduce tension and soften the body. Soft, supple, warm and oily are all qualities that balance vata.
- Flame-gaze. This is so great when you are feeling scattered and having trouble focusing. Many holidays this time of year incorporate candles, so take advantage. Just stare at the flickering flame and allow yourself to become fully immersed in its dance, to calm the nervous system.
This is also a season when creativity abounds and you can envision how you would like to make changes in your life. Just envision for now, allow yourself to enjoy the holidays and become aware of obstacles to those changes. Then you can prepare to make those changes with the stability of kapha season and the momentum of the New Year supporting you.
—Siva Mohan’s ayurvedic wellness practice and educational programs are designed to help precipitate a significant change in the experience of health. Get an ayurvedic tuneup at Veda MeLA November 7-8, DTLA.
