ayurvedic comfort for fall

Since I am currently contemplating getting my license to practice Ayurvedic healing (combined with a doula certification, possibly a prenatal yoga certification, and maternity and newborn photography of course), I decided to share a little bit about what that means.

Ayurveda is something I am passionate about and try to incorporate into my life as much as possible. Ayurveda is a holistic system of medicine that has been around for over 5,000 years. It aims to heal individuals through food and lifestyle based on a person's specific mind/body constitution, or dosha as it is referred to. The ultimate purpose is to bring people into complete balance and harmony with nature. There are three types of doshas: Vata, Pitta and Kapha. To determine your dosha take this quick quiz: Dosha Quiz.

Without going too much into detail, fall is a Vata time of year marked by cool, dry air and wind, which are elements that throw Vata out of balance. Therefore, to bring us into balance we must introduce the opposite of those elements with things of a warm, moist, heavy and grounding nature.

How do you know if the fall season has found you out of balance? If you experience any of the following symptoms, you may be in need of some Vata soothing: anxiety, insomnia, fear, nervousness, indecisiveness, dry skin, lips or hair, restlessness, weight loss, easily agitated, impatient, digestive issues, sensitivity to cold...the list goes on, but I'll stop there.

So, after that brief explanation of Ayurveda, here are two simple yet incredibly soothing practices that I bring into my daily life during the fall (other things include maintaining a regular routine, gentle yoga, warm oil massages, warm baths and warm drinks).

Spiced Bananas

One banana, sliced

1 teaspoon ghee (clarified butter), melted

1/8 teaspoon cinnamon

1/8 teaspoon cardamom

1/8 teaspoon dried ginger

Melt the ghee (or you could use organic, grass fed butter) and mix with all the spices. Toss with sliced banana. Eat slowly.

Simple Aromatherapy

This is also an inexpensive, natural alternative to candles or incense. Simply fill a small pot or pan 1/2 way with water and add spices or essential oils (you can also toss in pieces of fruit such as orange rinds). You can make this as fragrant as you like by adding more or less of your scent, and you can control the degree to which you want to disseminate the scent through the air by turning the heat on the stove up or down.

Vata Balancing Aromatherapy

Cinnamon

Cardamom

Nutmeg

Cloves