In Ayurveda everything around us, including ourselves, is made up of the 5 elements: Ether, Air, Fire, Water and Earth. There are three types of moods (or doshas) present in the body that influence it according to their proportions:

  • Vata: air and ether is movement.
  • Pitta: fire and water is transformation.
  • Kapha: water and land are cohesion.

The doshas and the seasons

We are therefore born with a proportion of each of these doshas and we always aim to rebalance them to avoid health problems. The doshas are influenced by internal and external factors, especially the climate and seasons! As autumn arrives, it is the dosha Vata that begins to accumulate and tends to get worse. Cold, wind, drought increase Vata in the body. However, the latter is responsible for multiple worries and illnesses such as dryness, constipation, bloating, night waking, mood swings, anxiety, painful periods, irregular appetite, etc.
The qualities of Vata are: cold, light, dry, mobile, rough, subtle, hard, irregular, fast. To limit the accumulation of wind in the body, we increase in our daily lives all its opposite qualities.

10 autumn Ayurvedic tips for daily use

    1. Drink a glass of hot water when you wake up
    2. Massage your body with oil before taking a hot shower
    3. Do an early morning yoga twice a week with anti-Vata postures: forward flexions, digestion postures, twists, anchoring
    4. Moisturize yourself by drinking hot herbal teas throughout the day
    5. Eat hot, cooked, and moist
    6. Eat smaller amounts regularly (even if it means eating more frequently)
    7. Add regularity to your daily routine
    8. Choose gentle rather than intense physical exercise
    9. At bedtime, meditate for 10 minutes to refocus, reanchor and strengthen your stability
    10. In case of difficulty falling asleep drink a glass of hot milk + 1/3 teaspoon of nutmeg

Plants and spices to be preferred in autumn

    • Triphala: to promote digestion and limit constipation
    • Asafoetida: to avoid bloating
    • Digestive, laxative and carminative spices: cinnamon, cumin seeds, ginger, cardamom, fennel seeds
Cinnamon sticks
Cinnamon, an ayurvedic spice for fall.

Body care to be used in autumn

    • Abhyanga: traditional massage with traditional warm oil, soft and enveloping.
    • Shirodhara: a stream of warm oil continuously flowing over the forehead to soothe the mind.
    • Basti: cleans and nourishes the colon.

Ayurvedic massage

To be avoided absolutely in autumn

  • Food and cold liquids (milk, water, ice cream, beer)
  • Travel and long journeys, irregularities, overwork
  • Stimulants such as coffee or tea

Finally, here are two Ayurvedic recipes to help you through the fall with confidence:

🍵 A small herbal tea idea: fennel seeds + hot water.
🍎 A little compote idea: apples, pear, cinnamon, ginger, cardamom.

Written by Chloé & Sarah from Premanand Yoga et Ayurveda

Check out the activities proposed by Chloé and Sarah.

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