The Complete Ayurveda Guide to Embracing Harmony in Autumn
Autumn is a beautiful time of year here on the coast of Northern NSW in Australia - in fact, it is one of my favourite times of year from mid Feb through til mid April. There’s so much ancient knowledge and guidance shared in the classical texts about how to adapt our Ayurveda Lifestyle to be in harmony with the Autumn Season. Some paint beautifully rich imagery for seasonal inspiration.
“Garlands of seasonal flowers, clean apparel and also the moon-rays in early nights are recommended during the Autumn season.”
~ Charaka Samhita
In Autumn, as the weather begins to cool down, the air becomes crisp in the mornings and evenings with daytime temperatures and intensity of the sun still providing warmth. This is because heat accumulated over the dry Australian Summer season gets exacerbated during the Rainy season through til March. The elements of fire and air have been increasing through Summer, tending to increase and aggravate Vata and Pitta doshas.
During the Autumn, the elements of fire and water are understood to be most prevalent, which means these elements are increasing in the environment - and also within us. These elements are synonymous with the dosha Pitta. Hence, Autumn is a time when we are prone to an increase of Pitta qualities, which can cause aggravation. Signs of such Pitta aggravation are; frustration, anger, skin inflammation, rashes and burning sensations.
Couple this understanding with windy Autumn days and the intense heat of the sun still present, and there is the air quality prominent, relating to Vata dosha. As Vata dosha is made up primarily of the lightest qualities of air and space, Vata is always the most susceptible to go out of balance as it can easily be swept away. Vata is also the principle of movement, enabling all of the functions of the body to be carried out by the other doshas (Pitta & Kapha) - hence, we always need to care for Vata.
As you can begin to appreciate, Ayurveda is a beautifully complex science that utilises some profoundly simple principles. Each season and its principles (Rtucharya) provide a wonderful anchor, as well as tangible and felt experience to reassess our lifestyle, habits and diet every few months.
Ayurveda Lifestyle for Autumn
An Ayurvedic lifestyle (Dinacharya) is an essential component for good-health. One that supports your lifestyle, work, family-life and most importantly your constitution (dosha). Our daily habits and lifestyle ultimately create our life and therefore either positively or negatively contribute to our health and wellbeing. A good daily routine that supports your life’s goals and endeavours, such as good sleep, good eliminations and a good diet is what will most support us.
In addition, there are some specific recommendations following Ayurvedic principles to adapt and adopt for the Autumn Season. Autumn being “Pitta Season” (fire & water elements predominant), tends to leave us feeling emotionally agitated and frustrated at times. The quickest way to cool one’s temperament is through prayer, meditation, compassion and generosity. A regular meditation or sitting practice is integral to an Ayurvedic lifestyle, however this becomes amplified even more-so when emotions are high with the intensity that comes with a lot of fire and Pitta dosha.
Creating a personal daily practice connecting to a greater spirit, your inner spirit, intuition, higher Self, god, deity is a beautiful way of developing faith and also to surrender - one of the sure-fire ways to pacify Pitta. It’s not important the label or what we call the practice but rather the intention and feeling behind it.
Toward the end of Autumn is a fantastic time to take up gradually more vigorous or intense forms of exercise. As the weather cools and the internal fire centralised in the belly - our agni - is localised. Our energy and strength gradually begins to increase, making our propensity and capacity towards physical exercise (vyayama) gradually greater through Autumn and Winter. This could be as simple as holding yoga asana postures for a time with even and steady breathing, or taking up your past-time favourite team sport, or other more dynamic exercise or movement practice.
“During Autumn, the persons having adjusted to rains and cold are suddenly subjected to the heat of the sun rays which leads to aggravation of the accumulated Pitta.”
~ Charaka Samhita
With the accumulation of the fire element prevalent during Autumn, it can increase blood pressure, cause bleeding diseases, migraine, sleeplessness, heart attack and mood swings. When one spend an excessive time in the sun or in the Pitta time of the day, between 10am and 2pm during the season of Autumn - it can further intensify any pre-existing Pitta conditions.
Autumn + the Effects on The Mind
Traditionally, Ayurveda goes a step further to understanding the effects of the seasons on our mental makeup, and the Autumn season can bring on mental instability. In extreme cases, for those who already have some kind of psychosis, bipolar or schizophrenia, the Autumn season can make it more intense. Having this awareness means that we can guard our mental stability, utilising the Ayurvedic practices and Dinacharya to provide this firm foundation.
Autumn + the Effects on Taste & Digestion
Each of the six tastes (rasas) are perceived from the unique combinations of the elements. During Autumn the dominant elements are that of fire and water, synonymous with Pitta dosha, and also that of the salty taste (lavana). Through this elemental and seasonal knowledge of Ayurveda, since salty taste is already abundant during Autumn, then we need to consume less of the dominant taste of the season to stay in balance. When salty taste is prevalent, it makes it even more difficult to settle down.
Salty taste when used too much by itself or in excess, aggravates Pitta and causes stagnation of blood, creates thirst, fainting and sensation of burning, erosion and wasting of muscle, promotes hyperacidity of digestion, inflammation of the skin and causes wrinkles.
Summary
Autumn is a beautiful time of year which prepares us to receive the fruits of the Winter season, a time of gradual accumulation of sweetness and rasa (juiciness).. Dance your way through the intensity of any Pitta-type anger, frustrations or let-downs - reach out and help others. Turn compassion into action.