Autumn is now in full effect. Her presence surrounds us with falling leaves, blowing wind, cooler air and shorter days. Even in sunny Los Angeles where I live, the summer heat has turned down a noticeable notch. I now close my windows at night and take a bit longer to get out of bed due to the darker and colder mornings. I’ve had to dig out my long sleeves and sweaters and I’ve even turned on my heater a few times; a sharp contrast from the constant hum of the AC only a few weeks ago.
These are sure signs of a seasonal shift and if we weren’t paying attention, we may have allowed some new symptoms of sickness to creep in. These symptoms are actually right in sync with the rhythm of Mother Nature. In Ayurveda our bodies are considered microcosms of the earth’s macrocosm, so they too go through transitions along with the seasons.
In Ayurveda, each season has a dominant Dosha. In the Northern Hemisphere fall is Vata season, so we often experience changes in the environment and our bodies that encompass the Vata qualities of cold, rough, dry, light, mobile and subtle. For example, during a recent series of at least 30 Ayurvedic consultations I provided at the Los Angeles Women’s Expo, I started to observe a pattern. Most of the women had similar seasonal complaints: insomnia, joint pain, constipation and dry skin, hair and eyes. The vast majority of those I met with reported that these symptoms had either just suddenly occurred or worsened a few weeks prior. While the appearance of symptoms was confusing to them, this made complete sense to me within the context of Ayurveda and the recent transition into the autumn months. Click here for top Ayurvedic recommendations for addressing joint pain, constipation and insomnia…