As autumn approaches it brings a unique energy to the pace of life – kids are back to school, the holiday season builds, the to do list tends to grow bigger than ever. This “season of change” ushers in a quality of movement, which along with colder temperatures and a drier climate, makes it notorious for taking a hit on our immune systems.
Yet autumn doesn’t have to be a one track season to imbalance if we are equipped with seasonal practices to strengthen our system.
Ritucharya: the Ayurvedic way of aligning and balancing with nature
The primary goal of Ayurveda is to preserve health and prevent disease by aligning ourselves with nature. We call seasonal practices or regimens, Ritucharya. While you cannot control the change in seasons or the unique mind-body constitution you were born with, you can adjust your daily choices to help yourself adapt to weather patterns. You change your wardrobe for the weather, right? It’s the same principle with Ritucharya, but with all aspects of your lifestyle.
Detecting the true elements of autumn and how they uniquely affect you
The calendar does not dictate the seasons according to Ayurveda; Nature does, of course. From an Ayurvedic perspective, autumn is marked by seasonal qualities such as:
Dryness
Cold
Wind
Roughness
The summer’s qualities of Pitta (sharpness, heat, lightness) continue to linger into the fall calendar season, so one of the first key steps to balancing during autumn is checking in with the weather each day and adjusting accordingly.
Once you are certain fall weather is upon you, you can make simple adjustments to your diet and daily routines to counter the effect fall’s qualities in your system. Depending on your unique constitution, you may require more or less countering. For example, if you already have a high level dryness such as dry skin, brittle hair and constipation, fall is likely to be particularly aggravating for you. Other constitutions who have a problem of too much moisture and oil may benefit from the additional dryness in the climate.
