Vata Season 🍂

I’m by no means claiming to be an Ayurvedic practitioner, but I really resonate with much of the philosophy and love to integrate these ancient practices into my routine.

Years ago I saw a Ayurvedic doctor and really benefitted from integrating some of the practices into my lifestyle and diet. I learnt about the 3 Dosha’s (Vata, Pitta, Kapha) and at the time I was very Vata dominant and was experiencing many of the symptoms listed below.

As we have moved into Vata season I have noticed that my symptoms are flaring up again and it’s inspired me to go back and reintroduce what I found so helpful back in 2017. I thought I’d write them out and share them here incase anyone else is finding the change of seasons problematic. I mainly struggled with constipation, gas, dry and itchy skin, anxiety, and feeling cold ALL the time, but I know symptoms can vary from person to person.

Symptoms of excess Vata

👉🏻 dry/itchy skin

👉🏻 insomnia

👉🏻 constipation, gas, bloating

👉🏻 arthritis

👉🏻 high blood pressure

👉🏻 anxiety and depression.

Vata Season -

Begins mid-late autumn and continues throughout winter

Vata qualities -

Cold, dry, light, clear, and moving.

Vata elements -

Ether and air.

Vata pacifying diet

Avoid -

🍏 dry, uncooked, and cold foods (especially salads, raw fruits/vegetables, and crackers/crisps/rice cakes)

🍏 Iced drinks, cold liquids

🍏 Excessive fasting and/or irregular meals

🍏 Bitter, astringent, and pungent foods (raw kale, coffee, most teas, cacao, artichokes, cranberries, garlic, onions, spicy food)

Focus on -

🍎 warming, fresh, well cooked foods (soups, stews, casseroles, roasted vegetables)

🍎 Incorporate herbs and spices into your cooking, they are nutritionally dense and can aid digestion. (Just make sure they’re in date!)

🍎 Stay well hydrated with warm drinks - sip on hot water throughout the day (particularly if you suffer with constipation and bloating), herbal teas, and warm milky drinks with spices

🍎 Eat more of the sweet, sour, and salty tastes (avocados, bananas, mangoes, pumpkins, peaches, lemons, carrots, beetroot, asparagus, quinoa, mung beans, almonds, sesame seeds, ghee)

🍎 Ensure adequate intake of healthy fats (coconut oil, olive oil, butter, ghee, avocado oil)….avoid inflammatory fats (vegetable oils and seed oils ie. sunflower oil)

🍎 You may have a stronger appetite in Vata season, this is normal and helps to pacify Vata (having a grounding effect). Eat regular and adequate meals to satisfy your appetite, not to the point of discomfort.

Vata pacifying routine

🥰 Wrap up warm, ensuring your neck and ears are covered during windy weather. I personally find wind in my ears causes ear ache and anxiety! Vata is very sensitive to moving air, and exposure to cold winds can be quite dysregulating.

🥰 Play with colour - wear soft and warm fabrics in earth tones and pastel colours to calm Vata

🥰 Give yourself a self abhyanga massage each day using warm oil (sesame or almond). This can be in the morning or evening. If you don’t have time to give yourself a full body massage each day, a gentle foot rub with oils can be very calming for Vata excess. Option to rub a droplet of oil inside your nostrils which tend to get dry or aggravated from nose blowing during this season

Vata and sleep

😴 SLEEP is so important and can be the first thing to get out of sync with Vata dominance. Try and get up at the same time each day (even weekends) and go to bed at a similar time each day.

😴 Turn off all screens a minimum of 1 hour before bed and see if you can use blue light blocking glasses before that. Make sure lighting is low, using lamps or candles 🕯

😴 Establish a calming bed time routine 1 hour before you intend to go to bed. This might include a shower/bath, meditation, reading, self-massage, yoga nidra (there are lots of free resources), journaling, drawing etc…whatever is calming for you (and not on a screen)

😴 Make sure you allow for at least 8 hours of sleep per night. Even if you don’t fall asleep straight away and get a full 8 hours, make the space for this.

😴 Try to be in bed (lights off) before 10pm. Between 10pm and 12am the majority of your brain detox is taking place. This involves the clearing of any amyloid beta plaque that has built up over the course of the day (an excess of this plaque is associated with Alzheimer’s disease)

In summary, Vata thrives on regularity and routine. An established structure to your day is essential here to support you during this season. Exercise, rest, and relaxation is equally important. Include regular meals, satiating foods, staying warm, and establish a solid SLEEP routine, keeping to the same wake up time each day…if you do this, the going to bed time will sort itself out. Yoga is great - look for grounding and nourishing practices such as Hatha, Slow Flow, restorative, and yin yoga.

It might take a while to establish a routine that is right for you and it can become overwhelming for an already overwhelmed Vata mind to implement all of the above! So I’d recommend you take it slow and try one thing at a time paying conscious attention to how it impacts you….it takes consistency and time to really establish a new routine, but I really believe it is worth the effort 🙌🏻

New Moon Ceremony 🌑🕯

Hi all, I’m pretty new to this space so I imagine not many of you will know I’m a bit of an astrology geek….and what comes along with that is my love for holding 2 small ceremonies each month, 1 for the new moon 🌚 and 1 for the full moon 🌕

The new moon is generally a time for turning inward, a time for deep introspection, and to plant seeds of intention. A time to really dig deep and figure out what you want going forward 🌚

The full moon is a time of shedding what no longer serves you, a time to let go of old patterns and behaviours that have been holding you back. This process allows for the seeds you have planted during the new moon the space to grow and manifest 🌕

I find that making space and time each month to acknowledge these moon cycles allows me to stay clear on my intention. It helps me to identify what I want, what is holding me back from getting what I want, and the actions I need to take to get what I want! I know this kind of thing isn’t for everyone and I respect that, but I thought I’d share my ritual with you here in case you’re feeling a little stuck in life and fancied trying something new 🙌🏻☺️ And FYI - The upcoming new moon in Libra is taking place here in the UK at 10.54pm Sunday 25th September 2022.

For the ceremony you will need…

Sage, Palo Santo, notebook or journal, candle, incense or essential oils, crystal/s of your choice (moonstone or any white stones work well for moon ceremony), any deity or symbols you might be working with, offerings (these are like gifts for the moon/deity), a chime, bell, or Tibetan singing bowl…oh, and I personally like to have some high frequency music or shamanic drumming on in the background… totally optional!

(note, if you don’t have all or any of the things above, don’t worry, a pen, piece of paper, and a quiet space for reflection will do just fine 😉)

Working with the new moon

🌚 Cleansing your space -

Burning sage - for each space you want to clear you circle the burning sage 3 times in a clockwise direction with the intention “clear this space”

Once you’ve cleansed your whole space with sage….,

Burn palo santo and repeat (3 circles clockwise) this time with what you want to welcome in, your own personal intention, for example “Bring in peace, joy, love”

🌚 Cleanse yourself - jump in the shower, have a ‘sage bath’, or simply wash your hands and face

🌚 Light a candle (using the mantra “may the light in me reflect the light in you)

🌚 Burn any incense or oils you might be using. Myrrh and frankincense are great for new moon intention setting.

🌚 Set out any crystals, deities, or symbols you would like to work with. It’s nice to have all of this on a type of alter or shrine, but it’s not essential. Music is optional - I like to have shamanic drumming or frequency music on in the background

🌚 It is nice to add offerings to your alter, they carry the energy of gratitude and appreciation, like you’d bring a bottle to a dinner party! These offerings will vary and are a personal choice. I like to use leaves, petals, herbs, rice, honey, fruit, and a variety of other offerings depending on the deity and season….I’d encourage you to experiment here!

🌚 Take a moment here to meditate, if you don’t know how to meditate or don’t have a regular practice, then simply close your eyes and take 10 rounds of breath, long, slow, deep breaths….try to turn your full attention to your breath noticing how it feels in body, counting the breath can help keep focus

🌚 Now, grab your notepad/journal/piece of paper and write down ALL of your desires (there is no desire too big!). This will help you get clear on which direction you are heading.

🌚 Next, set your intentions for the month ahead. Ask yourself, what can I change in my life right now to start working toward my goals? Try to start with realistic and achievable steps, small daily actions to move you in the direction of your goal. For example, you may want to work on a new business but feel like you don’t have enough time. Perhaps your intention this month could be to wake up 30 minutes earlier everyday so you can work on your business….that’s 3.5 hours of extra time each week that you have now dedicated to you and your new life. If (like many) you struggle with mornings, then maybe you can break it down further…you might start with setting your alarm 5 minutes earlier everyday, then next week 10 minutes, and the following, 15…you get my drift. Make it a gradual change and this way you will more likely keep up with your new habit.

Take your time with this part of the ceremony, being clear on your intention is an essential part of manifesting your dream life!

🌚 Once you are clear on your intentions it is time to put them out into the universe. I like to do this by speaking them out loud, but you may prefer to do this in your head. It doesn’t really matter. What DOES matter is how you feel when you say it. With manifesting you need to be in the same vibrational frequency as what you are intending to manifest. So, to do this you can close your eyes and imagine you already have the thing you are wanting to bring into your life, like REALLY feel it in your body. Try to bring in all your 5 senses to make it more real. Visualise yourself in this position or with this thing you want, can you touch it? what does it feel like? what does it smell like? what can you hear, see, and even taste? The more you can use your imagination to make this feel real, the better. It also helps to use present tense statements such as “I am”, and “I have”, rather than “I want”, or “I wish”….

🌚 Once you have put it out there, your work is done. Remember to put out your thanks at this point. Gratitude and appreciation is a key part of manifesting. Make sure you focus on what you already have and speak (out loud) your appreciation for these things. Even if it’s a thank you for the delicious coffee you had this morning.

🌚 I like to end my ceremony by blowing out the candle, offering my thanks (again), and then I strike 3 chimes on my Tibetan singing bowl whilst repeating my intentions - I understand not everyone has singing bowls so this is totally optional. End your ceremony in whatever way feels good to you.