Winter - Vata Season

Autumn /Winter are seasons where Vata dosha needs a little taking care of.

During this season the same qualities that characterize Vata: cold, dry, light, clear, and movement, are all present.

As long as these qualities are in balance, a person whose dosha is predominantly Vata will be healthy, creative, and exuberant. But when too much Vata accumulates in the body and mind, the imbalance may manifest as physical or emotional disorders, including insomnia, dry skin, arthritis, constipation, high blood pressure, anxiety, and depression.

Tips in staying balance-

- have frequent small meals.
- take plenty of hot soups
- Eat foods that are warming, fresh, and well cooked; avoid dry or uncooked foods (especially salads and raw fruits and vegetables).
- Drink lots of warming liquids such as hot water and herbal teas to prevent dehydration.
- Drink herbal tea eg ginger and tulsi.
- Eat more of the sweet, sour, and salty tastes and less of the bitter, astringent, and pungent ones. Avocados, bananas, mangoes, peaches, lemons, pumpkins, carrots, beets, asparagus, quinoa, rice, mung beans, almonds, sesame seeds, and ghee are a few excellent Vata-pacifying foods.
- Don’t worry if your appetite seems stronger than usual as this is a natural tendency in winter and helps pacify Vata.

Give yourself gentle self-massage in the morning or before bed. Use a nourishing, warming oil such as organic black sesame seed oil . You may also want to gently rub a drop of sesame oil inside your nasal passages, which tend to become dry during winter.
And lastly getting enough sleep is vital for vata, who tend to push themselves to the point of physical or mental exhaustion.