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Beauty and Health inspiration to calm, soothe, lubricate, and restore your natural lusciousness. Autumn asks you to be honest: Are you truly balanced? Does the windy season have you feeling more like a tornado than a cool gentle breeze? You aren’t the only one. If we’re not careful, the season of crisp air and rapid change might leave us feeling restless, fatigued, or simply dried up. But calming excess vata is just a few simple adjustments away.  Products for Balancing VataAction Steps for Ayurvedic Wellness
Slow down and turn inward. Establish a routine. Eat cooked, nourishing meals. Create sacred boundaries for your time and energy. What is Vata?According to the principles of Ayurveda, Vata is the combined elements of air and space. Vata is the catalyst of movement—like the winds that blow the leaves from the trees, the activity of our minds, and the life force energy that breathes our bodies into animation. Vata inspires creative flow, new ideas, and spontaneity. When imbalanced, vata exhibits signs and symptoms of anxiety and overwhelm—qualities that can billow like a hurricane and carry you up and away into a storm of stress. Insomnia and constipation are common symptoms of excess vata. Vata is increased during the months of Autumn. Yoga and Ayurveda offer practical solutions to balance your body and mind all season long. Look to the elements:
Commit to your whole-body wellness this season. Establish an abhyanga practice as a nurturing nightly ritual. Massage your entire body with heated oils that are known to balance vata, like shea butter or sesame oil. Diffuse calming essential oils like sandalwood and lavender. For relaxation and hydration use love bombs botanicals® mellow (BUTTER) which contains a seasonal blend of whipped organic shea butter and calming essential oils, as well as ashwagandha, and vitamins A and E. Drink warm teas and eat cooked, oily, and grounding meals like baked root vegetables with ghee, soups, and whole grains. Enjoy warming mild spices like cinnamon, ginger, and clove. Focus on tastes that are naturally sweet, sour, salty, and in season. Align with the rhythms of nature. Commit to maintaining a consistent bedtime (before 10 p.m.) Wake by 6:00 a.m. to a nurturing morning yoga and meditation practice. Include deep breathing exercises to soothe your nervous system and keep you feeling easy-breezy all day. Take time to eat, work, exercise, meditate and rest *consistently* every day. 
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 photo: Sean Boggs Create an Evening Ritual for a Good Night's Rest. By R.R. Shakti, PhD Oh the magic of a sunset. We have all witnessed the radiant blast of glory just as the sun descends behind the horizon. The ancient Egyptians celebrated this daily phenomenon as an epic journey of the Solar God, Ra. As he sailed into the Underworld, he appointed the luminous and nourishing powers of the Moon to govern the night sky. The Underworld traverse was considered an auspicious event, necessary for confronting shadows and defeating monsters so that the sun could rise again the following day. In ancient Sumerian myths, the heavenly Goddess Inanna descends into the underworld to confront her recently widowed, and completely heartbroken, sister. Although Inanna must face terrible hardship, the story expresses the value of compassion for transformation and ultimate freedom. The Underworld descent has been interpreted by Jungian psychologists as an archetypal symbol of the spiritual journey that each of us must take into our heart's wisdom. Only by encountering the depths of our inner knowing may we become truly balanced and whole. Sunset is therefore a sacred time to turn inward and center your awareness upon the wisdom flame of your heart. Within the traditions of Yoga and Ayurveda, the evening provides a time for lunar practice, or Ratricharya. When you establish an evening ritual you set yourself up to enjoy deep benefits:
Shop this story.Soul Artist Evening Ritual for Vata SeasonAccording to the Indian wellness system of Ayurveda, each season is governed by different elements. Autumn is the season of wind and space. It is honored as a time of movement, creativity, and spontaneous change. When imbalanced, however, these winds can feel more like a tornado than an inspirational breeze. Excess vata in your mind can make you feel anxious, restless, and worried. Physically, you may feel dehydrated, constipated, and depleted. Insomnia is common during this time of windy change and busy holiday schedules. Follow these practices from Yoga and Ayurveda to cultivate a restful sleep pattern. SUNSET VINYASA & MEDITATION As the sun sets, enjoy a fluid asana vinyasa (flow of yoga postures) that moves your energy from the active charge of the day into the calm nourishment of darkness. Conclude your movement practice with a deep and quiet meditation. This is a sweet time to light a candle at your altar, chant mantras, and turn your attention toward gratitude. Focus your awareness on your breath as it expands within your belly and let your mind follow the exhalation out of your body, as you settle into stillness. WATER RITUAL Water soothes the windy vibes of vata. The elements of fire (heat), and earth (salts) will also counterbalance the influence of the vata qualities of air and space. Add some soothing bath salts (earth) to a tub of hot water, then soak away tension to help you ground. Drink warm tea to maintain your internal hydration. (Ashwagandha, Yin Chao, and Chamomile are all good options for vata-balancing herbs.) Relax. Close your eyes. Breathe deeply. Rest. EVENING ABHYANGA Massage your entire body with warm oil to purify and nourish your system. Enjoy circular strokes over your heart region, belly, joints, and limbs. Be sure to massage your feet thoroughly, then cover the oil with socks to maximize the moisturizing benefits and keep you warm and cozy. Make this a nightly ritual to release stress, tone tissues, and soothe your nervous system. Add essential oils of clove and/or amber to calm and warm your senses. Once a week, you can also apply a scalp oil and massage the marma (pressure points) around your skull, neck, and ears. SLEEP BEFORE 10 PM Save all your computer work and social media surfing for the morning. Spend your last waking hours with your family, reading a book, or writing in your journal. I like to take time, just before sleep, to jot down any ideas or goals I have for the following day, so I can let them go until morning. I say a prayer of gratitude and peace.
The SHANTI MANTRA (Peace Chant) is a favorite lullaby chant in our household. Then I set an intention to be open to whatever messages come through my dreams, and put my dream journal on my nightstand so that I will be ready to record any remembered dream images upon waking. Om Gam Ganapataye Namaha (Salutations to Ganesha, also called Ganapati, the archetypal Remover of Obstacles). May you drift off peacefully into the underworld of sleep, face and embrace your heart's wisdom as you dream, and rise rejuvenated with the new Sun. Amen, Aho, and Swaha! Infinite Love, R.R. Shakti, PhD |
About The Author
R.R. Shakti, PhD
Founding teacher of Inner Power Yoga®, Shakti is a Contemplative Mythologist, ritual facilitator, and writer who presents a Tantrik approach to personal empowerment and social action. Through contemplative story-telling and mind/body practices, she offers a vision of deep peace and radical freedom. CategoriesBODY + PLANET
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