our-yoga

by Ram

Fern Leaves by Melina Meza

As you may have noticed, summer is gradually winding down and making way for autumn to take over. The days become shorter, the rhythm shifts, and the light and heat of summer subside. Both yoga and ayurveda stress the fact that we are in sync with our environment so we need to be mindful of the change in seasons. Thus, as seasons change, our body and mind adapt to these changes. This requires us to be aware of the qualities associated with the seasonal changes.

Fall is marked by the domination of vata dosha (constitution). Vata is made of the ether and air elements. It represents the mobile force of the universe, and in our bodies is responsible for all activities that involve movement. Thus, locomotion, digestion, circulation, respiration, elimination, communication, sensory and motor function, cardiac function and nervous system impulses (among others) are all governed by vata. Vata in the mind is responsible for emotions that include enthusiasm, joy, clarity, creativity, fear, worry and anxiety.

The qualities (gunas in Sanskrit) of ether and air elements in turn constitute the vata qualities, and these include cold, dry, light, rough, subtle, mobile and clear. To understand the vata dosha, it is important to understand whether the above-mentioned qualities are dominating the body and mind at any given moment. When vata dosha is healthy, these qualities are in a balanced state and the individual experiences optimal health, stability, creativity enthusiasm and excitement for life. The movements of the body are graceful, unimpeded, and yet controlled. Individuals who possess a balanced state of vata tend to be imaginative, energetic, fun, light hearted and full of excitement. 

The fall season is characterized by a cold, windy and dry weather. Leaves change color and fall off the trees. During peak autumn, trees are devoid of leaves or flowers and look dry and barren. As our external environment changes, it increases vata in our own internal environment. If we are not aware of these changes, vata goes out of balance and so do the vata qualities and a totally different personality emerges.

In general, to balance vata, we learn to apply its opposite qualities to any given imbalance. Whether the tools used are lifestyle changes, dietary, herbal, colors, aromas, mantras or massage oils, the underlying principles used to return to balance are the same. It is necessary to increase the qualities opposed to the imbalance. Thus, we combat dryness by bringing in moisture. To counter an excess of lightness, we bring in heaviness, and if there is an excess of coldness, we increase heat. When vata dosha goes out of balance, the individual’s movements become erratic, the body becomes lighter and dryer and weight drops. The person may experience feeling of chillness/coldness throughout the day, the voice becomes too quick and out of context, there is an inability of the mind to focus, the eyes and mind may appear vacant and empty and there may be unexplained pain in the body. Irrespective of our doshic constitution, all individuals will experience these fall changes and need to pay attention to them. People of vata constitution, being more susceptible to the fall changes, should take every precaution to prevent vata from going out of balance. Some of the healthy living practices during the fall season include:

1. Stable Routines: One of the most important lifestyle tools for maintaining health and for supporting healing during the fall season is adopting stable routines. Stability is greatly improved through all activities performed at the same time every day. The routine should include time for self hygiene, massage, meditation, physical exercise and/or yoga asana practice in addition to other daily activities, including but not limited to eating, sleeping and waking up. Meals should be taken regularly throughout the day and at the same time each day. All activities done at the same time each day helps to counteract the vata qualities. For example, if a vata person is experiencing increased dry quality in their body, we will encourage them to utilize moistening, warming and nourishing foods, remedies and practices.

2. Diet to Counteract the Fall/Vata Season: Cold sandwiches, cold salads, and dry cereals with cold milk should preferably be avoided during this season. Such foods can aggravate vata qualities during fall and create a vata imbalance. The food should be preferably cooked (warm), oily (moist) and moderately spiced (warm). Since vata is cold, dry and rough, warm cooked foods made with a little olive oil or ghee have a wonderful soothing effect that immediately calms down the restless vata. Warm drinks such as hot milk or ginger/cinnamon/basil tea also have an immediate balancing effect. Suggested snacks include vata tea with a wheat bread, dates, fresh fruit, or warm milk. Coffee and other caffeinated drinks can be vata aggravating and should be avoided. Sipping warm water and herbal teas throughout the day enhances warmth and hydration. Dinner could be a warm hearty soup and bread. Before bed a cup of warm milk with a pinch of ginger/cardamom and some sugar or honey is recommended for sound sleep.

3. Massage (Abhyanaga): Fall brings dryness and lightness not only to plants but also to the body. To prevent excessive dryness it is a good idea to use oil both in food and on the body. Daily oil massage will not only treat dry skin but it will moisten the joints and tissues of the body as well keeping the body lubricated and healthy throughout the fall season. Warm sesame or almond oil with 1-2 drops of rosemary, lavender or jasmine essential oil is used for the body massage. Apply the oil all over and gently massage the body. If possible, keep the oil on the body as long as possible and do not wash it off. If you take a shower afterwards, do not use soap and pat yourself dry. 

4. Yoga Asanas: The emphasis throughout the fall season is to incorporate an asana practice that softens your lower abdominal cavity, and builds strength and stability in the body and mind. Practice at a slow, smooth and steady pace. Pay attention to detail and use gentle movements. Asanas that aid in pelvic compression and flexion of the hips (iliopsoas, rectus femoris, and adductors) are recommended. Hold each posture for a short amount of time, but do multiple repetitions. Draw into and move from your power center (core). This is the area below the navel and above the pubic bone. Focus on the foundation of the pose to create stability and focus on lengthening your inhalation. Stay connected to the earth. Ground down through your big toes. Engage your entire body by hugging your muscles to the bones. Do not overextend or deplete yourself. Your practice should be strengthening, not draining. If the vata imbalance is severe, a restorative practice is best. Stay warm and conclude your practice with a long relaxation.

5. Pranayama: In India, pranayama is generally taught in the two seasons of transition, fall and spring. During the fall season, start the day with Nadi Shodana (alternate nostril breathing) to help to purify the bodily channels. A regular practice of pranayama during the fall season helps to tune our breath, body and mind (see Yoga and the Mind-Body Connection). Pranayma practices could include Alternate Nostril breathing, Ujjayi pranayama and Surya Bhedana (Sun-Piercing), which create balance by providing warmth and stability to the body and mind. (Timothy has already introduced us to the concept of Pranayama with his article on Bhramari Pranayama and he will be addressing other Pranayama practices as well.)

6. Meditation: Follow your pranayama practice with several minutes of mindfulness meditation. During the fall season and for the overactive vata mind, meditation is one of the best ways to be grounded and to find calm and stillness.

7. Other Activities: Always stay warm. Wear clothing made with soft fabrics and earth colors (grounding energy). Get enough sleep. Enjoy regular, relaxing and peaceful walks in nature to calm the mobile body. Other great activities during this season include gardening, culinary activities, and creating art and music. Make sure all activities are followed with a sufficient rest period. Pay attention to the influences that you allow into your life—from the foods you eat to the amount of time you spend in front of a computer, cell phone or TV. As we get ready to welcome fall, let us experience perfect health, bliss and freedom every moment and throughout the season.

Coffee and yoga. Some swear by it. Some swear off it. Some swear by swearing off it! Since coffee probably didn't come to India until at least the 17th century, it is unlikely that anyone will dig up an ancient scroll to light our way... So what's a yogi to do?

Thankfully, yoga's sister science, Ayurveda, has kept pace with changing diets over the centuries, and modern ayurvedic doctors have some pretty clear guidance to help poor confused yogis navigate the dietary perils of the modern world.

For those of us who need a refresher: Whereas yoga is primarily concerned with the subtle body (pranamaya kosha) Ayurveda deals directly with the physical body (anamaya kosha). The goal of Ayurveda is to keep the body healthy, and in doing this, Ayurvedic practitioners believe more than anyone in that old saying "you are what you eat". Essentially, the health and balance of the body is regulated by our diet, and dis-ease is caused by "pollutants" that we consume which then wind up in our tissues. Yuck.

Ayurveda is not, however, a universal prescription. It recognises three fundamental "qualities" of the human body - called doshas - and says that everyone is made up of a unique combination of those three qualities, which in turn are made up of a combination of the 5 elements. Of course, we all have each element within us, but it's the combination that makes us way we are. As a reminder, the 3 doshas (and their elements) are:

- Vata (air, ether)
- Pitta (fire, water)
- Kapha (earth, water)

According to Ayurveda, every individual is born with a combination of the elements that give them their prakriti, or nature. A person's essential prakriti never changes, but of course everyone will move in and out of balance in their life, depending on their diet, their environment, their age, and even the seasons. To keep optimum health and balance, therefore, your need not only to eat right for your dosha, but also to be aware of imbalances (vikriti) creeping in, and to modify your diet to deal with those.  To find your dosha, take a quick online quiz (this one is pretty good and part 2 gives you your vikriti)... Although it's no substitute for a detailed diagnosis by an Ayurvedic doctor, it should at least get you thinking.

Anyway, back to the original point, what does Ayruveda have to say about coffee?  Well, first we need to think about the qualities of coffee. We all know that coffee is stimulating and drying (dehydrating + a diuretic). In the language of Ayurvedic tastes, coffee is pungent (stimulating), bitter (lightening/diuretic + laxative) and astringent (drying/dehydrating).

So what does this mean for coffee and the doshas?  Well, the general ayurvedic wisdom is as follows:

	Most Balancing	Most Aggravating
Vata	Sweet, Sour, Salty	Bitter, Pungent, Astringent
Pitta	Sweet, Bitter, Astringent	Sour, Salty, Pungent
Kapha	Pungent, Bitter, Astringent	Sweet, Sour, Salty

Which lets us easily see that Vatas should NOT drink coffee, Pittas should drink it in moderation and favour decaf, and for Kaphas, coffee is positively recommended (within reasonable limits of course!), although without milk or sugar, which are not recommended for Kaphas.  For people with combination doshas (e.g. Vata/Pitta or Pitta/Kapha), use common sense in finding the right balance - for instance, a Vata/Pitta with Pitta predominance might drink decaf occasionally.

Finally, in Ayurveda you eat first for your imbalance. So if you are a Kapha but you have a Vata imbalance, coffee is out... And if you are a Pitta but you have a Kapha imbalance, then you can have a cup - but only until your imbalance is resolved!

And as Ayurveda is all about customisation, here are a few ways you can help to moderate the negative effects that coffee might have on your dosha:

Vatas: drink weak or decaf coffee mixed with plenty of warm (boiled) milk (at least 1/2 the cup) - almond milk is even better! - sweetened, and spiced with cardamom (the best spice for Vatas),  nutmeg, cloves or cinnamon.

Pittas: drink coffee mixed with warm (boiled) milk, sweetened with sugar or honey.

Kaphas: drink coffee black or use rice milk instead of cow's milk. Avoid sugar and instead, sweeten with honey, cinnamon and nutmeg.

Mmmmmmm. Enjoy!

This post is mainly based on class notes with my Ayurveda teacher, but I am also super-grateful for the wisdom found on the following websites & blogs:

- Hey Monica B (Ayurvedic blog): Customise your cup o'joe
- Eat, Taste Heal: The 6 Tastes

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