Ayurveda in the Fall

Finding Balance in the Fall: Ayurvedic Practices for a Grounded Season

 When autumn rolls in, the crisp air and shifting leaves can feel invigorating. But for many, fall also stirs up the exact opposite—dry skin, scattered thoughts, poor sleep, joint stiffness, anxiety, and digestive upsets. It’s no coincidence. Ayurveda, the ancient science of living in harmony with nature, recognizes fall as the season of Vata dosha—the principle of air and space.

Vata brings qualities of movement, coldness, dryness, and unpredictability. Just as the wind stirs the trees, it can stir our inner world, leaving us feeling restless, depleted, or ungrounded. The good news is: when you know how to align with the rhythms of the season, you can transform fall from a time of imbalance into a season of deep nourishment and grounding.

 The Problem Ayurveda Solves in Fall

 Without seasonal awareness, we often push ahead with the same routines we had in summer: cold smoothies, high-intensity workouts, late nights, and irregular eating. But these habits amplify Vata’s restlessness and dryness. The result? More tension, more stress, more fatigue, and less resilience heading into the winter months.

By following Ayurvedic seasonal practices, you build steadiness where there is wind, warmth where there is cold, and moisture where there is dryness. These small adjustments don’t just ease discomfort—they create long-term resilience for body, mind, and spirit.

 For the past year and a half, I’ve been paying close attention to my sleep cycles—deep sleep, core sleep, and REM. I can tell the difference each morning: how easily I wake up, how rested I feel, or how much I want to stay in bed. What I’ve learned is that deep sleep is the gold—it’s the phase when tissues are repaired and the body’s systems are “cleaned up.”

To get enough of this restorative deep sleep, I’ve had to look at the habits that either support or disrupt it. Deep sleep—the phase between about 10:00 p.m. and 2:00 a.m.—is when the body does some of its most important repair work. But you have to already be asleep to access it. Ideally, by the time we head to bed, both our food and our thoughts have been digested—so the body isn’t still busy processing.

One of my teachers, Natasha Jyoti Samson, gave me a beautiful analogy: think of your liver and organs as a skating rink during deep sleep. This is when the Zamboni comes out to resurface the ice. If there are still people skating, the machine can’t do its job well. The same is true for our bodies. If digestion, emotions, or stress are still “skating around” when we should be resting, the cleanup is incomplete. Over time, this leaves residue—physically and emotionally—that accumulates as stress.

This image has stayed with me. It’s why I’m practicing habits that clear the rink before bed: lighter evening meals, winding down with quiet instead of screens, and reflecting early so I don’t carry unprocessed thoughts into sleep. Because when the Zamboni of deep rest has space to do its work, I wake up with ease and resilience instead of heaviness.

 Ayurvedic Practices for Fall

 1. Eat to Ground and Nourish

• Choose warm, moist meals like soups, stews, porridges, and roasted root vegetables.
• Use ghee, sesame oil, and healthy fats to combat dryness.
• Enjoy warming spices like ginger, cinnamon, cumin, and cardamom.
• Favor sweet, sour, and salty tastes. Minimize cold salads, crackers, and dry foods.

2. Anchor with Daily Routine (Dinacharya)

• Keep steady sleep, eating, and waking times. Rhythm calms the nervous system.
• Massage your body with warm sesame oil (Abhyanga) before showering to restore suppleness and ease.
• Use a few drops of warm sesame oil or ghee in the nostrils (Nasya) to prevent sinus dryness.

3. Movement & Breath

• Slow, steady exercise grounds Vata—yoga, walking, or swimming are ideal.
• Practice calming breathwork like alternate nostril breathing (Nadi Shodhana) to restore balance.

4. Create Warmth & Rest

• Prioritize rest by getting to bed early.
• Surround yourself with warmth: cozy blankets, soft lighting, herbal teas, and if you can, a sauna or warm bath.
• Seek connection and community. Isolation tends to aggravate Vata.

 The Compelling Reason to Practice This

 Think of fall as a crossroads. You can either arrive at winter feeling frayed and depleted—or nourished, steady, and resilient. These Ayurvedic practices aren’t about adding more to your to-do list. They are about weaving in the opposites of the season’s challenges, so that instead of battling fatigue, anxiety, or dryness, you move into winter with strength, stability, and ease.

When the outer world becomes unpredictable, Ayurveda helps your inner world become steady. That’s the gift of fall practice: grounding yourself so you can ride the winds of change with grace.