Transitioning Seasons

It's more important than you think!

This might seem vaguely familiar if you’ve been reading or listening to my posts for over a year. I share it at the end of summer (Pitta Season) as we head towards Vata Season (fall/early winter).

It’s about something I learned while studying Ayurveda that I will never forget.

It’s important to release excess heat from the body before Vata Season begins.

Why, you may ask? Well, I’m going to tell you.

Ayurveda teaches that the junctures between the seasons are the perfect time to cleanse the body of any excesses that might have built up, both in the body and the mind. Failure to do this invites disease to set in if the body/mind is in a weakened state.

Seasonal shifts are vulnerable times, as our bodies struggle to adjust to changes in the climate and perhaps in our diet.

If you live in the Northern Hemisphere, as I do, it’s time to prepare for the shift that Ayurveda cautions may be challenging to our health.

Here in the Northeastern US, fall is just around the corner. It’s ever so subtle, but you can sense it. The nights and mornings are getting cooler, many of the bugs have left town, and any day now, apples will be arriving at the farmer's market.

Soon, the winds of Vata will begin to blow, bringing dryness and maybe a dose of anxiety along with it.

But there are always many back-and-forth weather changes, which can trip us up even more. Sunny, dry weather might shift to rain, cooler temperatures, and high humidity.

During the summer months of Pitta Season, excess heat is likely to have accumulated and might be expressing itself in any or all of the following ways.

• Skin problems such as rash, eczema, hives, psoriasis or dermatitis

• The feeling of heat trapped in the body, hot flashes

• Burning or itching sensations

• Digestive issues such as heartburn, acid reflux, burping, nausea, loose stools or diarrhea, intense hunger

• Yellow coating on the tongue

• Bleeding gums or canker sores

• Excessive sweating (pungent-smelling)

• Excessive thirst

• Feelings of anger, jealousy, criticism, impatience

None of these symptoms, as harmless as they may seem, should be taken lightly.

They are red flags of an imbalance that, left untreated, can lead to more severe problems.

Pay attention.

You do not want to enter Vata Season with these imbalances. The energy of Vata will only exacerbate them. Vata moves everything (air is the predominant element) and can drive imbalances deeper into the tissues and channels of the body.

I have experienced this imbalance firsthand. Many years ago, while living in NYC, a particularly hot summer, coupled with my Vata tendency towards dehydration and a couple of bouts of heat exhaustion, left my body in a weakened state as I entered the fall season. I ended up with the hundred-day cough, as the Chinese call it.

Almost anyone can be affected, although individuals with Pitta dosha in their constitution (Pitta is the hot dosha) will be more vulnerable.

Here’s the reason this is so critical.

Vata is dry. If the excess heat of the summer is not adequately expelled before entering Vata Season, this hot/dry energy will begin to move upward in the body, weakening it and making it more susceptible to colds, flu, allergies, and digestive and respiratory problems.

The body will begin producing reactive mucus to combat the dryness, and we will likely blame it on the guy we work with who has a cold.

Or, even worse, whatever the nightly news tells us we should blame it on.

If we don’t detox our body, our body knows how to do it for us, and it might not be a pleasant experience.

Enter Mother Nature, who provides us with naturally cooling foods that help dispel heat from the body.

So eat lots of seasonal local fruits and vegetables at summer's end.

Especially effective are apples, pomegranates, and beets.

It’s almost apple-picking time!

If any of this resonates with you, follow the Pitta-pacifying suggestions in this article and consider doing an Ayurvedic cleanse.

Unlike harsh cleanse programs, which can leave the body in a weakened state, an Ayurvedic cleanse gently clears the mind and body of toxins and brings the doshas back into balance. Fall is a perfect time for such a cleanse.

Banyan Botanicals offers a wide range of cleanses suited to your particular needs. Even a simple one-day reset can help.

Fall Cleanse Guide

You can also take this dosha quiz to determine your constitution.

Cooling the mind can be achieved through meditation, breathwork, walks in Nature, sitting under the moonlight—or whatever other activity cools you down rather than heats you up.

Many people find Ayurveda complex, weird, and sometimes dogmatic. I try to keep it simple.

I don’t live a perfect Ayurvedic lifestyle, but it has been the one system of health and longevity that has helped me the most.

Here’s a great article if you’d like to delve deeper into this topic.

On a more positive note, let me add that Vata Season also brings with it a big dose of creative energy.

Fall has always been my favorite season, with Winter a close second. I love the weather, and I’ve always felt super creative during those months. But, I never understood why I would feel anxiety creeping in at the end of the summer. Now, I know why, so I always nurture my Vata as best I can.

I'll write again soon with some Vata Season survival tips. Now is the time to focus on a smooth seasonal transition, so for the next few weeks, get that excess heat out of your body—especially my dear Pitta friends!

Much Love,
Barbara

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Enjoying the last days of summer - deer flies are gone!