Grounding "Yoga Foods", an Ayurvedic Dietary Approach to Balancing Excess Vata in Autumn

We are well and truly into the season of Autumn now and, for many of us, we may be experiencing the ungrounding and drying effects of excess Vata in our bodies and minds. Vata Dosha is comprised of the air/wind and space elements, and of the subtle Gunas, mobile, light, dry, clear, rough and cool.

Luckily for every season and every seasonal effect, Ayurveda offers us an array of simple dietary and lifestyle tools which we can incorporate practically into our every days lives. These help us find balance and internal harmony.

Here are a few Ayurvedic guidelines for harmonising Vata through diet, that I find quite helpful. Mostly this helps me keep my Agni (digestive capacity) in check, and it helps me to feel calm, grounded and clear amongst the wind.

I hope you enjoy trying and testing out some of these thousand year old suggestions for yourself.

• Eat warm, nourishing cooked meals at regular times during the day

• Keep your meals simple

• Consume dense, soft, oily, smooth foods and root veggies, for their effect on the subtle Pranas. (Sweet potato is king!)

• Incorporate sweet and warming spices, like cinnamon, cumin, liquorice and fresh ginger

• Cook with healthy fats like ghee and sesame oil

• Sip on plenty of warm liquids, including warm water with fresh grated ginger, throughout the day

• Drink warm whole milk (or your choice of plant milk) chai tea with cardamom, cinnamon and ginger

• Try to eat foods that feel “earthy”

• Avoid cold, raw and dry foods/drinks. (Think ice cream, salads, popcorn and dry fruit that has not been soaked - these are all a no-no)

• Enjoy cooking and eating with warm company 🙂