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Autumn Season
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Ayurveda focuses on overall health and longevity of an individual. The three doshas viz. Vata, Pitta and Kapha need to remain in (or be brought back to) balanced state so as to be healthy and fit. Ayurveda believes that all the six seasons have a certain effect on the three basic doshas and thus they indirectly and invariably affect our health. Autumn season is particularly related to Pitta dosha aggravation.
Ayurveda Significance of Autumn Season
Generally the Autumn season is associated with the rich colours of fall leaves that simply comes to mind on visualizing the fall season. Yet, Ayurveda signifies the autumn season with naturally experiencing of seasonal Pitta dosha prakopa (aggravation of fire body humor), allowing the accumulated heat of summer to overflow and get expelled from the system. Also, it is believed that the soothing and calming moonlight has an amazing power to pacify this seasonal imbalance The greater contrast between the cool nights and warm days (due to the forceful sun-rays) is believed to be one of the prime factors that causes all kinds of heat related ailments to present themselves.
Autumn And Ayurveda Doshas
Pitta dosha that had accumulated in the body during monsoons or the preceding rainy season, now in the autumn season gets aggravated owing to robust rays of the sun.
Ayurveda considers Autumn as propagation season for many diseases. There is aggravation of Pitta dosha and decrease of Vata dosha and the agni or the digestive fire is moderate.
•Pitta tends to get accumulated within the body systems in the rainy season. There is acidic reaction of food as the plants and water is apt to become turbid during this period of the year.
•The aggravation time of this humor is considered to be in the autumn season. And this results in causing more ailments of Pitta type of ailments i.e. all those maladies in which there is dominance of the fire body humor of the body.
•Early winter is the time or season when this dosha shows signs of mitigation.
Ayurveda Recommends Panchkarma for Autumn
So as to balance the aggravated Pitta dosha, Ayurveda highly recommends Pitta specific panchkarma therapy during this season. This means, of the five basic actions for purification and detoxification, Virechana karma and Rakta mokshana are highly suggest for the autumn season cleanse.
Virechana or the Purgation Therapy
Virechana is the technique of balancing doshas by means of therapeutic purgation. Toxins, which have been lubricated and bound by the oleation are pulled into the colon and expelled as loose motions several times. Virechana is facilitated with medications like herbal paste, elixirs, decoctions, powders or tablets. This method removes the accumulated Pitta toxins from the body and mind.
Raktamokshana or Blood Letting Therapy
The process of removing the vitiated toxic blood from the body is termed Raktamokshana Karma. This is done either by direct puncture of the blood vessel or incisions on the infected area with the help of Jalauka (Leech), Raktamokshana removes localized impurities from the blood, thereby healing a specific wound/and purifying the whole body.
Diet Recommendation for Autumn Season
Ghee is the clarified butter, which is an essential ingredient in most of the Indian kitchen and Ayurveda counsels ghee in the diet for Autumn season, especially that which is prepared from cow’s milk, for balancing of the Pitta dosha. Meals should be accompanied by ghee medicated with pungent herbs. As the autumn season corresponds with Pitta aggravation, the three basic tastes recommended in Ayurveda text viz. sweet, pungent and astringent need to be made major part of diet during the Pitta season. Following an Ayurveda cuisine and Ayurveda diet provides you with the Ayurveda delicacies and diet keeping in view the play of seasons and their effect on the doshas. The Autumn Ayurveda cuisine would include tea of cumin, coriander, fennel or rose to pacify the hot quality of Pitta dosha, improve digestion and calms the mind. Also, the well cooked food which is light to digest in the form of porridge, stew or soup preparation is provided which is soothing in Autumn. You may also indulge in food choices with more of sweet, bitter and astringent tastes. Coconut, cucumber, watermelon, steamed greens, mung beans and basmati rice are generally part of Ayurveda diet cuisine for the Autumn season.
Ayurveda Lifestyle Tips for Autumn Season
Ayurveda encourages you to enjoy relaxing and peaceful walks in Nature to calm the inherent intensity of Pitta dosha.
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Activities like swimming, gardening and walking in the moonlight are recommended during Autumn season so as to provide soothing and relaxing overtone to the fiery Pitta.
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During the Autumn season, Ayurveda counsels the use of water that is charged and purified by sunlight during the day and moonlight at night. Both internal as well as external use of this water is highly endorsed.
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Essential oils of rose, sandalwood, jasmine or lavender may be used in your massage or as aromatic fragrance in your bath which provides well needed Pitta comfort and also enhances healing.
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Ayurveda discourages sleeping in day time and also exposure to direct sunlight and eastern winds in the Autumn season.
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Seasonal change also brings attention to the skin. Thus, Ayurveda recommends use of aromatic and soothing herbal pastes like Sandalwood paste called Ubtan onto the skin.
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Practice cooling pranayama or the deep breathing techniques like the Sheetali and Sheetkari pranayamas or left-nostril breathing which cools and calms the hot property of Pitta dosha.
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Practicing meditation for balancing the aggravating Pitta emotions is suggested.
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Ayurveda guidance for autumn season also suggests you to wear clothing of light texture and colours like white, blue and green.
Please Note: In Ayurveda, it is known that perfect health exists when the three fundamental energies (doshas: vata, pitta and kapha), digestive fire and enzymes (agni), waste products (malas), tissues (dhatus), soul (atma) and mind (manas) are in balance. Therefore, balance is the key to wellness, peace and longevity. It is for this reason that Ayurveda counsels particular diet as well as lifestyle in accordance with the dosha and the season. Although, the recommended diet, lifestyle and Ayurveda treatments that are specific for Autumn season would be highly beneficial for you, yet in case you also have a Vata or Kapha imbalance during the Pitta season, you would need to take up a plan of Ayurvedic treatments, diet and lifestyle accordingly.
Article published here
About the Author:
Dr Sonica Krishan is Author and Speaker in the areas of Healthy and Joyous Living through Ayurveda, Meditation, Yoga and other Contemplative practices. She is a leading Ayurveda Professional in India. She is also Health Writer, Columnist, Editor, Ayurveda Consultant and Holistic Healing Coach. Dr Sonica is open for National as well as International Collaborations with interested people / institutions in fields of Ayurveda, Meditation and Yoga.
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