The season of Vata

Ayurveda, yogans syster som är kunskapen om livet. Det vet ni säkert. Hela livet. Urgammal visdom om liv och hälsa beprövad i tusentals år. Inom Ayurveda talar man ju om tre olika kroppstyper; Vata, Pitta och Kapha, som med en sanskrit-term kallas för doshor. Ordet dosha kan man översätta med styrprincip. Vatadoshan styr all rörelse i kroppen och sinnet, Pittadoshan styr ämnesomsättningen och Kaphadoshan styr strukturen hos kropp och psyke. Varje cell i kroppen styrs av alla tre doshorna. Naturen behöver alla tre styrprinciperna för att kunna bygga en människa. Kombinationerna ser naturligtvis ganska olika ut. Vad som dominerar hos en person avgör vilka positiva egenskaper som är framträdande när man är i balans, precis som de som framträder när man är i obalans. Och så vidare. Finns hur mycket som helst att fördjupa sig i där.

Årstiderna har också sina olika doshaväxlingar. Just nu är vi inne i Vata-årstiden. Jag återanvänder något som jag faktiskt skrev för hela fem år sedan. Det tål att upprepas för mig. Kanske också för dig?

You might, perhaps, be feeling a bit more stiff in the joints, or some aching. If you are prone to back ache or 
neck ache, these are usually aggravated at this time too.

Vata season is a time when you have to take care of your own Vata by looking at areas of life where you as an 
individual generate more Vata. For example, if you do a lot of traveling normally, try and cut back on this 
during Vata season and do only what you really have to.

You might have more wind in your stomach, and if you are prone to constipation it may be a time when there is 
more irregularity in bowel movements. Or, if you have irritable bowel you may find that this is playing you up more.

Try not to go to bed late, which is a problem many suffer from in this society, as this causes increasing Vata as well.

Try not to be overworked in general. It is probably not a good time for most people to take on a major project, 
although Vata when it is balanced has the effect of making you feel lively and enthusiastic. One wouldn't want to 
curb these tendencies, you just have to be careful not to drift into the area where Vata is disturbed.

Have a diet which helps to settle Vata. Stick to warm, soothing cooked food. (Apropå min ovilja till kall, ickekokt 
mat eller raw food som vi envisas med att kalla den) If your digestion or elimination suffers a bit, take moist foods 
- more soups, more milky puddings - and maybe a little extra ghee or oil in the diet as long as your digestion is 
strong enough. Taking either fresh fruit or stewed fruit in the morning is good; particularly stewed fruits such as
figs, prunes, apricots or raisins.

Use the Vata aromas around the house. Have some nice, settling fragrant smells in the house. Most sweet floral 
aromas are Vata-reducing.

The other thing that is particularly useful at this time is to do a sesame oil massage in the morning on a regular 
basis.

It's important during this season in particular to keep to the routines: to eat at the same time, eat at the middle 
of the day, go to bed early, get up early.

When the clocks change in October we are effectively going to bed an hour later, so it's good to take a couple of 
weeks to make that hour's change gradually, and not suddenly move your whole routine forward an hour. This 
change in time increases the Vata-aggravating effect of the Vata season.

During the winter months it is even more important to keep to the 10 o'clock bed time if you don't want to 
disturb the doshas.

It's always important to exercise regularly, in moderation to about half your capacity. For people who have 
Vata disturbance it's good to do this exercise during the Kapha times of the day, between 6 and 10 in the 
morning, 6 to 8 in the evening. Fint med morgonträning :)