Fall, but softer
a guide to grounding meals, cozy mugs, and daily steadiness
Autumn’s here – I think.
This week in Chicago, we’re experiencing highs of 78 to 80°F (~26°C) with a gentle breeze. Nice summer weather, right?
But we know it’s coming.
In Ayurveda speak, each season has their dosha, or governing qualities and energies. In the same way that we have our doshas. And the same way food does.
In this case, a change from Summer to Fall means a change from Pitta to Vata.
What happens
The air begins to cool, and the winds pick up. School starts, and the hustle begins.
Vata season will increase the Vata in you.
This means that –
If you’re already predominantly Vata, you’ll want to pay extra attention to this — you may experience cool as cold, dry as drier, anxiety heightened, and a little bit more unglued.
If you run pitta, the heat finally eases for you, and you’ll feel a sense of relief.
If you run kapha, you might feel the nudge to get moving again.
Whichever way you lean, your body responds to the new rhythm.
harvest, inside and out
Farmers harvest during this time of year, and so do we.
What does our harvest look like?
We get to see what we’ve seeded and grown this year in our lives. We get to pause and check in. To see and enjoy the good things - the bounty - that have come out of our year, no matter how small we may think they are.
You may feel a bit more hustled, but take the time to gather yourself in this way. Harvesting is essential. It’s a way of zooming out, blessing your work, and finding gratitude. Take this cue from Nature.
the guiding force
Internal balance is everything — it gives you the energy, clarity, and courage to be fully you.
When the winds speed up, choose slow and warm. This is the balance you’re looking for.
The earth already hands us the antidote in the form of squashes and root vegetables. Take the cue with longer cooking times to soften and lock in nourishment, oils that soothe dryness and agitation, and hot mugs that encourage you to linger.
Remember that slowing down doesn’t mean you fall behind. To the contrary, it’s the fastest way to move forward – sustainably – without having to delay from haste or burn out.
how to balance the vata season
Use the opposites of Vata qualities: warm and moist, steady and slow.
If you experience Vata internally — run-on thoughts, anxious, dry, cold, constant negotiating with yourself — this is especially for you.
Below are simple practices that you can fold into your day to create structure that breathes.
FOOD RITUALS —
Make one-pot meals like soups, stews, and kitchari. Let dinner be easy, warming, digestible.
Favor root vegetables and squashes: spaghetti squash, kabocha squash, sweet potatoes, carrots, and beets — so sweet and grounding.
Add healthy oils like ghee and olive oil to lubricate from the inside.
Sweeten wisely: maple syrup and honey in small amounts support this season.
Breakfast — think warm and wet: Stewed fruit, porridge, yesterday’s soup. (Toast is dry, so it won’t balance Vata)
Drinks that hug: Golden milk, yogi chai, hot chocolate, cinnamon in your mug. Fresh ginger tea with maybe a sprinkle of cayenne.
QUICK, GROUNDING RECIPES —
Golden milk, your evening wind down
1 cup of your favorite milk (I use organic almond), 1/2 teaspoon turmeric powder (can add more if you wish), and some optional adds: a pinch of cracked black pepper, ginger or cinnamon powder. Slowly warm these ingredients, whisk or froth, and then pour into a mug. Drizzle in some honey to taste (don’t cook honey). Sip in stillness.
Ginger tea, wakeful clarity
Slice a thumb (or more) of fresh ginger, simmer in a small pot of water for 10 to 15 minutes, pour, and sip. Feel your belly warm.
Want a sharper, fresher tasting version? Slice, grate, then squeeze the ginger juice into a mug. Add hot water.
Simple kitchari, weekday anchor
Rinse 1:1 or 2:1 mung dal to rice (based on preference), add 6 to 8 parts water (can add more as you cook). In a pot, warm ghee with cumin, coriander, turmeric, black mustard seeds, and a small piece of grated ginger, add the grains, add water, simmer until soft and porridge like. Salt to taste. Top with a spoon of ghee. Eat until the body sighs (not the mind, which takes longer to catch on).
SEASONAL MENU IDEAS
Breakfast: stewed apples with a spoon of ghee and a pinch of cinnamon, or warm porridge, or leftover soup.
Lunch: simple kitchari with roasted carrots.
Dinner: gingered lentil soup with cubes of kabocha, side of sautéed greens.
Mugs: golden milk at night, ginger tea by day, a playful hot chocolate on a weekend afternoon (I take this with whipped cream).
breath practice, BOF: generates heat and energy
Breath of Fire warms the body, releases toxins from the lungs and blood, clears the nasal passages, improves digestion, stimulates circulation, and increases immunity, energy, and mental focus. Yes, lots of benefits.
This practice comes naturally to some, and for others, it’s a muscle to build. Don’t beat yourself up if it’s hard in the beginning.
HOW TO
Practice on an empty or light stomach.
BOF is done with the mouth closed and powered by the navel center.
Sit tall, cross-legged or in a chair with feet grounded. Rest hands on thighs. (I’ve been known to do this while driving or alone in an elevator — eyes open).
Begin with one gentle inhale through the nose.
Powerfully exhale through the nose by pressing the navel point in towards the spine.
To inhale, relax the abdominals, allowing the diaphragm to extend down.
The breath is short, rapid, and rhythmic. Start slowly, then speed it up once you’ve got the hang of it. The rhythm is like a dog panting, but with the mouth closed.
Note: if you’re feeling burning sensations or tingling in your chest, take the breath down below the diaphragm and power it up with your core, between your solar plexus and navel center. Many people chest (shallow) breath, and this creates fear. Teach yourself to breathe below the diaphragm and feel safe again.
Start with 1 minute, and work up to 3. Some ambitious folk even go for 10 minutes for a full pranayam, nervous-system-balancing practice.
Finish with a long inhale (the body expands), hold for a moment (without clenching the throat shut), then exhale (keeping the spine tall) and sit in the afterglow.
SAFETY
Skip Breath of Fire if you’re pregnant, early postpartum, on the first and heaviest flow days of your menstrual cycle, have uncontrolled high blood pressure, vertigo, or feel dizzy. A little lightheadedness and tingling sensation in the body is normal when first beginning with conscious breath exercises. Check in with yourself and know the difference. In either case, stay seated until you feel grounded.
Always return to slow nasal breathing if you feel off.
Mindset
It’s easy to default to thoughts of lack and all that needs to be done when you’re not practiced in intentional mindsetting.
Take a moment each day — especially right when you wake up, and again before sleep — to feel gratitude in your body for everyday things: the warm bed, the bathroom that lets you wash and reset, the kitchen that wants to nourish you, your body that moves, feels, thinks, and chooses. The people you love, even when they’re impossible. The small steps you took today and will take tomorrow.
These simple things are how big things are born.
Don’t overwhelm yourself. Choose one practice at a time. Repeat it daily until your body trusts the new rhythm. Urgency is not your personality, it’s a pattern.
You’re allowed to slow down. You’re allowed to feel good. And you’re absolutely allowed to obsess joyfully over what you love.
To your harvest!
– Savitree
Your Guide to Food as Medicine: I’m here to help you unlock your natural vitality through the power of food and mindful living.
P.S. To make this simple, I pulled the essentials into an Autumn Cheatsheet. It includes how to identify a Vata imbalance, food and drink picks, tiny recipes, a shopping list, and Breath of Fire.
Pin it to your fridge, tuck it in your tote, and let it help you set your rhythm.
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Thanks for all of this information. A guide entering the colder weather.