Over the next 5 months, I’ll be consulting, cooking, coaching, and learning from Goa, India at the beautiful Samata Holistic Retreat Center. I feel extremely honored to be working with the crew at Samata preparing Ayurveda-inspired meals and nutritional programs for those who have chosen to retreat with us. All of the proceeds from the retreat center go to support the Dunagiri non-profit organization which focuses its time and energy growing and harvesting endangered Ayurvedic herbs in the Himalayas.
The other good news is that I’ll have plenty of time to continue consulting with each of you! With my travels under way and with many of us traveling to see family during this holiday season, I want to share with you my tips for managing an increase of Vata over the next few months.
The fall and winter months often bring a rise of Vata (air element) into each of our lives, regardless of your prakruti. This means we may feel more ungrounded, anxious, dry, and unable to sleep……which often leads to issues with our digestion. Check out the following simple tips to help balance the excess Vata our bodies accumulate this season.

How to Manage the Increase of Vata this Holiday Season

1. Stay well Lubricated with Healthy Fats and Oils!
Healthy fats and oils keep our bodies well lubricated to combat the effects of the increase of dryness that occurs with the rise of Vata this season. Healthy fats and oils promote regular bowel movements, increase energy, and help to move the toxins out of our body, all of which are increased with Vata, and all of which are needed while traveling. Choose true ghee, coconut oil, avocado oil, olive oil, flax seed oil, or hemp seed oil. When cooking or heating under a flame, choose true ghee or coconut oil. You may also spread some ghee on lightly toasted sprouted bread with almond butter and a bit of raw honey. Add a tablespoon of any of these oils to your morning porridge or evening soup, stew, or kitchari. Do your best to avoid carbonated, caffeinated, cold, and alcoholic beverages on flights and especially on the first and final days of your travelling.

2. Keep a Steady Routine.
I know how challenging this is can be, especially when travelling across time zones. Routines are truly important not only in helping with sleep, but also in helping with moods and crankiness. An increase of Vata often means that our minds are racing like that well-known monkey mind! Keeping a consistent routine can help decrease this type of anxiety. Start with something as simple as waking up in the morning and taking 5 deep inhales and exhales while in bed, getting up and splashing water on your face and washing your hands, placing a tablespoon of sesame oil in your mouth and swishing for 10-20 minutes while making your bed, pulling up the shades, and feeding your furry friend. Spit the oil out and brush your teeth. It would be even more beneficial if you sat for a few minutes to contemplate your divinity before picking up that Vata Smart Phone!

3. Avoid Raw Foods.
This goes across the board as one of the most important Ayurvedic tips year-round, but especially in cooler months and when you’re feeling light and airy. Raw foods slow down our digestion by decreasing our digestive fire, our AGNI. Cooked foods are easier to digest and allow for our bodies to save energy for other uses. Our digestive system can often be out of whack while traveling, therefore stick to cooked foods in order to give our digestion a break from overworking. My favorite highly digestible fall and winter foods are stews that include ginger and turmeric as well as basmati rice-based root vegetable dishes.

4. Take Triphala.
Choose Organic India Triphala. Take the bottle dosage at night before bed with water. Triphala is the most commonly used formula in Ayurveda. It consists of 3 superfruits that help with digestion and the releasing of increased ama in our bodies. Our colons are the seat of Vata, so balancing this dosha will help strengthen this part of our digestion. Triphala is by far the most effective formula in Ayurveda in doing just this!

5. Keep those Travel Herbs handy!
With the aggravating effect of cold dry air, our lungs and immunity may be compromised this season. Wherever you may roam, make sure to keep your lungs warm with layers of clothes and scarves, yet also bring with you those important immunity building herbs to keep you safe and sound daily. Some products I never leave home without are Flight Spray, Liposomal Vitamin C (fat-soluble antioxidant, I like Solaray brand) ,Ashwagandha (a Vata-balancing adaptogen Ayurvedic herb), as well as a quality Green Powderto mix in warm water or almond milk daily. (I like Malik’s Green Drink Powder because it is high in Hawaiian Spirulina and Chlorella.)

Aho!