When Vata Carries Us Away From Our Centre

September, we discovered, is a threshold – a time of transition from one season to another. And we are not immune to these transitions. Change, particularly when it takes us out of our appropriate and aligned routines, can exacerbate Vata dosha and so calls for our attentive care.

As October arrives, we find ourselves fully inhabiting autumn, a Vata season. This makes it a good time to explore what happens when Vata becomes elevated, and how we can recognise and antidote its effects before they take us too far from our centre.

This is relevant to all of us, whether or not Vata is prominent in our constitutional type. Vata is the most volatile of the doshas – the least stable and most susceptible to change – and we all have some amount of Vata within us, no matter what our constitutional type is. We are all susceptible to varying diegrees, to the vagaries of the changeful and increasingly fast-paced nature of daily life. 

Vata governs movement in the body. Without Vata, neither Pitta nor Kapha could function and so Vata dosha is crucial to all of us. Life itself is naturally changeful, but our modern lifestyles add considerably to this movement. The speed and pressure of our digital, high-tech world, together with stress, overwork, irregular routines and constant stimulation, can all aggravate Vata.

One of the clearest indications of elevated Vata is disturbed sleep.

In Ayurveda, the Vata hours of the night are between 2am and 6am. If you regularly find yourself wide awake during these hours, unable to return to sleep and going over troubles and worries in your mind, this can be an indication that Vata is elevated.

Sleep disturbance can also have a Pitta quality. Pitta time is between 10pm and 2am, so someone with elevated Pitta may wake around 1am and find themselves analysing problems and mentally searching for solutions. They may also feel hot or thirsty. When Kapha is elevated, we are more likely to experience excess sleep or difficulty getting going.

None of this means that our constitutional type determines how we sleep. Stress, illness, shock, grief and periods of upheaval can disturb any of us. As we move into the later, more Vata stage of life, this can become particularly noticeable.

Perhaps you have noticed that your sleep is more disturbed as autumn arrives. You wake at 3am or 4am and wonder why. The season may well be contributing, on top of existing Vata-aggravating factors in your life: pressure, stress, grief, overwork, lack of rest, late nights, irregular eating or scrolling on devices late into the evening.

Sleep requires the settling and containment of movement. When Vata becomes disturbed, the mind and nervous system can remain mobile rather than settling into rest. Pitta may then become involved, particularly where there is heat, intensity, overwork or mental activity.

I see people in clinic who have experienced disturbed sleep for much of their lives. Sometimes, through a little enquiry, we discover a history of instability, unsettling family dynamics, shift work, travelling across time zones or years of irregular schedules. Our circadian rhythms are adaptable, but repeated disruption can make it harder to return to a stable rhythm. From an Ayurvedic perspective, this prolonged irregularity can also aggravate Vata, meaning that restoring restful sleep may require patience, consistency and a gradual return to rhythm.

A good night’s sleep is fundamental to our physical, mental-emotional and spiritual wellbeing. We all know the difference it makes when we wake having slept soundly.

So, as we enter autumn, it is worth paying attention to the signs that Vata may be rising.

You may notice:

• increased dryness in the hair, skin, mouth or eyes

• harder stools or more irregular bowel movements

• IBS-type symptoms or constipation

• greater irregularity in sleep, appetite, mood or energy

• increased worry or anxiety

• a sense of shakiness or trembling, mentally, emotionally or physically

• greater stiffness, discomfort or cracking in the joints as the colder, drier qualities of autumn begin to be felt more deeply in the body.

Fortunately, Ayurveda gives us simple ways to antidote these qualities.

The principle is beautifully straightforward: like increases like, while opposites reduce.

Where there is irregularity, we introduce greater regularity – in eating, sleeping, waking and working times.

Where there is dryness and lightness, we bring in lubrication and nourishment. Ghee or cold-pressed organic sesame oil in our food, together with regular oiling of the body, can help to counter these qualities.

Where there is too much movement, we slow down. Doing one thing at a time, taking proper breaks and creating a gentle wind-down in the evening can offer a system that is overstimulated and restless an opportunity to become quiet and steady.

These practices don’t only address physical symptoms. They can also begin to settle the restless mind: the racing thoughts, constant planning, worrying, jumping from one thought to another and difficulty switching off.

When Vata is elevated emotionally, we may experience insecurity, apprehension, sensitivity, loneliness or a sense of being ungrounded. Slowing down and taking time to nurture body, mind and heart can be profoundly supportive.

And sometimes Vata moves even more deeply.

When it has been strongly disturbed over a period of time, particularly following shock or trauma, we may experience something beyond physical or mental symptoms. It can begin to affect our very sense of self – our feeling of being anchored within ourselves.

We may struggle to stay present, feel disconnected from ourselves, or find ourselves continually looking outside for answers and guidance rather than resting into and trusting our own inner knowing.

Here too, the antidote is not necessarily to do more. It is often to become more still.

We can introduce moments of stillness through Yoga Nidra and meditation, gentle walks in nature and softer forms of Yoga. We can favour warmth in our environment, food and drinks. If we find ourselves scattered or unable to stay present, we can practise giving one activity our full attention.

Pranayama can also help to regulate the breath and settle the mind, supporting a return to a sense of connection and centredness. If we feel light or scattered, five or ten minutes of Savasana each day can provide a simple experience of being held and supported. Meditation, perhaps focusing on the breath or a candle, can gather the mind, while regular oiling of the body can offer another dimension of grounding.

And when our senses feel overstimulated, we can deliberately create quiet: time away from devices, fewer demands and gentle walks in nature.

There is nothing quite like a good night’s sleep. How much better we feel when we have slept peacefully and undisturbed.

Therefore, as we settle more deeply into autumn, perhaps this is the perfect place to begin. Allow the darker mornings to invite a little more rest, while still aiming to rise close to 6am or sunrise, and consider bringing bedtime a little earlier – ideally by around 10.15pm.

Let the season remind you that when Vata carries you away from your centre, the antidote is not necessarily to do more.

It may simply be to become more still.

Focus on rooting yourself, simplifying your days, coming back into the body, listening rather than seeking. And allow yourself to be held by the rhythms and routines that remind you that you are here.

Pacifying Vata dosha excess in body, heart and mind is an essential ingredient for our health and wellbeing in the short and long term. 

And a benefit of pacifying Vata dosha good well be fewer disturbed nights, and more sound sleep. 

Click here for my TIPS FOR BETTER SLEEP document. 

All our retreats have a seasonal focus. This means that Autumn retreats will support you to reduce execss Vata dosha, whilst Spring and Summer retreats will work on Kapha and Pitta dosha respectively. Join us on any retreat to support the balance of your doshas and thereby your ongoing physical, mental, emotional wellbeing.