Falling Back Into Balance: How Ayurveda Helps Us Thrive in Autumn

Have you ever known something deep down, something that just feels right, yet you don’t actually follow through with it? That’s me and Ayurveda. I’ve studied it, I respect it, I nod along every time I hear the principles explained… and yet, most of the year, I let it slide. Until now.

Autumn always brings me back. Something about the crisp mornings, the crunch of leaves, and yes, the flood of pumpkin spice lattes everywhere makes me remember the simple truth: my body needs grounding in the fall. This is the season when Ayurveda—the sister science of yoga—becomes more than just an interesting idea. It becomes essential.

Let’s talk about why that is, how this ancient wisdom can help us feel warm, grounded, and supported during this time of the year, and of course, I’ll share one of my favorite cozy fall recipes to bring Ayurveda straight into your kitchen.

Why Ayurveda Shines in Autumn

Ayurveda is the traditional system of medicine from India, dating back thousands of years. It works with the understanding that everything—our bodies, our minds, and the natural world—is made of the same elements: earth, water, fire, air, and space. From these, Ayurveda recognizes three doshas, or mind-body types: Vata, Pitta, and Kapha.

Each season amplifies certain qualities. Autumn is the season of Vata, which is associated with air and space. Think of the qualities of fall: it’s dry, light, cool, windy, and constantly changing. Those are exactly the qualities of Vata.

When Vata is balanced, it can make us creative, energetic, adaptable, and enthusiastic. But when it gets out of balance—as it easily does in autumn—we may feel:

• Anxious or restless

• Scattered in thought or routine

• Cold and achy in our joints

• Dry skin, hair, or digestion

• Trouble sleeping

Sound familiar? I know I’ve felt every one of these when I’ve let the season sweep me off my feet without grounding practices. Ayurveda steps in with a beautiful reminder: the way to balance excess Vata is by inviting in the opposite qualities. Where autumn is cool, we add warmth. Where it’s dry, we add moisture. Where it’s light and erratic, we add stability and routine.

How to Ground Yourself This Season

The beauty of Ayurveda is that it’s not complicated—it’s about small, intentional adjustments that ripple into your life in big ways. Here are a few ways I’ve been realigning myself this autumn, and you might want to try them too:

1. Warm, Nourishing Foods

This is not the season for raw salads or cold smoothies (save those for summer). Your body craves warmth, so think soups, stews, roasted vegetables, and spiced teas. Add healthy oils like ghee or olive oil to combat dryness.

2. Routine, Routine, Routine

Vata energy is erratic. A steady daily rhythm—consistent wake-up times, meals, and sleep—can make you feel secure and supported. I know routines sound boring, but trust me, they’re medicine this time of year.

3. Self-Massage with Oil (Abhyanga)

Dry skin? Restless nights? Ayurveda suggests daily warm oil massage, even just five minutes before your shower. Sesame oil is the classic choice in autumn because it’s warming and grounding.

4. Yoga & Breathwork

Your yoga practice can shift with the season. Slow flows, longer holds, and grounding postures (like forward folds, Warrior poses, or supported bridges) feel amazing right now. Add in calming breathwork, like alternate nostril breathing, to soothe the nervous system.

5. Spices are Your Friends

Ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, and cardamom are more than just “pumpkin spice.” They’re Ayurvedic tools for digestion and warmth. This is why fall flavors feel so good—they’re balancing what the season throws at us.

My Go-To Autumn Recipe: Spiced Kitchari with Roasted Squash

Kitchari is one of Ayurveda’s most beloved recipes. It’s a simple dish of rice and mung beans cooked with spices and ghee, often used for cleansing and resetting digestion. I love making a cozy autumn version by adding roasted seasonal veggies like butternut squash.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup basmati rice (well rinsed)

• ½ cup yellow split mung beans (soaked for a few hours if possible)

• 1 Tbsp ghee (or coconut oil if vegan)

• 1 tsp cumin seeds

• 1 tsp mustard seeds

• 1 tsp turmeric powder

• 1 tsp ground coriander

• 1 tsp ground ginger (or fresh grated ginger)

• ½ tsp cinnamon

• 6 cups water or vegetable broth

• 2 cups diced butternut squash (roasted separately with olive oil & salt)

• Sea salt to taste

• Fresh cilantro and squeeze of lime for serving

Instructions:

1. Roast your butternut squash at 400°F for about 25 minutes, until golden and soft.

2. In a large pot, melt ghee. Add cumin and mustard seeds until they pop. Stir in turmeric, coriander, ginger, and cinnamon.

3. Add rice and mung beans, stirring to coat with the spices.

4. Pour in water or broth and bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover, and simmer 35–40 minutes, until soft and porridge-like. Add more water if needed.

5. Stir in roasted squash and season with salt.

6. Serve warm with fresh cilantro and a squeeze of lime.

This meal is grounding, warming, easy to digest, and full of those soothing spices your body craves in fall. Plus, it makes great leftovers for lunch the next day—which is a total win for your autumn routine.

A Gentle Action to Take This Season

If Ayurveda feels overwhelming, I get it. I used to think I had to learn everything and change my life overnight. But Ayurveda is about small, steady shifts. Here’s one action you can take this week:

Pick one daily grounding ritual. Just one.

Maybe it’s:

• Swapping your cold breakfast smoothie for warm oatmeal with cinnamon.

• Making a pot of spiced tea every afternoon.

• Adding a five-minute sesame oil self-massage before your shower.

• Lighting a candle and taking three deep breaths before dinner.

Whatever you choose, commit to it for the next seven days. Notice how it shifts your energy, mood, and sense of grounding. Ayurveda works not by grand gestures but by consistency, little by little.

Yoga + Ayurveda: Sisters in Practice

What I love most about Ayurveda is how seamlessly it pairs with yoga. They were meant to walk hand in hand. Yoga helps us tune inward and connect with spirit; Ayurveda helps us align our bodies with nature’s cycles so that spirit has a comfortable home to live in.

When we bring the two together, life just feels smoother. My yoga practice feels more rooted when I’m not eating foods that leave me ungrounded. My meditation feels calmer when I’ve had enough oil and warmth in my body. And my daily energy feels brighter when I’m honoring the rhythm of the seasons instead of fighting against them.

This fall, I’m not letting Ayurveda sit on the shelf as something I “know but don’t do.” I’m leaning in. I’m stirring warm spices into my meals, massaging oil into my skin, lighting candles earlier in the evening, and flowing through yoga practices that ground me. And you know what? It feels like home.

Before You Go

Autumn is beautiful, but it can be a little rough on our minds and bodies if we don’t balance its breezy, scattered qualities. Ayurveda gives us the tools to stay warm, nourished, and steady so we can truly enjoy the season.

So let’s “fall back” into wisdom this year. Grab a pot, make some spiced kitchari, and let your kitchen fill with the scent of cinnamon and ginger. Choose one grounding ritual and give yourself the gift of consistency for the next week. Let your yoga practice mirror the stability you’re inviting into your daily rhythm.

Because when we ground ourselves in Ayurveda’s wisdom, we don’t just survive autumn—we thrive in it.