We’re a month into Fall, and that might have you feeling a little… out of sorts lately. With the changing seasons come a number of changes for us all personally as well.

The colder temperatures are moving in, giving some of us a jolt of energy after a long, hot lethargic summer and leaving others feeling stuffed up or even a little sad as they adapt. The shorter days have us adjusting our schedules to get maximum sunlight during the day. It’s a lot of change.

It’s an exciting time for so many people (just check out your fall foliage and pumpkin-patch strewn Instagram feed if you don’t believe us), but the changes are enough to throw our bodies and minds completely out of whack. With yoga, you can work to bring in balance for the new season.

In Ayurvedic practices, a 5,000-year-old Indian holistic healing practice that restores balance in our bodies and minds, the autumn holds a lot of vata dosha. Doshas are energies that build up in our bodies and environments. While they have a lot of positive influences, too much of one type of energy can leave you feeling off balance.

Vata dosha brings a lot of vitality, creativity, purpose, flexibility and productivity, but it is also often thought of as cold, dry, rough, irregular and ever-changing. In excess, these energies can leave you feeling ready to take on your entire task list in one moment, then make you feel incredibly unstable or overwhelmed in the next.

Here are a few tips for balancing it out.

Yoga

Movement is a huge part of Ayurveda medicine – you’re moving stagnant energy around your body, increasing the energy you need and releasing what you don’t. Here are a few poses to help regain that internal equilibrium.

Twists: Ring out an excess of energy with poses like revolved triangle or half lord of the fishes.
Backbends: Open your heart chakra with bow pose, bridge pose or camel pose
Sun Salutations: Take advantage of the daylight as you gently warm up your body in the colder temperatures.
Balancing Poses: Tree pose can help center and refocus your brain, especially as an excess of vata dosha can have you feel like everything is going a mile a minute.

Food

The foods you put in your body bring their own sets of energy as well. This season ruled by vata dosha is a time to simplify and refocus, which means you’ll find a lot of benefits in setting 3 consistent mealtimes without distractions, as the routine will help you feel more in control during this season of transition. Here are a few vata-pacifying tips.

Choose warm foods: Soups, stews, hot dishes – it’s all comforting in the fall for a reason.
Choose cooked meats and vegetables that bring heat and avoid cooling foods like raw fruits and vegetables.
Some foods to add to your vata diet: Cooked apples, berries, coconut, dates, figs, grapefruit, lemon, asparagus, beets, leeks, parsnips, sweet potatoes, oats, rice and wheat.
Some foods to avoid: Pears, watermelon, persimmons, bell peppers, broccoli, raw carrots, celery, kale, lettuce, barley, granola, pasta, crackers, black beans, brown lentils and frozen yogurt.

Lifestyle

Reinforce these changes with some lifestyle switch-ups to keep you at your best this fall.

Set an earlier bedtime: You’ll want to try to wake as the sun rises, so getting to bed around 10am allows you to maintain a natural circadian rhythm.
Exercise: Consistency is key this season, so set a goal for consistent, moderate exercise a few times a week.
Create a regular mediation practice.
Do nostril breathing, where you block off one nostril at a time, taking in a slow, deep breath, then switching to block off the other nostril to exhale. 10 rounds a few times a day can help calm the nervous system and increase focus.

If your body, your focus or your energy feels off right now, know that it’s okay. Keep tabs on what’s feeling weird and what may trigger it so you can start to look for healthy ways to restore balance.