6 Ayurvedic Tips to Balance the Time Change

Oh man, our clocks changed! Just as we got used to the glow of the sun waking us, it's pitch black again when the alarm goes off. The reward is a longer day, which, "Hooray for extra daylight!" but the time change can still throw us off

Time change in Ayurveda affects vata because, well, we've made a fast change. *Poof* just like that, we "lost" an hour. It can take some of us weeks to adjust but hopefully the tips below will help you slide back nicely into nature's rhythm quickly.

6 Ayurvedic tips to balance the time change

1. Wake up before sunrise. Ha! Easy enough to do now, 'cause you kind of have no choice. My point is, just because it's dark at 6:00 a.m., don't go hittin' the snooze until the sun comes up. We already know waking up during vata time (before sunrise) gives us a daily boost because as we rise in the energy of movement. So keep doing that! Yes it's dark, but you'll have more energy than if you pull the covers over your head until sunrise. Not only is sunrise kapha time and therefore slow time, but you'll be late for work (pssst, 'cause work still starts at the same time).

2. Cook at home, with fresh ingredients. As always in Ayurveda we strive to put the best foods in our bodies, always. During the time change, it's especially important. Best is to make sure foods are made at home with fresh ingredients including plenty of fruits and veg. Limit or omit dairy this time of year! And limit salts and sugars (see tip #3).

Food modification ideas!
• Instead of Chinese take out, make fried rice at home, use extra veggies and low sodium soy sauce (salt).

• Instead of delivery pizza, pick up some pre-made pizza dough (Trader Joe's has it), brush some olive oil onto the crust (bonus if you want to infuse the oil with garlic) or a little sauce. Add a wee, thin layer of cheese. Then load up the crust with all your favorite vegetables like kale, zucchini, peppers, whatever you love.

• Instead of sit-down Mexican, grab all the supplies including beans, meat (if you choose), avocado (yes please!), peppers, corn tortillas (bonus if you make them yourself), rice, fresh cilantro and all the fixin's. You will have far less salt and sugar in what you make at home. I advise skipping the taco seasoning and make your own mix with cumin, chili powder, and other spices.Or, a little salt & pepper is all you might need. Choose the fresh-made salsa in the produce isle instead of the room-temp stuff in the chip isle.  

3. Limit salts & processed sugars. Tons of excess salts and sugars lurk in foods especially from chain-restaurants, pre-packaged foods or frozen foods. Eating those foods at any time can make it extremely challenging to wake up in the morning (cue the, "I've feel like I've been hit with a baseball bat" wake-up). Salt holds water and creates heat so it's great for vata-types in winter, but no bueno for kapha season. So again, keep foods as veggied and fruitied and grainy-ed as you can! Fresh fresh!

4. Oil Massage! "Yeah yeah, Monica B. You and your oil massages." Dude, but since time change is a vata change and we calm vata directly through the skin, now is a perfect time not to slack on oil massages. Plus your skin will feel like a baby! Trust me.

5. Water. Drink plenty of it — not too cold and no ice (vata-imbalancing). You might be drawn to choosing extra coffee or stimulants to keep your peeky eyes awake since you got up early, but try not to have any more (if any) than you normally would. Choose extra water since water flows...it will help you go with the flow

6. Normal bed time. It's only been one day since the time change, so you might still look at the clock at 10:00 p.m. and think, "Pah, it's really only 9:00...I can stay up for another hour." No, it's really 10:00 p.m. ;) So get your lil' booty to sleep on time so you can wake up in the dark easier (hehe).

If you adhere to these things for 3-5 days in a row, you won't even notice the time change, I promise.

Tip: You can use these same tips for air travel and jet lag!