When I walk through Ehrenfeld in the morning and the wind pushes the first leaves across Simrockstraße, I feel it again every year: autumn is arriving. The air turns cooler, drier, more restless – and something inside us shifts with it. Many of the people who come to see me in Cologne around this time describe a similar feeling: a little stirred up on the inside, drier skin, quicker thoughts, a bigger longing for warmth. In Ayurveda this sensation has a name – it is the season of Vata.
Vata – the qualities of wind and change
Ayurveda, as classical texts like the Ashtanga Hridaya hand it down to us, describes the world in qualities: cool and warm, dry and oily, light and heavy, moving and still. Autumn carries above all the signature of Vata – the principle connected with air and movement. Vata is dry, cool, light, rough and constantly in motion, like the wind sweeping through Cologne's streets as the trees grow bare.
When exactly these qualities increase outside, it is no wonder that many people notice them in themselves too: lips and hands feel drier, sleep grows lighter, thoughts jump from one thing to the next. This is not a flaw and nothing that is 'wrong' – it is simply the language of the season. Ayurveda invites us to meet it not with more cold and hurry, but with the opposite: with warmth, oil, calm and rhythm.
What meets the autumn feeling
The principle behind it is beautifully simple: like increases like, and opposites balance each other. Where autumn is dry, cool and restless, many people find that the warm, oily and grounding does them good. A few things I especially treasure in this season myself – and that many people find wonderfully comforting:
Eat warm, drink warm
Instead of raw food and cold salads, cooked dishes may take the plate now: warm soups, steamed vegetables, porridge in the morning, spices like ginger, cinnamon and cumin. A glass of warm water throughout the day feels surprisingly pleasant to many people.
Oil as a daily ritual
Perhaps the heart of the Vata season. Warm sesame oil, gently massaged into the skin before stepping into the shower, is a small ritual that many people experience as deeply nourishing and comforting. In Sanskrit this self-massage is called Abhyanga – and my work grew out of exactly that.
Rhythm and rest
Vata loves regularity. Fixed times to get up, eat and sleep, a quiet evening without a screen, an early walk through the Grüngürtel – such small anchors give the restless autumn feeling something to hold on to.
Abhyanga – warmth, oil and time in Cologne-Ehrenfeld
What takes a few minutes at home becomes a whole experience in my practice. During an Abhyanga wellness massage I take my time to spread warm oil over the whole body in calm, flowing movements. Afterwards many people describe it as a deep feeling of warmth, groundedness and calm – as if they had left the wind outside for a while.
Autumn is, to me, the loveliest season for Abhyanga. When it turns dark and cool early outside, an hour on the warm table, with warm oil and no appointments on your mind, can feel like a little retreat in the middle of Cologne.
If you are curious, you will find me in Cologne-Ehrenfeld on Simrockstraße. An Abhyanga lasts 60 or 90 minutes, and whether a Yoga massage or a couples' Abhyanga suits you better is something we can find out together, without any rush. You can reach me easily through the booking form on ayuasana.com or via WhatsApp – I would love for us to gift ourselves a little warmth through this Vata season.
And if you are dealing with health questions, please speak with your doctor first – my work is about wellness and relaxation, not a replacement for a doctor's advice.