Hi Reader,
How has your week been?
Next week is already September.
It’s an interesting month because it can go either way. We can still have really hot days that feel like summer, and then suddenly the mornings are cooler, the wind picks up and autumn feels very close.
So I thought I would start something new in the Sunday Read.
On the first Sunday of each month, I’ll take a look at the month ahead — what is changing in the season, what you might notice in your body and mind, what foods are being harvested and a few simple ways you can adjust your daily rhythm, food and practices.
And September is a great place to begin, because Ayurveda pays close attention to these transitional times.
Your body still carries the heat accumulated over the summer. At the same time, increasing wind and dryness begin to bring more of the qualities of Vata into your day.
This can show up in your skin becoming drier or your digestion becoming less predictable, with more bloating or a tendency towards constipation.
And of course, you can notice it in your mind too.
Vata brings movement. This can show up as more thoughts, becoming more scattered or finding it harder to focus.
So what can you do?
Put some anchors into your day
I just mentioned that you might become more scattered. This happens to your daily rhythm too.
You might eat at different times. Bedtime gets pushed later. The structure of your day can gradually become more irregular.
As Vata naturally brings movement and change, September is a good time to consciously put a few anchors into your day before that irregularity builds.
Your anchors could be:
A glass of hot water when you get up.
Eating your meals at roughly the same time each day, with lunch as your main meal.
Gradually bringing bedtime a little earlier as the evenings draw in.
Regularity is one of the simplest ways to balance Vata.
Choose one or two of these anchors and start there.
Gradually bring more warmth into your food
Your digestion has to adjust to the increasing changes in the weather too.
As the month progresses, start bringing more warm, cooked food into your day. On cooler mornings, porridge, stewed fruit or another warm breakfast might begin to feel good again.
At lunchtime, soups, dals, cooked vegetables, rice and other warm meals can gradually take the place of some of the lighter summer food.
You can still enjoy the fruits and vegetables that are being harvested now. How you prepare them can change with the weather.
A pear might be lovely fresh on a warm September afternoon and stewed with a little cinnamon or cardamom on a cool morning.
Keep an eye on hydration
With lingering summer heat and increasing dryness, hydration is crucial now.
Sweet, juicy pears are wonderful at this time of year. Fresh figs are moist and nourishing too. Both help bring moisture through your food as Vata’s dryness begins to increase.
Keep drinking throughout the day. Warm herbal teas can gradually replace some of your cooler summer drinks.
Fennel tea is lovely at this time of year.
CCF tea — cumin, coriander and fennel — can be useful when your digestion needs a little more support.
I also like mint and liquorice together in early autumn. Both are cooling, while liquorice also helps to hydrate and nourish the tissues.
If your digestive fire feels low or you feel heavy after eating, try a cup of ginger tea or CCF tea after your meal.
A fresh coriander and mint chutney is another simple way to support digestion while the weather is still warm.
What’s in season in September?
September brings the beginning of the autumn harvest across Europe, with many foods that store well and can take us through the winter.
Fruit: apples, pears, grapes, figs and late peaches and nectarines. Some late varieties of berries and plums may still be around, although their main season is coming to an end.
The September harvest: carrots, beetroot, potatoes, fennel, chard, spinach and leeks, with the first pumpkins and harder squashes beginning to appear.
Still around from summer: tomatoes, courgettes and other soft squashes, cucumbers and gherkins, peppers and green beans gradually come towards the end of their season.
Herbs: parsley, rosemary, thyme and sage, with basil, mint and coriander still available while the weather remains warm.
September gives you a lovely mixture to work with, and you can follow the weather rather than the calendar.
What should you eat for breakfast in autumn?
It sounds like a simple question. But Ayurveda’s answer is, as so often: it depends.
On your constitution. Your appetite. Your digestion. And the season.
As the days gradually become cooler, drier and windier, warm cooked food can provide a useful counterbalance.
This week, I’m sharing five warm breakfast ideas for autumn — from porridge and spiced fruit to savoury Sansa, lentil pancakes and a breakfast that begins with last night’s dinner.
Plus, a few ways to make a warm breakfast realistic when mornings are busy.
Read & Listen: 5 Warm Breakfast Ideas for Autumn →
What to do about the lingering summer heat?
At the beginning, I mentioned that your body still carries the heat accumulated over the summer.
We want to gradually clear that lingering heat before moving further into the colder months. As Vata and dryness increase, they can exacerbate the heat that remains, potentially leading to more deep-seated inflammation in the body.
Therefore, keep your food nourishing and hydrating and continue using cooling herbs such as coriander, fennel and mint.
It is also one of the reasons autumn is traditionally a good time for a seasonal cleanse.
I’ll tell you more about that below.
What’s happening in September
Yoga classes are back
Our weekly yoga classes return from Monday, Sept 7th.
After the long summer break, a regular weekly practice brings a sense of routine back into your week and can become an anchor in itself — a set time to move, breathe, build strength, focus and reconnect with your body.
View the yoga timetable →
Back to Rhythm begins on Sept 24th
If you’ve noticed that your days have become more irregular, your digestion feels less steady or you find yourself moving from one thing to another without quite finding your rhythm, Back to Rhythm gives you the support to put those foundations back in place.
Over 12 weeks, we work with your daily rhythms, digestion, food, sleep and rest, and gradually turn what you know would help you into something you can actually live.
We begin together on September 24th and finish in mid-December, before Christmas.
Explore Back to Rhythm →
Prefer to work 1:1?
If a group programme doesn’t fit your life right now, there is also a more flexible way to work with me privately.
Restoring Digestive Rhythm is a personalised eight-week programme that helps you stop guessing what to eat and start understanding what your body needs.
We look at your food, digestion, energy and daily patterns together and work out what needs changing for you. You receive clear, practical recommendations that fit your everyday life, with more flexibility around when we meet and ongoing support as you put them into practice.
Explore Restoring Digestive Rhythm 1:1 →
The Autumn Cleanse
Remember that lingering summer heat I mentioned earlier?
The 7-day Autumn Cleanse gives you a more structured way to clear accumulated heat while nourishing your body for the season ahead.
Food is part of it, and we also nourish the senses. Rosewater eye pads soothe the eyes after the heat and brightness of summer, while oil for the nose and ears helps counter increasing dryness.
When I did my Spring Cleanse earlier this year, one of the biggest changes I noticed afterwards was my digestion. It became much steadier, and that steadiness stayed with me well beyond the cleanse itself.
The Autumn Cleanse gives you seven days to consciously support your digestion, nourish your body and make the transition into the colder months and is starting Thursday, Sept 24th.
Explore the Autumn Cleanse →
Your September Ayurveda Guide
If you want the short version to keep nearby this month:
Autumn pattern Lingering heat → increasing dryness → more Vata → more scattered thoughts → a more irregular daily rhythm
Focus this month Support digestion · stay hydrated · establish regularity · gradually bring back warmer food · clear accumulated summer heat
Your daily anchors A glass of hot water in the morning Eat your meals at roughly the same time Make lunch your main meal Gradually bring bedtime earlier
Useful drinks Fennel tea · CCF tea · mint and liquorice · ginger tea when digestive fire needs support
September harvest Apples · pears · grapes · figs · carrots · beetroot · potatoes · fennel · chard · spinach · leeks · pumpkins and squash
🌿 Pause & Reflect
Has any irregularity quietly crept into your day already?
Perhaps your meals have shifted, bedtime has become later, or you've lost one of the small routines that usually helps you feel steady.
What is one anchor you could bring back this week?
If this Sunday Read might be helpful for someone, you’re very welcome to share it with someone who might enjoy it.
💭 If you have a question, or there’s something you’d love me to explore in a future Sunday Read, you’re always welcome to let me know.
Here’s to carrying a little more calm and ease into your days,