One day it’s cold, other day it’s dry, the next one it’s soaking, then it’s normal. Well, it’s winter after all. All its surrounding energies obviously have an effect on ours because remember – we are nothing other than a part of this nature. But what does Ayurveda teach us about winter?
The doshas, the qualities that are predominant in winter, are Vata – made up of air and space, and Kapha, made up of earth and water. The start of winter is more influenced by the Vata and the second half of winter is more Kapha. Does it sound like Chinese? I will try to translate this gibberish into English so that you can actually use it for yourself.
The Vata emits an energy for mobility and movement while Kapha invites stability and anchoring. So, after the fall and at the beginning of winter, when it is rather hectic, even agitating for some, comes a time for a calmer, more internal, softer energy.
If you know which energy is prevalent in you, you will be more or less sensitive to all this knowing the following about them:
For the Pita-dominant – the winter is normally beneficial for them because their “inner fire” is naturally calmed
For the Vatas – they must, especially in the second half of winter, protect themselves well from the cold and hydrate themselves both with liquids and with oil so as not to dry out
For the Kaphas – they should beware of gluttony and lethargy which may numb them more than they would like
The former mentioned symptoms are frequently observed during this season, especially if one does not listen to oneself and continues to live at 100 km/hour and is experiencing i) a lack of energy, ii) heavy tiredness and iii) emotional weaknesses.
Basically, the winter season is an invitation to pamper yourself so you can take care of your energies. Here are some tips and tricks to get through winter with little to no effort:
– Protect your lungs: The lungs and especially their lubrication can be compromised in winter. It can be very beneficial to regularly inhale essential oils such as; thyme, eucalyptus, tea tree, turmeric, camphor, among others.
– Help your digestion: Our digestive fire is being slowed down by the heaviness and coldness of the season, so we naturally observe a slowdown in our digestion. Here are the top tips of Ayurveda in this regard:
-Eat hot, cooked food, well spiced and slightly fatty
– Do not skip meals, do not start detox or fasting in winter
– Drink hot and spicy drinks with ginger, cardamom, cinnamon, black pepper, leathery and so on
– Practice the “digestive walk” I talk about all the time
– Increase your sleep time, but be careful not to do it in the morning, but in the evening … In the morning, it is best is to get up around 6 am so as not to be weighed down by the Kapha hours of it.
– Practice mediation as to give your being that moment of calm, introspection and return to self that it needs for its balance throughout the year.
– Practice self-massages with warm vegetable oils and pamper your skin, body and mind.
– Harmonize your interior and living space, by including warm and soft colors, gentle and silky textures and paying particular attention to interior light to compensate for the lack of natural one.
I hope you understand that winter is here for us to go inside, slow down, take care of ourselves! Give yourself permission to do so, it’s only happiness you’ll find.
And as for last words – come and do yoga with me! Every Sunday morning at Zen for Monday and also Wednesday morning, I’ll be waiting for you at the Shanti club. And if you didn’t know it yet, I can also come to your home for coaching you, individually or as a family, and offer you a program just for you that is 100% tailored to your needs!
Merry cocooning, do not give in to hibernation at all!
With love.
