Winter Tips

As you well know by now, Ayurveda teaches us to live with the daily rhythms of nature and this means adjusting our practices to fit the seasons. Vata season can find us easily chilled, sometimes constipated or “irregular,” and with feelings of loneliness, emptiness or overwhelm. In order to avoid too much vata, we can be proactive with some really easy practices:

• Practice oil massage about once per week with sesame oil, followed by a hot bath. This grounding practice helps keep the skin moisturized and the nervous system calm.

• Cover yourself! Layers are helpful to stay warm but most importantly, use a hat or ear muffs to keep the body and head warm. Vata is in the ears and the cold can be really disruptive to the mind and body.

• Get some extra sleep. It’s okay to go to sleep earlier and wake a bit later this time of year. Following the suns patterns (and the patterns of other mammals) reminds us that this season is a time for rest.

• Use warm oils and warm spices to make your well-cooked foods easy to digest. We tend towards heavy foods this time of year and spicing dishes well can be a game changer in avoiding bloating, gas, heaviness and other digestive upset.

• Drink 1/2 tsp triphala with warm water in the evenings if you find digestion and elimination slow down. Heavy foods, colder weather and less movement can have a big impact on digestion. Keep things regular with this simple herbal fix!As you well know by now, Ayurveda teaches us to live with the daily rhythms of nature and this means adjusting our practices to fit the seasons. Vata season can find us easily chilled, sometimes constipated or “irregular,” and with feelings of loneliness, emptiness or overwhelm. In order to avoid too much vata, we can be proactive with some really easy practices (click here).