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An Ayurvedic Winter

During Winter the earth’s energy is withdrawn back into herself. It is a time of rest, storing and preparation. Rest from the bounty of the Autumnal harvest and preparation for the vitality of the coming Spring. This is a time of being grounded, internalised and still. The weather is often cold, wet, cloudy and heavy and is dominated by the water element. These are all qualities that aggravate kapha; remember that kapha means ‘that which flourishes in water’. Because of the Ayurvedic rule that ‘like attracts like’ the cold, wet and heavy qualities of kapha are exacerbated by the similar nature of the climate. As vata is also aggravated by cold, people with imbalances in vata can also suffer challenges to their health in winter. Here are some Ayurvedic and yogic perspectives on staying healthy and warm throughout the winter.

Winter qualities: Wet, cold, fluid, cohesive, slimy, unctuous, heavy

Water anatomy: Kapha can affect the health of the kidneys, lungs, pancreas, mucus membranes, bladder, blood, synovial fluid, bodily secretions, lipids, ova and testes. This can lead to swellings and accumulations of mucus.

Water physiology: This is responsible for managing reproduction, lactation, saliva, mucus, urination, pus, menses, lumps

Psychic water: Swadisthana chakra: located behind the genitals at the base of the spine. This psychic centre relates to feelings of gratification, satisfaction, sensual desire, creativity and gives the ability for enhancing mental discrimination.

Water season: Most active in winter and spring

Water flavour: Increased by salt, sour and sweet foods such as salt, citrus fruits and refined sugars.

Water asana: To decrease kapha practice more vigorous postures, emphasising metabolic invigorating sequences and including back bends and forward bends to warm the kidneys and increasing chest opening postures to help clear phlegm.

A Yogic Winter

One of the main causes of disease in Ayurveda is ‘unwholesome attachment of your senses to their sense objects’ (asatmya- indriya-artha-samyog). This includes under, over or inappropriate use of the senses such as desiring something too much, too little, or when inappropriate for your constitution. It boils down to inappropriate activities of the body and mind. For example, it is well known that excessive sweet consumption can cause pancreatic enzyme imbalances, blood sugar problems and eventually diabetes. This is a kapha problem resulting from an excess of kapha foods and emotions (greed or attachment). If a person regularly lives with these habits they will get ill.

So, this Winter your yogic practice could be to start to understand your attractions and aversions, and what the root cause of these attachments of your senses may be. What sounds, sensations, sights, tastes and smells do you like and which do you dislike? It is really just a mental attachment that means we perceive an experience as positive or negative. As William Shakespeare wrote ‘tis nothing good or bad, ‘tis thinking made it so.’ In the Yoga Sutras, Patanjali encourages us to ‘observe the fluctuations of the mind’ with the end goal stopping them altogether. The stillness and heaviness of winter is a wonderful time to practice stillness of mind.

Yoga and Ayurveda have an underlying thread of truth running through all of their teachings; observation of the patterns in our life can lead to inner knowledge, a healthier and happier life.

Winter Routine

If you have a kapha constitution you must follow the majority of these recommendations, if you are vata you will also benefit, if you are pitta then keep clearing heat from the inside of your body whilst keeping the exterior warm.

Sleeping late is fin