Winter 2021

Ayurveda describes Winter as the vata season dominated by the elements of wind and space and the gunas/qualities of dry, cold, light, rough, moving, clear and subtle.

What this means is that during the vata season you may feel uncomfortably chilly, have drier skin, more anxiety, a tendency towards constipation or perhaps a mix of loose and dry stools. bloated or gaseous belly and have a mind that bounces all over the place. You may experience these imbalances any time of the year but the winter environment increases the potential.

The way to relieve vata symptoms is to

Warm - cooked meals, warming spices, drinking tea with warming herbs, hats and scarves, sitting by the fire, heating yoga practice, ujjayi warming breath.
Lubricate - stews and soups, abyangha/oil massage.
Ground - heavier meals, slower yoga, longer savasana under a blanket, naps.
Smooth & Create Steadiness by Establishing Routine - eating 3 meals instead of snacking, waking and sleeping at the same times each day, having a daily yoga and mediation practice.