Are You In Balance This Winter?
With the transition from fall to winter, it is important to be aware of our physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual well-being. Are we feeling in balance or out of balance? Is our skin and hair dry, do our joints ache, and are we cold all the time?
Is there an increase in mucus secretion, a feeling of heaviness, stagnation, a craving for sweets, or insomnia? These are just a few signals that we may be out of balance.
How Winter's Qualities Affect Us:
The qualities of winter are cold, wet, fluid, cloudy, heavy, and at times dry and windy. These qualities can aggravate and cause imbalances in our bodies, mind, emotions, and spirit. Winter allows the earth's energy to move inward, withdraw, and be dormant.
And even though we are not bears, this is the season of hibernation. The winter offers us to take more time for rest, preparation, groundedness, stillness, and quiet time. Since our natural self is to be in tune with nature, winter's qualities can not only bring us out of balance.
But they can also prompt us to rest, reflect, hold space, envision, cultivate a slower, relaxed pace, and withdraw some of our energies. Being aware of our activities, what we do, see, hear, eat, sleep, touch, and feel can tell us, with our own intuition and common sense, ways to rebalance ourselves.
Ayurvedic Seasonal Routines for Winter Balance:
I. Eat Warm, Nourishing Foods -
Eat warm, cooked, slightly oiled, fresh whole foods with lots of spices/herbs. Soups, stews, steamed veggies, and porridges are good. Use seasonal root vegetables; rice; barley; and healthy organic oils such as olive oil, ghee, and avocado oil, to name a few! Make lunch your biggest meal and decrease snacking.
Avoid cold, raw food, salad, and cold drinks.
II. Stay Hydrated with Warm Water -
Drink 1–2 cups of warm water first thing in the morning. You can add small amounts of lemon/honey if you wish. Sip warm water throughout the day, between meals.
III. Protect and Nourish Your Body -
Bundle up! Scarves and hats, especially. Treat yourself to a self-massage with warm organic sesame oil in the morning. Then rinse off with a shower. This protects your skin as a barrier and nourishes dry skin, stiff and achy joints, and is grounding.
IV. Cultivate Rest and Mindful Routines -
Take time in the morning and evening for some quiet moments, meditation, journaling, and other restorative activities. Turn off TV and devices 1-2 hours before bed. Make bedtime no later than 10 pm and rise by 7 am at the latest. Keep your routine steady.
V. Move, Get Outside, and Stay Joyful -
Get outside when you can (especially in the sun!) and MOVE. Moderate and invigorating yoga, walking, and other forms of exercise in the morning bring warmth. Wear bright colorful fabrics, laugh, be lighthearted, cultivate a sense of purpose, and share love!