by Stephanie Roche, LMT
As we enter winter, there are many changes taking place – seasons are shifting, energy is transitioning, and this year, according to ancient Mayan culture, we are ending one historic cycle and beginning another. It is most certainly a time of change, as well as an important time to check in with our minds, our bodies, and our selves in general.
I recently had the fortune of talking with Gopi Kinnicut, an experienced yoga teacher and Ayurvedic and Thai body worker, about these shifts and what we can do to embrace and endure the season to the best of our ability from an Ayurvedic perspective.
Ayurveda is an ancient system of traditional Indian medicine. Following its principles, it is believed that everyone and everything possesses a particular energy, or dosha. As living beings, we are each a distinct combination of physical, mental, and emotional characteristics that ultimately determine our energetic constitution. There three doshas that comprise this constitution: vata, pitta, and kapha. We all have a little bit of each dosha within us, but one often prevails in each aspect of our lives.
Winter is known as a kapha season for its dark, cold, wet, and slow properties. It is a time for grounding, reflecting, rest, and preparation–and often a time of indulgence as well. When kapha energy is increased (as it is with the start of winter), people have a tendency to sleep more, get more colds and runny noses, and crave more sugary, creamy, fatty, kapha-type comfort foods. There is a lot of stagnant energy that can ultimately leave us feeling heavy, lethargic, and bored. Giving into these qualities and cravings too much can lead to overindulgence, while fighting them would only leave us unsatisfied both physically and emotionally.
Despite the way it may sound, the kapha season is actually a very good one, and there are an abundance of ways to embrace its energy. It gives us time to reflect and be introspective, which can be hard to come by in our fast-paced, pitta (intense, fiery) world. Kapha seasons can help calm us, ground us, and connect us to the earth, which is very much alive under the surface. It is important to remember to embrace this slowness from time to time, to absorb it, and use it to our advantage.
One of the most important aspects to keep in mind is balance. The degree of balance needed will vary depending on an individual’s own mind, body, and constitution. We can find balance during the kapha winter season in a variety of ways, and it is especially important for those of us already kapha in nature to do so.
For clarity, regularly making use of a neti pot in the morning will help clear the sinuses and cleanse the head of the congestion that can build up. Making use of hearty spices like cumin and ginger will aid with digestion, and eating foods like warm soup and root vegetables will help keep one satisfied and grounded. Using Ayurvedic oils to keep the body moisturized and nourished during such a harsh, dry season can be very beneficial, and light exercise such as yoga can expand and open the body during the typically dark, closed-in winter. Keep in mind that these suggestions support and balance the kapha energy – they don’t give into it, and they also don’t fight it.
In the end, the Ayurvedic principles are really rooted in common sense – you don’t have to know much about the practice itself to understand its ideology. Go with the flow of the season, stay balanced, eat seasonally, and stay in tune with your personal energy and constitution. It is important for us to heed these directives in order to stay balanced and healthy throughout all seasons, and be welcoming of the changes that are happening both to us and around us during the new winter.
Stay warm and healthy – Happy Holidays!
For more information on Ayurveda:
National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine
The Chopra Center
The Ayurvedic Institute