“And don't think the garden loses its ecstasy in winter. It's quiet, but the roots down there are riotous.” — Rumi
DEAR STUDENTS, YOGIS & FRIENDS | 12.23.2024
Here’s a list of the topics I will be covering in this email. Skip ahead to where your interest is leading you.
On Winter, Rumi, and Ayurveda
Rumi's poetic wisdom mirrors the Ayurvedic perspective on winter as a season of subtle yet profound activity. Winter is a time when nature slows down, and Ayurveda encourages us to align with this natural rhythm. It is a season for rest, reflection, and introspection—an opportunity to nurture ourselves deeply and build a strong foundation for renewal. While the world above ground appears still and dormant, the roots below the surface are alive, gathering strength for the coming spring.
In Ayurveda, winter is associated with the kapha dosha, which embodies qualities of coldness, stability, grounding, heaviness, and moisture. However, the cold and dry qualities of winter also impact vata dosha. Therefore, this season requires balancing both doshas: preventing kapha from accumulating excessively while keeping vata from becoming aggravated.
Daily Routine for Winter: A Guide
As the chill of winter settles in, our bodies naturally crave warmth, balance, and nourishment. According to Ayurveda, aligning our daily routines with the rhythms of the season is key to maintaining harmony and vitality. Winter’s kapha qualities—cold, heavy, and sluggish—call for intentional practices that cultivate warmth, circulation, and energy.
This guide offers simple yet profound ways to adjust your day-to-day habits, helping you embrace winter’s unique beauty while staying balanced and energized. From the moment you wake up to the time you rest, each ritual is a step toward honoring your body and mind during this season of stillness and introspection.
Wake up around 7 am: Start the day by brushing your teeth with warming herbs like cinnamon, clove and haritaki. Scrape your tongue with a stainless-steel tongue scraper to remove toxins and wake up all the body’s organs. Swish 1-2 tablespoons of warm sesame oil in your mouth for 2-5 minutes before spitting it out and massage your gums using your index finger. Rinse your mouth with warm water.
Hydrate: Drink a cup of warm water to stimulate peristalsis and prepare your digestive system for the day.
Abhyanga (oil massage): Use warm sesame oil in a heated bathroom for self-massage, then have a warm shower.
Dress warmly: Choose bright and warm colors like red, orange, and yellow. When outdoors, keep your head, neck, and ears covered with a hat and scarf.
Exercise: Indoor activities such as yoga help keep circulation flowing. Surya Namaskar (sun salutations) with ujjayi breathing is excellent for keeping the respiratory system clear.
Pranayama: Practice Surya Bhedana Pranayama (right nostril breathing). Inhale through the right nostril while closing the left nostril, hold the breath behind the belly button, then exhale slowly through the left nostril. This improves circulation, enhances liver function, and increases warmth in the body.
Nasya: After pranayama, apply a few drops of medicated oil to the nostrils to lubricate and protect the nasal passages.
Pray/Meditate: Dedicate time to passive meditation or prayer to center the mind and spirit.
Meals: Eat breakfast in the morning, lunch around noon, and dinner between 6 and 7 pm.
Avoid naps: Daytime naps can disrupt the balance of kapha.
Bedtime: Aim to sleep between 10-11 pm. Ayurveda suggests that winter is a time when it is okay to sleep in and have increased sexual activity at night.
Food to Favor:
Include all six tastes (sweet, sour, salty, pungent, bitter, and astringent) in your meals.
Favor warming, well-cooked, and spiced foods like soups and stews.
Balance kapha by including pungent, bitter, and astringent tastes, while soothing vata with sweet, sour, and salty tastes.
Drink room temperature, warm, or hot beverages. Avoid cold or iced drinks.
Warming Winter Recipes
In the heart of winter, nurturing both body and soul becomes an act of self-care. Ayurveda teaches us that food is not just sustenance; it is a source of healing and harmony. Warming recipes infused with seasonal spices can ignite your digestive fire (agni), enhance circulation, and provide comfort on chilly days.
To help you align with the season, I’ve included two simple yet nourishing recipes: a warming tea to maintain agni and support circulation, and a hearty butternut squash soup to balance kapha and vata doshas. These recipes are designed to complement your winter routine, filling your home with warmth and your body with vitality.
Tea Recipe to Maintain Agni and Circulation:
1/2 tsp. ginger
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
Pinch of clove
Boil the ingredients in water for 5 minutes and enjoy it warm.
Caution: If you have pitta issues like an ulcer, do not drink this tea. Follow a pitta pacifying diet. During winter, aim to keep the external body warm while internally cooling the pitta dosha.
Butternut Squash Soup
Discover More: A Free Gift for My Social Media Community
As the seasons change, so do our needs for balance and nourishment. If you’ve been enjoying these tips and recipes for embracing winter mindfully, you’ll love the deeper insights and guidance offered in my eBook, "A Holistic Guide to Thriving: Quick Tips for a Happier, Healthier You."
This comprehensive guide is packed with practical routines, seasonal recipes, and holistic wisdom to help you thrive through every phase of the year. Best of all, it’s my gift to you!
Follow me on social media to gain instant access to this free resource. Whether you're seeking balance during winter’s chill or looking for year-round wellness tips, my eBook is here to support your journey.
📖 Follow me to claim your copy today!
Let’s stay connected and continue to build a community rooted in mindfulness and well-being!
Give the Gift of Wellness
This season, share the transformative power of holistic healing with someone you care about. At Soma Ayurved, I offer gift cards that go beyond material presents—they provide an opportunity for renewal, balance, and lasting vitality.
With my gift cards, your loved ones can explore a range of nurturing therapies, including:
💚 Ayurveda Consultations: Personalized guidance to restore balance and vitality while cultivating a purposeful, harmonious life.
💆♀️ Core Synchronism: A gentle yet profound therapy that fosters deep relaxation and energetic alignment.
🧘♀️ AyurYoga: A beautiful blend of Ayurveda and Yoga that enhances well-being and inner awareness.
🌀 iRest Meditation: A deeply restorative practice to foster inner peace, emotional resilience, and clarity.
Embracing the Quiet Ecstasy of Winter
As Rumi beautifully reminds us, "the garden doesn’t lose its ecstasy in winter." Beneath the stillness, there’s a riot of unseen growth—roots strengthening, life quietly preparing for renewal.
Winter offers us this same opportunity: a time to slow down, reflect, and nurture ourselves deeply. By aligning with its natural rhythms through personalized routines, nourishing foods, and intentional self-care, we cultivate the balance and vitality that will carry us into spring.
Let this season be your invitation to embrace the quiet, honor the unseen, and trust in the transformative power of rest and introspection. The blossoming will come, and it will be beautiful.
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