Winter is here....

Winter has always been a time of ailment for me & for people around me. Living in Bangalore hasn't helped us either - Allergy, Breathing issues, Body pain & the list goes on. This has inspired me to jot down things I have observed & learned over time. 

Disclaimer : 

If you have any health issues, please consult your doctor before you realign yourself. 

Read up on MahaBhutas & their Gunas & Tri Doshas for deeper understanding on the whys

Anything in moderation is advised. Remember.... Amitham aayal Amruthum visham! 

Diet 

This is the time when our digestive power is enhanced because of the external cold. We have learned in our school that during winter, we burn more energy to generate more heat to combat the external temperature. This internal heat increases the digestive power. Why is it so exciting to me? Increased digestive power enables our body to digest any food irrespective of their heaviness & quantity ingested. Yipz!! I now have a convincing excuse 😉 

Kapha (Earth & water elements) are high during winter. This is the best time to build good health & strength. As the digestive power is high, it is advisable to consume heavy food. This is one time of the year when larger quantity is also advised. If we do not consume heavy food, the body is unable to produce raw materials required for cell repair. More good news to Foodie like me. 

If we do not feed this digestive fire, it will affect our body. This will cause Vatta (Air & Ether elements) to be aggravated. Increase in Vatta will affect digestion. Imbalance in Vatta will also bring in pains & ailments around your joints & muscles.  

Dos 

Oils, Ghee, Sour & salty food. 

Meat, Fish, Crab, etc

Soups

Milk & milk products 

Sugarcane & it's products

Jaggery 

Food rich in Vitamin D - Cod liver oil, egg, mushroom, etc 

Eating warm 

Drinking room temperature, warm or hot beverages 

If tea, boil with ginger, cinnamon & cloves 

A cup of hot milk spiced with a pinch of turmeric, dried ginger or nutmeg before bed 

Nuts & seeds 

DO NOTs 

Raw diet 

Fasting - If you look into our traditions, this will be the time with least fasting. 

Cold food 

Foods with pungent & astringent tastes. Basically, anything that aggravates Vatta would fall under this category. 

Cool drinks, Aerated drinks 

Light & easy to digest foods 

Massage & Bath 

Oil massages keeps the skin lubricated & healthy. 

Why is there so much emphasis on the health of the skin? 

First line of defense to common allergens 

Helps with occasional inflammation 

How does massage help? 

Promotes immunity & ojas 

Improves blood circulation 

Relaxes muscles 

Lowers stress 

Increases longevity 

Strengthens the body's tolerance 

Imparts firmness to limbs 

Abhyanga

Abhyanga used to be an integral part of daily routine. Now, for busy people like us, all we have to do is walk into the nearest ayurvedic center & they will do the rest. It is generally an hour long procedure. They massage our body from head to toe with warm oil. Oil massage is followed by steam therapy. Doing this once a month keeps your body supple & healthy. 

If not as elaborate as Abhyanga, simpler form of oil massages can be done daily at home. Following it up with a nice hot water bath will help you maintain your health quotient. 

Regular head massage with during this season will avoid dry scalp, dandruff, hair fall, headaches, etc 

Lifestyle 

Maintaining a predictable routine will help keep Vatta in balance during winter. To maintain the Kapha balance, there should be a bit of unpredictability too. This may sound counterintuitive. Routines like sleep & wake up cycle, food, work, exercise, all this time can be kept predictable. But one may experiment with specifics like, what workout routine to follow, What food to consume, etc. This would help one achieve balance. 

Asanas or other physical exercises

This is the time to try out high intensity practices. If you having been walking all this while, now would be a good time to start jogging. Join that zumba classes you have been putting off all this while. Exercises will also bring down your Kapha. 

When it comes asanas, go for kidney toning asanas - Ardha Matsyendra, Chakrasana, Navasana, Setu Bandha, Marichyasana, Shashankasana, Supta Vajrasana, etc 

Surya Namaskara - Well... Towards the end of winter, we come across Radhasaptami, a time when people do 108 Surya namaskars. Consider winter as your training towards this 108. 

Pranayama 

Here again go for heating pranayamas - Kapalbatti, Bhastrika, Surya anulom vilom

If you are advanced practices - AgnisaraKriya, Udiyana Bandha, Nauli 

Cleansing Practices 

Jala Neti 

Nasya 

Mudras 

Maha mudra 

Linga mudra