Living by the seasons and staying in harmony with its qualities brings health and longevity. Especially now that we are surrounded with viruses, it is even more important to keep the body, mind and spirits strong.
❄️ In Ayurveda, this part of winter is Vata season and it brings cold, dry and rough qualities. We need more warmth and softness through warmer water/tea/soups, spices, oils, and layers of clothes!
It is also a time for many people to set intentions, to start a healthier lifestyle, to quit or slow down on stimulants like coffee, alcohol and sugar. Even though it may seem cliche and many people find it difficult to keep up in the rest of the year, you may actually make it happen by following a daily routine.
Ayurvedic Healthy Daily Routine Tips
A healthy daily routine for winter is key to wellness as every season. This way you make sure that you are harmonized with the conditions around you and your nature is in synchronicity with the nature. It also helps you to engrave these habits into your life, making sure that you follow them as daily practices. A good way to make it happen is to apply them strictly for about one to three weeks and then make a realistic daily routine that you can keep up. You can apply the parts of a daily routine on several days of the week or weekends and that way you make sure that you are still incorporating these good habits in a month’s period.
Here are some suggestions for winter from Ayurveda, if you would like to reset your daily habits and start the year fresh.
- Start your day with warm water and a few drops of lemon or lime juice and 2 tbs of aloe vera. Please don’t start your morning with coffee on empty stomach which creates so much acidity
- Try regular abhyangha (oiling-self massage) with warm sesame oil before showers and avoid keeping body too dry (this one can be done on weekends when you have more time)
- Go for exercises that give you rejuvenating energy like yoga, brisk walks, easy joggings rather than exhausting ones.
- In the mornings, eat cooked warm breakfasts like oatmeals, porridges or simply cooked apples with warming spices (see next) and do not start with cold cereals, dry and hard crackers, frozen smoothies, raw fruits (especially heavy ones like banana)
- Use warming spices like cinnamon, clove, cardamom, cumin, nutmeg, oregano, thyme, turneric, black pepper, fresh ginger. However do not over do the “spicy” as it creates too much fire and acidity.
- Make your lunch the biggest meal of the day and have light, cooked dinners with vegetable soups and stews. Use ghee or olive oil. Avoid dinners with heavy, oily, fried and with animal protein and using cooling oils like coconut oil.
- Try a cleansing period by avoiding gluten, dairy, sugar, alcohol, cafein, meat and instead nourish your body with seasonal and easy to digest vegetables, plant based proteins, fruits and nuts. Your body will use the energy it normally uses to digest to replenish and rejuvenate itself.
- Take it slow like nature. Slow down, rest more and get cozy with a blanket and a warming herbal tea like ginger-lemon-honey or golden milk!
- Wrap yourself with layers and go out in nature to feel the season’s strength. Fresh air always refreshes the body and even your mood.
- Sleep about 8 hours. Make sure not to exhaust yourself, running around, not sleeping 8 hours
Ayurvedic Tips for Winter Wellness
Enjoy this wonderful season and just make sure to be in synchronicity with Mother Nature🤗
If you need a helping hand to go through these transitions and apply the daily routines, join our 10 Day Online Ayurvedic Winter Cleanse, where we guide you for every step and support you on your journey.
Join the free webinar on Winter Wellness to learn more and ask your questions live on 12.01.2022 at CET 19:30, register from here!
Hi! I am a RYT 500hours Yoga Teacher, YACEP Trainer and a certified Integrative Nutrition Healthy Living Coach. I am passionate about empowering women to help them transform their mind, health and bodies through yoga, meditation and optimal nutrition, as well as guiding them to become the healthy confident role model for their children, family and community.
