Vata in the Winter

    The bitter, cold and dry climate we experience in the New England winter is exhilarating for some of us.  The challenges that go along with it are familiar, even if we can also enjoy and appreciate the beauty of snow and invigorating chill.  From the perspective of Ayurveda (Ayur = life; Veda = wisdom, science,) winter’s impact is consistent and reliable.  There are also reliable and simple ways we can counter-balance the challenges that winter presents us.

    Winter is dominated by Vata, which is air and space elements.  The classic attributes that accompany Vata are dry, rough (think chapping lips or hands,) mobile (think windy,) erratic or unstable (more wind, and unpredictability,) light and minute (think little particles of snow blowing every which direction and the coldness penetrating into every nook & cranny.)

    The first thing that will help immensely is deliberately keeping yourself warm externally and internally.  It sounds like your grandma talking perhaps, but keep your ears, head and neck covered.  It drains away a lot of the body’s energy to rebuild heat when it has been lost. 

    Internally, minimize or avoid cold foods and drink.  The typical winter menu of soups, stews, casseroles (warm & cooked) supports your digestion maintaining a really strong efficiency, so you have maximum energy to fuel your life!  Stir-fried or roasted vegetables, cooked with a bit of oil or ghee, will help counter-balance Vata’s dryness. Cold and raw foods require more digestive energy to process and break down so the body can fully utilize the nutrients.   Especially if you experience indigestion, gas, or difficulty with eliminating, try maintaining a diet of warm, gently spiced meals and see if you observe a difference in your overall digestion.

    The mobile and unstable qualities of Vata can push our nervous system and mental state into spacey, unsettled and disturbed patterns.  Do you find that it is hard to settle your attention and focus? If you find your energy is sometimes lethargic or drowsy, and sometimes restless or hyper, it is likely due, at least in part, to the seasonal influence of Vata. You may also have a higher Vata influence as part of your unique constitution, or metabolic type,  naturally.  (More on constitution coming soon.) Vata = inconsistent,  unpredictable, sometimes agitated or even tending toward fear.

    Set your routines up for maximum consistency.  Get to sleep and wake up at the same time.  Eat your meals as regularly as you can.  Your internal clock, or circadian rhythms, responds well to regular, predictable routines and will impact all your other systems: Sleep, immunity and resistance, mood and attitude, digestion.  All your systems will fire at optimum efficiently on all cylinders more readily when you take the initiative to create a consistent schedule for your activities, especially diet and sleep.

    The Mind-Body aspect of excellent health and resilience can be very simple, though not always easy. Tune your attention to how your body & emotions respond to the environment and season. How do your body, mind and digestive system respond to  what and how you eat? It will make a big difference to note your internal responses.  Note that when you respect the effects,  protect yourself, and rest well, your resilience and sense of ease will change for the better. We can work *with* the conditions that nature presents to us, to make our lives easier and more fulfilled.  Ayurveda has So Much Wisdom for how to do this.