The winter is officially here and with it comes the colder weather, darker days, and the desire to hide and just sleep until the summer!

Naturally, winter is the time when you should take it slow, re-charge, and just be with yourself. However, do not confuse it with being sad or depressed!

According to Ayurveda, winter is a time when kapha dosha becomes dominant, bringing with it qualities of cold, dampness, and heaviness. By aligning with these seasonal shifts, we can support our well-being and maintain harmony throughout the colder months.

This Ayurveda winter guide will help you navigate the season with ease, warmth, and vitality.

Daily Rituals for an Ayurveda Winter Routine

An effective Ayurveda winter routine focuses on creating warmth, consistency, and comfort throughout your day. Start your mornings with abhyanga, a self-massage using warm sesame or almond oil, to pacify vata and stimulate circulation.

Follow with gentle movement, such as yoga or walking, and a warm breakfast that’s easy to digest—like spiced oatmeal or a creamy kitchari. Keep your skin and sinuses nourished with nasya oil, and wrap yourself in natural fabrics like wool or cotton to stay warm.

Midday is the best time for your largest meal, when agni is strongest. In the evenings, wind down with a calming herbal tea and a digital detox to invite deep, restful sleep. These grounding daily habits help you stay centered and energized throughout the Ayurveda winter season.

–  Get up and go to bed at the same time. According to Ayurveda, in winter it is okay to sleep in a little!

– Eat regular meals (each morning have a cup of warm water) at the same time and have regular patterns for work, exercise etc. as much as possible

–  Exercise and do some asana work. If you are not into yoga – do any kind of exercise, even if it’s following a Youtube video. However – don’t overdo it, be mindful, focus more on restorative poses.

– Do not overbook yourself (especially in the Christmas period!), enjoy the slower life, read, meditate, take long walks in nature. Do not feel bad for wanting to stay in.

– Get sun whenever possible – it is rare in winter and you need Vitamin D.

– Stay warm – wear warm clothes, socks, hat, cover your ears and neck to keep the vata and kapha. Try to avoid colds. According to Ayurveda – colds are actually kapha and vata disorders:  the body builds up an excess of cool and moist kapha qualities, resulting in congestion and a runny nose. At the same time the excess vata reduces the fire (agni) which leads to chills, loss of appetite, and poor digestion.

– Keep your vitamin C levels in check, drink hot water or herbal teas, use natural nose drops to minimize and relieve the nasal irritation.

– Moisturize. Vata imbalance can dry out the skin, so make sure you moisturize enough with oils or lotions.

Ayurveda Winter Diet: Warming Foods for Seasonal Balance

In the Ayurveda winter season, our digestive fire—agni—is naturally stronger, which means it’s the perfect time to nourish the body with hearty, warm, and grounding foods. Ayurveda encourages eating seasonally and in accordance with nature’s rhythm, so this is the time to favor cooked, spiced, and oily meals that balance the cold, heavy qualities of kapha and vata.

Think root vegetables, whole grains, ghee, warming spices like ginger, cinnamon, cumin, and turmeric. Soups, stews, and porridges become go-to staples. Avoid cold, raw, or dry foods as they can aggravate vata and weaken digestion during the winter months.

Herbal teas with ingredients like tulsi, licorice, and cardamom are also great allies in your Ayurveda winter kitchen—keeping you hydrated, grounded, and vibrant through the cold.

– Add enough spices and herbs to your meals – they will keep the digestive fire burning and warm you up. There is a reason why we associate cinnamon or cardamom with winter! Try and find out what you like most – black pepper, cumin, rosemary, cayenne, turmeric, ginger, coriander… Don’t overdo it though, a little bit comes a long way!

– Focus on warm, cooked, oily meals that have balanced flavors of sour, salty, pungent, bitter, and astringent. Root vegetables (in season in winter!) such as sweet potatoes, carrots, beets, radishes should be on your menu as they are heating and hearty. Add spinach or Swiss chard. Legumes are good but don’t overdo it and make sure they’re cooked well.

– Get more vitamin E (butter, and nuts, spinach, flaxseed, and sunflower oils) as well as vitamin C (cabbage, citrus, beetroot).

– Avoid cold drinks and focus and warm teas, warm water.

– Avoid astringent fruit – apples, pears, pomegranate or dried fruit as well as barley, corn, millet, too many raw veggies, frozen foods, white sugar, dairy.

Thriving Through Ayurveda Winter Wisdom

By tuning in to Ayurveda winter wisdom, we not only protect our physical health but also cultivate emotional resilience and inner warmth during the darker months. Embracing nature’s cues allows us to slow down, nourish ourselves more deeply, and restore balance where it’s needed most.

This season is an invitation to turn inward, reconnect with stillness, and build strong foundations for the months ahead. With mindful eating, nurturing rituals, and a conscious approach to self-care, the Ayurveda winter becomes a time of replenishment rather than resistance.

Let the ancient guidance of Ayurveda support your journey through winter—so you can thrive, not just survive.

Photo: flickr.com