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, the dominant dosha of the winter season is kapha (it governs the structure of the body and has heavy, solid, slow qualities), but if you live in very cold climates vata dosha has also a very strong presence.

Thanks to the Ayurveda philosophy you can adjust your lifestyle, habits, and diet to suit the season. This way you can make winter much more accommodating and pleasant!

Lifestyle adjustments

In winter you need to keep both the winter kappa and winter vata doshas satisfied – the best to do so is to establish and keep up with a regular routine.

–  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.

Diet adjustments

Your digestive fire is strong in winter! It is cold and you need to keep your body warm and that’s why you are craving heartier, fattier foods. A lot too! The task here is to pacify the Kapha dosha and keep the data in control too.

Luckily, our bodies naturally know what they need, so it is not so hard to follow the guidelines.

– 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.

Photo: flickr.com

If you want to learn more about Ayurveda and find some great recipes, these books are a great way to start!

The post Winter Ayurveda – stay warm in the cold season appeared first on Summersalt Yoga Retreats.

By Vanessa Fleming, Summersalt Yoga teacher

Ah, September. Where did the summer go?! Stay Grounded As We Transition Into Fall

As time moves and the weather transitions into the cooler temperatures and airiness of fall sweeps in, it’s more important than ever to understand the qualities of Dosha Vata, and all that it brings.

What is the “Dosha Vata?”

In Ayurveda, or the science behind the art of yoga, the are 3 qualities of energy that rule our bodies as well as the nature surrounding us, called Doshas. The 3 energies are Kapha, Pitta, and Vata. Each person has a dominant Dosha. (Find out what yours is here.)

Those same qualities are found in the seasons. Kapha is wet and heavy and is linked to Winter / Early Spring, Pitta is fiery and energetic, linked to late Spring / Summer, Vata is airy and soft, linked to Autumn.

So as we transition from the heat and fire of summer into the softer fall, it’s important to remember that this time is about change. Just as the leaves on the trees change color and start to fall, the wind picks up a bit and things are in flux, we as humans are affected by this ungrounded state.

Some things you may notice is a tendency to feel flighty or forgetful…leaving the keys behind, having to check something numerous times without any memory retention, or anything that seems a bit more difficult to grasp than what normally is.

Don’t worry. You don’t have dementia or short-term memory loss. It’s completely natural to have this happen in this time! This is the time of change, clearing the slate for something new, releasing all the stresses and worries of the previous 9 months to prepare for what’s being planted. The flightiness is synonymous with the air changing and becoming cooler, the wind becoming stronger to sweep out all the dying flowers and leaves. Just like nature, your mind and body is making space for what’s to come. But it has to cleanse itself first.

Staying grounded is particularly challenging during this transition. As you prepare for this transitional time, here are a few points and tips to get you started and reduce Vata, from practical maintenance to deeper spiritual contemplation.

Your Space and Appearance

DO: Clear out your closet. Get rid of anything that no longer serves you. That shirt that has pit stains and spaghetti sauce on it but you’re holding on to it for whatever reason…say bye bye. Make a bag of items to give to the Goodwill (or any other local charity for those less fortunate). It’ll clear you, and bring something to someone who is in need.

DON’T: Go on a shopping spree. Bringing new things in defeats the purpose of clearing the space for what’s to come.

DO: Integrate some neutral colors into your wardrobe, such as brown and beige. Start to leave the bright colors behind. You don’t have to abandon completely, but try to create awareness around the colors surrounding you. Wear cardigans or anything to keep you warm.

In your living space, bring out the neutral colors for sheets and blankets, or pillow coverings. It’s okay to have some oranges and reds in there, but if you start to feel irritation by these colors, try something softer.

DON’T: Try a new hairstyle or dye. Let the nature flow freely and keep steady with what you have.

Personal Time

DO: Summertime is notorious for packing a full schedule in. Try to release some of your social obligations. Find more time to be with yourself.

DON’T: Take on a new hobby or task. That time will come, and it’s right around the corner. Let what you’ve learned integrate thus far and sit with it.

DO: Write down a reflection of what has come about this year so far, and take time contemplating those things. Evaluate and see what has changed.

DON’T: Dwell on those changes. Acknowledge and move on.

Diet

DO: Integrate more earthy foods, such as beetroot, zucchini, leafy greens, whole grains.   Warm foods are grounding and settling – pastas, soups like pumpkin or vegetable soup, basmati or brown rice. Spices like cinnamon, cumin, ginger, oregano, and parsley (to name a few) are good to add into your diet. Try some hot black tea to keep your belly warm.

DON’T: Drink too much coffee. Avoid cold foods and fizzy drinks. Stay away from raw fruits and vegetables like watermelon, cabbage and apples. Go easy on the alcohol.

Yoga / Movement / Meditation

DO: Slow it down. Integrate forward folds such as standing forward fold, seated forward fold, folded pigeon pose, and bound angle pose. Integrate a bit more Yin. Take time to sit with things and hold poses for longer. Take the internal review and journey as you hold seated and grounded poses for 3-5 minutes. For a stronger / more active flow, try triangle pose, peaceful warrior, and headstand (or variation of). See photos below.

DON’T: Do a gajillion chaturangas or sun salutations. These are fire building poses. We want to turn the energy down and ground ourselves. Inversions are good for grounding, but with a slow and steady approach rather than in a Vinyasa style.

DO: Find time to sit for just a little bit longer in seat. It may be hard. Add an extra 5 minutes to your meditation. If 5 minutes more actually means 5 minutes total, than that’s what it is.

DON’T: Skip the meditation. Remember, anything can be a meditation – from watching the water boil on the stove to feeling the water from the shower hitting your face, take the moments and time.

DO: Go for walks or strolls outside. Let the changing nature surrounding you stimulate your mind and contemplation. Deep breathe in the crisp air and feel the softer sun on your face.

DON’T: Sit around. Times of change can bring on elements of sadness or depression. Keep moving and experience all that’s out there!

Remember: Routine is key through this time. Try to get up around the same time every day and go to bed around the same time every night. Make lists and keep them handy. Feel the joy of scratching something off the list.

And finally, enjoy this time of change and transition! Oh what a great time it is to be alive! Soak it all in, enjoy the changing colors, and most of all…enjoy!

The post Stay Grounded As We Transition Into Fall appeared first on Summersalt Yoga Retreats.

Spring Ayurveda.

According to Ayurveda, spring is the season of kapha dosha as it is the time of softness, warmth and moisture – the same qualities of kapha.  (direct meaning – “that which flourishes in water”). In addition to that, we experience kapha accumulation from the winter, hence the heaviness we might feel.

The goal here is to balance out the excess of kapha energy and avoid illnesses/discomfort that excess brings. You can do it by taking certain easy steps and adjustments during this wonderful time of year.

Adjusting the diet and lifestyle to bring more dryness, lightness and heat into our lives will support our spring rebirth and revitalisation process.

Spring diet

In springtime, you should focus on fresh fruit and vegetables, which will help during the spring “cleansing” process. Most people start naturally craving this type of foods.

DO

• Eat a lot of fresh (raw, steamed, cooked) vegetables, legumes, whole grains. When you eat warm foods they should be light and easy to digest. Enjoy cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower, bitter greens.
• Go for bitter, pungent, astringent tastes. Recommended flavour enhancers: ginger, pepper, chilli, garlic, onion, various herbs.
• This is a good time to go on a juice fast, pomegranate and apple juice are recommended.
• In order to balance out the mucus production, you should focus on the purification process – drink a lot of liquids, warm and hot, herbal teas, warm water with honey.

DON’T

• Do not overdo watery and heavy veggies like sweet potato, various squash, avocado or cucumber.
• Avoid heavy, oily, fried foods that you were used to during the cold months. Eat less meat, bread, seafood, nuts, sweets.
• Do not overeat sour and heavy fruits like bananas, figs, dates, oranges, melons.
• Minimize your dairy intake, especially in the morning (substitute with plant milk).
• Eggs, fish, tofu should be eaten in moderation.

Spring lifestyle

It is best to establish a regular morning routine and get up at the same time (earlier, if possible before 6 AM). The routine can be simple – shower, drinking warm water or herbal tea, exercise.

If possible, try to establish a routine for the entire day – that means regular times for work, exercise, meals.

Spring is a great time to be adventurous, playful, so try something new – whether it’s a new hobby or just something fun.

Wear bright and warm colours – don’t be afraid of reds, yellows, oranges in the early spring and blues, greens, whites, purples for later.

It is also great to start incorporating more physical activity to make you feel lighter, warmer and so to balance out the kapha. Challenge yourself with longer and more intensive workouts, but only those that give you pleasure.

It is recommended to do the exercises in the morning and outside when possible, but an evening workout will also bring benefits.

To bring more air and brightness Ayurveda teachings recommend to include pranayama in your practice – it helps to cleanse the body from impurities.

Finally, according to Spring Ayurveda (and us) simply enjoy life – spring is the most beautiful time of the year and we all need it after a long winter!

The post Spring Ayurveda – bring lightness and joy into your life appeared first on Summersalt Yoga Retreats.