Living your best life during a Minnesota winter can be challenging both mentally and physically.
Even if you love the snow, the cold and darkness this time of year can get to us all. If you are someone like me who loves to be out in nature, it can be a struggle this time of year to get outside, to breathe in the fresh air and to connect to the Earth. Even my dog Coco is sad as we aren't out on our daily walks! Besides the cold, it gets dark at 4:30 p.m. and the sun doesn't rise until 7:30 a.m. For many of us, we leave our homes in the morning darkness and come back home in the dark. This can take a toll on our mental and physical health and our overall well-being. We can tend to feel lower emotions such as fear, anxiety, sadness and loneliness. Those lower emotions can promote dullness and lethargy in our bodies and our minds. So how can we find health and happiness during wintertime? How can we live our best life when we get drawn into lower emotions and lower vibrations? How can we take care of our needs, especially regarding our mental health? Let me give you some tips and daily practices that are rooted in Ayurveda and Yoga to help keep you feeling happy, healthy and vibrant.
In Ayurveda, winter is known as "kapha" time of year.
The elements of kapha are water and earth. Kapha qualities are cold, heavy, oily, dense and soft. During wintertime, our physical bodies can feel heavy, cold and lethargic. Our minds can feel lower emotions, which can lead to a lack of energy and lower vibrations. If you have more kapha in your constitution, you may especially have a hard time finding balance this time of year. You may feel like you want to sit on the couch all day, watch TV and eat comfort food. Movement can be challenging, especially since it can be too cold to be outside. Even if you do not have much kapha in your constitution, it can still be difficult to stay in balance this time of year. From an Ayurvedic perspective, the change of seasons is when we are most vulnerable to dis-ease. For optimal health, we need to learn to flow with the seasons and embrace the change in weather.
Because the qualities of winter or kapha season are cold, heavy, dense and soft, we need to apply the opposite to bring balance.
In Ayurveda, a core principle we follow is that like attracts like and opposites pacify or bring balance. If your tendency in winter is to eat heavy, cold, dry foods or to isolate from others and be sedentary, you need to do the opposite to help stay mentally and physically healthy. Think in terms of eating lighter, warm foods such as soups and stews, eliminating cold drinks and raw foods, moving your body and using Yoga and meditation practices to calm the mind.
Here are some other tips and practices to stay balanced during wintertime:
Have consistent daily routines, especially around sleep and eating. Go to bed before 10 p.m. and rise before 6:00 a.m. Yes, 6:00 a.m.! Even though it is dark out, you will feel better by waking up earlier. 6:00 a.m.- 10:00 a.m. is known as "kapha time of day" where the energy is dull. If you wake past 6:00 a.m., you can take on that dull energy that affects your body and mind. Also, eat your meals around the same time every day. Having consistent routines lets your body and mind know what to expect and helps to reduce anxiety and lower emotions.
Eat warm, cooked nourishing foods filled with prana (life force energy). In order to combat the coldness and heaviness we can feel this time of year, we need to apply the opposite to stay balanced. Eating warm soups, cooked vegetables and whole grains will help us stay grounded, lubricate the joints and tissues and warm the body from the inside out. Try to eliminate cold beverages and raw food from your diet especially raw vegetables as they are harder to digest. Work towards eating real food!
Cook with ghee, warming oils and spices. Ghee is a superfood in Ayurveda and it is especially great to cook with and add to food or warm drinks in the wintertime. Ghee lubricates our joints and tissues to combat the dryness we can feel in winter. Favor sesame oil when cooking as it is warming for the body. Avoid coconut oil as it is cooling in nature. Spices such as cinnamon, clove, ginger, nutmeg and turmeric are great spices to add to teas and warm milk for a great before bed calming drink.
Practice abhyanga with warmer oils. Three times a week give yourself the treat of self-massage. This is known as abhyanga in Ayurveda. Use warm sesame oil or a neutral sunflower oil and apply this oil all over your body, rubbing in a circular motion around the joints and use long strokes on your limbs. This practice lubricates the joints and tissues, oils the skin and reduces anxiety by calming our nervous system. I believe it also teaches us self-love and it is a way to nurture our unique beautiful bodies.
Move your body! It is tempting to stay inside and sit on the couch, especially if you are kapha dominant. BUT.... try to get outside when you can to walk, even if it is for 15 minutes. Practice flowing Yoga to increase circulation and add a little heat to the body. Join a zoom class! There are so many Yoga classes and movement classes virtually now, that you can find something that works for you!
Take time to connect with others! Kapha types have the tendency to want to be alone and while it is okay to have some alone time, if you disconnect from others, it can only add to the lower emotions you may feel. Plan lunch/coffee dates with friends. Have people over for dinner. Do a zoom call with family and friends!
Use healthy ways to manage your emotions. Journal! This is a great way to put your feelings on paper. Write down what is on your mind to help you process those feelings. Breathe! When you feel a strong emotion, sit down and take 10 deep breaths. Name the feeling, have awareness and use your exhales to move the emotions out of your body. Talk to someone; a friend, relative, partner or whomever you trust to listen to you. Remember that you can always change how you respond to anything, and feelings are only temporary. It takes practice, but eventually we can start to learn to let go of those lower emotions quicker, rather than "be" in them for a long period of time. Just know that what you are feeling is a part of "BEING" on this Earth.
If you are really struggling this winter to find your best self, reach out and book a consultation with me. I will work with you from where you are at in your own unique journey. I can provide support and more healthy ways to manage your emotions that are tailored to what you are going through. We all deserve to feel well in our bodies and minds.
Be You! Be Brilliant!
Stefanie
Owner, Brilliant Life Yoga and Wellness/Holistic Health
www.brilliantlifemn.com
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