Warming up to Winter Ayurvedically

By Heather Ashre

New York City is home to a bevy of Ayurvedic resources for you to learn how to journey through the winter with ease and comfort.

As we usher in the colder temperatures, drier air and longer and darker days of winter, it is no wonder that we start to notice changes in the texture of our skin, our energy levels, our moods and even our cravings for certain foods. According to Ayurveda, the 5,000-year-old Indian traditional holistic system of health and longevity, the months from October through February are a time when we need to pay special attention to how the environment affects us physically and mentally and to make certain adjustments to the routine that we adhered to during the warmer summer months.

New York City is home to a bevy of Ayurvedic resources for you to learn how to journey through the winter with ease and comfort. Dr. Bhaswati Bhattacharya, MPH and MD is the director of the Dinacharya Ayurvedic teaching training at Prana Mandir yoga studio in Bryant Park as well as her having her own private practice in New York City. Prana Mandir is the only yoga studio in New York City that offers students an opportunity to learn about Ayurveda from a faculty comprised of both western and Ayurvedic doctors and apply this training towards a formal certification in Ayurveda. To help us incorporate the holistic practices of Ayurveda into our own lives this winter, Dr. Bhattacharya has offered us some expert advice so that we can stay warm, healthy and peaceful during these cold months.

According to Ayurveda, everything in nature, including our own bodies, is comprised of three constitutions or doshas. The three doshas are: Kapha dosha, pitta dosha and vata dosha. In very simplified terms, Kapha qualities are thick, dark, heavy, soft, slow and oily. Pitta qualities are thin, hot, sharp, and medium strength and speed. Vata qualities are light, dry, rough, quick and cold. Each of us has all three doshas operating within us in varying degrees.

The Ayurvedic ideal it to have the three doshas balanced evenly through the Ayurvedic fundamental components of proper nutrition, exercise, herbs, meditation and massage therapies so that we can live a disease-free and content life.

When things go wrong
Just as our bodies are connected to the daily rising and setting of the sun, they are also intertwined with the earth’s rotation around it. Ayurveda believes that any change in season poses a challenge to our daily rhythms and routines and can have negative effects on our physical and mental well being by knocking it out of balance.
Winter’s frigid temperatures, brisk winds, and bare trees, are analogous to vata’s hallmark qualities of dry, light, rough, cold, and quick airy movements. Any seasonal transition can aggravate vata but since this transition is marked by a progression into a vata environment, it becomes that much more important to keep this dosha in balance, says Dr. Bhattacharya.

In the winter months, problems arise if vata becomes aggravated. This is especially true for individuals with a vata-dominant constitution. Hypersensitivity to the cold, respiratory infections, dry skin, sleep disturbances, indecisiveness, anxiety and restlessness are some of the common symptoms that occur when vata becomes aggravated. The key to balancing the vata symptoms of winter is regularity, says Dr. Bhattacharya, in order to prevent an excess accumulation of this dosha in our systems.

The suggested Ayurvedic practices have the opposite effect of the vata qualities associated with winter. For instance, the dry, cold and rough characteristics of winter are soothed by practices that encourage moisture, warmth, and lubrication. The practices are believed to thwart the negative conditions and illnesses that are often more prevalent during this time of year.

Boost immunity through digestion
Despite winter’s harsh temperatures and its increase in viral infections and illness, according to Maharishi Ayurveda, it is an optimal time to improve and strengthen immunity since digestion is at is strongest. During the winter, not only are we hungrier but also our bodies digest food more effectively and efficiently. Winter is the season to build up our strength and immunity so that we will feel a sense of vibrancy and strength when the first rays of spring sunshine hit our sun-starved faces.
One of the key elements to improving immunity is ensuring that proper digestion is cultivated and maintained. Digestion and immunity are intricately woven into one another so that whatever weakens digestion also weakens immunity and whatever strengthens digestion will thereby strengthen immunity.

In spite of winter’s peak digestion time, it is not a carte blanche to eat whatever we crave or whatever is placed in front of us. Keep in mind that the kinds of food we eat directly affect the strength of our immunity. Opting for rich and hard to digest foods will have deleterious effects our health since the qualities of the food we eat impart those same qualities inside of us once we consume and digest them. For instance, we will feel the burden of a meal comprised of dense white flour pasta topped with a thick cream sauce both physically and mentally once we consume it. The qualities of this meal will invoke those same qualities inside of us leaving us feeling heavy and weighted down.

Since winter also includes the holiday seasons, it can be a problematic undertaking to survive the winter without consuming too many holiday stollens or too many glasses of eggnog. But with a little guidance and a lot of mindfulness, you can healthfully trudge your way through the tempting festive winter months.

Follow a vata-pacifying diet
Even though every individual’s doshic constitution is different, there are a few central practices that should be followed during the winter months regardless of one’s dosha make up. During this season, Dr. Bhattacharya recommends eating warm, well-cooked foods and keeping raw, uncooked, cold and dry foods to a minimum. Rice with lentils, hearty soups, warm, whole grain cereals sweetened with honey, stewed fruit, and creamy yogurts are all ideal foods to savor this time of year. She also encourages keeping a regular meal schedule every day.

Additionally, favor foods that are easy to digest and that are sweet, salty or sour in taste. Adding clarified butter or ghee to fresh vegetables that have been slowly cooked or to whole grains, is highly recommended too during this time of year. The oil in the ghee is believed to combat the drying vata qualities of winter by adding necessary fat and lubrication to the body. Maharishi Ayurveda recommends adding one teaspoon of ghee to each meal.

Reduce the amount of bitter, astringent or pungent foods as well as keeping processed, canned or frozen packaged foods to a minimum. Try to avoid cold foods like salads and ice cold drinks, spicy dishes and dry foods like popcorn, crackers, chips, or rice cakes since these foods have a vata nature in them and they will consequently promote more vata in your system and dull the digestive fire.

Also, if you are experiencing vata symptoms, avoid alcohol and other stimulants like caffeine or nicotine, says Dr. Bhattacharya.

Stay warm
The heat our bodies generate during this time of year to stay warm radiates outward through the skin, making skin more prone to dryness and flakiness. Stay warm by covering your head and neck especially when outside and avoid drafty areas. Consider using a humidifier in your home to add moisture and to combat the double drying effect of the cold weather and of indoor central heating systems.

Get enough sleep
With days shorter and darker, you may find that you prefer to stay indoors and get more rest. It is important to take advantage of winter’s slower pace by relaxing more and going to bed earlier, says Dr. Bhattacharya. By keeping a steady and consistent sleeping routine, you will awake feeling refreshed and eager to meet the day. The long winter months are a great time to dive into the small mountain of unread books on your bedside table or to tackle household projects that get neglected when schedules become too hectic.

She also recommends trying to keep stress to a minimum by avoiding activities that mentally over stimulate the mind. Since vata responds very favorably to cheerful colors and sunlight, make your surroundings, including your clothing, bright in color, says Dr. Bhattacharya.

Take care of your skin
Dr. Bhattacharya also strongly encourages performing a daily oil massage or abhyganga to your skin especially if you are experiencing some of the vata symptoms associated with winter. This daily routine, often done with warmed sesame oil, has a soothing effect on the nervous system but it also works to keep the skin lubricated and moisturized since it typically becomes dry and scaly in the winter. She also recommends drinking plenty of warm drinks throughout the day to avoid dehydration.

As long and as cold as they may be, the winter months can be a time of health, vitality and solace.

As the first snowflakes start to fall, it is important to assess our practice of applying these Ayurvedic components into our own lives and make the necessary accommodations based upon our own constitution.

For more information on Prana Mandir studio, go to: www.pranamandir.com
To contact Dr. Bhattacharya, email: dinacharyaNYC@gmail.com.

Illustration by Lydia Nichols