Winter is my favorite season. For a high pitta-dosha (or fire-type) like me, the cool, moist air brings me much comfort and grounding. I love being able to exercise outdoors without feeling overheated or depleted. I enjoy wrapping up in a warm sweater without beads of sweat streaming down my back. And, I love being able to sip on a warm, spicy chai or soup without triggering a four-alarm fire in my digestive system.
In Winter, I get to do all the things I mostly avoid the rest of the year because they do not naturally align with my Ayurvedic constitution. This is one of the most beautiful aspects of understanding my unique nature, what balances me most and how to flow with the seasons in a way that supports my overall health and wellbeing.
But not everyone loves Winter as much as I do, nor should they. Winter straddles vata and kapha seasons, which means those whose constitutions or imbalances are predominantly vata or kapha will experience the most challenges this time of year.
Understanding your unique constitution, or dosha, is essential for achieving holistic wellbeing tailored to your unique needs.
Understanding Vata and Kapha Seasons in Ayurveda
Vata season, which began in late Fall and lasts through much of Winter is marked by a predominance of air and ether. When the weather cools off, we experience the “cold, light, dry, and mobile” qualities that are characteristic of vata dosha, or air-types. You may have experienced similar qualities in your body as your skin dried out, circulation slowed and you generally felt colder. Digestive disturbances such as gas or drier stools may have become more common and “mobile” emotions such as fear, anxiety, or overwhelm may have started to rise. We can all experience some or all of these changes during vata season but those who also have a vata constitution or imbalance will experience them to a much greater degree.
On a macro-level, vata season is similar to the end of a sentient being’s life, when the elements start to break down and eventually decay. In the environment, the leaves and flowers dry up and dead matter is released into the atmosphere as carbon dioxide. This is a time for spiritual reflection and to share with others the wisdom of your life before passing on to the next. As we come to the end of vata season, we can all meditate on letting go of the metaphorical decay that exists in our life – old energy, thought patterns, and habits that no longer serve us.
During mid-late Winter and early Spring, we move into kapha season with its predominance of earth and water elements, which are “cool, heavy, moist, and stable”. You may already be experiencing the beginning of this transition with massive winter storms carrying extensive moisture in the northern hemisphere. You may feel mucus start to accumulate, more congestion, slower digestion, and an overall sense of lethargy or heaviness. Anybody can experience this during kapha season but those who also have a kapha constitution or imbalance will feel it much more acutely.
Kapha season will be in full effect and offer some relief by springtime when relatively warmer (but still cool) moisture starts to flow and we enjoy the fruits of growth brought in by the rain (water element) and nurturing of the soil (earth element). The earth will, in essence, be reborn as flowers bloom and old growth is washed away. This “rebirth” is tantamount to the kapha time in a sentient being’s life: birth to puberty. It is a time to nourish and strengthen, build new tissue, and flow with the tides of life. As such, Spring becomes an opportunity for many to rejuvenate, strengthen, and stabilize – but we have to get there first!
No matter your constitution, everyone can find balance during these cold, heavy, moisture-laden months. Ayurveda offers us seasonal practices that help to balance any constitution and address imbalances brought on by this seasonal shift.
Ayurveda & Winter Wellbeing
First, it’s worth acknowledging that as one of two “dominant” seasons, Winter and Summer can be the hardest to manage when it comes to change. Fall and Spring are considered “transitional” as they provide a bridge between the dominant seasons, making it energetically easier to make changes in your life – to let go of old patterns or to create new energy. The heaviness of Winter, meanwhile, can block any attempt at an energetic shift or realignment. No wonder so many New Year’s resolutions fall short! So, be patient with yourself and your loved ones because change takes time.
If you need help determining your Ayurvedic constitution, click here for more explanation or book a professional constitutional assessment with Path Wellbeing. In the meantime, experiment with some of the tips below, including some of our favorite recipes for each dosha this time of year!
Winter Energetics & Practices by Dosha
Kapha Dosha (Earth-Types)
Excess moisture will lead to increased mucus in the body, which will feel “stuck” during the colder months (congestion, sluggish digestion, and poor circulation). A feeling of heaviness and deeper congestion will also set in if proper cleansing, lightening, and heating practices that balance kapha dosha are not followed. Kaphas will especially feel this in the late-Winter when the continued cold and moist nature of the environment can lead to increased lethargy and dullness of the mind.
Kaphas, therefore, should incorporate lighter foods – bitter greens, astringent cruciferous vegetables, and lighter grains such as quinoa and barley – with more hot spices like dry ginger, black pepper, and cayenne. Engage in activities that generate more heat and are more vigorous in nature: power yoga, running, long bike rides, and dry saunas. Eliminate all mucus-forming foods such as dairy and heavy proteins and drink hot water throughout the day to help clear the channels of the body. Caffeine in moderation is okay, with black teas being best, so long as the nervous system is not already overactive. A hot ginger-turmeric tea is ideal, especially after meals.
Supportive Recipes:
Curried Coconut Quinoa with Cauliflower
Vata Dosha (Air-Types)
For those with a more prominent vata (air-type) nature, the earth and water elements of kapha season will stabilize your excesses of air and ether. Vata dosha can capitalize on this time to draw the elements into their body that most support them: heavier, unctuous and warmer foods and lifestyle choices that will help them to feel more grounded, nurtured and protected. Seek practices that support fluidity and grounding through the physical and subtle bodies; use healthy oils and ghee in your diet and on your body in self-massage; attune your sleep to the circadian rhythms of the sun; and seek physical exercises that support more natural “flow” in the body such as fluid or restorative yoga, yoga nidra, slow dance, gentle swimming, or strolling in the rain on a warm day.
Vatas should always focus on cultivating warmth and the vata-balancing diet should always be warm and moist, emphasizing stable, grounding nutrients (meats, root vegetables, grains) with healthy oils (ghee, sesame oil) and warming spices like fresh ginger, mineral salt, and cumin. Reduce – or, ideally, eliminate – caffeine and alcohol as both are drying and agitate the nervous system. Unctuous teas such as licorice and marshmallow are wonderful; warm them up energetically with fresh ginger and add some raw honey to enhance the heavy sweet taste in your diet.
Supportive Recipes:
Pitta Dosha (Fire-Types)
Pitta dosha – predominant fire and some water – thrives this time of year. With all of the qualities (cool, moist, and heavy) in play that stabilize their hot, light, and mobile nature, pittas will enjoy time outside, feeling the cold on their skin and the moisture in the air (note: pittas are more oily by nature so the pure, cool water element of kapha helps make them more unctuous and less greasy). The pitta time of a sentient being’s life is post-puberty through retirement or menopause for women. This is the time for productivity, creating new life, and changing the world. Pittas are well-advised to embody the elements of kapha season to help them avoid burnout.
Pittas should build on the energetics of this season, especially with Summer – the season that most aggravates their predominant fire constitution – just around the corner. The natural cooling energetics of Winter allow pittas to enjoy more heat, temporarily. As the season wears on and the weather starts to warm, Pittas should start adopting cooling practices by bringing in cooler foods (cooked bitter greens and root vegetables) and cooler spices such as coriander and fennel. Eliminate all very hot spices and foods with highly acidic qualities such as vinegars, alcohol, and most citrus. Pittas have a lot of natural energy and caffeine will only overheat them and dry them out. Drink plenty of room temperature water and teas that inherently cool the liver like dandelion root, peppermint, and hibiscus. Licorice and turmeric teas taken together are a wonderful anti-inflammatory for pitta dosha (avoid licorice in cases of edema or high blood pressure).
Supportive Recipes:
Sweet Potato with Kale and Ginger
No matter your dosha, all seasonal transitions provide an opportunity for reflection. As one season exits and another enters, what are you seeking to cultivate in mind, body and spirit that will help you flow with the rhythms of life and live each moment to its fullest? Take advantage of this time to attune to what is right for you.
Article authored by Kirsten Ahern, Founder of Path Wellbeing, Clinical Ayurvedic Specialist, Integrative Nutritionist (IIN), Human Performance Coach (HPI), Wellbeing Advocate, E-RYT 200 and RYT 500 and a Meditation, Mindfulness and Spiritual Wellbeing Coach.
The information contained within this article is for educational purposes only and should not replace the direct advice of a qualified healthcare professional. Always consult a professional healthcare provider when considering a new health regime.
