Oh, the weather outside is frightful, But the fire is so delightful!

Posted 22nd December 2023

Winter is a time to slowdown….

Winter can seemingly come upon us, one minute we are enjoying the falling leaves of autumn and a feeling of change, movement & letting go, to then suddenly, we are immersed into a sense of wintry quietude with shorter days, dark black nights and a more depthy feeling of slow reflective time, with wanting to go inwards.

Whilst in Spring and Autumn we are making the changes to move to the next thing, winter is much more a time of stopping seasonally, of rest and recovery, a chance to gather our energy, take stock and have a sense of recuperation, so we can build our reserves, to emerge fresher and more potent for the start of spring. In Traditional Chinese medicine this time is seen as being governed by the water element. A time of stillness to dive deeper into our emotions, ourselves, and an opportunity to reflect, as if looking at your reflection in a large lake to view what comes back at you. To take stock, and hibernate, pausing before we move to newer projects.

If you are reading this and thinking chance would be a fine thing – to slow down and be quiet – due to work obligations, children, school commitments or general busyness. Have you ever noticed that if you keep pushing, the body takes over, and some form of illness will come along and push you into a state of rest and recoup anyway. No claims that holistic living and ancient well being methods will stop all winter ailments, but, if you follow more intuitively how you live your life and prioritise your health there are so many benefits to overall happiness and feelings of wellness.

It is still seen as the Vata season in Ayurveda for the first half of the winter season. The sense of dry scattered air is still with us, as we let go of old energy, & we lean into the sense of rest, or need for rest, followed with a move into a more Kapha time. A feeling of dampness which can feel heavier in the body and mind, sleepy and slower, which once we start to head to spring again, we will be starting to visualise where we would like to move to next from a more cohesive earthy place.

The wonder of the seasons, and what they can show us, as we move through from a more attuned place is a real gift. It’s a time to stay closer to home, enjoying quiet time, spending connected time with family and close friends – whatever this brings. It can also paradoxically, in modern times, feel a time of stress with the build up to Christmas, more preparations and tick lists, where we go against our natural knowing, and if immune systems are low and bodies are tired, a time of coughs and colds or feelings of lethargy and illnesses start popping in.Signs of excess Vata or Kapha can be anxiety, feeling cold, dry, or rough skin, disturbed or excessive sleep, low mood levels, sluggish digestion, poor circulation, and depression, but there is plenty that can be put in place to balance this out and allow an easy journey through the darker months.

“Health is the state in which you sleep well, digest your food well, are at ease and free from any kind of disease” Swami Sivandi

Bringing in a good consistent amount of self-care at this time of year is crucial to our optimum health, having small naps, putting less in the diary, going out during the daytime for socials rather than out into the dark night, eating well, and adding tonics & supplements in, whilst going to bed earlier, sleeping later all keep us well. As well as trying to work less, if that is possible, or at least not pushing as much as when in the longer days of summer.

In Ayurveda our digestion is governed by Agni – the digestive fire. If we eat too much, too late and/or heavy foods we can dampen the fire, or if too little and sporadically the fire is not balanced so we should pay attention to what we are consuming and when. In winter our Agni is stronger, and we can digest more easily meats and fish if we eat them, and heavier foods to help keep us warmer and more energetically balanced. Warm, comforting stews, hotpots, soups, and crumbles favouring out of the six tastes the sweet, salty, and sour. The six tastes are organised on the tongue, and they are derived from the five elements.

Earth & water = Sweet

Earth & fire = Sour

Water & fire = Salty

Fire & air = Pungent

Air & space = Bitter

Air & earth = Astringent

The taste buds on the tongue, perceive the taste and send signals to the brain, which influences our digestion, dosha and all the bodies cells, tissues, and organs. If we are attuned to all the six tastes, we can intuitively eat well but again in modern life unfortunately some tastes of salty and sugar have been overused in processed foods & cooking which can skew our true sense of taste. Taking regular Spring and autumn cleanses where the meals are reduced back to a very simple diet can benefit our true taste so we can then eat better for our constitution. As we bring more awareness to our tastes we can begin to understand where we eat from, do we eat for the taste sensation. Is it decided by the mind what we think we want or crave, or we eat to fill the belly, and feel full.

For winter the three tastes are:

Sweet is present in foods like rice, milk, dates, maple syrup, jaggery. The qualities are oily, cooling, and heavy and a sweet taste increases the vital energy and is wholesome in moderation to all the tissues (seven dhatus – plasma, blood, muscles, fat, bone, marrow and nerve tissue and reproductive tissues) it makes us feel good and promotes stability but in excess it can cause disorder and imbalance causing colds, congestion, heaviness, diabetes, laziness, and obesity.

Sour is found in vinegar, cheeses, lemon, green grapes, fermented foods, citrus fruits, sour cream. They are substances that are liquid, light, heating and oily in nature and like sweet, when in moderation they are positively refreshing, taste delicious, stimulate appetite, and energize the body. If used in excess they cause thirst, hyperacidity, acid indigestion and can aggravate or bring on skin conditions like dermatitis, acne, eczema, and psoriasis.

Salty holds moisture in the body, improves digestion, lubricates & helps clear obstructions of digestive areas but in large amounts could cause swelling or a water imbalance. Salty include seaweed, marmite, miso, tamari, miso broth & salts (try Cornish Sea salt, rock salt, pink Himalayan, and kala namak rather than table salt which can be quite treated and drying)

These are all calming for the nervous system in this season and staying away from cold, raw foods/salads, that are too cooling in winter, and upping servings of veggies – especially greens and root vegetables that are grounding because they grow in the ground – along with squashes, pumpkins and marrows that grow near to the ground, all foods that nourish and centre, while also having a good water content.

We can also increase more spices in meals to keep in the warm – such as chilli pepper, cayenne or paprika, to add heat, and warming cinnamon, ginger, turmeric, and nutmeg. Herbs like thyme, rosemary, sage, and oregano are also good to boost the immune system and airways.

Guidelines to eating around Ayurvedic principles are simple and aim to keep everything balanced, unfortunately the availability of fast foods, increased sugar consumption, busy work schedules and foods being available all year round mean some of this seasonal logic has been lost or bypassed. Below shows the aims to eating well from a holistic perspective. Aiming to approach this with your best will and with the ability you have and time available rather than added too as a further stress.

Freshly prepare your food and cook from scratch – try not to have processed food, leftovers and as much as possible no raw foods.
Add spices (not necessarily hot – more therapeutic) and herbs as much as you can, for healing properties, even in small amounts they are still beneficial.
Eat as many vegetables as you can and eat the rainbow.
Take a moment before eating to be mindful of what you are about to eat – bless the food & be grateful for the healing food.
Sip warm water or herbal teas, no cold or iced drink or room temperature at best.

Eat at the table and chew consciously and slowly – not in front of the TV, computer or whilst on phone or reading.

Eat when feeling peaceful not when angry or upset.
Get into a rhythm of eating 3 meals a day and aim to have your biggest meal at lunch (between pitta time of 10-3pm) and eat a light supper as early as possible so the body can cleanse more during sleep time. Try not to snack.
Eat to your dosha type.
Eat seasonally and organic where possible and buy local produce. Grow your own, forage and steam veg when possible.
If buying precooked or packet foods, read the labels. The least ingredients and less complicated the better, avoiding E numbers, added sugars and complex words that are not sounding like a simple food product.
Avoid certain combinations ayurvedic combination no no’s.

-Eat fruit alone or leave fruit alone

-Don’t combine dairy with meat and fish

– Don’t heat honey

Keep your kitchen clear and tidy and prepare food with love.
Eat up to 2 Anjalis of food with one anjalis of liquid at each meal. *If you cup both your hands together this gives you your personal Anjalis measurement*
The best recommended and simplest ways to improve digestion and quality of sleep is to eat less in the evening and have your biggest meal at lunchtime.
The sun is at its highest and our digestive system is at its strongest during the middle of the day and as the sun is setting so is the digestive system. If we eat

Seasonal vegetables and fruit to favour and organic and local where possible for winter.

November & December Apples, Beetroot, Brussels Sprouts, Butternut Squash, Carrots, Cauliflower, Celeriac, Celery, Chestnuts, Chicory, Cranberries, Elderberries, Jerusalem Artichokes, Kale, Leeks, Onions, Parsnips, Pears, Potatoes, Pumpkin, Quince, Red Cabbage, Salsify, Savoy Cabbage, Swede, Swiss Chard, Turnips, Watercress, Wild Mushrooms, Winter Squash, White Cabbage.

January & February Apples, Beetroot, Brussels Sprouts, Carrots, Celeriac, Chicory, Jerusalem Artichokes, Kale, Leeks, Mushrooms, Onions, Parsnips, Pears, Purple Sprouting Broccoli, Red Cabbage, Salsify, Savoy Cabbage, Spring Greens, Spring Onions, Squash, Swedes, White Cabbage.

Winter recipes:

Overnight Oatmeal porridge

Oatmeal has a lovely creamy texture and makes a hearty change from normal oats and feels less drying.

1 cup organic oatmeal, 1 cup of oat milk or milk of choice, 1 cup of water.
½ tsp cinnamon
½ tsp ground cardamom
½ tsp ground turmeric
Pinch of salt

Mix all ingredients together in jar with a lid and pop in the fridge overnight. In the morning put on low heat and add another cup of water and allow to slowly heat so that becomes lovely thick consistency. Top with flaxseed, grated nutmeg, and honey to serve with a little drizzle of oat milk.

Hot immune toddy

To help stay replenished and hydrated in winter months as we can sometimes find it tricky to keep liquids up.

Sliced orange or satsuma.
1/2 lemon
Sliced fresh ginger ½ thumb.
Sliced fresh turmeric ½ thumb.
Fresh mint/ rosemary/oregano, sage, or thyme all if you have
Couple of cloves – no more or can taste bitter.
Cinnamon pinch

Squeeze juice of lemon into a glass teapot – and add rest of ingredients and top up with boiled water. (ground ginger and turmeric can be used instead if you don’t have fresh)

Leave to steep and then pour into cup and add a little honey. Pop a tea cosy over teapot and top up with hot water throughout the day and drink as you go.

Chicken bone broth

1 organic (ideally) chicken carcass from Sunday roast
Rosemary sprigs
Thyme sprigs
Fennel seeds
Bay leaves
Salt & pepper
1 x Leek sliced.
1 x Carrot sliced.
1 x Onion halved.

Pop all ingredients into large saucepan and add water to cover carcass. Bring to a simmer and gently leave to cook for about 3 to 4 hours. Empty into large jug through a colander – I like to pick of any juicy bits of chicken and add to broth. Season some more and ladle into cup and add some juicy chicken bits to bottom and drink as is or use as stock for stews and soups. Veggies can be saved to make a soup base.

Self-care for winter

Allow time for a winter ritual bath.

1 handful dried lavender, rose petals, chamomile.
1 cup of Epsom salts
10 drops frankincense oil
10 drops lavender oil
1 cup of oats
Amethyst crystal

Fill the bath with water and add ingredients. If you don’t wish for or won’t like the mess, pop all ingredients in a muslin cloth bag and run under hot tap as bath is running and the goodies will go in that way. You could body brush beforehand or allow time for a self-massage and apply a mask if you wished. Light candles around the side, take a book if you wish but ideally leave phone in another room so no disruption. Stir the water in clockwise direction 10 times and make your intention to relax, have some me time, release worry and anything that is bothering you.

Slower more gentle yoga is recommended at this time of year, more yin and restorative practice. Yoga Nidra, meditation and breathwork. A morning practice can be more mat based with some slow sun or moon salutations and if you have been meaning to make more of a daily meditation practice starting in the slower months as a short morning practice can be a great time to make it part of your Dinacharya – daily routine. Poses beneficial to winter for opening the chest, stretching the throat, and clearing nostrils and draining sinuses could include fish, locust, boat, bow, lion, camel, and shoulder stand as we are also looking to balance Kapha which can be damp, heavy, cold and moves slowly as well as calming Vata and staying grounded.

Daily Routine – Dinacharya

Winter – get up later.

Upon waking

Scrape the tongue https://www.thekindstoreonline.co.uk/blogs/blog/a-guide-to-tongue-scraping?page=3 if this is news to you have a little read as its life changing and a great way to check how you are feeling internally the more you start to read your tongue. Really quick and easy before cleaning your teeth.
Oil pulling https://www.banyanbotanicals.com/info/ayurvedic-living/living-ayurveda/lifestyle/how-to-do-oil-pulling/ again if this is not something you have tried before have a read as so many benefits and a quick way to cleanse the mouth and help with general condition of oral health so less stress with the hygienist.
Clean teeth
Self-massage abhyanga see autumn blog.
wash or shower
Aim to make your first drink a hot – warm water before reaching for the caffeine.
If you have time, practice some gentle yoga, meditation or chosen exercise.
Head outside – this is one of the simplest effective things you can do to improve your constitution through the winter months, to help keep stable mood, and reduce stress factor. Go for a walk if time and look up at the sky.
Eat a warming porridge type breakfast like oatmeal above.
Drink warm water throughout the day.

With a steady balanced approach to the morning section of our day we can remain more connected with ourselves throughout the day.

New year new you.

As the new year falls in the middle of winter it can be a difficult time to make grand scale resolutions especially after Christmas when there has been more rest and feasting. Gym memberships at this time of year go off the scale only to dwindle again three months later. Better to play the long game whilst celebrating the change of a new annual cycle – as winter is a reflective time journalling is a great way to process where you wish to go next from looking at what’s gone before.

An overview of the last year can be helpful.

What has been the highlights of the last year?

What do I feel I have achieved over the last year?

What hasn’t worked over the last year?

What has been the biggest challenge this year?

What is my word for the last year?

What is my word moving into the new year?

How is my health?

How are my relationships?

How is my work, life balance?

What do I wish to change?

What am I grateful for?

Having a plan over the coming year and putting things in the diary so that there is momentum is more likely to keep consistency than throwing everything at it in the first week of January.

Yes start reducing the mince pies, do dry January, and bring in more healthy soups again, cut out sugar and get out walking daily but put sessions in for more healthy pursuits throughout the year, decide when your holidays are for the rest of the year, sign up for a course, or if you looking to give something up look for some support first to buddy up with.

“Proper change is an active, living thing. It’s an on-going process built on small actions carried out consistently and repetitively, rather than one big, dramatic decision that inevitably runs out of steam.”

The Ancient Babylonians are said to have been the first people to make New Years resolutions, some 4,000 years ago. During a 12-day religious festival known as Akitu, the Babylonians would crown a new king or reaffirm their loyalty to the reigning king. They made promises to the gods to pay their debts and return any objects they had borrowed. They were also the first to hold recorded celebrations in honour of the new year—though for them the year began not in January but in mid-March, which seasonally makes more sense as we are starting to come out of ourselves with renewed energy and lighter days, new life, new buds & shoots are growing.

It was Julius Caesar who changed it to January. Named for Janus, the two-faced god whose spirit inhabited doorways and arches, January had special significance for the Romans. Believing that Janus symbolically looked backwards into the previous year and ahead into the future, the Romans offered sacrifices to the deity and made promises of good conduct for the coming year, so it became a Christian tradition.

So, journalling from a reflective place or writing some lists, or making a mood board can start the process of the year and begin an intention that can then move throughout the year, a gentle cleanse in spring when the body is clearing anyway is far easier to motivate as the energy is in place, and new projects find momentum.

So as the closing season to the writings and musings of the seasons and how it affects us it ends the cycle that constantly moves through us, from the annual change, to the daily change to our life cycle we always begin in spring and move through to summer, autumn and close with winter and remember if you struggle with the depthy darkness and by February are starting to flag

“No winter lasts forever; no spring skips its turn.”

– Hal Borland

AwakeningRose