Hello Vata my old friend, I’ve come to be with you again….
Oh boy, we are getting closer and closer to the climax of vata! Every time period of the year of a specific dosha exhibits an increasing amount of their characteristic attributes by the end of that period. Summer, the pitta period, is at its hottest in August.
Spring, the kapha time that we are moving towards right now, is wettest at the end of May. Our current period of winter is a time when qualities of dry, cold and lightness are felt in abundance. We feel these qualities on our skin, in our sleep, in our gut activity and so on. These qualities irritate the nerves and mess up with our brain activity. Our nervous system is clearly under attack. Here’s a list of seasonal disorders you might be feeling.
- Runny nose: light, watery mucous and lots of sneezing by irritation of mucous lining by cold
- Insomnia and/or anxiety due to all the above-mentioned qualities creating restlessness and worry
- Constipation by dehydration in the gut
- Cold hands and feet: tension created by cold sensation
- Increased blood pressure: cold induced tension
- Increase urination: increased blood pressure
- Dehydration: increased tension by cold leading to increased urination
- Increased sensation of pain: hypersensitive nerves
- Dry lips and skin, cracked nails, dry hair, dandruff: dehydration as per above
- Toothache by tense nerves
What to do is relatively simple. Enjoy the opposite qualities of wet, heavy and warm. Avoid anything cold, drinks and food included. Make sure you have a routine in your days and that you rest more than usual. Take a nap after lunch if you can.
- Keep warm, especially head, neck and chest, lower back and kidney area
- Drink hot water in sips throughout the day
- Avoid raw and cold foods
- Eat warm cooked food with plenty of healthy fats and a good amount of natural salt
- Use mild spices, avoid chilli
- Ayurvedic massage brings all the qualities you need in this season; relaxation, safety, calms the nervous system, warm oils feed the body and skin, lymphatic drainage, as well as invigorating the energies
- Nourish your nose with ayurvedic nasya oil, especially if it is dripping and irritable
- Make sure you are warm when you go to bed. If your bedding is thin, take a hot water bottle and place it on your heart or tummy. Put on your woolly socks, long johns and what have you to make sure you are warm
- If you catch cold make sure you warm up immediately when you get a chance. A warm bath, or even sit next to a radiator to get the warmth back into your body as soon as
- Enjoy a hot herbal tea or even better, have a drink of Chyawanprash jam in hot milk of your choice, both dairy or plant based ones are good
- Sesame oil gargling:
15 min swishing around, spit and rinse with warm water
Generally, avoid extremes, don’t push your limits now but take it easy and hold on to the middle path for a month or so now. Otherwise you’ll go into the springtime congested and cold and will risk the load of seasonal disorders from that period as well. One of the reasons why we do season appropriate activities is also to prepare for the next season. We want to enjoy the delights of spring in good health and vitality instead of potential congestion, asthma, hay fever, tiredness, water retention, depression and all sorts of ills brought by the qualities of the new period. Get ready now, be comfy and stay warm.
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