Ayurveda, Yoga and Winter
“Yoga and Ayurveda purify the body, knowledge purifies the intellect, meditation purifies the soul, and service purifies our karma.”
What is Ayurveda?
Ayurveda is the ancient Indian medical system that is based on ancient writings that rely on a natural and holistic approach to physical and mental health. It is one of the world’s oldest medical systems and remains one of India’s traditional healthcare systems.
Yoga and Ayurveda are two interrelated branches of the same great tree of Vedic knowledge (ancient writings) that encompasses all human life and the entire universe.
Ayurveda and yoga are sister practices originating in India thousands of years ago. Yoga means union in Sanskrit, while Ayurveda represents “wisdom of life”. Explored together, these complementary practices can offer transformative tools that foster greater health and vitality. Integrating Ayurvedic principles into your yoga practice can create a deeper, richer experience on the mat that you can take with you. Yoga provides the spiritual and psychological basis for Ayurveda and its higher applications.
Ayurveda believes that the entire universe is composed of five elements: Vayu (Air), Jala (Water), Aakash (Space or ether), Prithvi (Earth) and Teja (Fire). These five elements (referred to as Pancha Mahabhoota in Ayurveda) are believed to form the three basic humours of the human body in varying combinations. The three humours; Vata dosha, Pitta dosha and Kapha dosha are collectively called “Tridoshas” and they control the basic physiological functions of the body along with five sub-doshas for each of the principal doshas.
Ayurveda and the Seasons
“Ayurveda is the science of life that teaches us how to live in harmony with nature and the world around us.”
The three doshas are mirrored in the changing of the seasons:
Kapha – element of Earth and Water is seen in Spring and Winter (water- mucus/ cold and damp).
Pitta – element of Fire is seen in the Late Spring/ Summer. (Heat)
Vata – element of Air and Space is seen in Autumn/ early Winter. (Cold, windy and dry).
How the seasons affect you is very much dependent on your own personal make-up of these three doshas in your being. Each one of you is individual; therefore will feel the impact of the change of the season uniquely to another. You can find out more about your own dosha make-up using online dosha quizzes such as https://www.pukkaherbs.com/uk/en/dosha-quiz or https://artoflivingretreatcenter.org/ayurveda/which-ayurveda-type-are-you-quiz/
The key to navigating the seasons is to acknowledge the energy of the season, and the energy within you and to create balance in a way that works for you.
Winter is the Kapha season. It is cold and damp. There is a tendency towards coughs and colds (damp and heaviness in our lungs), stiff joints (again due to dampness in the body) and a general feeling of contraction and tightness.
In Kapha dominant Wintery season, you are trying to balance your own Dosha dominance and the energy of the season – so even if you are Vata or Pitta, you will still tend colds and coughs (the mucus of Kapha), potentially depression because of the lack of sunlight and fresh air and joint ache because of the damp weather.
When Kapha is in balance, you feel strong, grounded and stable. When it is out of balance you can feel heavy in the body and the mind. This heaviness might also accumulate in the lungs and chest making breathing difficult. As the environment becomes colder and wetter, Kapha behaviours tend to dominate – eating and sleeping a little more as well as moving a little less. So, maintaining routine, movement and momentum is key.
Bringing it together on your yoga mat
“Asana, with its soothing, stretching and relaxing action, is the main physical exercise for balancing the doshas. It calms Vata, cools Pitta and releases Kapha”
To be able to bring yourself into balance you will need to reflect on your tendencies at present. It is all about balance. If you are feeling sluggish, stagnant, or stiff then you will need to bring in movement, space and energy. If you’re feeling overwhelmed, frazzled and drained then you will need to bring in slower practices and meditation. (You can complete one of the online quizzes to help you understand your current make-up. )
Kapha types need to move more – needing faster-paced sequences and repetition to keep them engaged. Sun salutations and Warrior variations are great for Kapha as well as backbends which open up the chest and respiratory system (Kapha – mucus tends to collect in the chest).
Pitta types can often find the coolness of Autumn and Winter invigorating – the key intention for practice is to stay focused on your breath and movement, not competing with others or how you ‘performed’ yesterday. A Pitta person can find reward from a dynamic practice in Winter if you keep grounded and non-competitive; you can also be nourished by a more restorative grounded practice.
For Vata people, you can explore expansive movement but keep it slow and rhythmic (rather than fast-paced) and incorporate lots of grounding asana at the end to ground Vata’s more restless, erratic energy.
You can play around with different types of practice to see what you need from your practice. You simply need to roll out your mat and listen to your body. This allows you to bring in the fifth limb of yoga “Pratyahara”. Pratyahara is about withdrawal, gathering inwards. By drawing your senses away from your overly stimulated environments and sensual stimuli, fine-tuning your awareness and becoming sensitive to what is going on inside, you become less distracted by what is going on outside. This allows you to become more centred and connected. From this place, you can achieve greater balance as you tune in to what you need.
Ayurveda, Winter and Yoga
Winter is nature’s way of helping you pause, reflect and then choose how to move forward when spring comes again.
Ayurveda teaches that winter is primarily a Kapha (cold and wet) season, with a strong influence on Vata (cold and dry) energy. In the Ayurvedic healing system, like attracts like and opposites balance, so during this chilly season, you’ll want to invite grounding and warming postures into your practice to balance Vata’s cold and dry qualities. Meanwhile, stoking your inner flame with twists and invigorating postures will help to bring Kapha’s heavy and moist qualities into greater balance.
While you might feel tempted to go into hibernation mode during winter, and there is a time and place for this too, it can be beneficial to get your heart pumping and create some heat from within. You can use the wisdom of the Ayurvedic system with the philosophy of your yoga practice to help you bring about this balance. By acknowledging the tendencies of the seasons, you can ensure that you can counteract the effects of the seasons. If you are aware of your dominant dosha you can ensure you work in harmony with your energy and the energy of nature. If you are a vata-dominant type then you can practice in a warm space – feeling held in autumn and Winter to be able to minimise getting cold that will cause you to contract and tense, promoting nervousness and anxiety. Or if you are a Kapha type, then keeping a strong focus will help prevent you from stagnating and keep you motivated.