December Wellness Map

Time to Celebrate!

Welcome to the final month of the calendar year! It’s the perfect time to gather around a warm fire and celebrate the returning of the light, which happens on December 21, the Winter Solstice. With December we enter Vata-Kapha season, the ends of the doshic teeter totter (the air and ether of Vata and the earth and water of Kapha), with only fire as the lacking element. And ain’t that the truth! It’s colllllld!!!! You most likely find yourself with dry forced heat indoors and abundant heavy cold wetness outdoors with a nippy wind. It’s important to focus on how you are feeling in relation to the abundance of elements around you and balance with the opposite attributes, all while maintaining a consistent thread of warmth — warm foods, warm environment, warm clothing and warm, loving thoughts.

It’s also a wonderful time to incorporate a routine and adhere to it. Routines provide structure that Kapha adores and helps calm anxiety caused by excess Vata. Within this structure you can incorporate Ayurvedic choices that will help navigate the season, including:

  • Eat three meals at the same time each day: e.g. small breakfast at 8 a.m., lunch at noon and small dinner at 5:30 p.m.

  • Sip warm water throughout the day

  • Take warm baths once or twice per week

  • Move gently 20-30 minutes per day (walking, sun salutations, gentle stretching)

  • Use nasya oil nightly to keep your nasal passages lubricated and your immune system protected

  • Get to sleep by 10 p.m. each day

Even just these few practices will help not only subdue any anxiousness from Vata, it will also energize Kapha. You may find that despite the cold, you will be wide awake at sunrise, ready to face the day and maybe even shovel that snow with pep in your step.

Nourish

Warm is the name of the game in December. This month I’m featuring one of my favorite recipes: Spinach Baked Eggs. It is warm, flavorful and nurturing and surprisingly quick to pull together. If there is still chard in my garden, I use that instead (as pictured here). Other great recipes for the season are:

This month, we will continue to focus on the sweet, sour and salty tastes, but slowly build in more bitter, pungent and astringent tastes as we progress toward March. We are still hibernating and our digestion is strong, so heavier root vegetables and nuts and seeds will continue to serve us well as we journey through the next few cold months. Ghee will protect our joints from drying out and prevent constipation caused by the excess Vata we have been building up and experiencing since September.

Sweet foods: berries, bananas, dates, figs, mangos, melons, beets, sweet potatoes, cucumbers, rice, wheat, tofu, red lentils, almonds, pumpkin seeds, cashews, coconut, aloe, avocado, lime, cilantro, mint, vanilla, cardamom, cinnamon, fennel. Composed of earth and water elements, these foods are grounding and strengthening.

Salty foods: composed of fire and water, salt helps aid the body in digestion, and increases saliva and absorption of nutrients. In the Autumn in particular it helps with hydration during dry Vata season. Celery, seaweed, tuna, Himalayan mineral salt, and soy sauce and good examples of salty foods.

Sour foods: citrus juice, raisins, tamarind, fermented foods, sour cream, yogurt, pickles, tomatoes. Composed of earth and fire, sour foods increase appetite, saliva, metabolism and digestive enzymes and promote healthy liver function by moving bile. In the Autumn, sour particularly helps with promoting juiciness.

As I always mention, in Ayurveda there are some foods NOT to combine. Here’s a quick list.

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Practice

Where did the year go? It seems every December, I am asking myself this very question. And, quite honestly, it is a wonderful question to ask yourself and to answer not with incredulity (I don’t know, it happened so fast!), or regret (I didn’t get everything I wanted done), or shame (another year, another round of bad decisions), but with gratitude. As I sit writing this, the roads outside are slick with ice and the lawns sparkly with a blanket of new fallen snow and I realize it is the perfect time of year to take some time to reflect. Stay in to count my blessings? Great idea! I know it can be hard to feel gratitude sometimes, especially when the world can seem somewhat oppressive or depressing, but if you are reading this, you are alive. You have your breath. Place one hand on your belly, and one on your chest. Feel the rise and fall that is there continually, without your conscious effort. And thank it.

Take a few moments before the end of the year to sit with a cup of tea (my favorite these days is licorice mint; the licorice helps retain moisture and the mint is invigorating!) and make a list in your journal of all the things you are grateful for, no matter how seemingly small. Even those “small” things are significant and matter in the big picture: the beautiful gift that is you. It’s a wonderful way to close one year and head into the next with your blessings fresh in your mind. Onward and upward!

I am very grateful for you taking the time to prioritize your wellness simply by reading this map. By healing ourselves we inspire others to do the same, leading to a healthier and happier society. It all begins with you! So thank you 💛

Have a wonderful holiday season! Until next year …

Be sure to follow me on Instagram for more Ayurvedic insights daily and blog post alerts. Until next time, I wish you all love, health, and happiness!

💛, Stephanie

 

Important note: The information provided is general guidance in accordance with Ayurvedic seasonal living. Every human is different; yoga and Ayurveda treat the individual and work best when tailored to your unique constitution. Contact me to learn more.