Mid-Winter Health

Winter is officially half-way over as of February 1st. Fall into early winter is when Vata dosha is most prominent. Late winter into spring is Kapha season, as it is cold, dark, cloudy, heavy, and damp. Winter is the season when animals and plants hibernate.  If you live somewhere like the desert where the winters are dry, you may find late Winter days which feel more like Fall. (Vata increases in cold and dry weather.) However, Kapha will increase with precipitation and cold weather. Kapha increases as the snow begins to melt and things begin to thaw. For us here in the Northeast, mid-winter can be Kapha and/or Vata provoking, depending on the weather and your nature.

Kapha can also increase during the Holiday season when you eat rich and heavy foods. During the winter you may crave heavier foods to maintain body heat and stay warm. These things can lead to an accumulation of Kapha in your body.

Winter is when your Agni, digestive fire, is strongest. The cold weather moves your inner fire deeper into the center of your body.  This is why you may need to eat more in the winter.

Qualities/Gunas of Vata

Vata is Air + Space
Vata means, “That which moves.” It rules over all neurological functioning and movement in your body. Vata makes your heart beat and your lungs expand and contract. Vata is cold, dry, light, rough, mobile, subtle, and clear.

When there is too much Vata in your body, you can have constipation, dryness, anxiety, insomnia, gas, and bloating.

Qualities/Gunas of Kapha

Kapha is Earth + Water
I like to think of the qualities of Kapha as the qualities of mud. Remember making mud pies as a kid? Mud is cool, sticky, slimy, dense, slow, stable, and heavy. Mud holds shape and form. Kapha literally means, “That which builds.” It is the cohesive force in your body that creates density, shape, lubrication, and growth. A healthy Kapha also gives you strength, stamina, and a strong immune system.

When there is too much Kapha in your body, you can have weight gain, stagnation (such as water retention or clogged arteries), congestion, lethargy, depression, and/or attachment.

Ayurvedic Proverb

“Like increase like and opposite decreases.”  In Ayurveda, you use the opposite qualities of the increased dosha to pacify the dosha. This gives you guidelines for what foods to prefer and avoid and lifestyle recommendations.

Read more about Vata pacification here.

Read more about Kapha pacification here.

Do you want to understand more about your Doshas and how they affect you?
Book a private consultation.