Ayurvedic Guide to Winter

Hi I’m Evangeline! Welcome to my blog. I am mom and lover of all things health and wellness. By profession- a Registered Massage Therapist and Yoga & Ayurveda consultant. I started this blog back in the early days of Covid19 as a way to stay in touch with my clients, and it’s grown into a space to share what I love most. Here you’ll find health tips and nourishing recipes I make for my family, sprinkled with Ayurveda and Yoga wisdom. My hope is that these posts inspire you to care for yourself in small, joyful ways and feel a little more balanced in everyday life.

Updated: Dec 9, 2025

In Ayurveda, the ancient science of health and longevity, winter is understood as a season of deep nourishment and restoration. Just as animals hibernate and withdraw into stillness, we are naturally drawn toward warmth and comfort foods for rest and rejuvenation.

Ayurveda was cognized by ancient rishis in deep meditation and offers timeless guidance based on the principles of nature. It reminds us that living in harmony with the seasons supports balance, vitality, and resilience throughout the year. A foundational teaching, “like increases like” (sarvada sarvabhavanam samanyam vriddhikaranam), helps us prevent seasonal imbalances: when one quality increases, we balance it with its opposite.

All physical and mental balance in Ayurveda is rooted in the interplay of the five elements—space, air, fire, water, and earth—expressed through the three doshas: vata, pitta, and kapha.

• Vata is governed by space and air.

• Pitta is governed by fire and water.

• Kapha is governed by water and earth.

Winter is cold, no doubt, with damp qualities, coupled with rough and dry elements. In response, our physical channels (shrotas) shrink, and kapha helps stabilize the system producing mucus and protective lubrication to buffer dryness. This is the body’s intelligent way of buffering dryness, supporting immunity, and trapping bacteria or viruses before they spread. Throughout any season, the three doshas— vata, pitta, and kapha respond according to the environment to prevent imbalances from blossoming.

How winter may show up in the body &
What to do about it

• Dry or rough skin
  A sign of vata and pitta imbalance. Nourish and protect the skin (bhrajaka pitta) externally and support the liver (ranjaka pitta), as excess heat in the liver from pollutants, pharmaceuticals, nutraceuticals, or a highly refined diet destabilizes all pitta subdoshas.

• Runny nose, excess mucus, or phlegm
  The body’s response to dryness is an increase in kapha—water and earth dominant, and to make mucus as protection from dust and pathogens that can enter respiratory system (nose, sinuses, throat, lungs), digestive system (mouth, stomach, intestines), urinary tract, and reproductive tracts. This provides lubrication against the heightened marut (space and air qualities) of winter. Soma, agni, and marut—the three components of prana—sustain this balance, which we’ll explore shortly.

• Irregular appetite or digestion
  A reflection of vata’s irregularity. Support with warm, unctuous meals, spiced just right for you this time of year, eaten at the same time each day.

• Joint pain
  Pain is primarily a vata imbalance. Warm oil massage followed by a warm bath or shower, adequate rest, and early bedtime help pacify vata.

• Fatigue, insomnia, restlessness, or anxiety
  Signs of depleted vata. Kapha compensates through nourishment, sleep, and slower energy, but excess kapha can lead to weight gain, congestion, lethargy, and allergies.

Energy Reservoirs for the 3 Doshas

In winter, as with any other season, the body’s intelligence works constantly to maintain equilibrium between vata, pitta, and kapha. This adaptive process is supported by prana. My Ayurvedic teacher’s lineage, Shaka Vansiya Ayurveda’s teaching on the three components of prana gives us a deeper look:

• Soma is the vibrational energy emitted by the moon, representing nourishment, cooling energy, and stability. Reservoir is located at the navel. Soma is associated with kapha’s grounding qualities and is the raw material for ojas—your physical and mental resilience, stability and strength, and immunity, . In winter, soma energy is predominant, so we are receiving full support of nature.

• Agni is the vibrational energy emitted by the sun, representing transformation, metabolic heat, and digestion—physical, mental, and emotional. Reservoir is located at the stomach. Agni is associated with pitta dosha, and governs how we assimilate food, experiences, and information.

• Marut is the vibrational energy of movement and circulation that moves soma and agni, representing circulation, timing, and communication throughout the body and mind. Reservoir is located at the throat. Marut corresponds to vata and allows thoughts, nutrients, and prana to move where they are needed.

When winter’s dry, cold qualities raise vata and challenge stability, soma is what supports kapha dosha— lubrication, mucus, and protective fluids. Agni aims to support digestion and transformation with the action of pitta dosha. Marut supports vata dosha optimal rhythm, flow and delivery of fluids and substances. This interplay is nature’s way of ensuring resilience during every season. Understanding these forces helps us recognize why certain foods, rituals, and lifestyle choices feel intuitive.

Why Sweet Cravings in Winter

Many people naturally crave sweet, warm, and comforting foods during winter, and Ayurveda considers this response intelligent—not indulgent.

The sweet taste (madhura rasa) builds kapha dosha, nourishes the tissues, and balances the cold, dry qualities of the season. During winter, this craving is especially supportive because the digestive fire (agni) is strong. The body can break down heavier foods and convert them into deep nourishment, much like a furnace that works harder when a house is cold. Increased kapha also means more mucus production, which is beneficial, as mucus lubricates and protects the respiratory passages, helping clear away pathogens we inhale. In fact, the word “cough” is derived from kapha.

As kapha accumulates, however, the same foods that supported winter immunity can begin to weigh down the system as the season transitions into spring. Recognizing this shift allows us to adapt our meals. As early spring begins, the body benefits from lighter, cleansing foods that gently reduce kapha.

There is no need to restrict cravings. Instead, we can honour them in thoughtful ways—choosing home-cooked meals, fresh grains, balanced spices, and whole foods that offer nourishment without overwhelming the system.

The Six Tastes for Balance & Stability

Ayurveda teaches that every food contains one or more of the six tastes (shad rasa): sweet, sour, salty, pungent, bitter, and astringent. Each taste influences the doshas and has a distinct effect on body and mind.

During winter, sweet, sour, and salty tastes help balance vata by building warmth, moisture, and stability. Pungent, bitter, and astringent tastes increase dryness and lightness which can be beneficial, but in moderation during winter.

Sweet - madhura
Nourishing and stabilizing. Supports tissues, immunity, and emotional calm— incudes grains, milk, dates, root vegetables, meat

Sour - amla
Kindles appetite and digestion. Helps retain moisture and supports absorption— includes citrus, limes, fermented foods such as yogurt, tamarind

Salty - lavana
Enhances agni containing both earth and fire elements. Helps mineral absorption and supports electrolyte balance— includes soma salt, natural salts, and sea vegetables.

Pungent - katu
Stimulating and drying. Supports circulation and clears excess kapha later in the season— ginger, black pepper, ajwain, allspice, cinnamon, cloves

Bitter - tikta
Lightening and cleansing. Supports liver and blood purification— leafy greens, turmeric, curry leaves

Astringent - kashaya
Drying and cooling. Tightens tissues and supports detoxification— includes legumes, pomegranate, cranberry

Daily Rhythm and Winter Digestion

Ayurveda emphasizes timing as a core element of nourishment and vata dosha is responsible for governing this— the intelligence of the body—timing, delivery of substances, hormones etc, movement, and circulation. What we eat is important, but when we eat determines how effectively the body converts food into ojas, so eat your meals on time, without delay. Ayurveda understands that food spends about 3-5 days in each tissue layer. Ayurveda recognizes 7 tissue layers in the body which is made in a sequence from the food consumed—blood plasma, blood, muscle, fat, bone, bone marrow, reproductive fluid. Ojas is the essence of well digested food, after it has been digested, assimilated, absorbed and made all the 7 tissues (dhatus), and excreted the waste products (malas).

In winter, the digestive fire (agni) is naturally stronger, especially midday, when the sun is highest. This is when the body is most capable of transforming heavier, warm meals into stable nourishment. Eating the largest meal at lunch supports this physiology and allows the evening meal to be lighter and easier to digest.

Morning routines should be gentle and warming—warm water, herbal teas, and light breakfasts, such as Cooked Apples with Cloves, followed by grains if you’re still hungry, helping awaken digestion without overwhelming it. Even small changes in timing help harmonize the internal rhythms with the season’s slower, quieter pace.

Sleeping early, ideally by 10 pm, as early as 8:30 pm in winter, aligns the body with its natural repair cycle when soma is replenished. This supports deeper rest, healthier hormone rhythms, and emotional steadiness during the darker months.

Warming Lifestyle Practices

Winter invites practices that ground, soothe, and strengthen the nervous system. Ayurveda views lifestyle as medicine, and simple daily rituals can build resilience.

Consider incorporating:

• Warm oil self-massage (abhyanga) before bathing to nourish the skin and settle vata dosha

• Exercise daily, enough to make you sweat a bit, like brisk walking or vigorous yoga. For pacifying vata dosha, a slower, restorative yoga.

• Spice-infused meals and teas to support digestion— consider ginger, or sunthi (dry ginger)—more gentle on pitta dosha, cinnamon, cardamom, and cloves.

• Warm showers and baths with lavender, chamomile, tulsi and rose

• Gentle sinus steam to fight off infections with herbs such as boswellia, neem, pushkarmool and essential oils like eucalyptus and camphor leaf.

• Quiet evenings, reading or journaling rather than stimulating light and media late at night.

Even small daily choices communicate calm and safety to the nervous system, encouraging the body to remain in rest-and-digest states where healing occurs.

Oil is one of winter’s most important medicines in Ayurveda. Oil is vata pacifying. The body’s tissues need lubrication to counter the season’s dryness and wind. Applying warm oil to the skin before bathing supports circulation, moisturizes deeply, and signals calm to the body and mind. Even a short 5-minute application before showering can be protective and nourishing.

Breathwork & Circulation

Winter can slow circulation and create stagnation, particularly when movement decreases and cooler air constricts channels. Gentle breath practices (pranayama) help move marut, supporting nutrient flow and mental clarity.

Supportive practices include:

• Nadi Shodhana to balance both hemispheres and calm the nervous system

• Gentle bhastrika, to stimulate warmth only, not to overheat, especially if pitta dosh is high

Practices should feel warming, soothing, and steady—not forceful.

Seasonal Circulatory Support

Circulation improves when movement, breath, and diet work together. Warm spices, cooked meals, and healthy fats such as cooking with ghee or olive oil support flow in physical channels (shrotas). Gentle movement throughout the day is more beneficial than a single intense session. Walking after meals, yoga, or warm stretches improve digestion and support the flow of prana. Ayurveda also recognizes the emotional dimension of circulation: connection, joy, and curiosity move energy in the vibrational channels (nadis) through the body. Simple expressions of creativity, music, playing games, laughter, or time with loved ones can be deeply nourishing, especially during winter.

Cooking as a Practice of Self-Care

Winter cooking is an opportunity to feed the body and the senses. Warm spices, sweet root vegetables, and wholesome grains offer grounding and comfort. The act of preparing meals at home aligns with the Ayurvedic principle of sattva—clarity, gentleness, and balance. Homemade meals carry more prana because they are prepared with intention and freshness. This is the foundation for building ojas through food. Simple dishes, made well, can have profound effects.

Winter - A Season of Deep Support

Winter invites us to slow down, reflect, and a gentle, quiet rebuilding of strength. By aligning daily habits with the energetics of the season—warmth over cold, steadiness over speed, nourishment over depletion—we support the body’s natural intelligence to restore balance. Simple choices, practiced consistently, strengthen ojas, steady the mind, and build the resilience that carries us into the more active months of the year.

Ayurveda teaches that health is not created through intensity, but through rhythm: waking with the sun, eating warm meals at regular times, embracing rest without guilt, and tending to the body with oils, spices, herbs, and mindful movement. As vata rises and kapha responds to create balance— these rituals help us maintain equilibrium rather than react to imbalance.

May this winter be a time of intentional care. Allow the season to slow you, to nourish you, and to remind you of the power of daily choices. When we live in harmony with the natural world around us, we experience greater steadiness within ourselves—body, mind, and spirit moving together with ease.

References

Vaidya R. K. Mishra- Personal Notes from Shaka Vansiya Ayurveda Courses, Practicum, Conferences and Lectures 2003-2015

Mucus - https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/body/mucus