How many times have we all made those heartfelt New Year’s resolutions for more health and wellness, only to fall short and spin back into our old ways?
Research shows that a whopping 80% of New Year resolutions fail. Part of the reason, I think, is because with so many of our new year resolutions, we are going against the flow.
Winter is the season to rest and digest
In a world that is infinitely dynamic and ceaselessly cyclical, Ayurveda recognizes that the best way to maintain health is to go with the flow, to align with the spinning of the earth that gives us night and day, and to cycle with the seasons.
Instead, so many people try to lose weight in January when winter needs us to rest, insulate, and fire up our immune system to protect us from winter viruses and colds.
In this coldest and darkest time of the year, Agni, Ayurveda’s concept of the inner fires, is the key to maintaining warmth, digesting and metabolizing optimally, and boosting our immune system. In any season, paying attention to nature’s dynamism, and balancing accordingly, leads to greater health, and a more sacred, sumptuous relationship with life itself.
Here are three important practices from Ayurveda to support your daily and seasonal flow. They are so simple, and cost-effective, that it should be easy to keep the commitment and make them lasting habits.
1. Make your meals at home
“What is the number one thing you can do for your health?”
Even though Ayurveda treats each individual individually, addressing the unique dosha, lifestyle and path or progession of imbalance, my Ayurvedic mentor used to ask this of every one of his patients, suggesting there is at least one remedy that applies to all.
When you cook yourself, you control the quality of ingredients, you prepare the meals in the way that best supports your unique physical needs and digestive capactiy, and you have time to unwind, get creative, to even be playful, and add some love. When cooking is joyful, stress is reduced, and the autonomic power of rest and digest can resume.
There are over 200 recipes here, categorized for the season and the dosha the meal best serves. Have a look at the “tag cloud” to the right, or click on the recipe categories and scroll through for inspiration.
2. Sip warm water throughout the day, especially with meals
Gulping water floods the tissues. Sipping throughout the day makes the water more bio-absorbable. Warm water rather than cold helps blood flow. Just as frozen water condenses, our tissues contract with cold. So warm the body, ignite the inner Agni, and dilate the channels, for consistent and balance flow with hot or warm water – especially with meals, when your digestion needs the warmth and circulation.
3. Add your favorite spice
To stoke your digestive fire, sip ginger tea with your meals and add zesty warming spices that help break down foods, assimilate nutrients, and eliminate waste. Spices such as ginger, garlic, cinnamon, clove, basil, oregano, thyme, rosemary, black pepper, turmeric, cumin, and fenugreek offer flavor, aroma, healing, and most of all, fire to your belly.
With a strong and balanced Agni, not only will you be best able to fight colds and flu, uplevel your energy and boost brain power, you will be primed to release excess weight come Spring, the season that supports us in melting winter’s freeze, lightening up, and flowing into our natural vibrance.
Ayurveda seeks to strengthen our innate, natural healing capacity, to dissolve underlying cause of imbalance or disease, and re-establish the fundamental state of wellbeing – to go beyond healing, and really come alive in all aspects of our life, and thrive.
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What inspires you this new year? What are you looking forward to? What are you doing to nourish and rest?
Let me know, as I have another Ayurveda blend to give away, this Ashwagandha Latte, and I will randomly pick a name from the comments below. Be sure to leave your name/email if you want to be entered so I can find you to get a shipping address.
Dear Laura thank you so much for these words of wisdom; to make our meals at home, to add herbs and spices to our foods and to sip warm herbal tea or water throughout the day. I love the idea of ginger tea with our meals. These simple practices remind me of an acronym I learned in one of your wonderful courses KISS keep it simple sister. Practicing an Ayurvedic lifestyle doesn’t have to be difficult one can simply learn to ‘go with the flow’. I love the idea of a giveaway my name is Janine Turnbull and my email is janineturnbull@gmail.com. Thank you for all that you do!
Thank you Janine. Sending you KISSes!
Absolutely I will try this! I love this season to cuddle up with a good book and a hot cup of tea with soy milk. With the snow it is more difficult, although not impossible, to get out so instead I go in. I entertain my mind studying a new language and meet up with others who enjoy this, too, to have conversations in Italian over lattes or cappuccinos. I have to make myself to get on an elliptical or treadmill but always feel better after doing so.Laura lauralytle@live.com
È bellissimo come vivi la stagione. Sognante, accogliente e arricchente. Grazie Laura.
Thank you Laura. Your name was randomly picked to receive the Ashwagandha Latte blend. I’ve emailed you, but am not hearing back. Could you please check your email and let me know privately where to send it? TY
Wonderfully honest description of flowing with the opposing energies of this dynamic and cynical world by cooking (and growing) our own food, honoring the rightness of slow and warm in winter. I love your writing Laura, and return to your recipes again and again. Much love, Sally
I’m in!
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I would definitely try this latte. Looking at the ingredients, anything with shatavari gets me a a little excited. Winter is my favorite time of year to go inwards, but as a homeschool mother of two young children, I find it quite challenging to relax as much as I would like.
Thank you Pascale. I get excited about Shatavari too!
I forgot to leave my email address. I am the one who commented about shatavari and being a homeschool mother. My name is Pascale and email is pascale.cork@gmail.com. Thank you. Happy new year!
Laura your prompts for reflection and reminders that this is the season of rest, nourishment and repair resonate with me and are inspiring, especially after the busyness of the holidays – thank you
Thank you Lara 💛
I am inspired by engaging with elements and activities more contrary to my nature! This began to kick in last month for me. While I am very fluid and adept at mediating through movement, I struggle with meditation in stillness. I love heat over cold (I live in Alaska), and while I love to be in Nature, I’m almost never still when outside during Winter. Though I’ve been really shown I need to do breathwork, I’d rather focus on other things. So in answer to this tripartite challenge, I’ve recently begun sitting out in the cold while (attempting) to meditate and breathe. For like, 10 minutes. 🤷🏻♀️
This was a very reassuring New Years post! Thanks for the reminder to go with the flow and the encouragement to kindle our fires. I’m going to pay attention to where I can slow down to make lasting changes instead of burning out. Thanks!
I love that. I hope you find it nourishing. Thank you Erin.
I love this season as it forces me to slow down and focus on roots, as I look at the trees resting and grounding.
I will make a conscious effort to incorporate the 3 practices as I prepare meals – at home!
I will also share Your wisdom with my yoga class.
Thank you!
I love that Linda. You are so wise!
Left a comment but forgot to add my name:
Linda Wergeland.
I love that Linda. You are so wise!
Thanks for the continual reminder to rest! So many forces in our culture stoking the winds of desire and activity when it’s not indicated by the season or current state of body balance.
I’d also love the latte mix!
Yes, so true. Thank yuo Glen!
I always enjoy your informative posts. I have been enjoying warm Golden milk in the evenings as I was gifted a very large amount of Turmeric recently. I had forgotten how nice it was relax with a mug before bed.
I love that Jennifer. What a beautiful act of self-care and kindness.