Enter Hibernation Mode
Photo by Claudia Mañas on Unsplash
Here in Canada, our clocks have fallen back one hour to fight the oncoming darkness of winter. Sunrise is now at 8:00 am, and my six-year-old daughter asks why the sky is so dark before she has even eaten dinner. The house feels colder when you hop out of bed in the morning, so hitting the snooze button a few times feels like a pretty good idea. Heading out to an evening exercise class after the sun has set feels more daunting than it did before. As I mentioned in my first couple of posts about Autumn, this is when things start to S-L-O-W D-O-W-N. With less daylight, our bodies naturally respond to this with a stronger desire to sleep, to rest, to sit, and even to eat (thanks, Halloween, and your influx of very desirable sugar). What the heck is going on?
Ayurvedic medicine has a few explanations which feel pretty logical to me, so that I will share some points with you. In previous posts, I talked about the Vatta dosha, which is the dominant dosha of Autumn. Its qualities are light, cool, windy and dry because the two elements this dosha are Air and Ether (space). Vatta gives us a desire to get organized and make new plans, but can also find it challenging to stay on one task and make us feel a bit anxious and unsettled. Where the Vatta dosha can leave us feeling a little unhinged and all over the place, the oncoming of winter invites the Kapha dosha, which instead makes us feel like we’re not sure what all the fuss is. Alternatively, on-demand television and microwave popcorn are the best inventions ever. Kapha’s elements are water and earth - so basically the exact opposite of Vatta. Heavy, cool, moisture (oily), and immobility are the Kapha dosha traits. When this dosha becomes too dominant in people, we can enter into full couch potato mode.
Because Kapha and Vatta doshas are such apparent opposites, you can use one to balance the other. Are you feeling too flighty? Ground yourself with heavy clothing. Add weight in your workouts, and grounding poses and forward bends in your yoga practice. Eating sweet, moist foods like dairy, nuts and seeds, root vegetables, meat, fish and shellfish, whole grains, and squash are good choices. Heavy, moist, and cool are all Kapha traits.
Now the days are darker, colder, and there is more precipitation in the forecast, so Kapha is starting to share the spotlight with Vatta. Where heavy oils, comforting sweets, and starchy grains can counter and tame a wild Vatta, these foods only enhance Kapha’s boggy nature. Are you feeling drained? Are you less inclined to hop off the couch and more prone to raid your kids' Halloween candy stash? Do you feel like the usual tasks suddenly feel like a lot of work? The wintery Kapha Dosha may already be tapping on your shoulder and asking for some attention.
Some solutions for a dominant Kapha: Lighten up! Add movement to your workouts - flow more in your yoga practice and focus on your breath (Lungs are the seat of Kapha). Go for more walks - particularly in nature. Seek out trails, waterfront paths, and places with greenery. Make lists and stick to them if there are things that need to get done, and you lack the motivation to get them finished. When you drink water, warm it up first and add some lemon to that. You can focus on eating more of the Pungent, Astringent, and Bitter tastes, i.e., leafy greens, lentils, dried beans, pomegranates, potatoes, apples, and all digestive herbs and spices are excellent choices for you now. These taste qualities come from the Vatta and Pitta doshas to pacify Kapha’s desire to hibernate and binge-watch our favourite programs.
I hope that some of these suggestions keep you motivated to move. Both Vatta and Kapha may present themselves to you over the next few weeks before Winter arrives, so remember to pay attention to your thoughts and your body to help steer you into a healthy and happy Winter season.