Tips to Stay Nourished This Winter
As we settle into winter, the qualities around us naturally become cooler, drier, and lighter. In Ayurvedic terms, the elements of air and ether rise during this season, which can leave many of us feeling a bit more scattered, anxious, chilly, or depleted. This is a time when the body and mind benefit from slowing down, simplifying, and inviting in practices that restore warmth, steadiness, and nourishment.
Below are simple, grounding ideas to help you and your family feel more supported this winter—practical tools that blend ancient wisdom with everyday life.
Nourishing Foods for the Season
Think: warm, grounding, hydrating, and gently spiced.
Roast Those Roots
Embrace hearty seasonal vegetables—yams, squash, carrots, beets, and pumpkins. Their grounding qualities help counter the lightness of the season.
Sauté Those Greens
Greens are wonderful year-round, but during winter the body benefits from cooked, well-oiled versions seasoned with warming spices.
Cook Your Apples
While raw apples are delicious, cooked apples are easier to digest and especially supportive if you’re feeling cold or sluggish.
Add a Little Kick
Bring in digestive spices such as ginger, clove, black pepper, turmeric, fenugreek, cumin, saffron, fresh dill, and cardamom. These help warm the system and support healthy digestion.
Warm & Spiced Drinks
Opt for warm herbal teas—fennel, fenugreek, tulsi, ginger—or warm spiced milks for calming, nourishing hydration.
Tastes to Favor
Lean into the sweet, sour, and salty tastes during winter—they naturally bring more moisture and grounding to the body.
Lifestyle Practices to Support Balance
Think: warmth, rhythm, and gentle steadiness.
Get Oily
Abhyanga—self-massage with warm oil—is deeply hydrating for the skin and calming for the nervous system. It’s an ideal winter ritual. (For instructions, you can visit www.mamayurveda.com.)
Breathe, Breathe, Breathe
The breath is always with us. Chest breathing can activate the stress response, while belly breathing helps shift us into rest and relaxation. Simply noticing your breath—and encouraging it down into the belly—can change how the whole body feels.
Create a Daily Rhythm
Predictability is soothing. Building—even small—daily routines helps regulate the nervous system and creates a sense of steadiness during an otherwise hectic season.
Focus on Gentle Movement
High-impact exercise can increase the airy, scattered qualities of winter. Choose grounding forms of movement such as walking, yoga asana, gentle biking, or light strength work.
Get to Bed Early
Winter is a natural time for deeper rest. Create a calming nighttime routine, power down the screens, and let the dishes wait. Most of us feel more nourished, grounded, and clear when we honor earlier bedtimes.
Winter invites us to slow down and return to what truly supports us. Even a few small shifts—warm foods, steady rhythms, or mindful breath—can help you feel more nourished from the inside out. If you’d like guidance on weaving this seasonal awareness into your financial or personal well-being, we’re always here to support you.
