Winter rhythms: reflecting & building strength for a bright new year ahead
The inward turning season of winter is the perfect time to nourish your inner fire. It is a time to:
reflect on which seeds we want to sprout the coming spring,
and to refuel ourselves and build strength for the year ahead.
Just as nature draws inward to rest and renew, so should we. By aligning with winter rhythms, we allow ourselves to flow into spring feeling refuelled, strong and energised. So let’s use this dark, reflective time to nourish our inner fire.
Drawing from the ancient wisdom such as Ayurveda and Celtic traditions, we can remember how to align with winter rhythms to restore balance, boost our immunity and prepare for a bright new year ahead.
Rituals for wintertime
Abyangha. Oil massage to stay warm and nourished during winter
Understanding winter through Ayurveda
In Ayurveda, the early part of winter is dominated by vata dosha (light, dry, and mobile qualities), while the latter part is governed by kapha dosha (heavy, slow, and damp qualities). Balancing these energies is key to staying healthy and energized during winter.
In winter, that means we have to balance:
Cold with warmth
Static or stagnant energy with circulation
Heaviness with lightness of spirit
Dullness with inspiration
When these elements are harmonized, winter becomes a time of nourishment and fortification. When out of balance, however, kapha qualities can accumulate, leading us to feel heavy, depressed, lethargic, having poor digestion and weakened immunity leading to colds and flues.
Nourishing Ojas (and what it is)
Ayurveda recognises three vital essences that make up all of life. Ojas is one of them. If you compare the three essences to a candle, then Ojas would be the wax of the candle. It is our fuel to keep our fire burning. Our inner reserve of strength.
During winter, when your digestive fire (agni) is strongest, it’s the ideal time to build and restore Ojas through nourishing foods, intentional movement, and reflective rest. Nourishing our Ojas prevents us from quite literally burning out like a candle.
Rituals for wintertime
Warming, nourishing food and drinks. to balance the cold kapha qualities of winter, such foods & drinks infused with spices (ginger, cinnamon, black pepper, cardamom, cloves)
Rest and Reflection vs. Strength and Stamina
Winter aligns with the Celtic tradition of renewal after the solstice, as days grow longer and light slowly returns.
In Celtic traditions, the winter solstice (21st of December) marks the turning point from darkness to light. From this point onward, the days begin to lengthen.
This is the time to balance the inward reflection of the darkest days with gently starting to prepare for the outward energy of spring. Just as the earth begins to prepare for new growth in spring, we too can use this time to plant seeds of intention for the year ahead, while nurturing our inner fire with balanced activity - building strength and stamina - and gradually increasing outward energy.
How to cultivate and balance Winter Rhythms
Here are some practical ways to stay balanced, strong, nourished, and inspired throughout winter:
Nourishing foods
Choose warm, earthy, grounding, and nourishing foods like soups, stews, and root vegetables.
Include ojas-building foods like almonds, ghee, dates, milk, and warming spices (cinnamon, ginger, turmeric).
Drink warm teas, such as spiced chai or fresh grated ginger tea with honey to balance Kapha and support your immune system.
Move with intention
Rest is important in winter, but avoid complete inactivity, as it can increase kapha imbalances. Instead, focus on keeping the energy moving with steady, grounding movement that builds strength and stamina without depleting you.
Practice yoga sequences that balance solar (energizing) and lunar (regenerating) energies:
Solar practice (morning): build stamina in heating, but grounding ways in the morning. Think: mindful vinyasa, long standing asana sequences, inversions, and backbends to build stamina, stimulate circulation and to keep the lungs strong.
Lunar practice (evening): Practice meditation or Yin Yoga in the afternoon or evening to honor the stillness of winter and create space to contemplate.
Incorporate pranayama (breathing exercises) like kapalabhati or bhastrika to keep the lungs and sinuses strong.
Honor rest and reflection
Honor the inward energy of winter by taking time for introspection through journaling, meditation, or quiet reading.
Use this reflective season to recharge and cultivate plans for the year ahead, planting the seeds of growth for spring.
Warmth and self-care
Stay warm and dry to counter the cold and dampness of winter.
Cultivate a sense of lightness and joy by incorporating warm colors in your interior or the way you dress. Light candles to symbolize tending to your inner fire.
Practice abhyanga (self-massage with warm oil like sesame oil) to nourish the skin, improve circulation, and calm the nervous system.
Take warm baths with calming herbs or essential oils like lavender and chamomile or winter scents such as rosemary, bergamot, grapefruit, pina or bergamot.
Sync with the light
Follow the sun and begin to gradually increase your outward energy with the lengthening of the days to store energy for spring, while at the same time keeping the energy circulating to prevent yourself from stagnating into a winter depression. From the winter solstice (21st of December) onward, align start waking with the sunrise and don’t eat later than an hour after sunset.
Rituals for wintertime
Honor the inward energy of winter and take time to reflect by reading, journalling and contemplating.
The strengthening season
Winter is a time to rebuild and restore - to make sure we can shine bright again in spring.
By embracing the winter rhythms, we can use this time to strengthen both body and mind and get clear about the year ahead. Let’s honor this season’s quiet power, savour the stillness and strengthen our foundation for a bright new year ahead.
