December in Your Body

The Winter season arrives on the 21st of the month- dark, cold, and hard. There’s a reason why cultural celebrations of light and gathering happen at this time of year. As always, like increases like and opposites balance. In this season, balance is manifest through warming spices, proximity to loved ones, and rituals that shed light where there is dark. The December month’s routine and diet is one that brings the radiant heat inside, to the center of our bodies.

Lifestyle & Routine

When our bodies are warm, our blood vessels dilate in order to help maintain homeostasis by letting off some of that heat. In the Winter, that same dilation causes us let off too much heat too fast. This leaves us cold. We prevent this coldness by bundling up, keeping our head and ears covered, and protecting our extremities.

The Winter solstice is the shortest day of the year with the sun is setting between 4 and 5 pm and rising no earlier than 7 am. In the midday, the sun’s rays cast shadows across the streets making the noon-time feel like twilight. Regardless of the season, our bodies need natural light, our eyes process the light as part of it’s circadian regulation. We leverage this rhythm to keep our sleep/wake cycles “regular” and our digestion operating efficiently. With fewer daylight hours, we are inclined to miss out on the sun and the signals that come from that direct connection. Take 5 minutes a day to go outside, stare at nature, or simply feel the breeze kiss your skin or the subtle warmth of the sun still radiate into you. The light gets scarce, so capitalizing on the resource is a huge step in the right direction.

Additionally, our skulls are this neat instrument, robust with holes and openings covered in skin. Having proper hydration or lubrication in all orifices keeps the mucous layers healthy so that they can perform their duties as if business as usual. We stay moistened through abhyanga (oil massage), nasya (nasal oil), and oil pulling (swishing coconut oil around in your mouth). Our cells membranes thrive on the viscosity and permeability of the oils that we consume and use, so be sure to source from trusted suppliers.

This final month of the year is ripe with season-oriented activities and gatherings. It is important to find your version of balance to avoid running yourself ragged. No day is created equal and, while the Summer season is vibrant and energetic, the Winter time is a time to reflect and turn inward.

Diet Staples

Once Winter turns, our body’s heat finds a cozy seat in the core, leaving the extremities cold and pale. This core-centered heating for the season indicates an uptick in agni (digestive fire), and therefore encourages us to eat robust and hearty meals for nourishment. Our prime focus for this season is building our thermo-regulatory layer of fats and rebuilding the heartiness of our blood tissue (rakta dhatu).

There are six main tastes in Ayurvedic healing (sweet, sour, salty, pungent, astringent, bitter). Like increases like, and opposites balance. In a season of “dry, mobile, cold”, air element, light crisp leaves, and sharp winds, sweet taste and heavy quality keeps us grounded and nourished. Sweet, from the Ayurvedic perspective, is not intended to mean to sugary snacks with long shelf lives. Instead, sweet is in the things that build our muscles and fat tissues to keep us well. butter, oils, cheeses, root vegetables, and meats are a must to keep the body strong as it resets from the year.

While like increases like, too much of a good thing can actually aggravate. In a cold season, consider gently warming herbs such as cinnamon, ginger, cardamom, and allspice will heat you up with out burning you out. Bear in mind that pungent (or spicy) can heat up and diminish so rapidly that the body ends up feeling colder after.

Soups for the season include all of the roots, veggies, broths, herbs, and meats that you can mix harmoniously to create a unique and fun experience each time.

What’s Next

Continue to give yourself the space to slow down, give yourself permission to say “no” to too much on your social calendar. Allow yourself a chance at truly saying “yes” to yourself. Slowing down and taking rest is not about “doing nothing” but more about letting the body do what it needs to do to support you. If you’re interested in learning more or navigating your specific experience, always keep in mind that you can contact (me) your friendly neighborhood lifestyle expert!