Doshas- Vata, Pitta, and Kapha, each plays an important role in our body. According to Ayurveda, their presence is as important as oxygen in our body. However, maintaining a balance is the key to a healthy body and mind. So, how is the doshaimbalance created? Is our lifestyle and other habits the real culprit? Not really!
Ayurveda says that in certain seasons a particular dosha gains dominance in our body. Our ancestors knew this and that is why they followed certain diets and habits for every season. Over the years many traditional practices have dwindled and as we steer away from these practices the imbalanced doshas start creating havoc on our health.
Since the peak of winter is here, we will help you understand which dosha will be dominant and how you can manage it.
ShishirRitu
Winter is called ShishirRitu in Sanskrit. In this season there are two changes that happen in our body. The first is that the Kaphadosha gains dominance and the second is that Agni or the digestive fire is at its peak. You must have noticed that you are able to eat more in winter and also crave for different foods in this season. This is because the increased Agni digests food faster and also increases the appetite.
But what happens to our body because Kapha is high? Will we fall sick? No, an increased Kapha is not be detrimental to your health. But, it is also not ok to ignore it. Hence what can be done to balance the Kaphadosha? Do we need to make drastic lifestyle changes to manage the increased dosha? Read on to know more and you can judge for yourself.
Tips to manage Kapha in winter
Ayurveda as a system has a holistic approach towards healing and gives importance to a number of aspects in our lifestyle.
Diet:As mentioned earlier the Agni is high during winters. So, do not restrict yourself from eating. Certain foods like root vegetables are easily available and eaten more in this season because they can be digested faster. What one needs to avoid is certain kinds of foods. Ayurvedic practitioners say that it is best to reduce cold, damp, excessively sweet, overly oily and frozen foods. Eat freshly cooked food and include spices like ginger, pepper, cinnamon, cumin and fennel in your diet.
Exercise: Who doesn’t like the idea of staying indoors within the comfort of a blanket. But, that is what one should avoid. Start your day with exercise to jump-start the body and make it active. If the outdoors is too cold, practice yoga or other simple exercises at home. Skipping daytime naps and retiring early at night is another healthy practice to be incorporated during winters.
Abhyanga: Oil massages were an integral part of daily life for our ancestors. Sadly we have limited this healthy practice to newborns and infants only. Try to restart Abhyanga in your routine. Have an oil massage at least 2-3 times a week. Sesame oil is said to be the best for the winter season and can help in balancing the Kaphadosha.
Ayurvedic Herbs for balancing Kapha: Medicines as we all know work on certain ailments and cure them. Ayurvedic herbs have a two-pronged effect on our body. They not only treat ailments but each one of them has a varying effect on the doshas. While some are good at balancing certain doshas and it also may aggravate another dosha. Given this premise, there are certain herbs that are very effective in balancing the KaphaDosha. They are Bibhitaki, Ashwagandha, and Arjuna.
- Bibhitaki: the fruit that keeps diseases at bay. Bibhitaki is astringent in nature and is effective in drying and eradicating the excess Kapha from our body. Bibhitaki is more popularly used in Triphala. Triphala,the king of medicines is a combination of the powders of three fruits one among them being Bibhitaki.
- Ashwagandha: Apart from helping the body deal with stress, improving the immune system and protecting our heart, Ashwagandha churna is also very effective in balancing Kapha. Ashwagandha Tablet has a bitter taste and generates heat in the body due to which Kapha can be kept within limits.
- Arjuna: The herb that strengthens the heart. The powder of the Arjuna bark strengthens and tones the circulatory system and promotes proper functioning of the heart muscle. Arjuna is also astringent, bitter and has slightly pungent qualities which help balance the KaphaDosha.
Conclusion
The above tips are fairly simple and easy to incorporate in our daily routine. Always ensure that the herbs and supplements that you include in your diet should be pure, natural, chemical free and of highest grade. Vedi manufactures authentic Ayurvedic formulations with 100%natural, superior quality and chemical free ingredients. You can visit our website to know more about our products and to purchase them.
To know more about our products and to purchase them. So, follow these simple tips and be balanced this winter!
