Friday, January 29, 2010

Ayurveda and The Season

Winters these days are so unpredictable. I remember when I was growing up in Cleveland that winter was cold and white. There was sometimes a weird thaw. But, lately, weird is the norm.

In the predictions made by more enlightened beings of the past, it was said that this time period would be Vata-aggravating. And so, we see more chronic illnesses, wild fluctuations in energy levels, mental instability.

When spring thaw came, the sedentary life we lead during the winter would make us need to detox some of the Kapha excesses of not moving so much, sleeping and eating more. But, the variability of the time makes Vata also get unbalanced.

To remedy this Vata aggravation, it is important to remember that this is STILL winter. Just because the temperature climbs to summer degrees doesn't mean that it is sensible to go out in a t-shirt and flip flops. Keep your body and mind settled, even if this seems the boring thing to do. For if one gets caught on the wind of unpredictability, more than likely you will will see immune challenges in the spring.