How We Fight the Feelings of Winter Stagnation

It’s cold out and it hasn’t stopped raining for days. Sound familiar? This is kapha season—where the qualities of cool, heavy, slow, smooth, soft, and stable are most prevalent. The accompanying force of these qualities may bring experiences that are particular to this season, and they can affect our minds and bodies. We are more likely to develop an excess of kapha in our own bodies simply because it is kapha season. Do any of the following resonate?

• Never wanting to get out of bed… ever
• A strong craving to be “cozy”
• Choosing Netflix and the couch on a Friday night instead of going out… and eating popcorn, and ice cream, and a candy bar, and…
• A desire to stock the pantry with more food than you could need in a 10-day snowstorm

If so, you are strongly feeling the effects of kapha. That’s because having an excess of kapha around you can lead to things like difficulty rising in the morning, feeling slow, foggy, dull, lethargic or heavy, a tendency for “emotional overeating”, and becoming easily attached or possessive.

Here at Banyan, we are always looking for new ways to keep our balance during the seasons. I recently asked our team what they’ve been doing to prevent the weight of kapha from keeping them down. Here’s what they had to say!

 

Shawn, New Customer Relations Manager

Prakriti: Pitta—Kapha

Ginger tea, Ginger powder, ginger, ginger, ginger! Also, getting aerobic exercise is key for me, so I dance until I sweat. In the morning, when excess kapha makes it hard to wiggle out of my snuggly comfort, a dry powder self-massage or exfoliating scrub and warm shower clear the fog and get me moving.

 

Zimryah, Customer Service Specialist

Prakriti: Pitta—Kapha

I enjoy the hibernation time and spending more energy rolling on my foam roller in front of the fireplace, as well as doing energizing yoga. In our home, the crock-pot gets lots of use as we make more soups and warm foods. Milk with herbs like tulsi, cardamom, and cinnamon is a family favorite. Sometimes, we add a touch of honey for an extra treat.  We embrace the cold by exploring the outdoors—observing the stillness and subtleties of nature.

 

 

Rae, Affiliate Specialist

Prakriti: Kapha—Pitta

I hike and exercise on a regular schedule, even on weekends. Making an exercise appointment with myself or with a friend gets me moving and I can push through those kapha urges to lay around in my PJs!

 

Sandra, Customer Service Specialist

Prakriti: Vata—Pitta

I’m not really feeling too much kapha this winter! But, we have been putting fresh ginger in the office kitchari (a weekly Banyan tradition) and I like how it is making my digestion more efficient. Plus, it’s really the only time of year that I can use fresh ginger because it is too hot for my pitta. So I am enjoying it.