Embracing Our Inner Winter: Nourishment, Movement, & Season Shifts
it’s about that time…
As the colder months roll in and we transition into Winter, it’s time not only to adjust to the external world (cozy socks and scarves always) but to reflect on the state of our own inner world. In many holistic traditions, including Ayurveda, Winter represents a season of rest, introspection, and deeper nourishment. Women, in particular, experience a natural, cyclical rhythm that mirrors these seasonal shifts - this inner “Winter” period is a vital time to honour our need for rest, reflection, and rejuvenation, much like in our menstrual phase.
What is ayurveda?
Ayurveda is a holistic, natural system of medicine and lifestyle that originated in India over 3,000 years ago. It's based on the idea that disease is caused by an imbalance in the body, mind, and consciousness. The goal of Ayurveda is to help people live long, healthy, and balanced lives.
What is our inner winter?
Our “inner winter” refers to a time in a woman’s life when we naturally crave stillness, rest, and introspection - much like how the external world enters a period of dormancy and quiet. This concept aligns with the menstrual phase of the cycle, which is often likened to Winter. Just as Winter is a time to restore and conserve energy, our menstrual cycle invites us to slow down, take time for self-care, and conserve our energy.
Embracing your inner Winter means listening to your body’s need for rest, nourishing yourself with wholesome foods, and adjusting your lifestyle to reflect the season’s call for balance and rejuvenation.
Winter Nourishment: Tips for Supporting Your Body
Winter is a time for warmth, comfort, and grounding, which is reflected in our food choices. Ayurveda emphasizes the importance of nourishing foods that provide warmth, moisture, and stability during this colder season. Here are some Ayurvedic-inspired tips to support your body with seasonal nourishment:
Embrace Warming, Grounding Foods: Winter is the time to eat foods that warm the body from the inside out. This included foods that are moist, warming, and grounding like roasted root vegetables like sweet potatoes, carrots, beets, and squash. Soaked and cooked grains like buckwheat, oats, quinoa, and wild rice also help ground the body and provide energy throughout the day. These can be added with cooked legumes to hearty soups or stews.
Limit the cold & Raw: It is best to limit cold, raw foods, which can deplete the body’s natural warmth and make digestion more sluggish. Instead, focus on soups, stews, and hearty meals that incorporate warming spices like ginger, cinnamon, turmeric, garlic, rosemary, and other aromatic spices. These spices not only provide warmth but also support digestion and boost immunity.
Incorporate Healthy Fats: Healthy fats are vital in winter to support the body’s energy reserves. Ghee, cultured butter, olive oil, and coconut oil are excellent examples. Ghee, in particular, is revered in Ayurveda for its ability to nourish the body and soothe inflammation, making it ideal for winter months when the skin and joints may feel dry.
Nourish with Seasonal, Whole Foods: Ayurveda emphasizes eating foods that are in season, as they help align the body with the energy of the natural world. In Winter, enjoy root vegetables, hearty greens like kale and broccoli, and citrus fruits like oranges and grapefruits. These foods help build immunity, maintain energy, and support overall wellness.
Spices for Warmth and Digestion: Incorporating spices into your meals is key to maintaining your digestive fire (agni) in winter. Spices like cumin, coriander, fennel, and ginger help stimulate digestion and provide warmth. Drink herbal teas infused with these spices, or sprinkle them into soups and curries to keep your digestion strong and balanced.
Another way to optimize your digestion is to incorporate digestive bitters before your meals. If you suffer from symptoms such as heartburn, bloating, gas, or indigestion, you might find that digestive bitters ease your meal-time experience. Concentrated with different bitter herbs, they stimulate the digestive system, triggering the production of saliva, digestive enzymes, and bile, and balance the levels of HCl in the stomach - See our blog on the role of stomach acid & its role in gut health!
Drink Warm Liquids: Start your day with warm water or herbal teas to jumpstart digestion. Sip on ginger, chai, or cinnamon tea throughout the day to boost your digestive fire. My personal favorite in the colder seasons is some warm water with lemon, grated ginger, and honey in the morning which not only supports digestion & love on the liver, but boosts hydration and immunity as well.
Tapping into your inner winter
After many of us have had a jam-packed Summer or Fall, Winter is the perfect time to slow down and reflect. Ayurvedic practices guide us in embracing this period of rest:
Prioritize Rest & Reflection
Embrace a slower pace by prioritizing sleep, relaxation, and reflection. Create space for journaling, meditation, or quiet time to reflect on personal growth and the year ahead. Carve out some time into your schedule for the morning, midday, or nighttime reading, writing, or breath work - remember, if you have time to scroll, you always have time to form other habits as well. A little time goes a long way!
Create a Cozy Environment
Make your home a sanctuary by lighting candles (non-toxic of course), using calming scents (like lavender, sage, or sandalwood), and cozying up with blankets to invite relaxation.
Gentle, Restorative Movement
Instead of high-intensity workouts, focus on gentle activities like yoga, pilates, low-impact strength, and nature walks. These practices help maintain flexibility, promote warmth, and calm the nervous system. Winter isn’t the time for intense exertion - focus on restorative movements and listen to your body’s signals for rest. Saunas/Infrared saunas are an excellent way to support winter wellness by promoting detoxification, reducing stress, and boosting circulation - perfect for the colder months when rest, relaxation, and grounding are key.
Embrace the Stillness, Reclaim Your Energy
Winter is more than just a season - it’s an invitation to reconnect with your truest self. When you embrace your inner winter, you tap into a profound well of wisdom, stillness and renewal. Just as nature rests to regenerate and prepare for new growth, you too have the opportunity to slow down, nourish, and restore your energy from within.
Supporting your hormones, gut health and cortisol levels during this time is essential for cultivating balance. In winter, our bodies crave stability and restoration. Nourishing your body with grounding, warm foods, supporting your digestive fire (agni), and focusing on restorative practices help stabilize your hormones, soothe your gut, and reduce the effects of stress on your body. This holistic approach promotes a sense of calm, reduces inflammation, and supports overall vitality, making winter the perfect time for hormonal balance and emotional resilience.
This season may feel quieter, but it is a time of profound transformation. Just as the seed sleeps beneath the soil, you are quietly laying the foundation for a more vibrant, inspired and authentic version of yourself in the seasons to come.
So, honour your inner winter - be still, be kind to yourself, and remember that rest is not a retreat, but a powerful act of self-love and renewal. Through nourishing your body and calming your mind, you’ll emerge stronger, balanced, and ready to meet the world with renewed energy when the time comes.
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