The winter solstice is December 21, marking the shortest and darkest day of the year, and the first day of Shishir Ritu, the 6th and coldest season. The earth is quiet, the plants are dormant, the air is clear, and the nights are long. This is the season of solitude, introspection, grounding, and deep rest.

According to the Charaka Samhita, the oldest and the most authentic treatise on Ayurveda, every season brings in a unique set of qualities that can either alleviate or aggravate the inner workings of our being, our seasonal routines should change and adapt based on these qualities. Our bodies may feel quite different in winter than in summer, and our needs and cravings prompt us to make these adjustments. The qualities of the water and earth elements (Jala and Prithvi Mahabhuta) reflect during this season, giving rise to Kapha dosha in the body.

By adapting our diet and lifestyle to balance winter's dry, cold, dull, heavy, and stable qualities, one can drastically reduce the likelihood of any seasonally induced imbalances. However, we also want to be mindful of the benefits of this season, draw our attention inward and practice mindfulness and self-connection, and ensure that we prioritize rest and sleep.

In modern times, shortly after the solstice, we celebrate the new year by setting our yearly resolutions. By a similar approach, Shishir Ritu is an ideal season to reflect on things you can clear from your life, organize your thoughts and home, and mindfully build healthy habits for the coming year.

Recognizing Shishir Ritu with a personal ceremony may help you to fine-tune your intentions and root you more firmly in your path to optimal wellness.

WHAT YOU WILL NEED

• A candle

• A meditation pillow

• A journal and pen

THE RITUAL

Set up your ritual space in a peaceful, grounding area. Place your meditation pillow facing the lit candle. Take a few deep breaths in, ground and center. Take your time here. Don’t rush.

Form your hands into Padme Mudra – Lotus Seal, translated from Sanskrit, by bringing the palms flat together in front of your chest, then, keeping the wrists close and the thumbs and little fingers connected, splay the other fingertips out and away from each other.

Now, start ujjayi breath, by sealing your lips and slowly breathing in and out through your nose. Take an inhalation through your nose that is slightly deeper than normal, and exhale slowly through your nose while constricting the muscles in the back of your throat. Your breath should sound like waves of the ocean.

Close your eyes and continue to breathe. Imagine the heat of the flame flowing through you and think about what intention you would like to set forth. Visualize what your intention looks like in its full expression.

Now, write your intention out as a gratitude sentence that has already occurred. For example, "I am grateful that I followed and executed a plan to accomplish an injury-free triathlon in May of 2023.

Sit quietly in meditation, bring your palms to touch, and thumbs to the heart center. Feel the light of the flame growing inside of you and imagine your intentions doing the same. End by saying your intention out loud.

SHISHIR  RITU REMEDY

Winter is when the digestive fire is most vigorous because our bodies naturally require more nutrients.  Even though wintertime necessitates some substance, use your diet to stoke the digestive fire, maintain heat, liquefy mucus, and draw excess moisture out of your system. A supportive winter diet will pacify Kapha without increasing Vata or vice versa.

Focus on eating warm, cooked, well-spiced nourishing foods. Utilizing a generous selection of tasty herbs and eat as many vegetables as you would like and a wide variety of well-cooked legumes. Cooked light grains such as basmati rice, amaranth, barley, and oats can make for a great breakfast, while a warming carrot ginger soup would be ideal for dinner. Try to avoid, cold or frozen foods and excessively sweet or oily meals.

The Charaka Samhita encourages drinking room temperature or warm liquids, and winter is ideal for warm, hot beverages. Turmeric is one of the best warming and healthy spices that one can have easily at home. Golden milk can help keep you warm on winter days, aids in digestion reduces both Kapha and Vata, and boosts immunity, making it an ideal remedy for Shishir Ritu.


RECIPE 

• 2 ½ cups unsweetened almond milk

• 2 inches of sliced fresh turmeric

• 1 inch of sliced fresh ginger

• 1 cinnamon stick

• Pinch of black pepper

• 1 tablespoon of coconut oil

• Teaspoon of honey

In a saucepan place the coconut oil, and spices and cook for one minute on medium heat, releasing the fragrances of the spices, add almond milk and heat until it just starts to simmer, let cool, and add honey to serve.

Disclaimer
The sole purpose of these articles is to provide information about the tradition of Ayurveda. This information is not intended for use in the diagnosis, treatment, cure or prevention of any disease.