Vatas, have you been feeling cold to the bone this winter?

Vata’s tend to struggle more during winter months than any other dosha primarily because of their lean body type and tendency to run cooler internally than their fellow doshas. So come winter time the cold weather can be felt to the bone for them.

Signs of vata imbalance :

• nervousness, anxiety, panic, fear
• twitches, tics, tremors, spasms
• dry or chapped skin
• constipation, gas, bloating, dry, hard stools
• low body weight
• dislike of cold and wind
• difficulty tolerating loud noises
• light, interrupted sleep
• spacey, scattered feeling
• excess thinking or worrying

(Vata imbalance taken from www.banyanbotanicals.com)

Being ruled by Vata myself, I’ve learned some cozy ways to keep warm and I’d love to share them with my fellow vatas.

• Massage your feet before bed with organic sesame oil (add organic ashwagandha powder if you want to pump up the benefits a notch). Besides being relaxing, this will increase circulation and help warm up the body from the feet up. Note: you don’t have to stop at your feet, massage your entire body for extra benefits!
• Stick to warm foods and liquids. Limit or cut out cold foods/liquids and raw veggies. Take in more warming liquids. Herbal teas with steamed milk and warm hearty vegetable stews with mild spices are fantastic examples.
• Keep your feet covered! Two socks are better than one!
• Hot yoga!
• Create a daily routine for your sleep, eating and exercising.

Wishing my vata sisters and brothers a cozy end to this long, beautiful winter.

Warmth (no pun intended!),
Caitlin Cimino
Ayurvedic Esthetician