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Hello my friends, 💫🌟✨🙌🤗
My apologies for the mid week arrival of your delayed Sunday Soothe this week.
I was in Herefordshire teaching a Wintering Retreat over the weekend and had hoped to find a couple of hours to put something together for you. After clearing up and packing up after our time in the retreat venue, driving back in the dark and rain and arriving home early evening - yay! I let myself off the hook!
How could I not this week, at least? We had spent the whole weekend exploring the Winter theme of slowing down, turning in and therefore turning away from much of a focus on productivity, and more into a commitment towards rest and being-ness.
How are you? How do you find Winter, I wonder? Do you feel the same call towards pause and stillness.
We explored all the positives of the Winter season - the invitation that comes with Winter for all of us to slow down and turn inwards, to focus on resting into the inner light that burns every brightly as the outer light dims and asks us to stay home and be less active than we might be in the lighter, brighter times of the year. Winter does ask us pause, rest and gather in within ourselves, doesn't it?
In Ayurveda, we understand the wisdom of aligning with the changing rhythm of the seasons, including the Winter season, for enhanced immunity, vitality and longevity. . We eat the foods that Mother Nature provides in any season, adapt our lifestyle according to the message of the season as well as our Yoga practice, and we take cues from each season for the evolution of our spiritual life.
Here are Wintering tips for you from my 6 Step ENERGY system that inspired our weekend Wintering Retreat - seasonally adjusted practices for body, heart and mind which support you to thrive not only in Winter but all year round.
LIFESTYLE - The focus is on rest and pause, slowing down and allowing the impulse to linger a little longer in bed, and even take a power nap in the afternoon.
NUTRITION - Mother Nature gives us the foods that we need to offset the adverse effects of any season. In the Winter we can favour warm, baked seasonal fruits and vegetables, roast, and hearty stews and soups. Baked apples with a little nut butter and sultanas are a wonderful Winter season treat or dessert. Root vegetables can feature strongly, and seasonal squash, alongside warming and moist wholegrains such as wheat, spelt and wholegrain rice., plus well-cooked lentils and smaller legumes (such as mung and aduki).
HERBS - Support the digestive fire, combat congestion and cold with these herbs and spices: cinnamon, cardamom, cumin, coriander, cloves, anise, turmeric, asafoetida, fresh ginger. Enjoy warming ginger teas and spiced chais to help keep your system strong.
RELAXATION-MEDITATION - Find yoga nidras or enjoy guided meditations which link you to the inner light. During the darkest days of the year, we are invited to return to the inner light for refuge. See my guided meditation on the inner light here - a recording from our weekend.,
YOGA POSTURE - We can slow down, and take a more mindful, gentle, meditative approach during these dark days. It doesn't mean the practice isn't still strong and impactful. In fact, practicing Yoga according to the shifting seasons can leave us with a wonderful new and different kind of strength.
BREATH - Cleansing breaths such as kapalabhati can help to keep the immunity and especially lung function strong through days when infections can be rife. Balancing breaths combat the tendency for Vata dosha (a biological humour of Ayurveda very much to do with the drying, mobile and light air element). to increase in the Winter and bring with it an array of symptoms such as dryness, restlessness, anxiety, insomnia.
I hope these little pointers are helpful.
For more detailed guidance, practices and recipes, look out for my complete digital AYURVEDA WINTERING HANDBOOK coming soon.
It will include nutritional, lifestyle, Yoga,, breath, meditation and herbal practices to help you thrive at this time of year, with specific tips for combating common seasonal ailments such as respiratory complaints and infections, low mood and S.A.D, weight gain and more.
You can pre-order your copy, with lifetime access by emailing me at sara@heart-of-ayurveda.com
Below are details of my 2026 courses and retreats for more Ayurveda, Yoga, There's something for everyone, with varying locations, offerings and budgets. 🙂💕✨
With my love for now
Sara Shama
THIS EVENING:
Light a candle and sit in front of it. Gently close your eyes for a few moments and see with your inner eye, your inner flame burning bright and steadily, like the candle flame, at the third eye centre, Rest your awareness there, as if you could enter into that flame with your whole being and let your body and mind be absorbed by it's warm glow.
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