The longest night of the year, marked by winter solstice, is also a turning point toward warmth; every day to come is longer. Yet as our days slowly get longer, it is still winter: dry, cold, and stormy!
This is the season to eat hearty foods such as bananas, avocados, beets, winter squash, nuts, meat, deep-sea fish, and more oils. Introducing density and richness helps our bodies balance the cold and dryness of January.
Ayurveda turns us toward reunification with the natural world. When we trust the inescapable rhythms of Earth’s cycles and its daily rotation, even when the days are dark and cold, we find ways to coordinate and balance. When we trust the rhythms of our own breath and heartbeat, we find out more about our needs so we can maintain that balance.
Maintaining balance requires us to find our center. The center of a hurricane, called the “eye” of the storm, is calm and constant. Meanwhile, devastating winds and flooding spiral outward. Similarly, the chaos of daily life inevitably spirals around us. Returning to the center of our being allows us to find the eye of the storm and regain balance.
Become the eye of the storm through a simple method: stop. With pause, a natural central point arises and stabilizes our awareness in stillness. This break in producing output allows an opportunity to listen. Listening honestly to our being is the way of maintaining internal balance. Where one extreme erupts, a complementary element may soothe. This is the foundation that drives the Ayurvedic relationships, such as the three doshas: vata, kapha, and pitta.
References:
The 3-Season Diet by John Douillard