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The holiday season is upon us.

This year, try exploring Ayurvedic practices to support your personal balance and overall well-being to conclude 2021 with more ease and grace.

Whether we are celebrating Thanksgiving, Hanukkah, Winter Solstice, Christmas, or New Year, we all become intimate with specific qualities that are highlighted during this time of year, with the days becoming shorter, colder, and, in most areas, moister.

It is the magical time of the year when we come together with our friends, family, and colleagues to celebrate. There is an increase in plans, travels, shopping, and indulgence in festivities. This joyous time ramps up to finish another year combined with family dynamics, mixed emotions, and heightened demands. The main progression that affects our balance and well-being, according to Ayurveda, is an accumulation leading to aggravation. If this natural buildup is not released, it begins to spread, affecting different body systems. During the holiday season, the accumulations can lead to stress, anxiety, sleep issues, indigestion, and irritability.

Our self-care can absolutely continue during this time and does not need to be avoided till New Year’s resolutions.

You can continue to nurture and support yourself with these Ayurvedic tips curated for the holiday season.

“Ayurveda teaches harmony with nature, simplicity and contentment as keys to well-being.” ~ Dr. David Frawley

Practice daily self-awareness

Check in with your emotions, energy, and time commitments. Are they serving you? Try to check in with yourself often and take time throughout the day to make decisions from a grounded and clear space. What is important? What needs to be done? Take time to be still, quieting the mind through meditation, breathing practices, or just unplugging to allow the nervous system to relax and support clearer and calmer energy to infuse this potent time of year.

Sip tea

Herbs and warmth offer so much support during this season. Try CCF Tea, cumin, coriander, and fennel seeds, equal parts, steep, and strain. This aids in digestion and mild cleansing. You can add ginger and turmeric to create a healing tonic for inflammation and indigestion. Herbal teas such as camomile, tulsi, lavender, rose, and mint also benefit sleep, respiration, anxiety, and stress.

In general, it is best to sip warm beverages throughout the day during this colder time of year.

Support digestion

Ayurveda believes that our digestion is at the core of our health and overall well-being. With the holidays focused around meals, drinks, and treats make sure to support your digestion that directly affects your mental clarity, emotional stability, immunity, and sleeping patterns.

The principal focus for digestion is not to overeat, not to skip meals, not to snack all day, eat your biggest meal for lunch, and sit down and relax. Easier said than done, yes, however, you’ll not launch into a self-criticizing downward spiral and enjoy the holidays even more.

Easy on the alcohol intake as this is a quick way to irritability, irrational decision-making, and weight gain. Stay hydrated and remember, it never feels great the next day.

Exercise

Move your body every day. Getting out for a quick walk, run, yoga practice in between festivities will always support your emotional and physical well-being.

In the wintertime, it is especially important to cultivate your internal heat to burn off impurities, keeping the tissues warm, invigorated, and the Kapha Dosha at bay. When we become stressed and overwhelmed, it is even more important that we don’t collapse but stay motivated to exercise, moving stagnant energy, prana, and supporting a healthy mind, body, and spirit.

Rest

Getting high-quality sleep is always important to maintaining overall balance. Yes, there is so much to do, but you can do it all better with good sleep. The wintertime also signifies a time of year to rest and restore after the height of the summer. Nature shows us that it goes to sleep during this time of year, going deep into the core and releasing its leaves. We, too, need this time to tune into the natural cycles of nature and allow ourselves to rest.

Eat warm cooked foods

With all the delicious food that presents itself during the holiday season, remember to eat more warm cooked meals. This helps to balance out the Vata and Kapha Doshas, which are dominant during the winter season, as well as support healthy digestion and the revamping of all body systems.

Be intentional with food combination, food amount, and digestive spices that you consume when eating these warm and nourishing meals. They will serve you greatly on your journey to a healthy holiday season.

During this holiday season, remember the deeper meaning, importance, and intention. Coming together and celebrating doesn’t have to leave you stressed and depleted.

Start today by tuning in and practicing self-care. You will inevitably experience the holidays with more energy and joy, starting the New Year off with greater clarity and happiness.