With the moist and cold of winter and stress of mid-semester deadlines and exams upon us, it’s extra important to keep our respiratory systems healthy and the chill at bay. Ayurveda, the ancient Indian natural system of medicine, recognizes these winter qualities of cold, moist, and heavy slowness (think hibernation), and recommends adding warming herbs and spices to any food or drink.
Cinnamon, black pepper, and clove are just a few of many examples that are easy to find and use, even for the most inexperienced in the kitchen. A dash of cinnamon in your daily coffee or clove in your tea or apple cider can elevate the flavour profile of your daily comfort drinks. To get a greater appreciation for the unique flavour of black pepper, try experimenting with a little pepper mill and grinding the whole dried seeds. You can truly differentiate the black pepper experience by the amount you grind it. Try out a new soup recipe that calls for simmering in some whole peppercorns and enjoy the subtle pepper infusion.
When it comes to exercise for the winter season, ayurveda recommends that you start your day with more vigorous types of exercise and save gentler, more calming ones for evening, as you wind down your day, which is much easier to do after our clocks have jumped back with daylight savings time.
Chest-opening yoga postures are great for supporting the respiratory system and can be either invigorating or calming, depending on the posture you practice and in what sequence with other postures. In my previous columns, we’ve explored sun salutations and lunges. After warming up for 10 or 15 minutes, the spine is much more open to chest-opening backbends. Camel pose—ustrasana—can be performed in a variety of ways depending on your experience, preference, and the unique shape of the bones of your spine (yes, some people naturally have more flexible spines simply due to bone shape). An easy modification of camel can be performed at your desk and can help counteract some of the negative postural habits of too much time hunched over your computer.
Sitting in your chair with your feet on the ground, actively draw your navel to your spine and gently lean back over the back of your chair. Ta-da—chair yoga!
Until next time, keep it flexy, keep it real.