Hemanta & Sisira: Early & Deep Winter
(Mid-November through Mid-March)
Departure by Agnes Pelton 1952
In Ayurveda, winter is understood through two seasonal phases: Hemanta (Dew Season) — mid-November to mid-January — and Śiśira (Late Winter) — mid-January through mid-March. Together, these months hold the deepest expression of winter’s qualities.
As the Earth cools, her energy draws inward. Moisture increases, the air grows heavier, and stillness settles across the landscape. During this time, Kapha dosha becomes naturally prominent, shaped by the cold, wet, and dense qualities of the season. At the same time, digestive fire is naturally strong, offering a rare opportunity to nourish, rebuild, and fortify the body when we live in rhythm with winter rather than resisting it.
This is a season not for restriction, but for wise nourishment.
Energy-rich foods are traditionally encouraged — warm milk and milk preparations, grounding grains such as rice, wheat, and whole gram — to sustain strength, immunity, and vitality. When digestion is supported and routine is steady, the body receives these foods as medicine rather than burden.
Historically, warming fermented beverages, such as Ayurvedic medicinal wine (Arishtam), were taken in very small, precise doses to support digestion, circulation, and the assimilation of herbs — always with intention, timing, and restraint. In modern times, one may symbolically mirror this warming quality with a small cup of gently spiced, warmed mulled wine, optional and mindful, not for intoxication, but as a seasonal ritual that evokes warmth, circulation, and presence.
Winter Seasonal Ayurvedic Rhythm
Honoring Rest, Warmth & Inner Fire
Winter invites us to slow down, soften our mornings, and tend to the body with warmth, oil, nourishment, and ritual.
Cold, wet, heavy, and often cloudy days dominate — qualities shaped by the Earth and Water elements. According to Ayurveda’s guiding principle, like increases like, these environmental qualities naturally aggravate Kapha dosha, leading to heaviness, congestion, sluggish digestion, stiffness, or low mood.
In regions with long or intense winters, prolonged cold can also disturb Vata, especially when routine, warmth, or nourishment are lacking. Those with Kapha or Vata constitutions — or anyone feeling achy, depleted, foggy, or congested — will benefit deeply from intentional winter rhythms.
If you are Pitta-dominant, focus on maintaining inner warmth without overheating, keeping digestion strong while gently clearing excess internal heat.
Winter is not a time to push — it is a time to protect inner fire.
A Supportive Winter Morning Routine
Begin each day slowly and with care, allowing warmth and steadiness to set the tone.
Sleep a little longer if needed.
Staying warm and well-rested in winter supports deep rejuvenation, immunity, and nervous system repair.
Oral care for warmth & circulation.
Brush teeth with a stimulating toothpaste containing cinnamon, clove, or other warming herbs to reduce sensitivity to cold and awaken circulation.
Oil pulling.
Hold warm sesame oil in the mouth for a few minutes to nourish tissues, support oral health, and counter winter dryness.
Self-massage (Abhyanga).
Massage the body with warm sesame oil or a warming herbal oil to offset seasonal cold, stiffness, aching joints, and “frozen” shoulders.
Allow time for absorption, then bathe or shower warm.
Nasya for clarity & mood.
Place a drop of Nasya oil in each nostril to support mental clarity, lift heaviness, and help ease seasonal affective disorder also known as SAD.
First drink of the day.
Sip warm ginger water, optionally with a squeeze of lemon and a touch of honey, to gently wake digestion, kindle appetite, and encourage healthy elimination.
Movement & Breath: Awakening Circulation
While winter asks for rest, it also requires intentional movement to prevent stagnation.
Practice stimulating yoga to balance Kapha and increase circulation. Vigorous Surya Namaskar (Sun Salutations) help generate warmth, deepen breath, and clear excess mucus.
Include chest-opening postures, backbends, and forward folds to enliven the lungs, open the heart space, and move stagnant Kapha from the chest and sinuses.
Movement in winter should be warming, rhythmic, and purposeful — never depleting.
Winter Diet: Nourish Without Heaviness
During Hemanta and Śiśira, digestive fire is naturally strong. Cold weather constricts the surface of the body, drawing heat inward — making winter an ideal time for warm, grounding, rebuilding foods.
Favor warm, cooked meals that are mildly spicy, lightly salty, and nourishing — enough to pacify Kapha without aggravating Vata.
Begin the day with a small bowl of warm porridge: oats, cornmeal, polenta, barley, or rice.
Add cinnamon, clove, and a drizzle of honey to support digestion and circulation.
Lunch and supper should be wholesome and satisfying. Avoid excessive cold, damp, or overly sweet foods, especially those taken straight from the fridge.
Barley is especially supportive for Kapha — gently drying, clearing excess fluid, and awakening sluggish digestion — while still offering nourishment during the colder months.
Sip warming, spicy teas throughout the day to keep digestive fire steady and circulation alive.
Milk and milk preparations, rice, wheat, and whole gram are traditionally included during this season to support strength, immunity, and tissue rebuilding when digestion is strong.
Seasonal Body Care & Herbal Support
Daily hot oil massage becomes essential in winter. It protects the body from cold penetration, calms Vata, nourishes the skin, and supports longevity.
Traditional winter care may also include Udvartanam — the application of warming, dry herbal powders over oil-anointed skin — to stimulate circulation and prevent Kapha stagnation. Botanicals such as kumkum (kesar / saffron) were historically used to enliven the tissues and uplift the mind.
Chyavanprash: Take 1 teaspoon in the morning to support immunity, vitality, and resilience during seasonal transitions.
Trikatu: Beneficial if you are sensitive to cold, damp, heavy qualities — helping clear congestion, cough, sluggish circulation, and post-nasal drip.
Evening Wind-Down: Returning Inward
As daylight fades, winter invites us to turn inward.
Settle into a slower, quieter pace in the evenings. Limit stimulation, dim the lights, and create warmth through ritual and rest.
Traditionally, Ayurvedic medicinal wine (Arishtam) was used in very small, precise doses to support digestion, circulation, and the assimilation of herbs — always approached with intention, timing, and restraint.
For modern times, and only if appropriate, one may symbolically mirror this warming quality with a small cup of gently spiced, warmed mulled wine. This is optional, always mindful, and never offered for intoxication, but serves as a seasonal ritual that evokes warmth, circulation, and presence.
Alcohol is never required for healing. The medicine lies in the herbs themselves, the warmth of the preparation, and the conscious awareness with which it is received. Historically, Ayurveda utilized Arishtam as a vehicle for transformation and assimilation; today, this same quality may be honored through other warming, spiced preparations — taken slowly, with discernment, and in reverence for one’s constitution, capacity, and relationship to alcohol.
Before bed, a cup of hot spiced milk with nutmeg offers a deeply calming and restorative alternative, supporting sound sleep and nervous system repair.