Winter greatly impacts our energy, it's a fact. The good news is that you can get to know your body and how it works to maximize this precious energy. Hélène Duval gives us all her keys! :-)
The doshas govern the hours of the day, the seasons and the different cycles of our life. They create balance in our body, but when out of balance they can lead to illness .
What is the most impacted dosha in winter?
Our body is made up of 3 doshas:
- VATA : It represents air and ether (or space). On the level of the individual, its tendencies give creativity, freedom, generosity and enthusiasm.
- PITTA : It represents fire and water. It gives ambition, faith, patience, stability and tenderness.
- KAPHA : It represents water and earth and gives ambition, faith, patience, stability and tenderness.
Combined, they form our physical envelope and each of them corresponds to different functions, qualities and effects. We each have the 3 doshas in us but with different combinations, each of them unique and specific to ourselves.
The doshas govern the hours of the day, the seasons and the different cycles of our life. They create balance in our body, but when out of balance they can lead to illness .
What is the most impacted dosha in winter?
KAPHA: It is responsible for the protection and preservation of tissues which is expressed by the behavior of the immune system which defends us against external aggressions . It is particularly concentrated in the heart, lungs, throat and head as well as in the lymphatic system and fatty tissues.
It is the most affected dosha in winter, due to cold and humidity.
An imbalance of this dosha can lead to excess weight, sweating, white discharge, slow digestion and mental fatigue, lethargy and melancholy.
How to appease Kapha? and how to rebalance it?
Kapha is soothed by heat, so I might as well tell you that practicing under infrared is a great privilege :-)
Certain yoga postures are particularly recommended for reactivating Kapha energies.
Hélène Duval, founder and yoga teacher at YUJ, gives us her advice for a yoga practice targeted at rebalancing the lymphatic network, the digestive system and the immune system.
The upper body's lymphatic network and nodes are located in the armpits and under the jaw. We will favor the following inverted postures :
- The camel , a posture that tones and softens the neck and spine. For women, this posture is also beneficial for reducing menstrual pain, it stimulates blood circulation.
Camel pose performed by Laure Dary - classic version
Camel pose performed by Laure Dary - more advanced version
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The arch : this posture allows an opening of the rib cage, a massage of the digestive organs and a toning of the abdominal organs. Be careful though, this posture is not recommended for pregnant women.
Camel pose performed by Laure Dary - classic version
Camel pose performed by Laure Dary - advanced version
The immune system . In order to boost the immune system it is necessary to stimulate the thymus , located at the base of the neck under the thyroid with postures related to the opening of the heart. We find :
- The cobra : stimulates the digestive system and blood circulation while opening the heart and lungs to relieve stress. This posture helps to strengthen physically and open the chest to evacuate excess mucus.
Camel pose performed by Laure Dary - advanced version
- The fish : this posture is practiced with a cushion or a block under the back. It allows to open the rib cage, the heart, the throat and relaxes the spine. This posture activates the thymus by focusing our entire presence on the upper region of the sternum.
Fish pose by Laure Dary
The digestive system is responsible for our physical and emotional health. In order to promote good digestion, the spleen located under the left lung is stimulated. Postures on the belly allow some compression on the spleen. Other twisting postures also massage the abdomen.
- The posture of the child. This posture allows relief and stretching of the hips. In this position, the gaze is turned towards the heart to observe each sensation.
P osture of the child performed by Laure Dary - classic version
Child's posture performed by Laure Dary - more stretching version
- The plough. It is a revitalizing and rejuvenating posture. It allows a massage of the thighs on the abdomen and has many benefits for the spleen.
Plow pose performed by Laure Dary - classic version
Plow pose performed by Laure Dary - more stretching version
Laure is wearing the Savasana jumpsuit, our second-skin yogi must-have!
What breathing should be adopted for a total appeasement of kapha?
Breathing exercises can also help to rebalance the energies, it is necessary to privilege heating breaths because the cold is the enemy of kapha.
All active and fast pranayama exercises are therefore good for energizing kapha.
But be careful, some exercises are very powerful. They must therefore be carried out with caution. The so-called "fire" bhastrika breath is the perfect breath to energize kapha but it is also one of the most powerful, it is reserved for yogis who already have a very good awareness of their breath and who have already acquired kapalabhati and ujjayi breathing. since bhastrika is a mixture of both.
You now have all the keys to regaining control of your energy, even on the coldest days of winter. And we are already looking forward to seeing you under the infrared lamps of the YUJ YOGA STUDIO ! :-)
See you soon !
The YUJ team
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