Winter, Ayurveda & our Nervous System
Winter Solstice: A Time to Slow Down, Restore & Return Home
The Winter Solstice, is a powerful turning point in the year.
For those of us in the Northern Hemisphere, we are in the depth of darkness. Nature is asking us to slow down, and embody the wisdom of our year.
When we learn to live in alignment with the seasons, we recognise this as a time to pause, reflect and retreat inward.
Winter Through an Ayurvedic Lens
In Ayurveda, the early stages of Winter are seen as a transitional point between the Vata and Kapha doshas.
This is where the cold, scattered, dry, restless energy of AIR meets the slow, heavy, grounding energy of EARTH.
These elemental qualities don’t just exist outside of us. They move through our physical body, our nervous system, our emotions, our mind and our overall sense of wellbeing.
If you slow down enough, you can feel nature expressing herself within you.
How Winter Can Show Up in the Body & Mind
You might notice this seasonal shift showing up as:
Digestive discomfort such as bloating or constipation
Dry skin or dehydration
A sense of heaviness or ongoing fatigue
A busy or anxious mind one moment, then low or unmotivated the next
Heightened or fluctuating emotions
Stiffness or achiness in the body, especially the joints
These are not signs that something is “wrong”. They are often signals that the body is responding to the seasonal environment and asking for different support.
Healing Doesn’t Have to Be Intense to Be Powerful
Over the years, I’ve explored many healing practices, including activating breathwork techniques and plant medicines. One of my biggest realisations this year has been understanding that healing does not need to be intense in order to be effective.
For a dysregulated nervous system to feel safe, I believe we need simplicity, familiarity, love, kindness, compassion, acceptance, and tenderness as the foundation of any healing process.
Without this sense of safety, the body remains in survival mode, no matter how many practices, or protocols we add in.
This is something Ayurveda speaks to at its core with a gentler, softer, more feminine approach to living and healing.
It looks at how we honour our needs in the everyday, through simple but deeply effective rituals that gently guide the body back into balance. With less forcing, less fixing, less restriction & less striving.
Simple Winter Practices to Support Your Nervous System
Some of these Winter-supportive practices include:
Eating warm, grounding S.O.U.L foods (seasonal, organic, unprocessed and local) where possible that truly nourish you
Enjoying your largest meal at lunchtime, when digestion is naturally strongest
Taking at least 15 minutes to eat slowly, mindfully, and without rushing
Drinking warming spiced beverages such as ginger, cinnamon, or golden milk to support digestion and immunity
Practising self-massage with warm oil (abhyanga) to ground, regulate, and soothe your nervous system
Taking warm baths or showers to relax, soften and ease tension
Including gentle, joint-mobilising movement to keep energy and circulation flowing
Breathing long, slow, deep breaths without force to calm your nervous system and restore emotional balance
In my opinion, if we are not tending to these basics, then we are often starting from the wrong place when it comes to feeling truly well.
If you feel drawn to a more mindful entry into 2026, my 21 Day Rest, Restore & Reconnect Commitment Challenge begins in January.
It is a supportive space designed to help you align with Winter’s rhythms, regulate your nervous system, and reconnect with your true nature in a grounded, nourishing way.
Soulful, Holistic & Empowered Living
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© 2025 | Natasha Fullerton