Winter and the Congestive Season: 5 Counteracting Things That You Can Do
My granddaughter is sitting on my lap as I listen to her noisy breathing and congested cough and I began thinking about how congestion is played out in our energy physiology The energy pattern of the winter season is Kapha, the season of congestion All the qualities pertaining to this energy are played out in various ways
So heavy, cool, slow/dull, slimy/smooth, oily(unctuous), liquid, dense, soft, hard, gross, static, and cloudy get expressed during the winter season So when I listen to the congested breathing, I'm witnessing the slow/dull, slimy/smooth(ie snot), liquid, gross, and static qualities being expressed in the airways of the baby
As a matter of fact, the common cold is first an energetic imbalance and then organisms visit the mucous and what was first an energetic imbalance becomes an inflammatory process with organisms secondarily
Qualities: Sensations From the Energy Field
When we experience these qualities in ourselves or see them expressed in others it opens up new doors of understanding about what's happening in our energy bodies This gives us an opportunity to realize that not all congestion is an infection but rather the play of energy qualities being expressed as sensations
And congestion is much broader in its physiologic application For example, congestion in organ systems such as the prostate lead to benign enlargement of the prostate and difficulty urinating
Congestion in joints leads to arthritic symptoms, often with the complaint of bogginess in joint space You see, this congestion is a result of too much mucous, as in the prostate, in the joints This morning I was talking with my best friend from high school days and he was relating how it had become so difficult for him to shed pounds now that he is older. Now he was a big guy, a Kapha Pitta energetically, and struggling with congestion
Yes, congestion in the energy physiology is played out in the overweight state. So we see from an energy perspective the simple concept of imblalance in the form of congestion can have far reaching consequences And the winter time can be where we can accelerate the accumulation of the qualities leading to the congestive problems
Countering Congestion of the Winter Season
So we can use this information of qualities to reduce the chances of buildup of the qualities during the winter months, that is, become more balanced during the winter season so we avoid the problems of congestive release(common cold) or the release later next year called the spring cold
In the energy science of Ayurveda as in the Oriental tradition disharmony or imbalance is treated by the opposite quality So if the environment of winter is heavy, cool, slow/dull, liquid, soft, gross, static, and cloudy then using qualities that are opposite to them would With this in mind, what could we do to counter these environmental qualities that become us
1 The cold season is the best time for warm foods that are nourishing The winter is depleting to our energy so taking steps to build ourselves up Our digestion is strong during the winter months so we can take advantage of this by using foods that are building such as dairy, grains, and nuts
2 Exercise, outside or inside is important during the winter due to the heavy, slow/dull, and static (immobile) quality of winter
3 Getting up early before 6-7am is helpful to get the day started and not take on the static energy of winter
4 Emphasizing light foods such as salads and avoiding consumption of heavy foods such as meat and wheat, and oily foods such as yogurt(particularly store bought)
5 Taking care of digestive strengh or agni is always important but particularly during the cold winter months by using ginger, fresh lime, and salt to help stoke the enzyme system of the gut Eating in moderation(what you can hold in 2 hands) will not overtax your digestive strength
These tips will help with the winter congestive season and make your holidays more enjoyable
All the best Dr Bill
PS If you'd like more guidance with respect to these choices you can contact me at drbilldean@gmail.com
