Tips for How to Best Ease Into the Cold!

I admit it: I really struggle with the cold. I always have, growing up in Connecticut with numerous snow storms and ice showers and freezing nights. I have not-so-great memories of being on the swim team in high school and having to get into that freezing pool in the middle of winter, (yes it was inside but still soo cold!), and chattering in my teeth on drives to school. 

I know the Bhagavad Gita teaches us to be more neutral, to not have such strong likes and dislikes so we can feel more peaceful all time. And yet (sigh), I still have a strong preference for the heat! We are all in process. ☺ Maybe my feelings are not as strong, but the cold is not my favorite…

I left for Hawaii mid-October, right in the middle of a sweltering heat wave. It was also hot in Hawaii, which was just lovely. Then we got back to LA, and here we are in November… and it feels freezing! I know that what we consider cold might be laughable compared to some parts of the world and the country right now, but it is a shift. It’s not super easy to deal with, especially at first.

6 Easy Tips to Ease Into the Cold This Winter

The cold does give us the opportunity to be more inward and cozy, to reflect more and be quieter. There is so much benefit to experiencing all the seasons and cycles. So I write this in the most positive of notes— it’s important to embrace the change in seasons and take steps to make things as easeful as possible!

As such, here are some of my tips for best easing into the cold weather:

1. Eat Lots of Cooked Foods

It’s the time to eat more comforting, warming dishes. The external cold is already a shock to the body! It doesn’t mean go to zero with your raw foods. 

Drink your GGS more at room temperature, and after drinking your hot water with lemon. But other than that, avoid ice water, and eat more cooked veggies. 

Some salads are okay, but shift away from just salad-based meals for more soup and stews. Try my hearty lentil and kale soup and carrot apple spice soup recipes to get you started! 

I also recommend drinking warming elixirs. I’m obsessed! I love drinking hot things. We have a zillion elixir recipes for you, but in general think of keeping some key ingredients around that you like to mix. ☺

Here is a sampling of some of my current elixir staples in the cold:

• Almond, oat, coconut, hemp milk 
• Raw honey
• Cinnamon
• Ginger (dried and fresh)
• Nutmeg
• Cardamom
• Cloves
• Turmeric
• Cumin

2. Stretch on a Heated Mat

It’s important for your circulation and body’s energy to stay open. In the colder months we tend to hunch, collapse our posture to try to stay warm. We get smaller, physically, and it’s a more contracted energy. 

Try stretching for 5-10 minutes in the evening to open up your body. The way I like to do it when it’s colder is to stretch out on this HigherDOSE Infrared PEMF Mat. I keep it next to my bed, so it’s tucked away, yet easy to just turn on and hop on. It grounds you in earth’s magnetic field to help you relax, treat aches and pains, and deepen meditation. It feels great and even has crystals in it! Check it out for yourself. ☺

3. Soak 

I know, I know, they say extra hot water can be dehydrating. But you know what? The benefits of a hot bath can outweigh some of this…especially if we make a great effort to hydrate pre and post-bath! 

There’s something so wonderfully nourishing about a warm bath in the cold months to get in, breathe, relax. Nuf said!

Try adding some Epsom or other salts plus essential oils to your bath for added benefit. 

4. Cozy up with a book! 

Is there anything better?! I love, love, love reading. It’s my fav. I read mostly spiritual texts and books these days, with some wellness ones thrown in. 

I’m constantly reading books for our podcast to review also. Here are some of my favs:

• The Bhagavad Gita— commentary by Parmahansa Yogananda
• Your Body Keeps the Score— by Bessel Van der Kolk

5. Bundle Up and Go Outside

Instead of resisting it, why not embrace it? I really have a lot of cozy gear: cashmere scarves and hats, big jackets, huge sweaters. You would think I lived in the Tundra instead of Southern California and Hawaii! Geez, right!? We all have our tolerances though! I blame my Vata constitution (listen to my podcast with Dr Jay to know more about this Ayurvedic concept) and also being half Asian/tropical (Filipina) for some of my cold struggles…

Nonetheless, I still do my daily walk outside. I look for the beauty in the crisp air, in the gleam of the sun on the succulents that remain evergreen. 

If you live in a place with ice and snow, that is a whole other kind of beauty, too! Be sure you really bundle up, especially protecting your throat and neck, and then you can enjoy the awe and wonder of the season, as well.

Warm Regards for Colder Days

Every season has highlights and low lights, and each season brings up different things for us. Since each season has stronger elements than others, with more air and wind in the colder months, it’s up to us to create more earth, grounding energy and more fire internally and from our lifestyle. 

Let’s see it as a big adventure! And it will be. I know when I implement some of these tips, I can breathe and relax and really be here now, even if the now is cold! It’s important to be aware of our preferences and not let them overly control us or allow us to not really be here, whilst we can of course do our best to mollify them to an extent. 

Let me know how you do with these tips, and what other ones really support you in this season.

We are all in it together, so it’s great for us to share and support each other as much as possible on the journey.

Sending you much love and gratitude!

And look forward to connecting more. Let me know how else I can support you!

With love,

The post Tips for How to Best Ease Into the Cold! appeared first on Solluna by Kimberly Snyder.