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Seeds of Health in Winter
by Michael Werner

Deep in the ground there is a seed. Cycle of freeze and thaw, freeze and thaw, have cracked it open. The broken seed sends a thin taproot down, down into the sustaining dark, and a slender shoot up toward the air and light. Pushing, bending, parting. Slow, patient, unrelenting. Strong, tender, wise beyond words.

That seed is your heart. Tend it, listen to it, and honor it as a teacher. It will teach you the secrets of health in winter.

Are the gray days and long, dark nights weighing you down? Listen to your heart, shelter it, and give it room to grow. The cold winds enter the body through the pit of the throat, the nape of the neck, and the top of the head, so shelter them with a thick scarf and warm hat. This will protect you from cold (and colds), and it will also help correct the tendency to hunch over in cold, windy weather. When we stand erect and open the armpit chest, the heart also opens.

Do the harsh, cold winds and dry indoor air leave you feeling dry and raw? A cup of hot water and lemon first thing in the morning cuts through stagnation and congestion. Also irrigate the nasal passages, sinuses, and throat with a neti pot before you floss and brush your teeth each morning and evening. (To make a solution with the right salinity, pH, and temperature, combine ½ quart room-temperature water, ½ quart boiling water, ¾ teaspoon salt, and ¼ teaspoon baking soda.) Follow this with a few drops of sesame oil in each nostril. Moderate daily exercise in the open air also will help. When we breathe freely, our chests expand and hearts open.

Have the cold and damp worked their way into your bones? Slow roast root vegetables with ghee and spices in a cast iron pot, and slow cook soups and stews, which hold heat and carry it deep into the body. When we warm the marrow of our bones, we warm our hearts as well.

Of course, it also helps our health to share the heart’s warmth, particularly with those nearest and dearest to us. A shared meal, a letter, a walk, a massage—by these and countless other small intimacies we nourish each other’s hearts. When we let our heart-light shine, it will elicit a corresponding glow from the hearts all around us.

Deep in the ground there is a seed, the one great heart that we all share. We tend it, nourish it, and honor it as a teacher. In these long winter months, we prepare for the day when it sends forth green leaves, bright blossoms, and the sweetest of fruit.

Disclaimer: The sole purpose of this article is to provide accurate information about Ayurvedic theories. This information is not intended for use in the prevention, treatment, or cure of any disease. If you have any serious, acute or chronic health concerns, please consult your family physician or health care provider who can fully assess your individual needs and provide the care you require. The contents of this article may not be reproduced in part or whole without the permission of the author.

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