January is a month of transition from Vata season to Kapha season. The qualities of light, dry, and cold increase. Do you notice your cuticles are drier? Do you feel achy? Does your mouth feel dry? These are signs that Vata is increasing. Ayurveda's January practices are about handling that transition without throwing off the Kapha that is about to take over: warm foods, vinegars and fermented foods to balance Vata, daily abhyanga to nourish without overdoing oil through the diet, and hingvastak as the digestive spice of the month.
Why January is the Vata-to-Kapha transition
The qualities of light, dry, and cold increase in January. You accumulated Vata over the past few months because autumn and early winter are Vata seasons. Late winter and spring are Kapha season.
January is when the transition happens. January is the coldest month of the year. What Vata and Kapha have in common is they have no fire or heat. January is when the Vata cold turns into the Kapha cold. It can be a tricky transition if you have gathered too much Vata over the past few months. If you traveled for the holidays and stayed up late, it is exponentially more Vata.
What to eat in January (and what to avoid)
We need to focus on foods, lifestyle behaviors, and activities that have warm, moist, heavy, and oily qualities. The trick is to bring those qualities in without throwing off Kapha.
It is not as easy as it is during early winter when we are eating heavy, warm foods and indulging in oils. It is particularly tricky in January because we have moved into Kapha season. If allowed to go on, if the transition does not happen well, you can move into hay fever, late winter cold and cough, and spring allergies. That is excess Kapha.
Warming foods balance both Vata and Kapha. They need to be moist; reduce dry foods. Have some heavy oil, but make sure not to overdo it and aggravate Kapha. Bring the heavy and oily quality in through daily and behavioral practices rather than foods.
How to get the warm and heavy quality through lifestyle (not just food)
The January lifestyle practices that bring in warmth and grounding without aggravating Kapha:
- Steam sauna. Warm and moist, exactly what the body wants now.
- Self-massage (abhyanga). Daily oil massage feeds the skin without adding food calories.
- Warm Epsom salt bath. Minerals plus heat plus moisture.
The head, neck, chest, and ears must be covered well. You have to make sure that you stay warm, that you are covered.
For Kaphas especially, January through March is hot yoga season. They benefit a lot from hot yoga in these months.
Why January is vinegar season
The gut microbiome needs to change with each season, and that only happens if you are eating seasonally appropriate foods. This is the time of year when fermented foods, especially vinegar, come into play.
Susan's vinegars for January:
- Apple cider vinegar. Famous for balancing pH and reducing inflammation. Eden is Susan's favorite brand.
- Organic red wine vinegar. More warming.
- Balsamic vinegar. An even sharper vinegar.
January is also a good time to have high-quality dairy. Golden milk is the classic. We always cook milk with some type of warming spice: turmeric, cinnamon, black pepper, pippali.
What hingvastak is, and why January is its season
Hingvastak is the traditional Vata digestive balancer.
It is a digestive spice churna (a spice mix tailored to your constitution and imbalance). Hingvastak balances Vata through its downward-moving action and warming qualities. January is hingvastak season.
You take it before meals to ground the digestive fire that the cold weather is suppressing. Talk to your Ayurvedic professional about dosing.
What to eat for January's fiber season
January needs more fiber. The foods to focus on:
- Root vegetables. Sour root vegetables like turnips. Beets, carrots, fenugreek.
- Soaked nuts and seeds.
- Fermented foods.
- Red cabbage.
- Arugula. Naturally spicy greens, must be eaten cooked.
- Mustard greens. Same: cooked.
This is medicine in January, the warming, sour, bitter cholagogues that get the liver moving without depleting Vata.
How Vatas care for themselves in January
Vata does well in January if you get minerals in. Magnesium cream. Epsom salt bath. Minerals in your water.
Copper water vessels positively charge the water. The type of copper you use is important; look at her November teaching for the specifics on choosing a vessel.
Frequently asked questions
What is the Vata-to-Kapha transition in January?
January is the coldest month of the year. The Vata that built up in autumn and early winter starts turning into the Kapha that takes over in late winter and spring. Both are cold, neither has fire. The transition can be tricky if you gathered too much Vata; if it goes wrong, you can end up with hay fever, late-winter cough, or spring allergies.
What is hingvastak, and when do you take it?
Hingvastak is a traditional Vata-balancing digestive spice mix (a churna). It works through downward-moving action and warming qualities. January is its season; take it before meals to ground the digestive fire that the cold is suppressing. Consult your Ayurvedic professional on dose.
Why is January vinegar season in Ayurveda?
The gut microbiome needs to change with each season. January is when vinegars and fermented foods become medicinal: apple cider vinegar (pH balance, anti-inflammatory), organic red wine vinegar (more warming), balsamic (sharper). Susan's preferred ACV brand is Eden.
What lifestyle practices help in January?
Steam sauna, daily abhyanga (self-massage with oil), warm Epsom salt baths. These bring in the warm, heavy, oily quality without adding food calories that would aggravate Kapha. Cover the head, neck, chest, and ears.
What foods balance both Vata and Kapha in January?
Warming, moist foods. Root vegetables, sour roots like turnips, beets, carrots. Cooked spicy greens (arugula, mustard greens). Soaked nuts and seeds. Fermented foods. Reduce dry foods. Add some heavy oil, but not too much.