Beat Winter Fatigue: Energizing Ayurvedic Morning Routines
These cold and grey days inspired me to write this blog post about the importance of a nourishing and grounding morning routine. The morning truly sets the tone for the rest of the day.
When I first wake up, I often feel overwhelmed thinking about all the tasks ahead. What needs doing, when, and how to do it? Not to mention the fear of forgetting something. But as soon as I step into the bathroom, splash water on my face, and begin my routine, that mental chaos starts to settle.
Even before I start my meditation, I sometimes think, “I could skip it today and use the time for something else.” But then I remind myself: my meditation is key. So, I sit down anyway. As I chant, I feel my tensions melting, my energy rising, and my mind gaining clarity.
These patterns don’t disappear overnight. You don’t wake up one day with no resistance or challenges. Instead, you learn to recognise your patterns, create better ones, and trust that they will serve you. Morning routines help me feel less stressed and make better decisions throughout the day.
Winter often brings a sense of heaviness and sluggishness, known as the winter blues. Short days, grey skies, and biting cold can leave you feeling unmotivated. However, adopting an Ayurvedic morning routine for winter can energise your day and help you beat winter fatigue.
This is because Kapha dosha’s heaviness comes in in late winter, and Vata dosha’s mobility is still present. This can lead to imbalances like lethargy and scattered thoughts.
How can we bridge these two cold and sluggish months with their deep chill and what’s often called the ‘winter blues’?
Morning routines address this by grounding and energising you.
Ayurveda likes working with routines. They bring structure to the mind and create a sense of calm and purpose. Adopting purposeful morning routines energises your body and keeps your mind grounded, so you’re not getting overwhelmed when you wake up but start establishing structure.
I used to dread January mornings—grey skies, cold floors, and zero motivation. But these morning rituals completely shifted how I feel now in the morning. I still don’t always look forward to it, but I already feel more awake once I have done the first steps.
Here’s how you can start your mornings with intention and vitality.
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What is Dinacharya in Ayurveda?
An integral part of Ayurveda is daily routines, or dinacharya, in Sanskrit. Dina means day, and charya is translated as course.
These are routines done over the course of the day to stay aligned with the natural energies of the day—the circadian rhythm—in short, our internal body clocks. This brings stability, health, and peace of mind.
You might wonder, why peace of mind? Because our minds are inherently spacious, and we feel scattered or overwhelmed due to the lack of structure. A consistent morning routine creates grounding, particularly during the colder months when the Vata dosha’s spaciousness predominates.
In winter, it’s okay to rise a bit later, preferably after 6 am, to align with the natural rhythm of the season. However, if you struggle with constipation or sluggish digestion, waking earlier—before 6 am—can take advantage of Vata dosha’s mobility, making elimination easier.
Daily Ayurvedic Rituals to Boost Energy
Wake Up and Nourish Your Senses The senses are particularly important in Ayurveda.
Wash Your Face: Begin by splashing your face with cool water, hold cold water in your mouth, and splash your eyes. (My teacher recommended this for waking up.)
Oil Your Eyes and Nose: Apply warm oil, such as special Ayurvedic eye drops or castor oil-based products with Pitta-Kapha balancing properties. For the nose, use drops like 'Anu Oil' (a special Ayurvedic nose oil) to protect and nourish these delicate areas during the dry winter months.
Scrape Your Tongue
Use a tongue scraper to remove toxins (ama) from your tongue, which form overnight. This simple practice supports oral hygiene, stimulates your digestive fire (Agni), and sharpens your taste buds.
Pull Oil and Brush Your Teeth
Practice oil pulling. Swish a tablespoon of warm sesame or coconut oil in your mouth for a few minutes to promote oral health and detoxification. Rinse your mouth thoroughly with warm water and brush your teeth.
Drink Hot Water with Lemon
A glass of warm or hot water with a little squeeze of lemon is an excellent way to kick-start your digestion and hydrate your body after a night of rest. Use lemon only for a particular time during the winter or cleanses. If you have too much heat in your body or sensitive teeth, plain warm water is best.
Simple Yoga Poses for Energising Winter Mornings
Movement is essential to your morning routine to improve circulation, digestion, and better elimination. It also energises your body and grounds your mind. These simple Yoga poses can help:
Cat-Cow Pose/Downward and Upward Facing Cat
Move between the Cat and Cow Pose to gently warm up your spine, release tension in your back, and wake it up.
Seated Spinal Twist
This twist stimulates digestion and enhances circulation while gently waking up your torso.
Side Stretch
Stretching your sides opens the ribcage, improves your breathing, and helps you feel more alert and expansive.
Surya Namaskar/Salute to the Sun
This sequence is an excellent morning routine that activates all the body’s systems.
Setting a Positive Mindset for Winter Days
Because Vata dosha lacks structure, sitting down in the morning to plan your day can help create a sense of order. Look at the day ahead, identify any important events, and reflect on how you want to approach them. Journaling is also a great way to clarify your thoughts.
Think about how you want to feel throughout the day. For instance:
How do you want to feel when you’re working or attending meetings?
How do you want to present your points or ideas?
Consider different scenarios and prepare your mind for them.
Even if things don’t go as planned, this mental preparation brings a sense of calm and readiness.
That Sounds Great, but I don’t have Time in the Morning!
The best thing is that this doesn’t take up your time; put 15 minutes aside. As every second counts, here’s what you can do:
The night before, soak your porridge oats in water; you can even add the spices.
While pulling oil, you can heat the water and put your porridge at a low temperature to heat up.
Try This Routine Tomorrow Morning:
Wake up around 6:30 a.m. (or earlier for digestion).
Wash your face and oil your eyes and nose. (2 min)
Practice oil pulling and brush your teeth. (3 min)
Scrape your tongue. (1 min)
Drink a glass of hot water with lemon. (2 min with heating the water)
Spend 5-10 minutes doing simple stretches to wake your body.
Plan your day and/or do some journaling. (5 min)
Have a nourishing breakfast.
If 15 minutes feels too long, start with one or two steps. Even a small shift can bring big changes over time.
Final Thoughts
A consistent morning routine doesn’t need to be complicated to be effective. Integrating these Ayurvedic practices and stretches can set a positive tone for your day, combat winter fatigue, and support your overall well-being.
Winter mornings can feel heavy, but with these rituals, you’ll create a foundation for energy, clarity, and calm throughout the day. Let your mornings be nourished and grounded, setting the tone for a vibrant winter day.
Resources
Essential Ayurvedic and Yogic Tips for looking after Your Senses
Sunayan Eye Oil: The shipping costs for one item are pretty high but lower dramatically when ordering more.
Now I’d love to hear from you: What’s your favorite way to start a winter morning? Share your thoughts with me on social media! Feel free to share your thoughts below!
Let’s start a conversation. Leave a message on Instagram, Facebook, or even an old email OR comment below :)
I love hearing from you!
Katja x
P.S. Did you know that healthy eating habits are an organic extension of your morning routine?
