Hello December: An Ayurvedic Guide to Winter Nourishment

As December arrives, the world naturally begins to slow. The air grows colder, the evenings stretch longer, and nature invites us inward. According to Ayurveda, this shift into deeper winter is not something to brace against—it’s something to honor.

December is the beginning of Vata season, a time marked by more dryness, lightness, cold, and movement. These qualities impact the body and mind in subtle but powerful ways: digestion can weaken, sleep may feel lighter, stress can increase, and skin becomes more dry and sensitive.

But with a few intentional adjustments, winter becomes one of the most restorative, grounding seasons of the year.

Below are three simple Ayurvedic shifts you can begin right now to support your body, mind, and energy through December and beyond.

1. Warm Your Food and Drinks

In winter, your digestive fire—agni—needs more warmth and support.
Cold smoothies, iced drinks, and raw salads dampen digestion and increase Vata, leading to bloating, gas, constipation, and feeling “off.”

Instead, December is the month to lean into:

• Nourishing soups and stews

• Roasted root vegetables

• Golden milk and herbal teas

• Warm water throughout the day

• Warming spices like ginger, cinnamon, cumin, clove, and cardamom

This single change alone resets your gut, strengthens immunity, and keeps energy steady.

2. Embrace Earlier Evenings

Winter naturally calls us to rest more.
When the sun sets earlier, our bodies follow suit—if we let them.

Supporting your evening rhythm might look like:

• Dimming lights after dark

• Slowing your pace in the evening

• Turning screens off 30–60 minutes before bed

• Drinking a warm, calming tea

• Going to bed between 9:30–10:00 pm

When we honor this slower winter rhythm, we feel more grounded, more present, and more rested—not just in the body, but in the mind.

3. Add More Oils (Inside & Out)

December dryness is real—for your skin, your sinuses, your digestion, and even your mood.

Ayurveda teaches that oiling the body creates warmth, lubrication, nourishment, and stability.

Here are a few ways to bring more oils in:

• Abhyanga: a warm sesame oil self-massage before your shower

• Ghee: add 1 tsp to meals for deeper nourishment

• Nasya: a drop of warm sesame oil in each nostril to soothe dryness

• Oiling the feet before bed: promotes sleep, calm, and grounding

These small rituals strengthen ojas—your vital life force—and help carry you through winter with resilience.

A Season for Nourishment, Not Perfection

You don’t need a full routine overhaul to feel better this winter.
You only need small, steady shifts that match the season.

Let December be the month you move a little slower, nourish a little deeper, and return to the warmth within yourself.

If you found this helpful, save it for later or share it with someone who could use a little grounding right now. And if you want guided winter support, stay tuned for my January cleanse + reset offerings designed to bring your body and mind into harmony for the new year.

Wishing you a beautifully nourishing start to the season.
🤍 Jennifer | Golden Veda Collective

The Woman I’ve Become: A Story of Remembering

There was a time in my life when I walked in two worlds. One foot grounded in the rhythms of modern life—motherhood, meetings, meals—and the other quietly rooted in something more ancient, more sacred, more me. I just didn’t have the words for it yet.

I was always a high-achiever, someone who could thrive in fast-paced environments, lead with clarity, and get things done. But no matter how much I accomplished, I could feel the hum of something deeper, quieter, more soul-aligned. I heard it in the spaces between tasks, in the sleepless nights, in the way I instinctively mothered my children and held space for others. It was subtle at first—a whisper I tried to push away. But eventually, it became too loud to ignore.

So I made the choice to start again.

I left the career path I had built, not because I couldn't survive it, but because my soul was asking for something else. Something sacred. Something rooted in ancient wisdom and personal truth. That decision led me to Ayurveda—not as a passing interest, but as a full remembering. The moment I stepped onto this path, it felt like my soul exhaled. I had found the language for what I already knew deep within.

I immersed myself in study, completed a rigorous Gurukula program under the guidance of Dr. Vasant Lad, and trained in AyurYoga, Marma, Panchakarma, and more. But none of that would matter if it wasn’t embodied. So I began the real work: the inner work.

There were seasons of grief. Of exhaustion. Of rage. Of unraveling old patterns—personal, ancestral, karmic. There were days I didn’t feel like a healer or a guide. There were moments I lost the thread. But I kept returning. To breath. To ritual. To nourishment. To sacred rhythm. Again and again.

This is how Golden Veda Collective was born—not as a brand, but as a living, breathing extension of my own journey. A place where ancient wisdom meets modern life. Where healing isn’t performative—it’s real, messy, cyclical, and sacred.

Here, I serve as both guide and witness. I create Cleanse Kits with intention, offer personalized Ayurvedic care, host executive retreats for leaders who have forgotten how to feel, and walk alongside mothers who are learning how to come home to themselves again. Every offering is a thread in a larger tapestry—one that I’ve spent lifetimes weaving.

I don't pretend to have it all figured out. I’m still learning. Still shedding. Still strengthening. But I know this much: my life is no longer about chasing balance. It’s about embodied alignment.

So if you’re here—welcome. Whether you're at the beginning of your journey or deep in your own unraveling, know that this space was created for you. For your return. For your remembering.

This blog will be my sacred space to share the real stories—the dharma, the doubt, the discipline, and the joy. I’ll share tools, rituals, reflections, and behind-the-scenes glimpses of a life lived between the spiritual and the practical.

Because I’m no longer walking in two worlds.

I am the bridge.

With devotion,
Jennifer
Founder, Golden Veda Collective