There is a moment in November I fall in love with every single year: it gets dark at five, the wind sweeps through the streets, and in my studio the sesame oil is already warming in its water bath. I love winter — not despite the cold, but because of everything it makes possible: candlelight, thick blankets, slow evenings, and warm oil on cool skin. In Ayurveda, this season has a character all of its own, and once you know it, winter stops feeling like something to get through — and starts feeling like an invitation.
Winter Is Vata Season – What That Means
In Ayurveda, the cold, windy months belong to the Vata principle: light, cold, dry and constantly in motion — like the December wind whistling around the corners of the house. Many people know that feeling of being just as restless and scattered inside as the weather is outside. For me this is not complicated doctrine, it is a simple compass for self-care: whatever is cold, hectic and dry gets a warm, calm, oily counterpart in winter. Regularity, warmth and slow rituals — that is my Ayurveda for the dark months.
And that is exactly why warm oil feels so special in winter. When I apply warmed sesame oil during an Abhyanga with slow, even strokes, something happens that I never quite experience in summer: the warmth stays. It settles over the skin like a second blanket, the shoulders drop, the breath grows calmer. Many guests describe it as finally feeling thawed out again. Afterwards the skin feels soft and cared for — exactly when heated indoor air and cold tend to leave it feeling tight.
Warm Evening Rituals for Cold Days
My winter evenings follow almost the same small ritual every night, and I am happy to pass it on: a warm footbath while the tea steeps. Then lights down, screen off, a candle lit. A warm drink with ginger, cinnamon or cardamom — not because it is supposed to do anything, but because it tastes wonderful and feels cosy and warming from within. And I go to bed earlier than I would ever manage in summer. Winter invites retreat, and I have stopped fighting it.
In the kitchen, too, I cook almost nothing but warm food in winter: soups and stews, porridge with stewed apple and cinnamon in the morning, oven-roasted vegetables in the evening, the occasional baked apple. In Ayurveda, winter is the season when food may be warm, nourishing and a little richer — the cold salad can wait until spring. To me, that is perhaps the simplest form of self-care: something warm on the stove, filling the kitchen with its scent while it gets dark early outside.
Self-Massage with Warm Oil – Your Little Ritual at Home
Between studio visits, nobody has to go without warm oil. My simplest suggestion: warm a little sesame oil in a water bath — hand-warm, not hot —, stand on an old towel and give yourself ten minutes: feet, legs, arms, with calm, slow strokes, just the way it feels good to you. Take a moment to let it settle, then have a warm shower. Especially on grey Sundays, this is my favourite ritual for letting the day end on a warm note. You will find a detailed step-by-step guide here on the blog.
A Warm Time-Out at the Studio – Cologne, Aachen, Alsdorf and Jülich
And sometimes it may be more than ten minutes: a warm room, pre-warmed oil, and 60 or 90 minutes in which you do not have to do anything at all. An Abhyanga with me takes 60 minutes (€90) or 90 minutes (€120) — the prices are the same at every location. You will find me by appointment in Cologne-Ehrenfeld, in Aachen at the PRANA yoga studio, in Alsdorf at Seelen Auszeit, and in Jülich at L&L Physio — the town where I happen to live myself. Especially in winter, when everything looks grey, many guests tell me this appointment is the bright spot of their week.
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For me, winter stopped being a season to get through a long time ago. It is the time of year when self-care comes easiest, because everything in us is already looking for warmth, rest and retreat. Maybe you start with a single evening ritual from this post — or with a warm hour on the massage table. And if you happen to be looking for a Christmas present: an Abhyanga also makes a lovely gift voucher. I can hardly think of a warmer way to give someone a time-out.