kapha / spring cheat sheet
spring is the KAPHA SEASON, ruled by water and earth. no matter what you're dosha is, we'll all be effected by the heavy mud energy this time of year. you may have already noticed feeling sluggish, inert, or even a little blue. here are some tips for DIET, EXERCISE, RESPIRATORY, DIGESTION, SOCIALIZING, PASSION, and MUSIC for kapha...
DIET. since spring is the heaviest season and opposites cure, EATING LIGHT, WARMING FOODS will really help balanced body and heart-mind! experiment with eating more cleansing BITTER foods (like cooked leafy greens and grapefruit) ASTRINGENT foods (like beans, broccoli, cauliflower, apples, lemon, lime) and PUNGENT foods (radishes & warming herbs and spices like basil, black pepper, cinnamon, cumin, mustard, oregano, rosemary, sage). for more kapha diet info check out BANYAN BOTANICALS and go to JOYFUL BELLY to search for kapha-reducing ingredients and recipes.
EXERCISE. the season of mud can make us feel sluggish, lethargic and inert. if you can get MOVING IN THE MORNING, you'll get a head of the heavy vibes the rest of the day. of course, we never want to overheat but know that this is the season we can all afford to sweat a little! move stuck fluid and emotion with CARDIO like hiking, running, dancing, and team sports. WARM with vinyasa or even kundalini can get the blood pumping and keep energy flowing. PRO TIP: put on uplifting music that makes you want to move FIRST THING in the morning to bridge that energetic gap between rising and exercise!
RESPIRATORY. the seat of kapha in the body is the lungs which can get ‘muddy’ or congested this time of year. support the immune system and warm the body to keep the lungs clear with GINGER and TURMERIC. i love chyawanprash or ‘prash’ jam for a delicious immunity boost and LOTUS BLOOMING HERBS is one of my favorites!consider using your NETI POT more often, perhaps even daily, to counter the accumulation typical of this season. PRANAYAMA like kapalabhati (skull shining breathe) and bhastrika (bellows breathe) uplift, warm and clear the lungs too. neither should be practiced by pregnant women or women on their cycle. BANYAN BOTANICALS has great articles on both with a complete list of contraindications.
DIGESTION. spring is the heaviest season and you may have already been feeling slow or sluggish when it come to digestion. GINGER in any form keeps digestive fire, called agni in ayurveda, warm and functioning. GINGER TEA before a meal is like letting the engine run for a few minutes before getting on a wintery road. similarly, TURMERIC helps us digest sugar, fat and oil so consider adding it to food or taking it in any form to counter heaviness. TRIFAL is our go to herb in ayurveda for gentle cleansing and detoxification. SUN POTION carries a low does tonic strength variety and BANYAN BOTANICALS carries a supplement dose in pill form. use as directed.
SOCIALIZING. depression, grief and emotions that are associated with being stuck especially in the past are common this time of year. the blues can tend to make us withdrawal. GETTING OUT with other people will help. when i struggle to get out on my own behalf, i make plans with friends to keep me on course and more accountable. and since its the season of patterns and sticky stuckness, consider with changing up social routines. if you go out one-on-one to events or meals, try going out in a group. if your calendar is dominated by wellness events, go hear a band. if you’re a night owl, try getting together with friends during the day with something like hiking. PRO-TIP: green and black tea are astringent and MATCHA is especially uplifting which is great for kapha!
PASSION. cut through the mud -- cool, stuck, weighty emotions -- with WARM EMOTIONS and FIRE experiences. make sure you get plenty of heartfelt FIERY PASSION in your life! passion in any form will help keep you from getting stuck. for me, passion is playing the drums, running, writing, singing, getting to love the people i love and of course, ayurveda. PRO-TIP: counter what’s stuck in spring by switching things up! consider adopting a NEW PASSION or acting out an existing one in some NEW WAY.
MUSIC. i've been carefully selecting the music i play in yoga classes according to ayurveda and season for five years. you can change your mood instantly by picking the right MUSIC. for the kapha season, forget slow, longing songs for now. instead, play anything uplifting, fiery and driving that makes you want to move. and fellow musicians, warm up as usual and then consider playing 20% faster than usual during practice. just that little bit of extra speed will lift and cheer you up!