Ayurveda Spring Routine

In the System of Ayurveda, the sister science to yoga that deals with our health.(and so much more), we dig deep to recognize causes of disease and illness. In the early stages before disease sets in, fully, or even with managing existing symptoms of a disease, working with an Ayurveda wellness counselor can have amazing effects. Ayurveda truly is preventative as we recognize 32 root causes of disease as early symptoms making it much easier to reverse the disease process.  Ayurveda recognizes one cause for symptoms and illness as Vyapannarutu. This is seasonal disorders that are appropriate to the seasons, such as seasonal allergies.  Spring in the midwest is Kapha time. Kapha is made up of the elements earth + water. If Kapha is part of your constitution you may be prone to more springtime symptoms than someone who is vata, in which spring may natural balance them out.

Many of us if we are sensitive to our environments and well-being, will feel this shift on some level. If we turn to the wisdom of our body, as yoga teaches us, then we can adapt our daily routines to fit a balanced and healthy lifestyle. Time to soak up the humid, grounding earth quality that springtime can bring as a natural catalyst to balance and manifest all those things you have been dreaming of this past winter. Time to cultivate. But cultivation requires care.

What you could be experiencing if you have access Kapha accumulation right now:

Head and chest cold, allergies, heaviness, overall sluggishness and sleepiness, sticky sluggish stools, swelling around the ankles and fingers, headaches, edema around the ankles which can be cause from heart condition….As a yoga therapist I often see my patients with heart conditions tend to have a harder time managing their illness this time of year..which is something to be mindful of, and work closely with your physician and wellness practitioners to do what you can to stay your healthiest even in the midst of disease.

What has worked for us brilliantly during the winter may not be the case as we enter springtime. Time to reflect on ways you may want to undo and redo your current routines.

Here are some ways that I change my springtime routine that help me to manage my excess springtime kapha.

  1. Begin eating breakfast (instead of intermittent fasting in the mornings) to kickstart my metabolism. Some suggestions are stewed apples, no cook oats, or a green juice within an hour of waking.
  2. Make the lunchtime meal the largest.  Ayurveda always recommends the noontime meal to be the biggest as it is the best time of day for digestion and assimilation.
  3. Eat an earlier, lighter dinner. This may not be easy with after school activities and the sun staying in the sky longer, but is essential to prevent against the heaviness that Kapha brings.
  4. Sit in a sauna. You may be more geared up to do this on those 20 below days in winter, but now that kapha season is here a dry sauna can balance out all the excess moisture in the air and help your body through the natural detoxification process.
  5. Have a small cup of coffee in the morning. Yes! This is actually the best season,(and only season if you are pitta or vata) that you may actually enjoy 1- 6 oz cup of coffee and not feel the negative effects. On the contrary if you have been overdoing the caffeine, this may be a good time to take it down because this habit should start to be weened by summertime..  enjoy a cup of joe now.
  6. Cut out alcohol and heavy meats. Your body is trying hard to melt away those holiday pounds, and consuming heavy(tamasic) foods will only make it work harder, leaving you more exhausted.
  7. Compassion meditation. Try not to feel the overwhelm of this exciting time of year as we prepare for all those seeds we are planting. Feel your own light as a living prayer to others at the end of your mediation practice.
  8. Movement. Take time to steep in your yoga practice, dynamic movement, followed by some longer holds in standing poses, gentle backbends, and inversions such as putting your legs up the wall. Take a 10 minute walk toward the sun each morning or sunset each evening. (that’s 20 minutes because you will have to walk back 🙂
  9. Yoga nidra vs sleep. When you just feel like you need a nap, allow yourself a full 20 minute yoga nidra practice. Here is one for you I’ve created. 
  10. Do an ayurvedic cleanse. Cleansing under the guidance of an ayurveda health education is one of the best things you can do to reset, and the best part is the cleanse will provide you lots of support while tailoring to fit your needs based on an ayurveda consult.

Enjoy this season and let me know how I can support you on your healing journey!

Love All Ways,

Vani

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