ayurvedic guide to spring
as a kapha dominant person and summer baby, i LOVE spring. nature coming back to life?? the ability to walk outside barefoot? laying in the SUN??? those are my top three favorite things in life.
ya girl has that Seasonal Depression, so spring gives me some sweet relief from the dark days and staying inside all the time. don’t get me wrong, i love colorado, but winters can be brutal. it takes all of the self care tools i have up my sleeve to simply survive the cold and dark.
now that we are transitioning into warmer weather, it’s time to shake off our spring and summer ayurvedic tools!
new to ayurveda? check out my ayurveda for beginners post!
spring is kapha season
we are transitioning out of vata season and leaving behind the light, dry and cool qualities of early winter. spring brings damp, cool, and heavy qualities as the earth reawakens from it’s slumber.
how to the gunas (qualities) of kapha show up in spring? as a reminder, these are the gunas of kapha:
cold
heavy
slow
smooth
stable
greasy, or binding
sweet
soft
from my perspective in colorado, the snow gets a lot more wet in march. as april and may move along, the ground the remains moist and cool as things begin to grow and flower. winter slowly transitions into spring here.
personally, spring feels very slow in my life. it’s like i wake up from hibernation and remain a bit sleepy for awhile. spring brings lots of intentional and meditative time. it’s only towards summer (pitta season) that i begin to move quickly and enjoy more activities.
ayurvedic tips for spring
the base of ayurveda is like increases like, so to balance the qualities to spring we want to do the opposite. soooo to balance the heavy, cold, wet energy, we want to…
heat up and lighten our diet. nothing makes me feel better in spring than doing a lifestyle sweep and seeing where i can lighten things up. light foods such as leafy greens, cauliflower, sprouts, rice, and quinoa make me feel so light and wonderful. additionally, we want to be heating up our systems. think lots of spices, cooked veggies, and warm drinks.
get exercise outside. the earth energy of kapha can keep you feeling stagnant at home. the best thing to balance that out is get outside and get your heart pumping. you’ll want to favor quick, aerobic cardio activities over slow yoga or lots of weightlifting. running, biking or swimming a great! obviously respect your body and your goals, but spring is a great time to push yourself physically. kapha energy has lots of stamina, so you may be able to go for longer in a lot of ways. ;)
socialize. you’re coming out of your hobbit hole from winter, it’s time to see your friends. as of writing this we’re still in a panini press, so please follow local guidelines and wear a mask when socializing. even if it’s a facetime friend date or a social distance happy hour, stretch yourself to use your extravert skills.
get out of your routine. kapha dosha can be really sunk into routines, so now is an appropriate time to branch out of those. follow your intuition and do what feels good for you this season.
get less sleep. this feels real counterintuitive, but kapha dominant people tend to sleep waaaay too much. if you are sleeping more than 9 hours a night, consider going to bed later and getting up earlier. in ayurveda, you should strive to get up before 6am.
of course, ayurveda is also a personalized approach to wellbeing. your individual constitution is going to be impacted differently than another person’s. that’s why it’s important to look at tips specific to your dominant dosha!
for a deeper dive into general spring ayurveda tips, i love this guide from banyan botanicals.
spring for pitta dosha
dude. pitta types can benefit so much by kapha energy. talk about balancing the fire in you!
lean into all aspects of kapha. you are used to moving fast and getting shit done. use this time to foster patience and slowwwww down.
snuggle in. your season isn’t quite here yet, so before you get all riled up hang out at home for a bit! spend the time to make your nest super cozy.
gets lots of sleep. let your body rest and get the sleep it deserves. you absolutely have permission to sleep from 10 to 7. out of all the dosha types, you need the most sleep.
spring for vata dosha
you made it through winter, aka vata season. if you haven’t actively balancing your airy-ness, you might be feeling a bit frazzled coming out of winter. don’t worry, there’s plenty of opportunities to balance vata in the spring.
prioritize warming and grounding. nothing better than getting a warm cup of ginger tea and reading a book as the snow melts imo. that activities calm down your nervous system, and thus your anxious mind.
embrace the calm energy of kapha. you are so creative and wonderful, but vata types are prone to tons of anxiety, which is from an imbalance of air. kapha has the exact opposite effect, by bringing you back to earth. embrace slow yoga, meditation and being a bit of a homebody.
indulge a bit. you’re coming out of your season, which means you will have less external factors that can cause more of vata imbalance. enjoy things you couldn’t in winter such as baked good or fruits that are otherwise unacceptable. you deserve it.
spring for kapha dosha
kapha dominant people, this is your season! i am also very kapha dominant, and i definitely feel the kapha energy in spring. you are going to want to be especially mindful to balance the kapha in your system, as it’s going to be very easy to slip back into the winter funk.
get exercise. any kind is good, but strive for cardio and lightweight exercises. and get out and be creative. try new classes! exercise somewhere new!
go to bed late and get up early. we’re talking fall asleep at 11 and get up at 6. it may feel awful and first, but it will help get rid of the sluggish energy. if you find it hard to get immediately out of bed, immediately get up, splash cold water on your face, and do three quick sun salutations. that normally does the jobs for me!
prioritize warmth and lightness. in everything you do, think and consume, consider what quality it has. kapha people are predisposed to depression, bad circulation and weight gain. how can you keep things light and warm? what does that even mean to you?
consider herbal allies. lifestyle is the cornerstone of ayurveda, but sometimes we all need a little help. i love using this kapha massage oil when i practice abhyanga. it’s infused with so many herbs that balance kapha.
lean in to your good kapha qualities. you are known for being kindhearted, patient and a peacemaker. share your natural qualities with the world as they navigate the wonders of kapha season.