As we move from Winter into the Spring season, you may have noticed feelings of invigoration within you, with an urge to exercise and reconnect with nature, spending time outside in the sunshine, working in the garden. With the changing seasons, it is important to understand the natural changes which occur inside our body in response to the outside seasonal change. In Ayurveda, health is considered to be good when a balance between mind, body and the environment is maintained. To do this it is very important to adapt ourselves to the seasonal routine/regimen suitable for each season (diet and lifestyle changes).
To know more about what is ayurvedic seasonal regimen (Ritucharya) read my previous blog which will give you a deep understanding of all the 6 seasons ayurveda takes into consideration to decide seasonal routine for each season. Click here to read that blog.
Effects of Spring (Vasanta) on our body
Period – mid March to mid May
Spring season arrives in the period of Northern Solstice. During this period Sun rays become stronger as compared to winter. Winds become increasingly sharp. Fresh green grass starts coming out of soil, trees are full of beautiful flowers with wonderful scent. Birds start singing as winter is gone and weather is warm again ?
Kapha dosha which has undergone increase in cold season (Shishira) becomes liquefied by the heat of the Sun in spring. It diminishes the digestive fire (Agni) and gives rise to many diseases. Hence Kapha should be controlled quickly during this period. To know more about the 3 doshas (Vata, Pitta, Kapha) and how they affect you, read my other blog on it- click here.
Signs and symptoms of kapha aggravation during spring season:
Cough, cold, sneezing, rhinitis, bronchitis, Sinusitis, indigestion, feeling of heaviness, nausea, excess salivation etc.
On the other hand a person with balanced doshas enjoys this weather. He feels fresh and ready to enjoy the season. His mind becomes active and starts enjoying blossoms and cool breezes. He gains energy, enthusiasm and has a relaxing experience.
Diet regimen:
During this period, one should consume easily digestible foods.
Food items tasting bitter (Tikta), pungent (Katu), and astringent (Kashaya) are to be consumed more. Besides them, honey is to be included in the diet.
Include barley, wheat, rice, bitter vegetables, mango in your diet.
Spices such as coriander, cumin, turmeric, and fennel helpful stimulate the digestion and detoxify the skin. These spices pacify the aggravated kapha in the body. They stimulate the digestive fire or agni and this restores optimal digestion.
Eating times:
Kapha is predominant during the time 6:00 am to 10:00 am so avoid excess eating during this period. Stick with a light breakfast. During this season, let lunch be the biggest meal of the day as pitta dosha is predominant around noon. It will aid in proper digestion of the food.
Drinks:
Drink fresh ginger tea with honey to balance kapha.
Drink warm lemon water with a little salt in the morning to stimulate elimination of kapha.
Foods to be avoided:
Foods which are hard to digest are to be avoided.
Avoid heavy, oily, sweet & sour foods and drinks. As these foods are naturally increase kapha, they will aggravate the present symptoms of kapha.
Lifestyle changes:
– Go for rigorous exercises, this will help in clearing the increased kapha. Exercising outdoors helps to reconnect with nature and promotes a healthy mind.
– Avoid day-time naps, especially sleeping after lunch as this slows down the digestion.
– Do some meditation to keep yourself calm.
– If you smoke, cut down on your smoking habit. Smoking causes indigestion that again results in kapha aggravation. Well, actually you should not smoke at all ever. But you already know that so wont preach about it . You know what to do about it ?
– Practice self-massage daily. In Ayurveda, a self-massage ritual known as ‘Abhyanga’. It can be performed every morning using warmed sesame oil. To know more about benefits of sesame oil click here to read my other blog on it. Abhyanga is a healing, soothing practice that helps balance the mind and stimulate waste elimination.
– Apply skin packs like Sandalwood powder on the body.
– Use warm water for bath.
– Panchakarma (cleansing and rejuvenating ritual) is recommended. Panchakarma is offered by Ayurveda centers throughout the world, where the procedure is tailored to an individual’s dosha and specialized treatments are given by Ayurveda practitioners.
With “spring fever” in the air, it’s a great time to start new projects, take classes, plant seeds and travel while the energy is there for the taking.
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Source:
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