Winter. Oversized mugs of hot chocolate. Turtle neck ribbed sweaters. The smell of logs burning and hot soup on the stove. Winter is filled with cozy. It is a time of ceasing. It calls for a certain hibernation, a getting away from the excess of activity in order to prepare thy self for the newness that lies ahead. The leaves drop and the flowers die yet, there is great potential beneath the surface, spirit waiting for spring. The winter or cold season calls for a going inwards, a turning into the self to uncover that which is beyond.

Within the death of winter lies the promise of new life. This is spring and it’s the most perfect time of year to begin, again. To re-enliven hope and set apart the self for higher yearnings. More so than at the time of a new year, it is the spring time we are most reminded of when we think about the newness God has offered to us; a gift wrapped up in the symbolism of nature.

In wild life, mammals use seasonal changes to depict a new living schedule and eating pattern for themselves. Birds migrate again, males in search for a mate. Many cultures and traditions welcome spring with celebration, honoring nature in its blessings of rain upon parched land.

There is potential within us and we can allow the beauty of spring to draw it out.

Winter held stagnation, for good reason. Things must die and hide; settle and rest in order for new germination to take place. Yet also the heaviness and gloom of winter must equally be met with the lightness of spring, our body and minds so greatly crave. If you are finding yourself somewhere between the death of winter and the budding growth of new, contemplate with me the many beautiful ways we can incorporate newness, freshness and hope into our lives.

Kapha

In the Ayurvedic science of longevity and natural health, spring is identified with the dosha of Kapha, just as winter is. In Sanskrit, kapha means, “that which flourishes in water.” It is kapha that is wet, warm, and slow. Kapha is within all living matter, within nature holding a plant together and within us holding the solid structures of our tissues and skin.

Most of us find going from winter to spring a very welcoming time, as we mentally sense a shedding of layers so to speak. Yet, if there is excess kapha from the winter season, further kapha aggravation in the spring will bring with it health troubles. for example in the forms of itchiness, colds, obesity and thyroid issues. With a few simple guidelines, we can transition from winter to spring in a more gentle manner. We can support our physiology by simply learning to tune into our body and supporting it gently. It can be very helpful to understand ones Ayurvedic constitution to further support the body during the springtime and through out the year. Restored Sattva offers a free 30-minute online initial health consultation, in addition to this guide.

Releasing what doesn’t belong

The mind holds on to things from yesterday and the worries of tomorrow also tend to take up residence Going into spring is a beautiful reminder to start letting some of that go, especially thoughts that no longer serve us in the direction we want to go.

Ama or toxins, is noted in Ayurveda as being the cause of disease. Though our body channels close up in the winter and ama tends to accumulate more at this time, ama is being released in the springtime. As the weather warms up, the channels of our body start to relax, and with support, have the opportunity to release the ama that is contributing to health issues.

Kapha starts to reduce in the spring. There is a nurturing gentleness that comes forth during spring time, and a warmth that invigorates kapha, in a sense melting it away.

Your best tool - Gentleness

Spring time shines forth a natural gentleness as nature gently awakens. The same is true for us as children of God and children of earth.

The best tool for coming into balance and healing from physical and mental traumas is the very act of gentleness toward ourselves and others.

And it will always be our most supportive tool. Gentleness is healing. What does gentleness look like? It’s thinking and speaking on a quiet, meditative, compassionate and uplifting manner. It’s loving our faults enough to give them attention and support. It’s taking time to breathe in the gift of life and contemplate the giver of life.

Supporting Agni

Another tool we will continually turn to is supporting and strengthening our gut health. Ayurveda takes this a step further in identifying the beautiful power and strength within our intestines, a fire so to speak, that breaks down our food. This fire is agni and agni is identified all over the body in our cells and our doshas. It is intellect and when impaired, brings suffering. The way we digest food determines how well the cells of our body get fed and this determines the health of agni everywhere in our body. A strong digestive fire, or agni, in the intestines will allow kapha to gently come into balance but a weak agni will cause released kapha to be mixed with ama, allowing it to circulate in the body. This is called shleshma, causing fatigue, lack of clarity, and prone to infections and colds.

Learning to recognize kapha imbalances can help us to better care for ourselves during spring. Kapha imbalance in the mind may show up as feeling tired, lazy, and depressed. Kapha imbalance in the digestive tract may make us feel heaviness, indigestion, slow digestion, or oily pale or sticky bowels movements. Kapha imbalance in the respiratory system may appear within excess mucus and overall congestion in nose and throat. Kapha imbalance in the circulatory system including the muscles, adipose tissues and skin may show up as swollen lymph nodes, hypertension, itchiness and weight gain. Kapha imbalance elsewhere in the body may show within excess urination, water retention, low libido, slow menstrual cycle, joint stiffness, heavy eyes, and fungal infections.

Ayurveda encourages attention to diet and ones manner in eating to bring the doshas into balance as well as gentle living. Pungent, bitter, and astringent foods help pacify kapha. Pungent tastes help the body to detoxify by helping us to break down foods more efficiently. Pungent tastes are those such as onions, green chilies, ginger and cardamom, allowing the body to dry out excess moisture and stimulating the metabolism. Note, Ayurveda is much about balance. No food should be taken in excess or else doshas will continue to become imbalanced. Consider an excess of onions to be too stimulating to the mind as well as an excess of raw green chili to aggravate agni . Bitter foods are within the green such as kale and collard greens, zucchini, dill, and sprouts as well as the spices of fenugreek and turmeric. Bitters are especially supporting for proper liver function by aiding the metabolism of fat and sugars. Eating bitters also stimulates the release of pancreatic juices and assists the gallbladder in releasing cholecystokinin (CCK), a hormone that stimulates the gallbladder to release stored bile into the small intestine, all which aid digestion and satiety. Astringent tastes are those that seem to make our mouth dry and are found in lentils, green beans, pomegranates, unripe bananas. Too much however increases vata, the control dosha of our body. A little bit of astringent in the diet is sufficient. Limiting heavy foods such as meats and reducing sweets and excess of grains will also help to keep kapha from continuing in excess.

Freshly cooked warm, easy to digest foods are the best choices for spring.

As with at all times, it is especially important to practice portion control during the spring, to allow for that excess kapha to be removed from the system.

This is a really great time to start consistently drinking ginger tea (ginger root boiled in water) every morning. This helps to support our digestive fire, Agni, so that we can throughly digest all we eat by stimulating our appetite.

Start, again, falling in love with taking care of yourself and feeling alive through exercise. It doesn’t have to be stressful or boring or difficult. If you’ve been sedentary for quite awhile, enjoying a brisk walk or a light lifting of weights or a short yoga practice will prove so healing and cleansing. Along with eating three meals a day of nourishing food, your body will return to a beautiful balance once again.

Springtime lifestyle tips

• Reduce heavy foods such as those with a lot of excess oil and fried foods, as well as excess sweets. The sour taste should also be reduced such as bananas, orange, pineapples, melons and salty tases. While winter was full of hearty squashes, now is the time to start pulling back from sweet potatoes and squashes and instead turning to fresh green vegetables and some cooked fruit. This all will help strengthen agni as a springtime appetite is lower.

• Increase pungent in spices in cooking such as mustard seeds, ginger root, black pepper, hing, and cloves, bitter such as cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower, greens and astringent foods including lentils.

• As always recommended, warm water in the morning is very purifying. Can add a little aloe juice and honey if you’d like, even a little ginger.

• Including more herbal teas during the day will support springs natural cleanse.

• As always, eat only when you are hungry and don’t overeat– when you feel satisfied but not full, allowing room for the body to digest. Remember, what cannot digest properly will contribute to ama and health issues later on.

• Avoid snacking between meals.

• Add spices such as ginger, cardamom, turmeric, or cinnamon to milk before drinking it. Milk is one of the most nutritious foods available, but because of its cold and heavy Gunas or qualities it can increase Kapha and cause congestion. Boiling milk and adding spices reduces those qualities and helps make it more digestible.

• If consuming meat, this is an ideal time to reduce the intake of particular meats that are heavier to digest, such as pork, beef, duck and seafood.

• Nuts are heavy and in excess may not be supportive of springs desired lightness in the body. If consuming nuts, try cooking them into foods rather than consuming them raw.

• Avoid all soya products and fast foods, sweets, chilled drinks and ice cream. They aren’t very supportive for agni.

A Gentle Routine:

• Start the day before 6am, because over time it truly will make you feel your best.

• Brush teeth with natural toothpaste

• Hold oil in mouth afterwards, sesame oil is nice

• Massage body with warm sesame oil to increase circulation and nourish the joints, rinse in a hot shower

• Nourish the nasal passages with oil as well

• Drink warm water

• Breathe and meditate

• Move with gentle yoga

• Invite newness into your day through prayer and enjoy all life has to offer

Above all, relax into Spring, treasuring the open vitality that will soon follow those opening flowers!

Journeying together,

Kari