I am one happy bunny now that spring is here.
Spring time brings an incredible vibrancy to the air as the plants that
have rested throughout the winter burst forth with renewed vigour. It is a time
of growth, ascendancy and new potential. But with this new growth comes a time
of change for our bodies.
Spring is time of increased warmth and wetness from a
thawing of the congealed damp of winter. Because of the high amount of cold and
wet qualities of winter and the heavier diet that we take to offset the
climate, we have all accumulated some excess Kapha (water) at this time.
Just as there are spring floods from rivers overflowing
so there are internal ‘floods’. The increased heat ‘melts’ our Kapha
accumulation causing spring colds and hayfever. So we want to use this time to cleanse the
body and prepare for the ‘melted’ Kapha to flow out of our body.
This cleansing can help Kapha imbalances to be removed
from the body before they impact negatively on your health. If you know that
you are a Vata (air) type, then you usually like spring with its
warm and wet qualities.
However as it’s a time of change, if you have any Vata
problems, then it’s best to pay due attention to re-balancing your Vata. Pitta
(fire) is balanced in the early
part of spring but can accumulate as the warmth increases so just remember that
you may need to pay attention to re-balancing Pitta in the summer.
As Kapha imbalances are the main threat during spring the
general rule is to try and follow a
Kapha reducing lifestyle.
SPRING ROUTINE:
*Wake early (6-7am) and utilise your new season vitality.
Kapha is especially aggravated by sleeping beyond 7am and rising early is a
useful way to reduce Kapha aggravations of fatigue, lethargy, mucus and muzzy
headaches. Avoid excessive rest and
oversleeping.
*Before you shower, give yourself a quick self-Abhyangam
massage using organic Sesame or Sunflower oil to reduce Kapha from the skin. (I will
post up Deepak Chopra’s instructions on how to do a self-Abhyangam
massage).
*Even a quick massage should include skin
rubbing which is very valuable
at this time of year for stimulating lymphatic circulation. After doing
your head then go direct to massaging your feet and legs, then progressing to
the arms and back and then to the chest and abdomen. This brings lymphatic
fluid back to the heart for elimination via the blood where toxins and wastes
are cleared by the liver and kidneys.
Follow with a hot shower to refresh the body.
*If you don’t feel like doing a self-massage every day
then stimulate your skin with a dry
massage with a silk glove or use some organic soap and a good exfoliating glove
or loofah sponge (not too harsh) to
stimulate the circulation.
*If you can have a sauna during this early part of spring
it will help to sweat out some of the liquefied Kapha that occurs at this time
of year.
*ESSENTIAL TIP: First thing in the morning drink a cup of warm ginger and lemon water to stimulate digestion and cut through any
mucous that has accumulated overnight.
*Practice Kapha regulating yoga poses which
are dynamic, expansive and stimulating. Increase
emphasis on your breathing. Do vigorous sun salutation up to twelve rounds
until you are warm and your breathing becomes deep. Also include backwards and
forward bends that open the chest to stimulate the kidneys and lungs. Also
include spinal twists such as rotated triangle.
*If doing other forms of exercise, make sure that you
move vigorously until you break a sweat every day for at least 30 minutes –
whether it’s hiking, speed swimming, or intense aerobics– they’re all very
helpful. Ignore your initial resistance
to doing this, as you’ll start converting stored fat into energy right away, and
you will be pleasantly surprised to see dramatic weight loss results in a
matter of weeks.
*Deep pranayama breathing with emphasise on Frontal brain
encourages the clearing of Kapha. Make a daily habit of
breathing more deeply, as it charges up your metabolism.
*The spring diet should emphasise the bitter, pungent and astringent foods that help to clear mucous and excess
moisture from the body. The bitter and pungent flavours also help to open the
channels of elimination.
*An excellent breakfast for balancing metabolism for all
three body-types is a cooked apple or pear with cooked prunes and figs. This breakfast choice is light and sustains
most people until noon, when they can eat their heaviest meal.
*A healthy evening meal for a Kapha-person, and for
everyone during this spring re-balancing time, is soup made with vegetables,
grains and dhal and flavoured with spices such as cumin, fresh ginger, black
pepper, and turmeric. Or try a Kitchari, a light meal made with rice
and split mung dhal, is also a light Kapha-reducing meal (I recommend this
weekly no matter what the weather as it improves digestion).
*TOP THINGS TO ADD are ginger, tonic water,
spiced non-alcoholic cider, cranberries, turmeric, and beans to your day. Especially fresh ginger which will stimulate your
digestion by eating a little before meals.
*Plus pulses which are considered to be astringent so
they can be emphasised at this time of year with red
lentils, aduki beans and chickpeas which are good for clearing Kapha.
*Include plenty of green leafy vegetables, split mung
dhal soup and other bean soups, and astringent vegetables such as broccoli,
cauliflower and brussel sprouts. It's important to cook your vegetables
and eat them warm, rather than relying on raw vegetables. Raw vegetables are
difficult to digest, whereas to balance Kapha Dosha you want to eat warm,
light, cooked foods.
*Increase light grains such as rice,
quinoa, barley, millet, corn. Quinoa is an
excellent grain for managing weight, as it has high protein and zinc content
(4mg of zinc per cup). But it should be cooked with a bit of ghee or olive oil,
as otherwise it may be too drying.
*Basmati rice is also a good grain because it has a more
drying quality than other types of rice, but quinoa is better because it has
the intelligence of fire to support weight loss.
*Kapha
can be disturbed by excessive intake of dairy, cold and oily foods. You must avoid ice, refrigerated foods eaten cold, eating
too much, eating between meals and sleeping in the day as they will offset all
of the other good work that you are doing.
*Also avoid the sweet, sour and salty flavours that are heavy and cause water stagnation
in the body. Your meals should be warm, light and very easy to digest. Whilst
the nature of most food is sweet it is important to add the bitter, pungent and astringent flavours into your diet.
*Honey is considered to be slightly astringent and
warming, it is the only sweetener a Kapha-type person is allowed as it actually
helps to clear mucus but only in
moderation for everyone, not more than two tablespoon per day, as it’s still sugar.
*You will notice a dominance of yellow flowers in the
spring and yellow and the liver are also connected. Many of these yellow
flowers, such as dandelion tea, benefit the liver.
*If you are a Kapha-person then it’s recommended you stay
away from stimulants like coffee, black tea, yerba matte, etc. These stimulants have upsetting side effects
like insomnia, tremors, anxiety and increased blood pressure and will make you
feel nervous, jittery and agitated.
After your initial course of Kapha clearing move back to
your own Dosha-balancing diet and methods.
If you would like all of these tips to be put into a Nutrition and Lifestyle Plan which
includes 7-day or 14-day Meal Plans and Recipes then please visit www.pranahealingholidays.com
It is my goal to help you maximise your health and
minimise disease. Read further on how I can design a Nutrition and Lifestyle Plan for you, whether it is according to
your Dosha-type, or to address your personal health goals such as weight loss,
avoid heart conditions, minimise arthritis, allergies, etc.
