Transitioning between seasons can be awkward and uncomfortable. Right now as we begin to transition from winter to spring, we can find ourselves taking off our warmer coats, and then two days later putting them back on. We can find ourselves feeling sleepy, like we want to go back into hibernation mode, and then feeling excited and full of energy all in one day. The weather isn’t consistently warm yet, but it isn’t consistently cold either.
To keep us grounded, according to Ayurveda, it’s important that we draw upon, balance out, and work with the qualities of kapha (the dosha comprised of earth and water) as we head into spring. We usually cultivate a lot of vata and a little kapha in winter, as we tend to be colder, more mentally than physically oriented, slower moving, sleepier and hungrier than in the other seasons. And now that the weather/season is changing from mostly vata and a little kapha to mostly kapha, we’re encouraged to leave behind some of those ultra-cozy qualities of winter and make room for lightness in spring.
Kapha is the energy that forms the body’s structure, like bones, muscles, tendons, etc. and is an earthy-watery combination that acts as a glue to hold the cells and components of the body together. It lubricates, moisturizes, structures, and maintains us on our path to wellbeing. To be in balance with the kapha-nature of this time, we want to focus on our foundations, the structure of our lives so that we can feel grounded and safe in order to have fun. It’s a great time to reflect on what you’ve been spending your time and energy on, and asking if it’s all still relevant and applicable to what makes you happy and what you desire going forward. It’s a wonderful time of the year to shift around habits, physical clutter, and/or relationships so that you can create an even more solid and joyful foundation for you life.
Because spring is associated with kapha, a mixture of earth and water, it has the ability to provide new growth or to leave us stuck in the mud, literally and figuratively. It’s important for us to mindful of not leaning too far into earth (which would leave us feeling heavy, sluggish, stuck) or into water (which would leave us feeling emotional, overwhelmed, dull, and cloudy). In balance, the quality of kapha is very nurturing, flexible, calming, loving and forgiving; out of balance, the quality becomes more possessive, greedy, envious, and lazy. So checking in with our emotions and making time to journal about what’s leaving us feeling stuck, exhausted, drained, or envious is another great practice for the spring. Doing so can give us clarity and insight around what shifts we can make and actions we can take to come back into alignment and experience more joy.
Kapha responds well to lightness, warmth, and dryness, so making plenty of time to do activities that make you feel a lightness of being (joyful, open, excited), and activities that warm you up emotionally and physically (and don’t leave you feeling damp or moist for extended periods of time) is really important. That means if you love swimming or surfing by all means, please enjoy those activities and let them bring you joy, but maybe be mindful of how many hours you spend in the water and how quickly you get dry after you’re done.
Spending time in nature or engaging in creative activities that bring you joy and allow you to breathe deeply and easily are great ways to spend your spare time right now. Some possible supportive spring-time activities could be: walking in nature, doing morning sun salutations (yoga), painting, dancing, singing, cooking, playing chess with a friend, doing Sudoku, reading, exercising a moderate and consistent amount—or, really anything that’s fun for you and easy to incorporate into a regular routine. The goal of spring is to have a solid foundation from which you can play and create and express from. Doing things that leave you feeling grounded, refreshed, and inspired is highly encouraged!
Eating more stimulating foods during this season (think astringent, bitter, and pungent tastes—you can refer back to our previous article on Pungent taste!) is a great idea, and cooking more with these spices will support digestion throughout the spring: turmeric, ginger, black pepper, asafoetida, cayenne pepper, and mustard seeds. Eating lighter foods in small amounts more often is a great way to keep the body balanced; that means salads, warm salads or sautéed greens, cooked seasonal vegetables with spices and light oil/ghee, smoothies, soups, broths, and vegetables and light grains (like buckwheat) are all really great meal choices as we make the transition in to spring. Really heavy dense foods might make us to feel sluggish or stuck or even unmotivated, so be wary of eating a lot of food at once or foods that are heavy and rich (dairy, meats, large meals, meals with a lot of different kinds of ingredients combined, etc.). Keeping your meals and your schedule simple, light, and delightful will support you a lot during this time!
Overall, we encourage everyone to welcome spring with open-arms! To embrace the qualities of lightness, joy, regeneration, and growth! If you need extra support this season, check out our offerings or reach out with specific questions and needs. We’re here to support you!
Delighting In Springtime
