Sometimes the transition from winter doesn’t leave us feeling as light and sweet as springtime should. We can feel darker and heavier, physically and energetically. This is KAPHA season.

Kapha season in Ayurveda runs from late winter into spring. Ayurveda is India’s traditional, holistic ‘life science’ that teaches how to balance the three ‘doshas’, (vata, pitta, kapha), that form our unique cellular constitution (‘prakriti’).

(More about Ayurveda on the blog soon!)

Kapha denotes the water + earth elements, creating winter qualities: cold, heavy, dull, and damp. (Think snow and springtime showers). In the inner world, kapha’s earth element makes us calm, steady, reliable and grounded and the water element keeps skin and hair thick and moisturized.

Internal kapha gets out of balance this season, as like increases like. We’re prone to imbalances: poor circulation, heaviness, colds, allergies, and water retention. Mentally, we can become foggy, lazy, monotonous, depressed, melancholic and unable to let go of things.

Ayurveda helps us benefit from each season’s uniquely beautiful possibilities by regaining effortless balance without fighting the natural rhythm of things. We don’t want to ‘give in’ to the kapha energy, but we also don’t want to ‘fight it’!

Tips to stay in a state of harmony:

1. Embrace it.

Kapha qualities are NOT bad. But in excess they can cause imbalance.
So yes, EMBRACE kapha season! Nature gives us the chance to absorb the earth energy and make the most of this slower, darker season; it is ok to slow down and be a little more introspective than normal to restore balance in your busy lives.

2. Stay Warm.

Favor foods with warming, dry, stimulating qualities (opposite to kapha). Minimize raw foods. Drink your organic green juice at room temperature during daytime only. Go to a dry, steam-free sauna. Start your day with fiery yogic breathing techniques to get your agni (digestive fire) burning. Kapalabhati pranayama (breath of fire) helps remove stagnant lung toxins, avoid colds and allergies, and vigorously awaken the body to help kick the coffee habit!

3. Rise earlier.

Just like kapha has a season, it also has a time of day: 6am – 10am in which your body is programmed to be slow. Wake up before 7am to begin the day more energized. Sleeping in is really not in your best interest during kapha season!

4. Herbs, herbs, herbs.

An important aspect of ayurvedic nutrition is the medicinal use of herbs our abundant earth has to offer. Try warming herbs like shilajit (in our Longevity Tonic), turmeric, clove, cinnamon, ashwaganda and LOTS of ginger in cooking, teas and before meals.

5. Switch things up.

Spontaneity and variation will make you receptive to the transitions of spring. Perfect for combating kapha sluggishness and monotony! MOVE your body in new ways. Reverse the ‘closed off’ feeling winter induces by opening up the body with exercises like yoga. We’re not giving you permission to become gym addicts; the idea is to get your energy flowing, not to force things!

Sparkle on Spring lovers 💞