(18 min CLASS) Ayurveda Tips for Spring w/ Vanashree Belgamwar

According to Ayurveda, Spring is a high Kapha season. Without the proper implementation of intentional structure, this time of year can become challenging for your respiratory and digestive system, also your mental health.

DOSHA: Kapha
ELEMENTS: High Water + Earth
BODY: respiratory system, digestive system and mind.
EMOTIONS: depression, seasonal affective disorder, sadness, grief, sense of heaviness in body and mind-dull, groggy mind, lack of motivation, over emotional.

When high amounts of the water and earth element is present in the body and the mind, it might result in the heaviness, lethargy, fatigue, grogginess, etc. This time of year especially effects areas of the body that are associated with respiration-sinus congestion, seasonal allergies, colds, flu, cough. Symptoms of imbalance can also show up in the digestive tract as a feeling of fullness and low appetite.

Key words: heaviness, grounding, slow, cloudy, stable, groggy, dull, sticky, lethargy, fatigue

Embodiment:

During Spring it can be challenging to balance Kapha in the body, as it naturally high in nature. Balancing the heavy, dull, stagnant, stable, slow qualities of Kapha can be beneficial.

Consume foods and engage in activities of the opposite nature during spring, focus on nourishing warming foods and activities. Creating movement and sense of joy by doing sun salutations and meditations focusing on the solar plexus. During spring keep your ‘Agni’ digestive fire stimulated to avoid weight gain and mucus build up.

Stagnation and heaviness in mind and emotions from the earth and water element are predominant. It is very important to keep everything in balance especially during the transition seasons like spring. The Doshas are trying to settle and find the right place in the body. Focus on building immunity to avoid illnesses.

Spring is an ideal season for detoxifying cleanses, so get ready to purify and rejuvenate your system

Suggestions

FOODS

Light to digest, brothy, warming

Kitchari-rice and mung bean porridge
Bone broth, broth soups
Barley vegetable soup
Stews with cruciferous vegetables
Focus on seeds more than nuts
Use warming spices generously - ginger, garlic, cloves, nutmeg, cinnamon, & cardamom to support immunity and digestive fire
Start your day with fresh ginger, lemon, honey, and turmeric tea
Avoid: baked goods, sugar, sweets, fermented, deep fried or oily, dairy, fatty foods

LIFSTYLE

Increase your immunity and balance respiratory healthy

Nasya - administering oil drops in your nose at bedtime to avoid seasonal allergens
Meditate - Sun meditation
Activate solar plexus
Exercise regularly to avoid feeling heavy & groggy
Sun salutations every day
Yoga poses that involve bending of the abdomen: forward folds, backward bends, cat/cow, downward dog.

MEET YOUR TEACHER

Vanashree Belgamwar is an Ayurvedic practitioner, yoga and a spiritual teacher (art of living).She holds a BAMS (Bachelor of Ayurvedic medicine and surgery) degree from ‘University of health sciences, India’.In addition to that, she is trained in ‘Nadi Pariksha’ (Ayurvedic pulse diagnosis) an amazing diagnostic tool that can tell you a lot about your well being. Vanashree hosts multiple workshops on Ayurveda and Ayurvedic cooking around Twin Cities.

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