There sure is a lot of water coming down and rising up. According to the teaching of Ayurveda, we live most healthfully when we live according to the cycles of Nature. Right now the earth is holding on to a lot of water, so our bodies tend to hold onto water too. How do we know this? Look at the proliferation of allergies, colds, congestion and sinus infections.

Here are some suggestions from Ayurveda that will help us feel better right now:

√ Eat less. This is not a popular suggestion, to be sure! But the earth is not providing much food at this time; this is a sure sign to eat less. The harvest is greens of all types, radishes, asparagus and green beans. Try to avoid dairy and wheat products in the spring to prevent weight gain.

√ Drink enough (but not too much) water. Since the body is holding onto water in the spring we may forget that we still need to hydrate. Drink a little less than ½ of your body weight in ounces (150 lbs / 2 = 75 oz or approx. 9 cups).

√ Detox your liver. The typical winter diet is higher in fat and calories, so spring’s sparser harvest is aimed at reducing fat and detoxing the liver. Start the day with 1-2 cups of warm water with fresh squeezed lemon juice. Eat fresh beet and tart apple salad for lunch or a snack. Avoid fatty and fried foods. Cut down on alcohol.

√ Practice Yoga. Of course, yoga provides excellent practices perfect for the spring. Practice powerful breathing exercises like Breath of Fire and Bellows. Do chest and upper back stretches like back bends, Eagle pose and Cow Face with a strap. Do 2-4 Sun Salutations every day to break a little sweat.

Try these time-tested suggestions and you’ll be feeling great throughout the Spring.

This is the last of our series on news you can use from Yoga and Ayurveda to have a healthy Spring. So far we’ve covered Spring eating, Spring movement and Spring breathing. This post is on Spring meditation.
Meditation is meditation, right? Well, yes and no. Some people find a meditation style that works perfectly for them and they use it for years and years. But for many of us, our meditation style shifts with the seasons, just like our eating, movement and breathing.

So what exactly is a Spring style of meditation? It will take its cues from what we know about the Spring season, such as the heavy, slow, nurturing qualities that describe the kapha dosha in Spring. Here are some practices to consider:

Sitting meditation: This is a time of year when we can really take advantage of the heavy, slow qualities by emphasizing their best features—stability and stillness. We may find that sitting quietly is actually easier this time of year. Find a place where you won’t be disturbed. Sit up straight in a chair or on the floor; even sitting back against a straight wall can help. Set your timer for 5 minutes and follow your breath. If your mind wanders, continually return to your breath. Gradually add time until you’re sitting for 20 minutes.

Walking meditation: If the heavy, slow qualities of kapha are dragging you down, get up and walk. The traditional way to do this is to walk slowly and mindfully by concentrating on each step. One breath per step for 10-20 minutes. Another way to do walking meditation is to get out in Nature—go to a park or walk a trail all the while listening, looking and enjoying the gifts of Nature. No worries allowed to accompany you on this journey!

Give generously from the heart: The most loving and big-hearted people are those with kapha constitution. We can all take a cue from them by giving generously from our heart by making delicious foods to share with others, giving donations to charities that directly help people or animals, or listening without judgment when someone shares their pain or concerns.

Here’s to having a healthy Spring naturally. You can do it!

Welcome to part three in our series on news you can use from Yoga and Ayurveda to have a healthy Spring. Previous posts were focused on Spring eating and Spring movement. Let’s explore Spring breathing.

If you live in a place where allergens abound, this time of year can be challenging. And no, it is not your imagination—allergies ARE getting worse each year. Lots of factors contribute, including warmer global temperatures, poor food choices, staying cooped up indoors too much, and just overall increasing toxicity of the environment. Do not be discouraged, however, because there are things you can do to breathe better in the Spring.

Wear a mask. If you’re going to be outside pulling weeds or otherwise disturbing the plants in your yard, you should definitely wear a mask so as not to deeply inhale all the allergens. If you’ve been outside for quite some time, wash your clothes, take a shower and put on fresh, clean clothes.

Diffuse a minty essential oil. Set up a diffuser in your work space and add a few drops of essential oil, especially eucalyptus, which is anti-inflammatory and anti-bacterial, and peppermint, which clears the sinuses so you can breathe better and relaxes smooth muscles to reduce coughing.

Use a neti pot. Mix warm distilled water (NOT tap water) and a small amount of salt to rinse both nostrils. Salt thins the mucus and blowing your nose at the end clears it out. The neti post can be used morning and/or night, so choose the time that will bring you the best relief.

Practice Brahmari (“buzzing bee” breath): Sit in a comfortable way so that your spine is long, such as on the edge of a chair or on the floor. Inhale the breath through the nose, on the exhalation, hum. Hum so that you feel a vibration in your throat and head. Practice 10 humming breaths. Take a short break and practice 10 more. If your sinuses are congested, hum with a high pitch. If your chest is congested, hum with a low pitch. Otherwise, use a normal pitch.

May you breathe deeply and with confidence and joy for all this Spring season will bring.

We’re continuing our series on news you can use from Yoga and Ayurveda to have a healthy Spring. This is part two on movement. Movement is SO important in the Spring because Spring is the slowest and heaviest season of the year. It makes sense, right? Just like when we are first waking up in the morning, moving slowly, wiping the goop from our eyes, Spring is also taking its time to yawn and stretch and get going.

According to Ayurveda, the two main elements that make up Spring (or kapha dosha) are earth and water. When we mix earth and water in Nature we get mud; when we mix these elements in our body we get sticky and dense. If we don’t shake off that mud, we’re going to gain weight, get congested in our head or gut, and probably feel sad or depressed.

Exercise to the rescue! The best part about our body’s need for exercise is that we don’t need a lot to get health benefits. 30 minutes a day of moving around burns calories and boosts the mood. Heck, you can even get your exercise in 3 10-minute segments and get similar results! Here are some suggestions:

Walk for 10 minutes after meals. You’ll get the calorie burn and an aid for digestion.

Work in your garden. Carrying rocks and pushing wheelbarrows, getting up and down from the ground, bending over and reaching provide a full-body workout. Plus you’ll be out in Nature which helps you attune to the circadian rhythms so you can adjust to Daylight Saving Time.

Yoga should be practiced every day too. Even if you can’t get to a 75-minute class each day, 15 minutes a day will keep you flexible in body and mind. The best yoga in the Spring includes
● Sun Salutations to break a sweat (to alleviate the water element)
● Back bends to open the chest and abdomen (these are the places where kapha dosha “live” in the body)
● Twists to stimulate digestion (which gets sluggish in the Spring), and
● Inversions to increase immune function (the lymphatic system benefits from headstand, shoulderstand and legs up the wall)

Add these movement ideas to the guidelines for eating from our last post so you can have a happy, healthy Spring.

Today begins a four-part series on news you can use from Yoga and Ayurveda to have a healthy Spring. The four topics are Spring Eating, Movement, Breathing and Meditation. Return in two weeks for part two!
 
One of the mistakes people make with regard to food is eating the same things all year. In Nature different foods grow at different times of the year for a reason. For instance, in the winter foods are heavier and we eat more protein. Why? To give ourselves a fat layer to keep us warm during the cold months.
 
But something HAS to change in the Spring. If we continue to eat the way we ate in the winter we will continue to put on weight, get sluggish and tired, and suffer from seasonal allergies, sinus congestion, coughs and post-nasal drip.
 
In the Spring, Nature provides us with food that is pungent, bitter and astringent. Bitter greens detox the liver and spices help to wake up a slow, sluggish metabolism. The best foods to eat are lentils, beans, apples, pears, berries, artichoke, radicchio, radishes, broccoli, asparagus, beets, spinach, salad greens and sprouts. Grains that are slightly drying are much better in the spring than white bread and pasta. Instead, eat barley, quinoa, buckwheat, rye, millet and corn. Use a wide variety of spices and herbs especially ginger and turmeric, but go easy on the salt because it can make you hold on to too much water.
 
Another important thing to remember is that the earth is not providing much food at this time so that is a sign to eat less. As much as possible, try to avoid dairy and wheat products in the spring to prevent weight gain.
 
Whatever your Spring symptoms, this guidance from Ayurveda can help you manage them more naturally.

Early Spring means early Spring colds and allergies. Here’s what you need to do now to stay well!

Why is everyone having such a tough time? Ayurveda teaches that Spring is the season of melting—just as snow melts in the mountains to fill the rivers, fat melts in the human body to help us shed the winter weight and “wake up” from the winter slumber. The melting occurs in two ways—the shedding of winter weight and the loosening of mucus in the body. And if our digestive system is not working at its optimal, that mucus will turn into colds and allergies.

Use a neti pot: This little genie’s bottle really does work some magic on congestion. Fill the pot with warm distilled water and add some nasal salt. Lean over the sink and pour the salt water in one nostril and out the other. If you lift your head too much and the water goes into your throat, simply spit it in the sink. Gently blow the nose and you’ll have easy breathing all day.

Exercise: This is the best time of year to break a sweat. Sweating assists the body’s melting of the fat layer we put on in the winter. And it also helps counteract the coolness of Spring days when it’s easy to get a chill and feel out of sorts. Try a brisk walk by the pond to see the birds pairing up for mating season or do some vigorous Sun Salutations.

Eat seasonal foods: Mother Nature provides us with greens, dandelions and other early Spring plants to help detox the liver and assist this melting process. Also eat beets, ginger, spinach, berries, garbanzo beans and lentils. Use lots of spices and herbs in your food. Avoid dairy and sugar in the Spring.

If you’d like to learn more about how to make these recommendations more specific to your constitution and lifestyle, consider doing an Ayurvedic consultation with Janet this Spring.