Huffington Post | Ayurveda for Spring Balance | Springtime Balance

Huffington Post ? Ayurveda for Spring Balance

As per Ayurveda
there are five elements in every living thing in the universe- Earth,
Water, Fire, Air and Space. Each individual has unique combination of all these
elements and that is our own Ayurvedic-
constitution called the ?doshas?- Vata, Pitta and Khapa. Vata is
composed of air and space elements;-
Pitta is fire and water- and Kapha
is water and earth elements.

Vata, Pitta and Kapha, connect not only to each individual,
but also to the seasons of the year. Understanding which dosha is strong during
the present time shows us how to be in harmony with the seasons. And spring
season belongs to Kapha , if in this season one pays attention to the kind of
food one intakes and the lifestyle is led as per the Kapha dosha, it will be
very smooth to glide through the spring without facing allergies and seasonal
colds.

Thus Ayurvedic
wisdom can come handy not only for a good health but it is also very useful in
day to day life.

Ayurveda for Springtime
Balance

Earth, Water, Fire,
Air and Space are the five elements that make up all that exists in our
universe according to Ayurveda, the ancient Indian science of life.

Look around you and
feel inside of yourself. Notice the elements.

Can you find anything
that is not a combination of the five elements?

Each one of us has a
unique mind and body constitution made up of these elements combined to make
our own Ayurvedic fingerprint. This distinctive constitution is called our
prakriti, or mind-body type. In Ayurveda, many people colloquially call our
unique type our dosha.

The doshas are made up
of the five elements and are called vata, pitta and kapha. Vata is composed of
air and space elements and we feel it when we move or breathe. Pitta is fire
and water and we experience it in quick insights or our burning digestive fire.
Kapha is water and earth elements and we experience it when we are hydrated,
fluid and content.

Every one of us has
all three doshic types in varying degrees. Most of us tend to have one dosha
which is more dominant than the others, others are dual-doshic, having two
dominant doshas, and some of us are tri-doshic, or have equal parts of all
three doshas. Whatever one’s exclusive body constitution, knowing ones dosha
can greatly assist in finding optimal well-being, repairing imbalance, and
living out ones highest purpose.

-As you would imagine, vata, a cold, light,
mobile energy, governs fall and winter. Pitta, a hot, sharp, bright energy,
governs summer. Spring, with its cool, moist and heavy qualities, belongs to kapha. So paying
attention to this, we can avoid the seasonal colds and use our knowledge to
benefit us!

Kaphas
qualities are moist, cold, heavy, dull, soft, sticky and static. We experience
many of these qualities in excess if we get a seasonal cold! There are ways to
stay balanced and avoid unhealthy kapha illnesses as the season eases out of winter and into spring. In following these
suggestions remember-that Ayurvedic wisdom
is always a suggestion; use only what your own body wisdom tells you is true for you.

During the
Kapha season the following suggestions may help you to maintain balance and
health within and without:

?Notice the
weather changing with the seasons and how our bodies react.

?As the
weather pattern changes, make changes in lifestyle that are subtly attuned to
the shifts in nature.

?As spring
approaches enjoy vigorous exercise at least 3-4 time per week. Walking, running,
dancing are all good ways to burn off kaphas lethargic, slumping energy.

?Notice any
places where we are withholding or experiencing stubborn energy and instead,
lean into them, when we are ready to burst into spring changes.

?Wear
bright, warm colors like oranges, reds,and golds to stimulate positive energy

?Our diet
should consist of hot, light, dry foods to counteract kapha’s heavy qualities.
For example, eat warm, baked, broiled or grilled foods fresh from the stove or
oven. Avoid cold, heavy, sticky foods such as yogurt, cheeses and ice creams.

?Add more
vegetables to your diet and cut down on cold, sweet, salty or sour food.

?Avoid cold
drinks and enjoy warm ones

?Add more
spices, such as turmeric, paprika, ginger, cayenne (if you can take it!) and
black pepper to your food.

–Following
just some of these suggestions will facilitate a smooth transition from winter
into the full flowering of spring. We give thanks to the ancestors for
Ayurveda’s 5,000 year old science of health and healing that helps balance the
body and mind to create marvelous health and well being.

Published on: 25 May 2015

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