Ayurveda (the holistic "sister-science" of Yoga) divides nature into 3 qualities: Vata, Pitta, and Kapha. The year consists of not 4, but 3 seasons:
Summer is Pitta season when when the atmosphere is hot, wet, firey (think humidity, rain, wild fires, swimming, watermelon).
Fall and early winter are Vata season when the air cool and windy, there's a lots of movement and nature tends to move downward towards earth (think pumpkins, falling, leaves, plants going dormant, frogs burrow into the Earth).
Late winter and early spring is Kapha season, when the atmosphere is cool, damp, and heavy (think cold, rainy days and thick, sticky mud). These qualities can have a huge influence on our minds and bodies. You may know what I’m taking about already this time of year - feeling unbalanced, sluggish and tired, slow, and maybe even some feelings of melancholy. Feeling stuck between the cold, dormant winter and anxiously awaiting summer. Colds and allergies pick up, and digestion can be out of whack. Let me tell you, I have been in a FUNK the last 2 weeks. And maybe this doesn't sound like you at all, which is fine. Your Kapha qualities may be totally balanced and you feel great this time of year. Here's a perfect example of how our Dosha qualities differ from person to person: I woke up 10am this morning to text from a friend showing me she ran 7miles already. She loves running in this weather, I love sleeping. I love running in 80 degrees, she does not haha. Okay, so I don't usually wake up this late but the last few days I'll admit to crawling back in bed after my daughter goes to school to sneak a few more hours of sleep. Yoga is all about non-judgement though, right?? ;)
So if you’re like me and you're feelin’ that Kapha funk, here are some tips to help. Let's get through this together!
⚡ Yoga – Switch up the routine from a wintery, grounding, Vata balancing practice to an uplifting, warming, energetic practice with lots of movement. Include heavy breathing, heart opening poses, and energetic flows. Try to do this in the morning, in a warm environment, or even try a Hot Yoga studio.
Practice walking meditation to get your body moving, and energizing breathwork such as Kapalabhati (not recommended for beginners, or for those who are pregnant or have HBP).
Yoga asana beneficial to balancing Kapha energy are as follows:
Sun Salutations - To get us moving, our blood flowing, and heat the body.
Heart Openers -To lift our energy and tone our adrenals: Virabhadrasana I (Warrior 1), Viparita
Virabhadrasana (Reverse Warrior), Ustrasana (Camel), Natarajasana (Lord of the Dance)
Twists - To aid in digestion: Parivrtta Utkatasana (Revolved Chair), Parivrtta Ashta Chandrasana (Revolved Crescent Lunge, high lunge)
⚡Food – Switch to lightweight, warming foods. In fall and winter we want grounding (literally from the ground, like squash and sweet potatoes), warming foods, but this is too heavy for Kapha season. Try lightweight, but still warming, foods such as veggie soups with light vegetables and greens, and room temperature smoothies (skip the ice cubes). Eat a light breakfast and save the bigger meal for lunch. ⚡Environment – Mist or diffuse uplifting oil blends such as orange, grapefruit, ylang ylang, frankincense, cinnamon, geranium or lemongrass. ⚡Sleep – Wake up super early. Just as the Dosha seasons influence our mind and body, so do Dosha times. Kapha dominant time of the day is 6-10 (am & pm). This means if we wake up after 6am, we can feel extra sluggish like we slept in too much. It’s best to wake up before 6am and get moving. And it's no secret that this also means you should get to bed a little earlier. Try to get to bed before 10pm, as we tend to get a second wind when Pitta starts (10pm-2am). This all may sounds excruciating, but keep that Mind-Over-Matter attitude and you’ll be okay!
Nature consists of all three Dosha qualities (Vata, Pitta, Kapha), but one is usually dominant. When they're out of balance is when we can feel all the funk.
Are you wondering what your dominant Dosha is? Click on the link to find out! The results might answer questions about yourself you never imagined!
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