Ayurveda is the oldest accepted medicine system in the world. And yet, despite its age, around 70% of the population of India still use Ayurvedic medicine. About 240,000 American adults use it. I couldn’t find any stats for Australia, but here Ayurveda comes under the umbrella of ‘complementary medicines’ — and two in three Australians do use some form of complementary medicine.
Why do so many people still use Ayurveda today?
The simple answer is because Ayurvedic practices, treatments, and diets work. But at the root of the timeless value of this age old health system is balance.
Ayurveda doesn’t just treat symptoms. It offers a holistic, whole-body, whole-mind and whole-spirit approach to health and wellbeing. You start with your gut and the foods you put into your body, and work out from there; and you take into account your environment, and seasonal changes too.
Each season is associated with a certain dosha, which is essentially a quality, or a set of qualities. Spring’s dosha is kapha, which is characterised by heaviness, moistness, groundedness and abundance. When there’s too much kapha in your body you might feel lethargic and low, and you might form more mucus which can make allergies and illnesses worse.
So, with so much kapha in the air, it’s important to balance your body — and your whole self — in spring, by staying light.
Use these five tips to keep a vibrant spring in your step as you move into this fabulous season of change!
1. Spring Clean
It might be a cliche — but it really is good to clean in spring. Prepare yourself to welcome new experiences, opportunities and relationships into your life by clearing out your closet and cleaning every corner of your home. It’ll help you feel fresh, light, and clear.
2. Eat Light and…Sour (no, really)
This doesn’t mean try to lose weight. Instead, focus on balancing the inherent heaviness of spring by lifting your body with fresh vegetables and avoid oily, heavy foods. Flavours that are great for most bodies in spring are sour, pungent or astringent — include lots of dark leafy greans, garlic, lemon, legumes and fruits in your daily diet.
3. Establish a Morning Routine
Some people feel great in spring. Their kapha dosha is well balanced so they can enjoy the sensations of abundance and being grounded. But others find it really hard to get up in the morning. If you find yourself wishing you could crawl back under the covers when you wake up this season, try getting up with the sun every day. It’s a perfect way to allow your body to adjust to the changes going on around you — particularly if you can get outside to drink a cup of warm lemon water in the quiet morning air, or go for a short walk.
4. Abhyanga Massage
Abhyanga is a relatively gentle form of massage. It can be done by a therapist or you can self-massage yourself; and either way, you’ll massage the body with warm, herb-infused oils chosen to help balance the doshas. It’s great at any time of year, and massage in spring using light, sour, bitter or astringent oils can help you feel fresh and bright. Avoid heavy oils — go for almond oil with a couple of drops of an essential oil (even though they aren’t traditionally Ayurvedic) such as lemon, bergamot, grapefruit or ginger.
5. Heating Yoga Postures
If you feel sluggish and low in energy, or you’re having trouble digesting food, then include heat-building yoga postures in your daily routine. Ideally you’d move through these postures as part of the morning routine we mentioned earlier. Postures and sequences such as Sun Salutations, twists, leg raisers and Navasana (boat pose) will help to fire up your energy and your agi — the digestive fire.
I hope you feel vibrantly well, and able to embrace this spring with excitement and joy. Who knows what might happen!
If you would like an authentic experience of Ayurveda in Kerela, have a read about what you can experience in 2022 when you join me in India on the Ancient Medicine, Authentic You Retreat!
PS: If you enjoyed this blog click the like button below then share it with those you care for who can also enjoy and benefit from it. 😊