Last week when the weather was warmer, I felt like a jack-in-the-box who finally hits his note. I was like, “HelllloooooooOOOOOO!” I was outside as much as possible, delighting in the tiny shoots of crocus and tulip that are poking through the ground, and remembering the aches and pains that accompany unexpected yard work. This weekend, working in a long-sleeved shirt and a vest, I could feel the rightness of this cool season, the Kapha season, and decided to take stock of how to keep myself balanced through the shifting weather.
Kapha is moist, cold, smooth, and heavy. I always think of the redwood forests of Muir Woods, where even during summer you walk in a chilly, wet, and heavy environment. Take a look around you right now; this is Kapha.
Right now is a great time to re-commit to your health. That means a diet of light foods- the more leafy greens the better. Imagine a deer pawing at the earth and nibbling those first bitter shoots. Those bitters really jump start the agni, which is our digestive fire. If you eat meat, cut back right now, and limit your dairy too. Kapha season makes us susceptible to allergies, asthma, and congestion. I drink some water with lemon juice in it if I get drippy-nosed because lemon tells the body to stop making mucus. If I’m not careful, I can get a little mopey and lethargic. Onward and upward Kaphas!! We better roll ourselves out of bed, get our butts to the gym, and get cracking!
Enough with those salty fatty foods that I told myself were okay because it was winter and I “needed the extra fat for warmth”. Time to start popping those pumpkin seeds, nuts, and grapefruit slices, and learning some spicy Indian dishes. Step it up with the greens and and grains. I like to cook some grains (like quinoa or wild rice) and then throw some salad greens over it. Top it with sunflower seeds, raisins, hard-boiled egg, and a little of your favorite dressing. Voilà! Entree salad. For those of you Vata and Pitta types out there, try this chard and sweet potato gratin if you want a way to get more greens in your diet.
One saving grace of this season is honey. It has a special property that burns up and dry out mucus and congestion. Never cook honey- it is best in it’s raw form. Here’s a GREAT kapha-cold-busting tea: Hot water with a 1/2 tsp of dry ginger (or ginger tea), juice of 1/2 lemon, a pinch of cayenne, and some raw honey. It’s delicious and so helpful.
Now is also a time to start getting your heart rate up. Everything in nature is buzzing, and you should be a bit too. Park farther away from your destination for a brisk walk, and take those dogs out too while you’re at it. Find ways to get active earlier in the day and avoid sleepy post-lunch situations like the plague. It also helps to get mentally stimulated by something. What is cool to you? Research it!
All in all this is the time to WAKE UP and GET MOVING. No more excuses. If you’re like me, you want to be in good shape for summer, and that means sloughing off winter’s excesses, taking an honest look at yourself, and pushing yourself to DO IT.
Thanks Brooksley! I am going to make some ginger-lemon tea and go join Fred in cleaning up the yard.