Seasonal changes in ayurveda
How to Handle Seasonal Change in ayurveda is the ancient science of life that teaches us how to live in harmony with nature and ourselves. One of the key principles of ayurveda is that we are influenced by the qualities of the seasons, and that we can balance these qualities by adjusting our diet and lifestyle accordingly.
Let's explore how to handle seasonal change in ayurveda, focusing on the current transition from spring to summer. I will try to also share some tips and practices to help you stay healthy and happy during this time.
Spring to Summer: The Pitta Season
According to ayurveda, each season has a predominant dosha, or bioenergy, that affects our physical and mental well-being. The doshas are vata (air and space), pitta (fire and water), and kapha (earth and water).
Spring is the kapha season, characterised by moist, cool, heavy, and stable qualities. Spring is a time of renewal, growth, and cleansing. It is also a time when kapha can accumulate in the body, causing congestion, sluggishness, weight gain, and allergies.
Summer is the pitta season, characterized by hot, sharp, light, and mobile qualities. Summer is a time of transformation, activity, and joy. It is also a time when pitta can increase in the body, causing inflammation, irritation, acidity, and anger.
To handle the seasonal change from spring to summer, we need to gradually shift from a kapha-balancing diet and lifestyle to a pitta-balancing one. This means reducing the intake of heavy, oily, sour, salty, and spicy foods that can aggravate pitta, and increasing the intake of light, cooling, sweet, bitter, and astringent foods that can pacify pitta.
Some examples of pitta-balancing foods are:
• Fresh fruits like melons, grapes, pears, apples, coconut
• Leafy greens like kale, spinach, lettuce
• Grains like basmati rice, quinoa
• Legumes like mung beans
• Dairy products like milk (preferably organic), ghee (clarified butter), yogurt
• Herbs and spices like mint, fennel, cilantro
Some examples of pitta-aggravating foods are:
• Sour fruits like lemons
• Fermented foods like vinegar
• Spicy foods like chili peppers
• Alcohol
• Coffee
• Meat
In addition to diet changes, we also need to adjust our lifestyle habits to suit the pitta season. This means avoiding excessive sun exposure (especially during midday), staying hydrated (preferably with room temperature or cool water), practicing cooling breathing techniques (like sheetali or sheetkari pranayama), and engaging in moderate exercise (like yoga or swimming).
We also need to be mindful of our emotions during this season. Pitta can make us more prone to anger, frustration,impatience,and criticism. To counter these tendencies,we can cultivate more compassion,kindness,forgiveness,and gratitude. We can also practice meditation,relaxation,and self-care to calm our minds and hearts.
Seasonal change is inevitable,but we can make it easier on ourselves by following the wisdom of ayurveda. By aligning our diet and lifestyle with the qualities of each season,we can maintain our health,happiness,and harmony with nature.
If you have any questions or comments,please feel free to share them below.
Karla