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Flowing Kapha, Warming Ginger : Ayurvedic tips to stay Healthy in Spring

Our series this week focuses on 5 common health issues that trouble people who live in urban environments. Today’s post gives you Ayurvedic tips to stay healthy in Spring (Vasanta).  We wrote yesterday on Computer vision syndrome, a common problem caused due to over straining of the eyes.

Preventive health care and staying healthy across seasons:

Ayurveda’s goal is to prevent the formation of disease by following certain guidelines of good living. This is best described by Acharya Charaka in his Sutra Sthana shlokas:

“Swasthasya Swasthya Rakshanam Aaturasya Vikara Prashamanam Cha”

He explains that the goal of medicine (Ayurveda) is to rejuvenate and preserve the health of the healthy and then to alleviate diseases in the ill. This order of first  tending to the healthy and then  treating the sick is specific to Ayurveda. It explains why so much of Ayurveda is primarily focused on health giving regimens rather than disease treatment .

This emphasis on preserving health is why Dincharya and Ritucharya regimes (regimes for daily living and special regimes to follow in specific seasons) come first in all 3 Brihat Trayee texts of Ayurveda (Charaka Samhita, Sushruta Samhita and Ashtanga Hridayam).

Ritucharya: seasonal regimens to stay healthy

Dincharya comprises of regimens to be followed daily. These include waking up at the right time (Brahma Muhurtha), doing Vyayama (exercise), Oral care, Taila abhyanga , Snana (bath) and leading a life of balance. When these tenets of Dincharya are followed, we are guaranteed a life of harmony and balance.

Staying healthy in Spring: Dinacharya is a daily set of practices to stay healthy.
The seasonal health regimens form a part of Ritucharya (seasonal tenets of living). Ayurveda divides the year into 6 seasons. Each season lasts roughly two months. The time of change of seasons usually throws the body into a series of minor health issues, which can be avoided if we know what is to be done.

Staying healthy in Spring: What happens to us in Winter?

During winter (Hemanta and Shishira) , the severe cold weather drives Agni inwards from all parts of the body. This strongly increases our digestive capacity and hunger. So we are asked to eat well and eat oily, rich foods that can satisfy this high Agni, in Winter.

Staying healthy in Spring: We are advised to eat heavy, rich food in winter to satisfy increased agni in the body.
At the same time, we are asked to exercise well, sun bathe, do brisk abhyanga and avoid being lazy, sleeping during the day, etc.

Staying healthy in Spring: What happens to us in Spring?

Vasanta is the spring season described in Ayurveda. The official start of Vasanta is marked by the festival of Holi.

Staying healthy in Spring: spring starts with Holi

In Vasanta, as the climate again starts to become warm, the sun rays melt all the Kapha that has been stored in our body during winter. So we have liquefied excess Kapha / Mucous moving through our body . This explains why so many of us are prone to spring fever, hay fever, pollen allergies and coughs and colds in this season.

Staying healthy in Spring: Kapha liquifies through the body and flows leading to coughs, colds and seasonal allergies
The liquefied Kapha dosha, if aggravated can douse the digestive Agni. So our appetite will not be as strong as what it was in winter, if we leave this unchecked. So to stay healthy in Spring, we need to work on this liquiefied Kapha.

Ayurvedic therapies to stay healthy in Spring :

Vamana therapy (a part of Pancha karma) and Nasya therapy (application of nasal drops) are 2 Ayurvedic procedures that can be initiated by Vaidyas during Vasanta to remove aggravated Kapha dosha.

This is advised if you have Spring aggravation symptoms like severe mucous accumulation, pollen allergy, extreme lethargy, lack of energy etc. For many of us, this may not be required. So the Acharyas have given us many milder suggestions that we can all do to dry out liquefied kapha.

Staying healthy in spring: correction routines

The right diet for Spring:

Ayurveda advises us to avoid Guru (heavy), Snigdha (oily), Amla (sour) and Madhura (sweet) foods during this season.

Staying healthy in Spring: Avoid sweet, rich and heavy food that can aggravate Kapha dosha
Heavy and sweet foods increase Kapha dosha accumulation in the body. Snigdha and Amla foods aggravate qualities of Pitta, which will further liquefy Kapha causing even more flowing mucous in the body.

This is a good time to add Millets to our diet in small quantities. Millets are Laghu (light) and Rooksha (drying) so their addition can help absorb and dry out liquefied Kapha. Similarly, Yava (barley) is considered a good grain to be eaten during Vasanta. Yava has the property of removing excess watery Mala (toxins) through a diuretic action, so it is useful at this time.

Staying healthy in Spring: Eat drying, slightly astringent food with healing spices
This is also a good time to use spices like Haridra (Turmeric), Sounth (dried Ginger), Clove, Elaichi and Maricha (Black pepper) in the food. Haridra is astringent and drying, and will help absorb excess liquids in the body. Dried Ginger is warm without aggravating Pitta, so can be safely used to spice food. Similarly cloves and cardamom are both warming without aggravating Pitta dosha. Maricha is always recommended in Ayurveda to aid digestion and open up the srotas over red and green Chillies, which are considered teekshna (intense) and Pitta aggravating. Making these minor diet corrections will help remove liquiefied kapha, prevent toxin deposition and help us stay healthy in spring.

Staying healthy in Spring: use drying, warming spices to dry up aggravated Kapha

 

Staying healthy in Spring: Right physical exercise

Vasanta is also a good time for physical exercise. We are advised to do it at a slightly lower level than we would have during winter. The main purpose during exercise in Vasanta is to increase heat and provoke sweating in the body, to encourage drying and removal of excess Kapha dosha.

Staying healthy in Spring: Regular physical activity removes aggravated Kapha
The Acharyas encourage us to spend time in the company of good friends and in Nature. Vasanta is the season where birds abound, and when Nature is lush and green with the profuse flowering of fragrant herbs and flowers. We are advised to picnic in gardens, visit river banks, and enjoy the season in pleasant hill stations.

Staying healthy in Spring: drink the right warming drinks

Ayurveda does not universally advise to drink tea or coffee due to their many disturbing qualities. Instead, we are asked to sip specific, herbal warm drinks in Vasanta to aid expelling of liquid kapha. We can sip plain warm water, or water which has been boiled mildly with dried ginger powder (in cases of aggravated mucous).  Do not drink too much Ginger water as it can heat up the body in large amounts.

You can sip 1 glass of warm ginger water per day, for a few days at a time, to help move aggravated Kapha out of the body.

Staying healthy in Spring:  Spices like dried ginger help remove aggravated kapha in spring


A Spring health recipe: How to make Dried Ginger water:

Boil one glass of water until the water comes to a rolling boil. Switch off the gas. Add 1 teaspoon of freshly ground dried ginger powder. Allow the herb to steep for 4 – 5 minutes into the water. Strain. Sip through the day.

Modified Taila Abhyanga with Mardana:

Taila abhyanga with emphasis on “Mardana” is a good practice in Vasanta. The right taila should be chosen which is warming and mala removing and not cooling.

The practice of Mardana or strong pressure filled kneading of limbs is recommended during Vasanta.  Mardana forces liquefied Kapha through the body and out of it. This ensures that excess Kapha does not cool inside the body and create blockages. The limbs should be squeezed in a downward direction and not in an upward direction. This is an excellent practice to remove fatigue and lethargy caused by aggravated Kapha and helps your maintain health in spring.

Staying healthy in Spring: Taila Abhyanga and Mardana are recommended

Modified Snana (bath) with astringent herbs :

Snana is to be taken with pitta and kapha pacifying, slightly astringent and rooksha herbs. The choice of rooksha herbs is to help dry up excess Kapha. The choice of astringent is to deal with vitiated Pitta. This way we can avoid the oily pus filled breakouts, prickly heat and allergic skin conditions that are common in Vasantha.

Application of these astringent herbs on skin as a paste, helps open the minor Srotas and helps in removal of mala through the body. It also enhances circulation and ensures liquefied Kapha does not get solid and block the minor channels.

Staying healthy in Spring: Snana is to be done with astringent, drying herbs

Some Snana options available at Krya are given below.

Snana options at Krya for Vasantha (Spring):

  1. Krya Women’s Ubtan (best for Snana after Taila Abhyanga) – made with astringent and Kapha reducing grains and herbs like Heritage Black horsegram, Rooksha and skin healing herbs like Vana Haridra, Daru haridra, and Sweet basil and Pitta pacifying, skin improving herbs like Vetiver, Vilwa Leaf, and Khadira.12. womens ubtan
  2. Krya Classic Bodywash (suits normal – oily skin on Non Taila Abhyanga days) – made with astringent and Kapha reducing grains and herbs like our herbal skin decoction charged Heritage Whole Mung bean, Rooksha and skin healing herbs like Rosemary, Triphala & Zeodary and Pitta pacifying, skin improving herbs like Manjishta, Mushta & Arjuna.
  3. Krya Moisture Plus Bodywash (suits normal – dry skin on Non Taila Abhyanga days) – made with astringent and Kapha reducing grains and herbs like Tavakshir and Heritage Whole Mung bean, Rooksha and skin healing herbs like Kushta, Amla & Moringa and Pitta pacifying, skin improving herbs like Durva, Neem flower & Manjishta.
  4. Krya Sensitive Bodywash for Adults (for skin that is prone to eczema and Psoriasis)
  5. Krya Men’s Ubtan (best for Snana after Taila Abhyanga) – made with astringent and Kapha reducing grains and herbs like Heritage White horsegram and Pink Masoor bean, Rooksha and skin healing herbs like Cassia Leaf, Brahmi, and Indian Borage and Pitta pacifying, skin improving herbs like Indian sarsaparilla, Guduchi, and Yashtimadhu.
  6. Krya Men’s Bodywash: (suits normal – oily skin on Non Taila Abhyanga days) – made with astringent and Kapha reducing grains and herbs like our herbal skin decoction charged Heritage Whole Mung bean, Rooksha and skin healing herbs like Cassia Leaf, Lemongrass & Kushta and Pitta pacifying, skin improving herbs like Peppermint, Vetiver & Lodhra.12. mens bodywash

 

To conclude:

The emphasis in Ayurveda is always on following a life of balance and moderation, along with carefully chosen , sensible, health giving practices. When we follow this method, we are guaranteed both Ayu and Ayush (long life and health) as per our Acharyas.

Many of the problems we face as we live our busy and chaotic lives in cities is because we are unable to balance the excesses we face. So we end up over using our eyes, over commuting, eating the wrong kind of food, and ignoring what we must be doing in each season.

Skin and hair care are not just superficial subjects. Our skin and hair reflects the inner state of health and well being, so only if we solve our deeper issues, can our external appearance be good.

We hope this post gave you an idea of how you stay healthy in Spring.  If you have any doubts in the above, please do drop a comment or write to us.

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srinivas krishnaswamy
srinivas krishnaswamy

Srinivas is Krya's Co-Founder. He brings in a unique perspective to Krya with his dual Masters in Physics & Management.

At Krya, Srinivas is motivated by the challenges of crafting the company's DNA - products that delight consumers, manufacturing excellence, a winning team and sustainable profitable growth.

He is deeply committed to defining the first principles of Dharmic Entrepreneurship in order to build a world class organisation rooted in Indian Knowledge Systems.

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