13 Apr Ten Springtime Ayurvedic Lifestyle Tips

Posted in Ayurveda by

spring ayurveda

Known as the King of Seasons in Ayurveda, spring offers us a chance for renewal, a time to get outdoors and spread our wings.

Most often we arrive at spring feeling heavy, slow and cold – the spitting image of kapha dosha. Spring is the easiest season to up your exercise routine, as it’s Kapha season, which means your body is strong and ready for endurance.

Ten Springtime Ayurvedic Lifestyle Tips:

Spring Detox. Spring is one of those key times of the year for cleansing and detoxification which are an important part of the Ayurvedic approach to health and happiness. Ayurveda offers lots of options for detoxing, but the simplest form of cleansing can be done at home in just a few steps and with a little bit of guidance.

  1. Start your day with deep breathing. If you can’t inhale through your nose – try to exhale a “humming” sound. The Humming Exhale breaks up the junk and helps your blood take in oxygen.
  2. Scrape Your Tongue. Use a tongue scraper first thing in the morning, before you brush your teeth. Ayurveda recommends tongue scraping to enhance the health of your teeth and sinuses, and to aid digestion, overall. Noticing an excessively thick coating on the tongue? This may indicate the presence of ama or toxins in the digestive system. Use a high-quality U- or V-shaped stainless steel or copper tongue scraper.
  3. Start the Day with a Cup of Hot Water with Lemon. Next, sip a large mug of hot water and the juice of half a lemon. Maybe add a dash of cardamom, turmeric, tulsi (holy basil), or cayenne pepper to stoke the digestive fire.
  4. Meal Suggestions. Meals should be simple and light, comprising of berries and fresh, lightly cooked vegetables, grains, lentils prepared with small amounts of coconut oil or ghee, and/or lean protein. For lunch, consider a spinach salad with grated carrots, grated beets, radishes and steamed artichokes with lemon-olive oil-garlic dipping sauce. For dinner, try some coconut-roasted asparagus with a bowl of steaming quinoa. For a great Ayurvedic spring grocery list, visit Dr. John Douillard, DC, CAPs post.
  5. Think and Eat Green. Chlorophyll is the color of spring. Look to eat green at least three times a day. Try incorporating green smoothies or juices for breakfast, think salads, cooked greens and fresh soups for lunch and dinner.
  6. Enjoy Your Weeds. Dandelion and Milk Thistle are considered superfoods. Both will detox your liver with their bitter taste. Bitter taste is universally recognized as strengthening for digestion. Bitter herbs cause a reflexive secretion of gastric juices and tone the muscles of the digestive tract. They also support detoxification by helping the liver process incoming nutrients and filter impurities from circulation. You can get bitter taste out of these herbs: turmeric, dandelion, goldenseal, milk thistle, and neem. An easy way to add them to your diet is to drink them as tea.
  7. Incorporate Herbs and Spices In Your Meals. Cinnamon, ginger, fennel, and mint are great options. Cook your food with liberal doses of herbs and spices. Use herbs like basil, rosemary, thyme, and oregano, and spices such as turmeric, cinnamon, cloves, ginger, mint, sage, and parsley in generous amounts.
  8. Sleep during the day should be avoided. If you feel sleepy during the day in spring, Ayurveda recommends taking a half-hour brisk walk in the fresh air versus that afternoon nap.
  9. Eat Dinner Early and then Go Play. Try to schedule your evening meal a bit earlier than you have been eating during the winter months. Twenty to thirty minutes after you’ve enjoyed your dinner, go out and play. Take a walk. Go for a bike ride. Weed your garden. Get out there and enjoy some fresh air. Be sure and avoid late night dining, as that will not aid in your digestion.
  10. Consider Growing Your Own Greens. Grow your own. Upgrade your outside with grow boxes. Getting your hands in the dirt is the quickest way to ground yourself and discharge EMF’s. If you’re already a gardener, start to permaculture your place.

Happy Spring! Stay healthy. Stay happy.

 

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