Are You Tired of Feeling Springtime Fatigue?

I think Robin Williams said it best …“Spring is Nature’s Way of Saying, Let’s Party!”

Spring is a time for new beginnings, growth, love and hope. Can you feel a sense of joy and inspiration in the air as the earth wakes up from the cold and darkness of winter?  It can be invigorating!  Unless it’s not.  Spring can also mean allergies, water retention, bloat and generally feeling lethargic most of the time. If spring isn’t the most wonderful time of the year for you, you are not alone.  I completely feel it too.  The good news is, however, that you can do something to manage it!  Ayurveda, considered the sister science to yoga, helps explain why you might feel lousy in spring and what you can do to clear away that sluggish feeling.  Here’s how to better manage your health during the drudges of spring with clarity and ease by applying Ayurvedic principles to your daily life.  

What is Ayurveda? 

Ayurveda is India’s 5,000-year-old traditional system of medicine. Considered the original mind-body medicine, Ayurveda teaches that the body, mind and spirit must exist in harmony for you to be truly healthy and happy.  And this harmony is developed by learning how to be in balance with nature through simple guidelines and practices.  

In Ayurveda, there are five elements, or basic principles, that represent the primary components of all living things.

These five elements are ether (or space), air, fire, water and earth. 

Each of the elements then has its own set of qualities that help describe the energies of the element.  For example, when you think of ether, or space, some of the qualities that come to mind could be dark, cold, light, dry and mobile.  When you think of earth, you might think heavy, dense, slow, stable and hard.  Ayurveda teaches 20 qualities that are listed as 10 pairs of opposites.   

And knowing the opposite quality is important because Ayurveda is based on the principles of like increases like and opposites balance.  These two Ayurvedic laws have you first identify which quality is causing you to feel agitated.  Then, choose the opposite quality in order to bring your entire system back into balance.       

Here’s an example: Imagine it’s a hot summer day and you are sitting in the sun, feeling flushed and warm. Now imagine eating a hot bowl of soup. More likely than not, you are going to feel overheated and out of balance.  In those moments, you most likely crave something cold like fresh fruit.  This will cool your body down so you feel more comfortable and in balance.  

The Qualities of Spring

One of my students recently asked, “So, if spring is this glorious time for growth and new beginnings, why do I feel so sluggish and foggy all the time?”  

In Ayurveda, spring is considered the Kapha (pronounced Ka-pah) time of year, which is made up of the earth and water elements. In order for there to be new growth in nature, the earth has to transition from the hard winter to soft spring.  You can see it through muddy, rainy, cool days that have damp, heavy and wet qualities.   

And as nature transitions to the Kapha season, your body and mind do as well. In your body, Kapha governs lubrication, structure and stability.  Think of it as the moisture of your skin, lubrication of your joints, liquidity in your body and your immunity functions.  So, as spring arrives with its damp and foggy qualities, your body and mind start to hold on to those same qualities as well.  In your body, you might notice extra water, feeling puffy and swollen or holding extra weight and having extra congestion. In your mind you might feel sluggish and foggy, making it hard to concentrate or focus.  This is why spring can leave you feeling bogged down and lethargic.

How to Balance Your Mind and Body in Spring

The good news is you can do something about it now that you know opposite qualities will help balance your body! 

To recap, here are the Ayurvedic qualities of spring: 

• Dense

• Static

• Soft

• Cloudy / Sticky

• Gross / Big

• Heavy

• Slow / Dull

• Cool

• Oily / Slimy

• Smooth

So, in order to balance those out, you want to bring more of the opposite qualities into your life and routines. These include:

• Clear

• Hard

• Mobile / Movement

• Subtle

• Light

• Sharp

• Hot

• Dry / Rough
  

With that in mind, here are some common ways to balance excess Kapha during spring:

• Have a daily morning routine.  Ideally, wake up before sunrise and drink a glass of warm water to properly hydrate your body after the long night. Cleanse your senses - brush your teeth, scrap your tongue, wash your face and hands, etc. - to help cultivate clarity in your day.    
  

• Exercise is extremely supportive to balance out the heaviness of spring.  Moving your body builds heat and increases circulation of your fluids.  Try to move in the morning, between the hours of 6-10am, to start your day feeling lighter and more clear.  Spring is also a great time to intensify your physical activity (of course, being very mindful of any physical conditions).  You might try a new activity or stick with a current activity for a longer period of time.  

To Learn more about what to eat in spring, check out John Doulliard’s Spring Grocery List.    

• Eat a supportive spring diet.  You probably notice that your cravings shift in spring. You might want lighter foods like fresh vegetables and fruits and you might also notice your appetite decreases.  This is your body’s way of saying, “Cleanse me!” after a long winter. Eating light, warm foods will balance excess fluid in the body and purify the body through digestion.  Some specific suggestions include: 

• Eat a light breakfast of fresh fruit.  Coffee will also help on your most sluggish days! (Yes, you can have coffee!)

• Eat light lunches and dinners that include cooked grains, steamed vegetables, and beans.  Meats and dairy increase Kapha, so you may want to eat those in moderation. 

• You may also benefit from eating bitter greens, spicy foods and including pungent flavors in your meals, like onion, garlic, ginger, black pepper, cayenne pepper and a variety of herbs and spices.  
  

• Add some variety into your day.  Although a daily routine is important to balance your nervous system, it’s also ok to stimulate the body and mind by adding some variety during spring.  Try something new, be creative and playful!  Lean into your adventurous side and go wild!  This will help clear the fog and lethargy that slows us down.  

So there you have it! You now know exactly why spring may not be your favorite season and what you can do about it in order to optimize your health! As someone who shares in the struggles that spring can create, I know that these Ayurvedic principles listed above will help to bring lightness, clarity and ease into your daily life during the spring season. Please share this post with anyone who struggles to get moving in spring and wants to better manage their own health! Click on a share link below! I know they will thank you for it!