Kapha Balance ~ Counter the Heaviness of Winter and Awaken the Fire of Purification
Namaste Dear Teachers,
Here we are in the darkness of winter, the holidays are behind us, many of us are feeling heavy, tired and full. We have entered in Kapha season. Kapha season tends to invite stagnation and congestion in organs and tissues throughout the body including the mind.
In February you may feel a natural need to purify and cleanse. Often in the start of the year we are focusing on our goals and what we would like to manifest or create. But in order to have room for creation we must first clear out the old heavy stagnant energy.
This is a wonderful time of year to practice purification practices. When we are feeling heavy and overburdened it becomes challenging to see and feel into the inner light. It’s like wearing a heavy coat inside the house. It’s important to recognize the excess you may be experiencing and to explore practices to cleanse and purify.
One of the most powerful energies of purification is the fire element. We can use the healing energy of fire to warm, purify and transform our body, mind and emotions. We can lighten our physical form and improve our health, release our emotions to brighten our mood, and release the stagnation in our mind to clear our thoughts.
According to the ancient system of Ayurveda winter is a time when Kapha dosha is likely to be elevated, leading to feelings of congestion and stagnation in the mind and body. If you have a kapha constitution, then a Kapha imbalance at this time of year is even more likely.To keep kapha balanced this winter, you will want to counter kapha’s cold, damp, heavy qualities with elements of heat, dryness, and light.
Kapha lends structure, solidity, and cohesiveness to all things, and is therefore associated primarily with the earth and water elements. Kapha also embodies the watery energies of love and compassion. This dosha hydrates all cells and systems, lubricates the joints, moisturizes the skin, maintains immunity, and protects the tissues
If your Kapha is out of balance you may be experiencing some of the following symptoms: excess mucous, thick, white tongue coat, slow, sticky, sluggish bowel movements, high body weight, difficulty rising in the morning, feeling slow, foggy, dull, lethargic, or heavy, easily attached or possessive, overly sentimental, complacent or stubborn or have the tendency for “emotional overeating”.
Some ideas to balance Kapha and purify your system:
To Balance Kapha Ayurveda recommends the following recommendations for diet and lifestyle: Stimulation, Exercise, Lightening, Warming and Drying.
Find ways to stay motivated and engaged with your life. Approach things with a light heart, laugh often, and embrace change. Invite clarity of mind, a sharp sense of focus, and a feeling of lightness into your life as antidotes to winter’s cloudy, slow, and heavy qualities.
One of the most important things you can do for yourself is to stay active. Your exercise routine can be rigorous and stimulating. Keep things fresh and interesting by changing up your activity or your exercise routine regularly.
- A vigorous exercise routine: that includes jogging, hiking, biking, vigorous forms of yoga or martial arts, or other challenging forms of exercise, a minimum of five times per week.
- Practice warming pranayama: like Bhastrika breath to warm your body from the inside out and purify your system.
- Cleanse: Do a simple vegan cleanse or short juice fast. Incorporate dark greens, simple broth, and detoxifying teas.
- Balance Your Sleep Patterns: combat your tendency to oversleep by going to bed between 11 p.m. and 12 a.m. and getting up by 7 a.m., if not earlier.
- Stimulate your Senses: Enjoy Lively and invigorating music, smells, cooking, experiences, and company.
- Challenge your mind: Study, learn something new, research, write or take a course.
- Use essential oils to awaken and stimulate the mind and body: Try energizing oils like juniper, eucalyptus, and peppermint. Mood lifting scents like grapefruit, frankincense and bergamot and warming oils like Thieves, cinnamon, ginger and patchouli.
- Keep warm and dry: No matter what the weather, dress warm cover your head and throat.
- Create a warm environment in your home: Add warm colors, oranges and reds. Light a fire or wood burning stove. Burn lots of warming candles. Put a pot of warming herbs on your stove. Cinnamon, cloves and star anise.
- Use images of fire to stoke the inner flame: Candle gazing is the perfect practice. Light candles upon rising, while you meditate, burn them while you dine, take a bath. Soy and beeswax candles are gentler on the environment.
- Take Warm Baths/Infrared Sauna/Steam: You can add epsom salts and essential oils to your bath to release toxins and purify your system or take an infrared sauna or steam.
- The most important warming practices are those that ignite the heart. Snuggle with someone you love, hug your family and cozy up with your animal friends. Community and connecting is the perfect balance to the Isolating feelings that come up in the depth of winter. Volunteer your time to help those in need. Share your love and feel your heart warm.
With warmth and love,
Lauren
