Moving from Vata to Kapha Season
Photo credit - Jacek Mleczek
1. Keep to a routine. Regular time to rise and shine as well as bedtime, mealtimes, exercise, etc.
2. Wake as Early as Possible. Ideally try to get up at 5:30-6am so you can do pranayama (breathing exercises). Practice 1:2 breathing or nadi shodhana (alternate nostril breathing) to bring in calm and relax the mind. Follow with meditation; start with 3 minutes for one week, slowly add in more time (example: 4 minutes in week 2, 5 minutes in week 3, etc.)
3. Start the Day with a Warm Drink. Vata and Kapha drink hot/warm water with lemon and raw honey, and Pitta drink warm water with lime and a little honey.
4. Practice Yoga in Kapha Hours. If possible, do yoga practice or exercise between the times of 6am and 10am or 6pm and 9pm as this is the Kapha time of day when you will be at your strongest.
5. Eat Most Nutritious Meal for Lunch Eat the biggest and most nutritious meal between 11am and 2pm at Pitta time of day when your digestion is the strongest.
6. Eat All Meals Warm. Eat all meals warm and moist; adding ghee (especially for Pitta) or EVOO to your rice, pasta, grains and soups. Kapha constitution use less ghee or EVOO, focusing on roasted food items, like veggies.
7. Practice Yoga Nidra. Practice Yoga Nidra or Pranayama/Meditation between 2pm and 6pm.
8. Self Massage Daily. Self massage (abhyanga) with sesame oil daily. Add in a longer abhyanga one evening a week where you do not shower off the oil and go to sleep after oiling so the body can fully absorb. Remember to oil your head and feet.
· Pitta use almond or sunflower oil in this season unless aggravated, then use coconut
· Kapha use sesame, unless aggravated, then add in mustard oil
9. Keep Sinuses Humid. If your sinuses are very dry, keep them moist by using a humidifier at night while sleeping. Use a neti pot daily followed by nasya oil with sesame oil.
· Kapha or seasonal issues with mucus, then use “super nasya oil”
· Pitta may need to oil before neti and then again afterwards
