spring has sprung & other self-care habitsFeb 25, 2023
So spring has sprung, now what?
Many people associate this time of year with spring cleaning. And perhaps there are a fair few who still remember, however faintly, their New Year's Resolutions.
But did you ever consider how difficult it is for our systems to endure the seasonal changes?
According to Ayurveda, ("the science of life" in Sanskrit), the changing of the seasons means that we need to up the ante on our self-care.
This means that we keep ourselves warm as the temperatures are a-changing; eating warm, spiced food. Going to bed on time. Getting outdoors,
singing in the rain while we take our bodies out for a walk. And the advice can get more intricate when you consider that we all have a different Ayurvedic type,
also known as a Dosha. But that's an article for another time :-)
The ancient science of Ayurveda gives us a perspective on the qualities of everything around us. What do I mean by this?
The winter & time leading into spring is known for its Kapha predominance, bringing with it the qualities of heaviness leading to water retention, bloating and toxin build-up.
When you consider what this does to our systems, you may understand that we need to prepare well for spring. Should we not heed this warning, then we will be overwhelmed by an outpouring of Kapha which manifests itself in colds, flu and various infections.
Ayurveda may be unfamiliar to you, so I will explain how it works. Basically when there is an overabundance of one quality, for example, heaviness, then we need to introduce the opposite quality in order to restore balance. So, in order to balance Kapha energy, we need to introduce: lightness, dryness, warmth and invigoration.
Oftentimes you hear that people are looking to detox at this time of year.
However: most often people think about detox diets, as in nutrition-orientated. I say: think bigger!
What do you need to invigorate your self-care, your exercise routine, your life?
Health is defined as follows by the WHO: "Health is a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity." When you consider that your holitic health is the goal, that reframes the whole concept of detox. I would urge you to use spring as a time to detox your habits: NO judgement! Just observing and looking for patterns. Which habits do you have on the daily which don't support you on the way to your goals? You probably already know which ones I mean. So: spring on your habits and grant yourself the time to make a plan which will support your health - on all levels.