By Julia Clarke

Seize the day: 5 Ayurvedic tips for spring

The first signs of spring ignite a glimmer of hope in all of us after a long winter. The first smattering of daffodils. The realisation that it’s 5 p.m. and the sun still hasn’t set. The sweet smell of the earth as it begins to thaw. The deafening dawn chorus from birds back from down south, building nests and looking for mates. Nature is waking up and inviting you to switch gears from your introverted winter pace to a more expansive way of being in the world.

The problem is, it’s just so hard to find the motivation again. You’ve got used to your sheltered existence of hanging out at home, cooking and avoiding the cold weather. Perhaps the late sunrises of winter got you into a rhythm of delicious, deep sleep that you’re loath to give up. Oftentimes, we just feel heavy and sluggish in the spring, both physically and energetically.

Spring: an Ayurvedic perspective

According to Ayurveda, yoga’s holistic sister science, spring is the most important season of the year to lighten up and kindle your inner fire with practices that support cleansing and renewal. Ayurveda, meaning “knowledge of life,” is an ancient system of traditional medicine that originated in India and describes the different seasons as having predominant elements that affect your mind and body.

In the spring, the elements of earth and water dominate. The days are getting longer and the mornings lighter, and the earth’s thaw after a cold, dark winter has a melting effect on the landscape as well as your body. Just in the same way the melting snow up high fills our rivers and lakes with water, spring can find your sinuses filling with mucus. Spring, therefore, can cause a physical and energetic heaviness and sluggishness, the way it feels when your boots get stuck on a muddy hiking trail and slow you down.

Your body may mirror nature’s great thaw in the form of colds and allergies, brain fog, lethargy, sluggish digestion and seasonal weight gain. Basically, heaviness on the outside means heaviness on the inside.

The answer isn’t to sleep even later, even though that may feel like just what you want. Ayurveda uses the principle of opposites (Vishesha) to cultivate balance, which means that you want to balance that heaviness with lighter activities and food, cold with heat and sluggishness with movement. Spring is the season to lighten up with mental and social stimulation, enjoy more movement and eat a light, purifying diet. Now is the time to take advantage of the earth’s tilt towards the sun, awaken earlier, move more and start to shed some layers to dissolve winter’s heaviness and stay light, energised and inspired this season.

Suggested seasonal rhythm for spring

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• 1. Rise and shine

This time of year it can be especially hard to get up, but those birds tweeting outside your window have the right idea. Balance that heavy feeling in the morning by setting your alarm a little earlier. Aim to wake up about a half hour before sunrise and if possible, try to be outside for sunrise even if it’s just for a walk around the block or to sit out in your back garden. Seeing the dawn of a new day will signal to your physiology it’s time to get moving and help reset your Circadian Rhythm.

• 2. Kindle your fire

Digestion is seen as the root of all health in Ayurveda, kind of like a furnace that powers the entire machine. However, your digestion may be a little weak and sluggish in the spring which can result in low energy and indigestion. In Ayurveda, spring is the ideal time to do a seasonal cleanse, but this isn’t about calorie restriction. There are a few traditional practices you can implement straight away to help stoke your digestive fire so that it can take care of some inner housekeeping. Start your day with a cup of warm water mixed with a spoonful of honey and the juice of half a lemon to kindle your digestive fire. Sip hot water with a few slices of ginger throughout the day. Take a pinch of fresh ginger mixed with a little honey, lemon juice and salt before meals. Make lunch your main meal of the day when your digestive fire is highest, and make breakfast and dinner both a little lighter. It’s that simple.

• 3. Eat for the season

In your diet, cut back on the indulgent sour, heavy, oily and sugary comfort foods that got you through the winter and focus instead on pungent, bitter and astringent tastes. That means ample digestive spices like black pepper, cumin, ginger, turmeric, coriander and fennel, lots of steamed leafy green vegetables and legumes. The best grains at this time of year are barley, wheat and rice. Incorporate seeds and seasonal fruit and veg like spring onions, leeks, spring greens and rhubarb.

• 4. Pick up the pace

We all know daily exercise is important, but at other times of year you can overdo it and deplete yourself. The spring, however, is the perfect time to enjoy more vigorous and dynamic yoga practices to promote lymph circulation and boost immunity. Break a sweat with robust sun salutations, twists and standing balance poses to experience levity. Off your mat, brisk walks, running, hiking and biking with friends are all great ways to boost your energy, especially when the sun is out and on milder days.

• 5. Plant seeds

In all cultures, spring has traditionally been the time to sow seeds for future harvest, and not just in your garden. Take advantage of the optimism that increasing daylight and warmer weather can invoke in you and incorporate intention-setting practices like meditation, goal-setting and journaling into your daily life to expand your horizons for the season ahead. Now is a great time to take up new activities. In many ways after all, spring is nature’s new year.

Julia Clarke is leading our June 2024 200hr Teacher Training, for more information about our training is available here.