Ayurvedic Tips for Spring

Niti Sheth • 14 May 2019

Using the change in seasons to your advantage

Ever feel like you just need a bit of a pick-me-up in time for Summer?
Still carrying some of that Winter warmth on you?
Feel like your mind is foggy and you can't seem to think straight?

These are all normal occurrences during the junction of two seasons - a phenomena predicted by Ayurveda over 5000 years ago. And along with giving these predictions, Ayurveda also gave us the cure! The ancient texts tell us that the 7 days at the end and commencement of seasons should be used as a transition period for our health. We should gradually give up the seasonal practises of the preceding season and gradually adopt the practises of the coming season. And the best way to do this is through a cleanse!

We often speak of a Spring cleanse for our homes - reorganising cupboards, clearing out old things and making space for the brightness and lightness of Summer. Why not do the same to your body?

The Winter to Spring transition and Ayurveda

During Winter, the energy known as kapha is predominant. When you look at the qualities of kapha (cool, heavy, slow, soft, smooth and unctuous) you'll notice that this is exactly what is prominent during Winter. Cold temperatures; the heavy energy that we feel around us (and often characterised by the heavy foods we eat to keep us warm); and the slowness that seems to permeate the environment (notice how even animals hibernate or retreat inwards during the Winter months, subsisting on what they've harvested over Summer).

As the days get longer and the sun shines brighter, we see Winter slowly transition to Spring and then into Summer. While heating the environment outside, the sun also heats the environment inside our bodies, and everything we've accumulated over Winter slowly starts to melt. And we see this melting through a build up of mucus in the body - evident through a high incidence of colds, flus and runny noses.So this transition period is the best time to give our body a good clean out, and be prepared for the coming Summer months.

Through a combination of dietary changes, lifestyle recommendations and the addition of medicinal herbs - you can see yourself through an Ayurvedic Spring Cleanse. Here are 3 easy-to-follow tips to begin your own Spring cleanse journey.

Now cleansing on the inside always begins with your gut, your digestion. Use this inter-seasonal time to give your digestion a bit of a break from your normal diet, and rekindle your digestive fire. For those heading into Summer try this digestive tea: 1 tsp fresh grated ginger, 1 tsp fennel seeds: Bring 1 cup of water to the boil with the ginger and fennel, and simmer for 3-4 mins. Strain and enjoy! If you find the fresh ginger too heating, then swap it for 1 teaspoon of dry ginger. For those heading into Winter, sip on this: 1 tsp fresh ginger, 1/2 tsp cumin seeds, 1/2 tsp fennel seeds, 1/2 tsp coriander seeds: Bring 1 cup of water to the boil with the spices, cover, simmer for 3-5 mins, strain and enjoy!
As important as it is to cleanse our insides, we also have think about cleaning our surroundings. So this week, take the opportunity to do a Spring Clean of your house - your room, your kitchen, your office, your study - whichever area you think needs it the most. It's called Spring Clean for a reason ;) Whether you use the Marie Kondo method, or simply sort your room out into things you need to throw away and things you need to keep and organise - rearrange the cluttler outside. You'll be surprised at how cleaning the clutter on the outside will help clean the clutter inside your mind!
To help you choose these foods, Ayurveda characterises diet and nutrition according to the 6 tastes (sweet, salty, sour, bitter, pungent, astringent). Winter into Summertime is the best time to consume foods which are predominantly bitter, pungent and astringent.As you head from Summer to Winter, favour foods that are sweet, salty and sour in taste.

If you want to go even deeper, then contact me now to arrange your own personalised Spring Cleanse.

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Self Massage Guide

by Niti Sheth • 21 November 2024

There's one simple daily practice that can transform your wellbeing. It's nourishing, it delays old age, it removes fatigue, it's strengthening and it calms the mind. Want to know what it is? Massage! I know your next question is going to be - 'Who has time to go and get a massage everyday?' And you're right - going to get a massage from someone else everyday is highly unlikely, but what is likely, is taking the time to give yourself a massage! Self-massage is a treasured practice within the Ayurvedic guidelines - but there's always a lot of ambiguity around how to do it, when to do it, what oils to use etc etc. And I'm here to clear that up for you - after massaging others for over 10 years, I'm beyond excited to bring you my Self Massage Guide - a self-paced, pre-recorded video resource that goes through exactly how to do a self massage. You'll understand which strokes to use, the importance of various marma points, the best oils, the best time to massage and how to make this practice work for you in your current lifestyle. Make this theoretical practice into a reality and get your self massage guide now! You can purchase the guide here: SELF MASSAGE GUIDE.

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by Niti Sheth • 23 July 2024

We recently went on a week-long holiday to France, and while holidays are fun, there is a tendency to let your health slide and go for a holiday too! The older I get, the more I realise that while you may be on a break from work and household duties, don't be on a break from your health - it will just take more time to get back on track, plus even though you've been on a holiday mentally, your physical body will suffer. So whether you're flying or driving, staying in a 5-star hotel or a budget Air BnB, here are some tips for you to ensure you stay healthy on your holiday: Find balance through your day's meals: we love to indulge in delicious food while we're travelling. Whether it's sampling the regions local cuisine, or enjoying the hotel's breakfast buffet - if you know that breakfast/lunch/dinner is going to be a big meal that's heavy to digest - then keep the other meals of the day light. Just have some local fruits for breakfast, or opt for a simple soup/salad for the other meal. For us, because we were generally out and about for the day, our lunches ended up being the heaviest meal which we generally got from a cafe or restaurant nearby. Then back at our Air BnB, I would make some dal and rice for dinner, or roast up some veggies in the oven. Maintain routine while on holiday: we often love to see holidays as a time to let loose - eat whatever we want, sleep whenever we want, wake up whenever we want. But the truth is that our bodies don't know we're on holiday, and so when we do things that throw off our normal routine (in terms of our eating, sleeping and waking times) our bodies get confused. We thrive on routine, and letting this go in the name of relaxing can do us more harm than good. So stick to similar eating, sleeping and waking times - no matter where you travel to. Foods to help keep you regular 💩 new places and new foods can sometimes throw your digestion off track a little and result in constipation. Remember to use these foods as medicine to help keep everything moving smoothly. Try one remedy at a time: 4-5 prunes as a snack anytime during the day 9-10 raisins soaked in water and kept overnight, to be consumed first thing in the morning. Local and seasonal fruit as a snack during the day. Especially: bananas, prunes, pears, apples, papaya, soaked figs and raisins. 1 teaspoon ghee in half cup of warm water at bedtime. 1 teaspoon triphala in half cup of warm water at bedtime. Lots of water and movement during the day. Do your food research before you travel: we visited a few small French towns that were very limited in their vegetarian options. So we travelled with provisions to cook our own meals a few times while we were away. I packed all the spices I would need for one dish in a small container, some dried lentils and rice, ghee and my trusty pressure cooker. And these few things helped us have healthy, delicious and quick meals while we relaxed in our Air BnB. Another night we bought some local veggies and roasted them with olive oil and a herb blend for a lighter dinner. If food options are limited where you're going, think of these foods that you can quickly make in your accommodation: dal + rice, kichdi, soups, roasted veggies, pasta or stir-fries.

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