Spring Clean Your Daily Routine

Many of us dismissed famed groundhog Punxsutawney Phil’s shadowy prediction of an extra 6-weeks of winter with a smile and nod. But this year likely made doubters think twice. While spring seems to finally be here to stay and has brought some relief from the lingering winter hangover, it can be tricky to automatically shed our seasonal sluggishness. Thankfully, yoga’s sister science, Ayurveda, offers us insight that we can use to embrace spring’s natural qualities and cultivate renewal in our day-to-day lives.

Spring is characteristically damp and cool; much like its predecessor. These are characteristics of the Kapha dosha, which is dominant between the later winter months and the earlier spring months. A few weeks into the new season, we may notice Kapha qualities accumulating in our bodies, which can lead to those pesky feelings of sluggishness (and seasonal allergies among other ailments). However, a few tweaks to lighten up your diet and daily routine can help make the transition smoother by harmonizing with the season.

Start Small

If you pay attention while shopping at your local farmer’s market or grocer, you may notice a variety of leafy greens and produce available this time of year. You may also notice that you’re starting to crave lighter fare. This is no coincidence; your body is actually guiding you toward what’s being offered in nature. Yet despite our natural intuition, embracing this shift and willingly changing our diets can take time (especially when it comes to retiring our go-to winter comfort foods). Lightening up is a process for us, just as it is for Mother Nature. Try easing into it by making one tweak to each meal of the day. Take your morning coffee, for example. If you find that you’ve needed more caffeine to get your day going lately, try swapping one cup a day for dandelion tea. This herbal tea offers a rich, nutty taste reminiscent of coffee with some added health benefits, aiding digestion and purification. To brew:

• Bring 2 cups of water to a boil
• Steep one dandelion root tea bag for several minutes until the appearance and aroma are bold (you can roast your own dandelion root or buy a prepackaged version from your local grocery store)
• Add a splash of coconut or almond milk if you’re a latte drinker and/or a bit of vanilla extract (optional)
• Enjoy warm or cold (warm may be better first thing in the morning!)

While you can add raw cane sugar, you may notice that the more often you drink this brew, the less sweetener you need. Try to avoid too much sweetness and especially refined sugar, which can increase Kapha. As dandelion is a natural diuretic, please consult your doctor if you’re on any medication.

Reset Your Alarm

Now that we’re past those first few weeks of daylight savings time, the sun is rising a bit earlier. Try taking advantage of these brighter mornings by rising a bit earlier yourself, before 6 a.m. By waking a little before sunrise you can get ahead of Kapha’s heavy spell and counter-balance it with Vata’s clearer qualities. If you have time, try to get in your workout or physical activity prior to 10 a.m. Whether it’s hot vinyasa or going for a jog, do something stimulating to warm up your body and get prana flowing for stable energy throughout the day.

While you may be rising earlier, try to resist the urge to take a nap (we know…those are hard to come by!). Instead, aim to get to bed by 10 p.m. when Kapha is dominant and drowsiness sets in. Help yourself wind down by:

• Putting devices down 1-2 hours before bed
• Meditate, pray or enjoy a quiet and relaxing activity like reading or a bedtime yoga routine
• Avoid alcohol before bed

Resync Your Meals

Want to avoid the 3 p.m. slump? Try eating your most filling meal mid-day rather than at dinner time. You’re likely to have more time to move around and use those calories for sustainable afternoon energy. For a deliciously filling yet not food-coma-inducing lunch, try roasted sweet potatoes and beets:

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees
• Peel and cube 4 medium sized sweet potatoes and 3 medium beets
• Place on a cookie sheet and sprinkle with coconut oil, salt, pepper garlic powder (any other preferred seasonings) to taste
• Mix together and place in oven
• Let bake for 40 minutes (tossing about halfway) or until brown

This is a great one to make ahead of time and scoop into an eco-friendly container the day before. You can eat this roasted sweet potato and beet mix hot as a side, cold on top of bitter greens with a light mustard dressing and hemp seeds, or even with ketchup!

Ideally, eating a larger meal mid-day means that you can do a lighter meal for dinner. Ayurveda guides us toward astringent, pungent and bitter tastes to help balance Kapha. A good side dish for dinner could be some lightly sautéed bitter greens including spinach, chard and bok choy:

• Thinly slice 3 cloves of garlic
• Clean and chop 1 lb. of bitter greens (keep stems)
• Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil over medium heat
• Add garlic and crushed red pepper (to taste)
• Add chopped bitter greens and toss to coat
• Toss 1-2 minutes then add ½ cup vegetable broth and simmer
• Toss until the broth is absorbed
• Salt and pepper to taste

Keep it Light

Now that the weather has begun to transition, incorporating a few lifestyle changes into your self-care routine can help you feel more connected with the spring season. By lightening your diet and optimizing your daily habits, you’re eliminating excess and creating space for change in other areas of your life. Practice observing your body’s responses to these changes. You may find that you feel lighter and more balanced mentally and physically when you eat lighter foods. Your taste buds may start to adapt to needing fewer seasonings and less sugar. You might have more energy in the mornings or fall asleep more easily at bedtime. And you might even wean yourself off of that extra cup of coffee!

Special Contributor

Recipes in this post were provided by the lovely Kandace Stewart, RYT-200, AYS. Kandace is a lead teacher and yoga teacher training facilitator at Your Inner Yogi, and is also an Ayurvedic Yoga Specialist. Check out her bio for more and check the schedule for her classes and workshops!