So let’s look more at preparing ourselves for the Kapha season in terms of nutrition and motivation.
Kpaha is the element of Water and Earth – so finding balance is important or else we have a composite of mud – a heaviness and lethargy. We want to balance the grounded stability of the Earth and the flowing nature of Water. When Kapha is in balance, you feel strong, grounded and stable, but when it is out of balance it can make us feel heavy in the body and the mind, as well as accumulating in the lungs and chest making breathing difficult. As the environment becomes colder and wetter, we tend towards Kapha behaviors – eating and sleeping a little more as well as moving a little less. So maintaining movement and momentum is key.
Winters are a time to seek comfort and solace within but because of the holidays there can also be a time of overindulgence. A little too much heavy food, exacerbated by lack of exercise, stagnant energy and a tendency to stay inside can lead to lethargy, mental fogginess and a heavy attitude. We need to seek out nourishing foods, but also get out in Nature, practice lots of pranayama and a great way of waking up a stagnant Kapha attitude is an expansive asana practice with movement, flow and deep lung-fulls of breath.
In the Kapha time of the year, there is more tendency towards coughs and colds (damp and heaviness in our lungs), stiff joints (again due to dampness in the body) and a general feeling of contraction and tightness.
In Kapha dominated Wintery season, we are trying to balance our own Dosha dominance and the energy of the season – so even if we are Vata or Pitta, we will still have the tendency towards colds and coughs (the mucus of Kapha), potentially depression because of the lack of sunlight and fresh air and joint ache because of the damp weather.
In Ayurveda, maintaining a routine is always important for all doshas.
Winter can be tough for Kapha types as it exacerbates cravings for comfort foods and sweets which exacerbate Kapha in the body – seek balance by adding astringent fruits, leafy bitter greens– and use the holy trinity of onion, garlic and ginger and spices like cumin and turmeric again will support the body at this time of year (good for digestion). Bitter and Astringent foods are good for the Kapha time of year – astringent fruits like apples and pomegranates, most legumes like chickpeas are also astringent in quality. How about an aubergine and chickpea curry or tagine – you can go for Indian or Middle Eastern flavours and spices which often draw from these astringent and bitter tastes. Another option would be a hearty aloo gobi (potaoto and cauliflower dish as again these are of the astringent taste).
If there is an accumulation of Kapha in the body in the form of mucus we should steer clear of dairy, sugars and processed foods. Raw foods are at odds with cold and damp weather, but you could add fermented foods like sauerkraut and kimchi make great side dishes at the moment as they can give both our immune systems and our digestion a boost at this time of seasonal change – but do not overdo it as they can be heavy (tamasic) on our systems.
