HOW TO SURVIVE KAPHA SEASON

Kapha season — the depths of winter and the season of spring — is the time when our environment holds the coldest, heaviest, wettest qualities of the year as recognised by Ayurveda. As I write this at my desk in Kent, and the sun drenches the window behind and warms my back, it’s difficult to imagine we’re mid-February and already entering the last month of winter without yet seeing a drop of snow to date. Still, there’s been plenty of rain, and even floods. While our environment greatly affects our moods and needs and the weather can literally “change with the wind” its helpful to understand the underlying Doshic qualities throughout the year which circle back around again and again.

So today, I want to talk about Kapha time, and how you can get through this period defined by those Kapha Qualities: cold, moist, heavy, dull, static, smooth, dense, oily and soft, and sweet, sour and salty Tastes. We often feel sluggish at this time of year despite the promises of spring and the year ahead, but Ayurveda can help us navigate it so that we regain our energy and motivation. Then when you have those odd spots or stretches of warmer, drier days or lighter days or you recognise that your body is feeling more Pitta or Vata, you can adjust accordingly. 

In time your approach to your mind and body will become an intuitive flow created in the moment just for you, by you. Here are my tips on thriving in the Kapha season.

1. WAKE UP BEFORE KAPHA TIME

While the shortest day of the year is well behind us and, all the way until June, our days are getting longer and lighter earlier, it’s still dark and cold when we wake up. It can feel counterintuitive to wake in the dark but as long as you’ve gone to bed early (or have a meditation practice that can help balance out a late night) then getting up before the sun so you can sync with the day ahead is incredibly energising (I know, I didn’t believe it until I found my routine either). While it’s more acceptable to wake later than you would in the summer — this bit feels intuitive, right?! — since that’s what the sun does anyway, try and still wake up before the sun rises (currently around 7 a.m.). Then get moving to take advantage of the abundant space and air elements of the Vata period that dominates the early hours of the day before the earth and water elements of the Kapha period kick in over the next 4 hours.

2. SHAKE IT OFF

Ayurveda is all about finding balance by offsetting the Qualities that are affecting us. Because Kapha is heavy and therefore makes us feel sluggish, try doing much more vigorous exercise than you might usually — movement helps to keep you warm, get the blood pumping and regulate the appetite — see more below. Dancing, cycling, running, dynamic vinyasas… pick your poison medicine and get moving!

3. SPICE THINGS UP

Good news for everyone feeling that low-lying Kapha energy: now’s the time to indulge in a few pick-me-ups that might leave you too wired in a Vata period or too hot come Pitta season in the summer. Sprinkle on that chilli, grate up plenty of  ginger, ground up some cloves. Many of your fav spices are perfect for lifting you up this season, plus they can help with congestion and a sluggish digestive fire if that’s what you're experiencing. Sipping on CCF tea can really help support that big appetite that you might be experiencing in the cold weather. I find that I can even enjoy a little normal (i.e not water decaffeinated) coffee around this time — as long as work is calm and I’m getting out into nature often. I enjoy it with some oat milk or rice milk rather than dairy milk which can be congesting at this time of year. If you have dairy make sure it’s spiced up — e.g. Golden Milk.

4. KEEP IT LIGHT

Avoid very sweet or very oily foods wherever possible (though don’t cut them out — we need a bit of both), as these weigh you down when you’re already not at your most energetic. Instead, go for lighter fruit like apples and pears, get your leafy greens in, replace dairy with a nondairy alternative and go for grains like barley and buckwheat. Make sure they’re well cooked to help keep your belly warm and to avoid taxing the digestive system — and of course, spice them up.

5. WATCH THAT APPETITE

During this time of year, your digestive fire can amp up, which is why we crave hot, stodgy, heavy foods because we need the fuel to keep warm, but obviously if we’re indoors in central heating the whole time, that can really throw us off and we can be prone to extra snacking and extra indulgent stuff. It’s about that fine line between recognising what’s true hunger and what’s not, and making sure you’re fuelling yourself enough to keep yourself warm. Try not snacking between meals unless you have a lot of time before your next meal or you’ve just been exercising, and tune in with your cues for hunger and fullness to keep yourself nourished.

6. BUNDLE UP

Kapha is characterised by cold weather, so make sure you’re keeping snug as a bug in a blanket, or with a hot water bottle — both preferable to overheating the house and especially your bedroom at night. A cool bedroom is important for a good night's sleep. As always in Ayurveda, make sure to drink warm water rather than cold or room temperature, and at this time of year hot water is even better. “There's no such thing as bad weather, only unsuitable clothing,” said Alfred Wainwright, the author and fellwalker — and it’s important to get out into the weather and to seek out the limited daylight so make sure you’re suitably dressed. Just like the previous seasonal period of autumn and the early months of winter, Kapha is characterised by cold like Vata — so in both seasons we’re thinking beanie hats, scarves, socks and plenty of layers around your midriff to protect the kidneys.

7. KNOW YOUR REMEDIES

If you’re suffering from cold and flu, rest up. REST IS BEST. No jumping about with exercise even if you are wearing the right clothing. Choose slower exercise like yin yoga to help open up the body and allow the Prana, or Chi, to flow, practise Pranayama (breathwork — see my YouTube playlist for videos) and maximise sleep and meditation. After all my birthday celebrations today, I’ll be cooking up some Rasam, a South Indian soup made with pungent spices which can help open up the sinuses and melt away the mucus — find it on page 251 in East by West. I’ll also be carrying some of the Respiratory Remedy on page 253 with me (it’s a Kapha-pacifying blend of spices crushed with raw honey) that I can enjoy throughout the days when I don't have my own spiced home cooking to tuck into. If you’ve got a cough, check out the traditional Polish Honey and Onion Cough Syrup (page 248) and if you need a general hand to help flush toxins, replace electrolytes and rejuvenate the blood, check out the easy Potassium Broth on page 249.

BONUS TIP: WHEN IN DOUBT, CLEANSE + RESET

I usually do a Cleanse + Reset soon after the new year, then one more for every change of season, but if you’ve got 1, 2 or 3 days to spare it’s always a beautiful way to recentre and come back into balance. Why not consider doing a Cleanse + Reset to deal with this Kapha time of year? It’s also a supportive and nourishing diet if you are “under the weather,” a phrase that very much describes the heaviness of this Kapha period!