My Favorite Kapha Season Rituals

We have officially been in Kapha Season 🌳⛈️ in the western hemisphere since March 20th at the Spring Equinox and will continue to dance with this season until the first day of summer on June 21st. In Ayurveda, the energy of Kapha is signified by the elements water + earth and the qualities of being heavy and dense.

When we are out of balance in Kapha Season the excess of heaviness can manifest as weight gain, feeling stuck 😩, respiratory issues like colds and flus 🤧, experiencing depression and feeling unmotivated. We may actually be craving heavier and creamier foods 🍦, but end of up feeling tired and sluggish as a result. We may love the comfort of our cozy beds in the morning, but feel lazy and lethargic if we linger for too long. We may resist committing to a movement practice 🏃‍♀️, even though we know we will feel totally rebirthed afterwards.

The beauty of Ayurveda, is having the gift of understanding what energies are at play and how we can shape and transform them within us. My favorite way to learn how to alchemize these energies is through the great mother teacher- Gaia. On my hikes, I have felt the heavy soil and muddy sentiment clogging the bottom of my shoes and the dense, gray, puffy clouds ☁️ blocking out all sunshine. Internally, I have felt days like I was literally moving through the mud and felt like a dark rain cloud 🌧️ was following me around.

However, Mother Nature always loves balance, so I know with this heaviness also comes light and transformation. She shows me this process with the sun ☀️ drying out the sopping ground and flowers exploding into abundantly 💐, wild arrangements everywhere. Following her witchy ways 🌗 , I too have learned to work with the element of fire 🔥 to burn away excess heaviness and transform darkness 🌑 into lightness 🌕.

So the simple answer to bringing balance this Kapha Season is to invite the qualities of heat and light and the elements fire, air and ether. Let's bring this etherical application a bit more into the body now. How does this translate to an embodiment practice? How can I adjust my diet, lifestyle practices and rituals to work with Mother Nature's superpower of transformation?

Below are some of my favorite ways to heal during Kapha Season. There are plenty more that Ayurveda recommends. These just happen to be what is currently working in my dharmic practice right now! 😜

Eat warm + light foods 🍜: At the farmers market, I am starting to see an abundance of green vegetables popup like kale, brussels and even zucchini 🥒 (I live in LA, so I know zucchini may be a lil soon for some of us). I also am starting to see fresh berries make their annual, allstar debut! I use these seasonal plants to lighten up my dishes and cook them with a lil ghee, EVOO and plentyyyy of spices. Digestion is the epitome of transformation 🔥 and kapha season is the optimal time to stoke our digestive fire with freshly cooked and well seasoned dishes.

Seasonal Cleanse: Just as we have to take out the trash regularly, our bodies want to naturally rid of waste every season. There is a beautiful brand in Ayurveda dedicated to cleansing 🛁called Pancha Karma. While this can be as in depth as a month long visit to India, in the west, I love making cleansing simple, easy, gentle and fun 😁. As healers, cleansing the physical body is a must, but cleansing with the mental, emotional and spiritual body is a non-negotiable. For a gentle 5 week cleanse, you may check out my course I AM CLEAR.

Clean out the Closet 🫧: When we talk about dharma, we don't just apply living a life of soul purpose to our career. We apply living a life of soul purpose in everything that we do. This same concept can be applied to cleansing 🧹. Intuitively, our culture has already taken on this ritual with 'spring cleaning'. Cleaning out your closets, bathroom shelves and garage goes beyond seeing the clutter on a daily basis. It is a spiritual act of clearing space in your life and leaving space for flowers to bud 🌻and opportunities to flourish.

Plant New Seeds 🌱: After you've done some clearing and cleansing internally and externally, what is left is bright, open pastures aka CLEAR SPACE. Spiritually, this can be likened to the end of a meditation practice where your vessel has rid the residue of foreign energies like invading thoughts and other's beliefs. What is left is space for intuitive messages to come through 😇. The same idea can be applied during this time of year to planting new ideas and quite literally, seeds in your garden. Tend to your garden by watering your plants every day🪴 just as you can tend to your ideas and projects regularly, patiently waiting for them to come to life.

Daily Movement 🏃‍♀️: One of my favorite ways to activate my internal heat system is by working up a lil sweat. In the Spring, my body naturally wants a bit more intensity to move the heaviness and stickness of Kapha Season 💨. Everything in balance! I love a steamy hot yoga class followed by a yin cool down. I also adore a light jog with walks in nature.

Purifying Herbs 🌿: I favor herbs that purify the body and burn away ama (toxins) during this time of year. Fresh ginger is incredible for stimulating digestion and burning away excess residue in the body. I also love turmeric root as it can be drying to the tissues that may be soiled with excess mucus 🤧. My favorite is brewing up fresh ginger, turmeric tea in the morning 🍵and using that as a base for either my matcha or for a non-caffeine day, mushroom tea. When my mind feels dull, I like incorporating ceremonial grade Matcha Green Tea 💚and herbs like rosemary which are known to be nervine stimulants.

Fire Rituals 🔥: There is no better way to connect with the fire element than through ceremony. Fire burns away impurities and dissolves dense emotions like grief, resentment and sadness. I find that tending to my grief practice during this time of year is vital and using the fire element to transform my grief is essential. A simple fire ritual is to write down ✍️ your grievances on a piece of paper and then burn them in a bowl, witnessing the flames transforming your grief.

 Are you craving a community and space to practice these healing rituals with and a space for you to continuously learn how to work with these potent energies?! Join the waitlist for the Divine Healer's Membership. A virtual space to connect with extraordinary healers, receive divine healings and messages for your personal journey and an abundance of resources to support your evolution.