May Wellness Map

💛 Hey Loves!

How is your spring going? Able to finally enjoy some warmer weather? Here in Colorado the winds are bonkers which can be really tough for Vata (airy) types like myself. If you are feeling the same, it’s a good reminder to do some simple grounding by sitting on the earth (even if it’s your bedroom floor), imagine a grounding cord extending from the bottom of your spine all the way into the ground, rooting you to the spot. Then close your eyes, inhale at your normal pace while internally saying “I am breathing in.” On your exhale, “I am breathing out.” You can also say something like “I breathe in peace, I breathe out calm” or “So” on the inhale and “hum” on the exhale. Do this for 10 cycles. Your breath is always the most available tool for healing. It is always with you. Just a simple exercise like this can do wonders if you are feeling anxious or ungrounded.

On the flip side, if you are still feeling some Kapha (wet/heavy) sluggishness that comes with Spring, you can do some heated breathing techniques such as kapalabhati or my short yoga flow from last month. If the roller coaster of hot days framed by cold days has got you feeling irritable and angry, go for some cooling breathwork like shitali, where you curl your tongue into a straw and breathe slowly in, then draw your tongue back into your mouth, and exhale through your nose. Do this for for several cycles.

As we move into more predictably warmer weather and Pitta (hot) -Kapha (heavy/wet) season, here are a few more Ayurvedic tips to help you feel balanced in your body:

  • If you are still feeling sluggish and/or it’s heavy and wet where you live, it’s still a great time to do a spring cleanse to prepare your body for the coming heat of summer. Here is a previous blog with a quick cleanse complete with a few easy recipes to get through it.

  • With the warmer weather, your blood is most likely thinning and its flow increasing. Make sure you stay hydrated by sipping on warm water with either lime or lemon in it throughout the day. I know it’s tempting on the hot days to plop in some ice cubes or grab something from the fridge, but that inhibits your agni (digestive fire) which can actually make you feel sluggish rather than invigorated.

  • To help your body in its final spring purge, incorporate some easy twists into your movement routine. At a desk job? No problem. Just take a few minutes to sit up straight through the spine, inhale raising your arms overhead, then exhale bringing your left hand down to your right knee and your right hand behind you so your torso is now opened to your right side. Take a couple deep breaths here, and release to center on an exhale. Repeat on the other side. Do this several times a day for a little body break.

Trout with Cilantro Pesto

Nourish

Welcome to Pitta-Kapha season, where the heat starts to get turned up! We are going to stick with a couple of the tastes of last month, bitter and astringent, and slowly start incorporating cooling spices, herbs and foods as well as some sweet taste foods, but only if you are not feeling sluggish. If feeling heavy, stick with heating spices and the pungent taste mentioned in the April Wellness Map. One of the best things you can do for yourself is to incorporate more greens into your diet right now. They’re fresh and delicious, and are great helpers at eliminating residual Kapha (heavy/wet) before we hit the heat of summer.

Bitter foods: leafy greens like kale and swiss chard, eggplant, sesame seeds, chocolate, coffee, brussle sprouts, tea, zucchini, cumin, dill, turmeric. These foods stimulate the healthy flow of bile. Bitter foods are the best for Kapha (wet/heavy) and PItta (hot) to keep cool. So if you are feeling overheated, grab something here, or something from the sweet category (see below).

Astringent foods: apples, pomegranate, avocado, sprouts, most raw vegetables, beans, popcorn, coriander, fennel, and parsley. These substances have a drying nature.

Sweet foods: Bananas, dates, figs, mangos, melons, beets, sweet potatoes, cucumbers, rice, wheat, tofu, red lentils, almonds, pumpkin seeds, cashews, coconut, aloe, avocado, lime, cilantro, mint, vanilla, cardamom, cinnamon, fennel. These foods are cooling and strengthening.

Some great recipes to try this month:

As I mentioned last month, in Ayurveda there are some foods NOT to combine. Here’s a quick list. Mainly this season, just eat fruit on it’s own and only with other foods if it is cooked.

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Ingredient Spotlight - Cilantro

What can I say, some people hate cilantro and some people love it. I love it, if you can’t tell by my recipes this month. It’s a fantastic herb with bitter and cooling properties to utilize this Spring. Here are just some of its benefits:

  • increases digestion and absorption

  • aids plasma, blood, and muscle tissues

  • diuretic

  • can be used on rashes

  • calms the immune system

  • helps rid the body of ama/toxins

  • cools pungent foods, and pacifies Pitta (hot) without being aggravating to Vata (dry/airy)

If cilantro has turned you off in the past, I encourage you to give it another go. The Cilantro Pesto in this recipe is a great way to enjoy the healing properties of the herb without feeling overwhelmed by it. Put it on pasta, in rice, on tacos … options are endless!

Be sure to follow me on Instagram for more Ayurvedic insights daily and blog post alerts. Until next time, I wish you all love, health, and happiness!

💛, Stephanie

 

Important note: The information provided is general guidance in accordance with Ayurvedic seasonal living. Every human is different; yoga and Ayurveda treat the individual and work best when tailored to your unique constitution. Contact me to learn more.