By Heidi Mahoney Ram

Why Seasonal Yoga?

This honors and keeps with the rhythms of the Earth and basic principles of wellness—such as, going to bed at night when it’s dark and being awake and active when the sun is out. Each season presents different environmental qualities. The qualities of nature are also present in our bodies. Earth, air, fire, water and ether dominate different seasons. Spring season, for instance, is often dominated by Earth and water. When we align our practices to the rhythms of nature, we can endeavor towards greater harmony in our bodies.

What is Ayurveda & how to use it for seasonal purposes

Ayurveda, is an ancient system of wellness and medicine that utilizes natural principles & remedies to maintain health. One of my favorite teachers, Mona Warner says "yoga is the discipline of attuning the mind and Ayurveda is the discipline of attuning the body." Ayurveda is a discipline as vast and old as yoga. Yoga & Ayurveda have often been described as sister sciences- the systems compliment each other.

Ayurvedic philosophy is a very intricate topic, much like yoga. For the purpose of this article, I will offer simple, manageable Ayurvedic practices that are relevant to daily routine in the Spring season (and some for all seasons). I’ll also introduce a few terms.

The term Dosha, for instance, is a complex term but for the purpose of our practice, we can view dosha as an elemental quality that manifests in nature and in our bodies. The 3 Doshas are: Vata (Air+ Ether-- also known as space), Pitta (fire+ water) and Kapha (Earth +water). In Ayurveda, seasons have dominant Doshas. Generally in North America, Spring is ruled by Kapha (Earth + water), Summer is ruled by Pitta (fire + water), Fall is ruled by Vata (Air + Ether), and winter can combine water, air (dryness), space and Earth elements.

It's important to note that not every locale is exact and you may live in a place that is still very cold in late February/ early March or it could possibly be warm and sunny year round where you live. It is necessary, then, to look at the qualities (known as gunas) in the environment where you live-- is it hot or cold? Is it sunny or rainy (lots of precipitation or little), is it humid or dry, is it clear or foggy? Is the grass green and plants are budding or is it still brown and dry or covered in ice? We begin to discern more as we go deeper in this practice.

Kapha (water + Earth) Dosha can be described as solid, inert, slow, steady, stable, cold, unctuous, moist and gradual. Think about how Winter gradually turns to Spring...it doesn't usually come at once. In North America, the groundhog generally predicts many more weeks of winter. The qualities of Spring really do reflect Kapha. It can be very wet with lots of moisture in the air; you can literally see Earth worms and insects and smell the Earth. Days are gradually becoming longer and we feel more fluid in our bodies-- think, increased moisture in the skin, sometimes more congestion & phlegm which is water related and the joints can glide with greater ease than in the very cold winter months.

Daily (Dinacharya) and Seasonal (Ritucharya) Routines

You probably already have daily routines for maintaining your health that you do every day—brushing your teeth, taking a shower, eating meals, exercise, getting proper sleep and rest, recreation time are just a few examples. The daily routines you maintain are part of your dinacharya-things you do daily throughout the year. You can add to these things you already do by utilizing the principles of seasonal and environmental changes through the lens of yoga and Ayurveda. In this way, you may enhance your routines and make them more seasonal- in greater rhythm with the Earth. Seasonal routines are called ritucharya. Below are some seasonal routine tips to consider or incorporate into your own life based on what suits you—some are specific to Spring/Kapha season.

Ritucharya: Seasonal Routine tips:

Eat Seasonally- heavy/dense foods in Winter, lighter foods in Summer
Springtime Veggies & Fruit, in particular, might include: asparagus, carrots, cucumbers, spring onions, beets, leafy greens, strawberries, lemons, pineapple, mango— a good practice is to look up what’s in season where you live and/or go to a farmer’s market and ask local farmers what their seasonal crops are. These will usually be readily available, taste better and be in abundance.
Adjust Sleep and Rest Habits to harmonize with the length of day & night and temperature changes. Spring and Summer months have more light! This means you might eat meals and go to bed slightly later but you also might be more active and outside in general so be mindful to counter all that light with intentional quiet and rest time. Fall and Winter, conversely, have less light so it makes sense to rest a bit more and let the animal part of yourself indulge some hibernation.
Exercising for the Season- Generally, Summer requires less strenuous exercise (because it's already hot) and Winter requires more strenuous exercise because the body requires more to stay warm, maintain digestion, etc. Spring season may require more vigorous and brisk movement to help move lymph, mucous, stoke the digestive fires and slough off the stagnation of winter.
Do Pranayama or Breathwork that helps balance the season-- For example, do heating breathwork in Winter (ie: kapalbhati/ skull shining), cooling breathwork in Summer (sheetkari or sheetali), and alternate nostril breathing for year round.
Meditation practices in Spring and Summer might focus more on the elements and senses (or sometimes withdrawal of senses if there is too much brightness) Fall and Winter meditation might be focused more on grounding and stability, reflections on harvesting the efforts of your year.

Seasonal Yoga :Spring