Feeling Lethargic in Spring? Here’s why!

If there ever is a time during the year when we have a chance to be reborn, kapha season is it. Our body is tuned right into Nature’s renewal. It wants to shed excess fat and mucus. Things start to run (think noses!) just like the thawing snow. Everything seems wet in our internal and external worlds.

And it’s not just our body that wants a fresh start. If we pay attention to the subtle shift in spring, we’ll likely recognize a desire to clean house. Figuratively and literally.

Yes, spring cleaning is a phenomenon of Nature.

But, like increases like in Ayurveda, and too much of the Water element, coupled with Earth (kapha is water and earth) can leave many kapha-type people feeling “stuck in the mud.” Unmotivated and lethargic, they may feel like crawling back into their figurative cave and sleeping a few more weeks (or months!).

Because of the heaviness of the energy in this dosha, kapha-types can be prone to depression, especially during kapha season. Even vata and pitta-types who may be experiencing a kapha imbalance can find springtime challenging.

You may be more of a walker or a runner. Or maybe a game-player. Whatever activity you love to do— let it draw you outside in the spring. Especially if you’re feeling sluggish, depressed, or unmotivated.

That’s the thing about Ayurveda. We just need to keep our awareness high and not let ourselves sink too deeply into any imbalance.

How? Well, use Mother Nature as a guide, of course!

Focus on seasonal foods.

Take a clue from what’s at your local farmer’s market, or in your garden if you’re lucky! Our appetite starts to wane in the spring as we need less fat to protect us than in the winter months. Kapha-types especially may feel a marked decrease in appetite. Follow your body’s intuition while pacifying the dosha/doshas that are predominant in your constitution. Eat light. Spring greens are perfect. Try this wonderful Spring Detox Soup

Gift your body with a cleanse.

It’s the best time of year for detoxifying and you’ll likely see better results with a spring cleanse than one that’s attempted during the winter when the body is still trying to hold onto fat. The Holistic Highway makes it easy by guiding us according to our particular constitution. A kapha-type will benefit from a cleanse that is much different than one geared towards a vata- or pitta-type person.

Begin a new project that’s been percolating all winter.

I had it in my mind that I was going to start writing my recipe book in January because it’s such a dull month. But it didn’t happen. February and March whizzed by too. So I’m going to take all of the ideas that have been floating around in my head and move from thinking to creating. And just maybe I’ll produce a new book this spring! Or at least start it…

Get outside and join in all the magnificent creation going on in Nature.

I’ll be going on longer hikes with my dog, Bailey! He is quite goofy on his walks as Spring has sprung. He knows that Spring is about fun and freedom. I can’t help but catch some of his goofiness as we play and run together on the beach.

You may be more of a walker or a runner. Or maybe a game-player. Whatever activity you love to do, let it draw you outside in the spring. Especially if you’re feeling sluggish, depressed, or unmotivated.

If necessary, get a buddy to help you push through the lethargy that can bog down kapha-types. Start with a walk. Listen to the sounds of spring. Find a park. Sit by a river. Watch the animals scurrying about. This is an active season and we should follow suit if we want to live in harmony with Nature.

Mother Nature is always here for us. Guiding us, nudging us, teaching us. The least we can do is open our eyes, take a deep breath, and step outside into her schoolyard. There is so much to learn and so much to create during this wondrous season of rebirth we call Spring.

To feel your best this spring and overcome unwanted lethargy and fatigue, check out what a personalized Ayurveda cleanse can do for you. This cleanse works because it isn’t one-size-fits-all, but because it is customized based on your metabolic type (dosha). 

In health,

START YOUR AYURVEDA CLEANSE TODAY

Inspired by Banyan Botanicals