Kapha & Covid: 8 tools to Lighten Up
Hello friends. If you’re anything like me it’s starting to feel like 2020 is that friend we all have who celebrates their 30th birthday every year. Sure, it’s technically 2022, but, is it….So many of us are feeling stuck., heavy, redundant, and lost in a storm of anxiety producing information.
Add to that the fact that we’re hitting the kapha time of year and BOOM, depression, anxiety, and major couch potato syndrome can follow.
Don’t worry, I’m moving towards the good news here. There are tools! There are practices that can help!
Today I’m sharing with you 8 ways to lighten that Kapha Season Covid weight and feel better.
What is Kapha Dosha?
First- Let’s remember what Kapha is. Kapha is composed of the elements earth and water, heavier on the earth. Because you and I as human beings are nature, and composed of the same ingredients as nature, nature has a profound affect on us. At this time of year there’s more earth and water present, and because there’s more of that all around us, it can be easier for that part of us to get all outta wack.
It’s that basic principle of Ayurveda that like increases like. If I’m cold and I take off my sweater I’m going to be more cold. If I’m hot and I put on a sweater I’m going to be more hot. So right now, nature is extra cold and wet, and parts of us are cold and wet too, and the combination of the two can make too much cold and wet. What that might feel like is a generally heaviness, leathery, slower digestion, sluggishness, dullness, feeling extra cold, colds, allergies, and the blahs.
There are things we might be unknowingly doing that exacerbate these issues, like eating heavy foods, not moving our bodies, eating excessive dairy, and feeling greed or attachment.
It’s Vata Time Too!
This time of year also has a strong dose of Vata dosha. Vata is air and either. When there’s too much vata, anxiety, nervousness, and anxiousness, often follow.
Let’s just add on top of that what feels like the everlasting pandemic and oh.my.goodness. It’s a lot people. It’s a lot. We’re doing it, but it’s a lot.
So. With the general understanding that we could all use some levity, I give you 8 tools from Yoga and Ayurveda to lighten it up!
It’s that basic principle of Ayurveda that like increases like. If I’m cold and I take off my sweater I’m going to be more cold. If I’m hot and I put on a sweater I’m going to be more hot. So right now, nature is extra cold and wet, and parts of us are cold and wet too, and the combination of the two can make too much cold and wet. What that might feel like is a generally heaviness, leathery, slower digestion, sluggishness, dullness, feeling extra cold, colds, allergies, and the blahs.
There are things we might be unknowingly doing that exacerbate these issues, like eating heavy foods, not moving our bodies, eating excessive dairy, and feeling greed or attachment.
8 tools from Yoga and Ayurveda to lighten it up!
#1 Nature
Nature is an incredible healer. We need it friends. If you’ve been locked up inside go take a walk. Use your senses. Notice the natural world around you. There’s some really cool research that shows that consistent exposure to either sunlight or moonlight at the same time every day can help the pineal glad function more optimally and help human hormone regulation.
It’s not just some tree-hugging-the-world-is-beautiful thing. Though, I’m here for that too. It’s necessary for our bodies to be exposed to sunlight and nature for bio rhythms to function optimally. It’s important for our eyes to see the fractal patterns in nature so our minds can function optionally. If this is a new idea for you, fractal patters are found in nature, they are sometimes called the patterns of chaos. Psychology today reports that exposure to fractal patterns can reduce a persons level of stress up to 60%. Yes please.
What is Ayurveda & How Can It Help Me?
This is science studying, measuring, and observing what the ancient practices have always been teaching. Nature is a healer. She’s boss. When we sequester ourselves away from the intrinsic wisdom that we are part of a greater whole, it’s going to have a negative effect on the system.
I imagine this is not the first time you’ve heard that nature is important for your health, but I hope it’s an inspiring reminder to go take a walk. While you’re out there listen to the wind move through the trees, feel the sun on your face if you can, taste the fresh air, see the beauty all around you, smell something natural. We live in a place where there are a lot of horses around, and oddly enough, I feel like that pasture smell does some magic on my nervous system. My husband thinks this is very strange, but whatever, if you’re finding something out there that’s working for you, go with it!
#2 Friends
Good people, a good friend, is good medicine. If you’ve been alone in your head for too long, it’s time to connect. Yes, a phone call is good, but FaceTime is even better. It’s good to see the face of another person, pick up on some extra cues, and soak in someone else’s presence.
The Vedas talk about how important friendship is. One mantra (36.90) is translated to say:
“Strong one, make me strong. May all beings look on me with the eye of friend. May I look on all beings with the eye of the friend. May we look on one another with the eye of friend.”
The idea of friendship being healing and important is of course a through line for great thinkers and traditions all throughout history. I imagine you’d be hard pressed to find any wisdom tradition that doesn’t celebrate the importance of friendship.
Call your friends. Tell someone you love them. Listen to their stories. Remember that you are not alone in this, or in anything. Not sure what to talk about in a world where every conversation is covid and your life is on pause? Re tell stories from the past, remember together. Dream together. Make hopes and plans for the future. She’s coming.
#3 Music
Yessssss. Ayurveda uses sound as a healing tool. If you’re feeling anxious from to much vata, and too much news try listening to the sounds of soothing rain, mantra, or some lord krishna flute music. If in contrast you’re feeling stuck, and heavy, from too much kapha crank up the upbeat music! Put on something that makes you want to move and dance. It’s amazing what a 3 min dance party can do for you.
This is so simple and so customizable to your preference. Just remember the principle of like increases like. If you feel heavy and stuck and you listen to somber, heavy, music, it’s probably not going to get better. If you’re feel anxious and worried and you listen to crazy fast, loud, aggressive music, it’s probably going to get worse. Be aware of your current state, and use sound and music as a fun and powerful tool to help reestablish balance!
#4 Movement
I’ll talk yoga from an Ayurvedic prospective here. Let’s let this be really simple and helpful. You already know the like increases like principle. You already know it’s important to move your body. If you’re feeling anxious and there’s a lot of vata present, skip the super fast paced flow class in favor of a yin or gentle class. If you’re feeling stuck and heavy, find a flow class that will help get you moving without over taxing you and leaving you depleted. Simple!!
I have a deep love for Classical Surya Namaskar. This practice can be done both ways. Fast and vigorous, or slow, steady and nurturing. If yoga asana isn’t for you, you can apply the same logic to taking a walk outside. Do you need a slow, scenic, meandering walk, or a fast, heart rate increasing sprint through the neighborhood.
It works when deciding what kind of dance party to have in the living room as well! It’s all about an awareness of your current state, and making a choice that brings you more towards balance. Hopefully, also more towards joy and out of a kapha covid funk : )
This is so simple and so customizable to your preference. Just remember the principle of like increases like. If you feel heavy and stuck and you listen to somber, heavy, music, it’s probably not going to get better. If you’re feel anxious and worried and you listen to crazy fast, loud, aggressive music, it’s probably going to get worse. Be aware of your current state, and use sound and music as a fun and powerful tool to help reestablish balance!
#5 Oil Your Feet
The end of vata season can leave our feet in a hot mess of dry cracked sadness. Instead of rubbing them raw and scraping the heck out of them, Ayurveda recommends nurturing them with oil.
I love this practice because it’s quick, easy, and doable. Oiling the feet is very soothing and grounding to the nervous system, so it’s an especially great practice for right before bed. It can help ground the body for sleep, nurture the skin, and give you a moment to check in with yourself.
My favorite oil for this (and no she’s not paying me to say this) is Pratima’s Love Oil. That stuff smells like magic goodness. If you’re not in the market for fancy oil, that’s totally fine. Sesames oil is lovely and warming for vata types, Almond oil will work well for pitta people, and jojoba oil is a great one for just about everyone.
The practice itself is super simple. Rub oil into your feet. Get all the dry spots with extra oil. If you can, warm up the oil before you put in on your feet. You could simply run the bottle under hot water, or heat it up with a tea light candle in a butter warming dish. After you have applied the oil put on cozy socks that you don’t mind dedicating to this practice. If like me, you get too hot sleeping in socks, you can do this practice any time that it works for you.
Oil your feet!! It’s a wonderful way to soothe the nervous system, ground the body, prepare for rest, and have soft feet! It’s also a great way to know your taking good care of yourself in a time where that can feel tricky. It’s a feel good practice to help ground the system so you can continue to take in new information, and process it as smoothly as possible.
#6 Meditation & Mindfulness
Come on, I couldn’t leave this one out. Let this be in whatever form works for you. If right now, it’s making a conscious choice to wash the dishes and stay present with washing the dishes instead of allowing your mind to worry and run, do that. If its sitting for 20 mins, do that. If it’s listening to mantra music for 5 mins, do that. If it’s taking that walk in nature and paying attention to the world around you, do that. If it’s making food for you or your family with your attention on love, and gratitude do that. There’s more than one way people. Find a practice that let’s you steady the mind, be present, and experience what’s happening right now. In a world that is somehow simultaneously on fast forward and pause this is everything.
#7 Eat Food
Yes, real food! Ayurveda is always going to encourage you to eat whole foods, in season, and as fresh as possible. In general, this time of year can often lead to slow and sluggish digestion. There are tools for that!
Could you trade out some of the flour products your eating in favor of whole grains? Maybe you could replace a cold meal with a warm one. Eat your salad, just cook it in olive oil first! Favor warm, fresh, whole, and light foods right now. Allow this to be simple. These principles will work for everyone, regardless of your specific dosha or your current imbalance. When we’re giving our body food that’s high quality, and we digest it well, we have a much greater chance of our bodies rebuilding themselves into a state of health.
I don’t know about you, but even though I know all this is true, the heaviness of covid and kapha can often make me want to grab for something cold, fast, and easy. I get it. I feel you. I’m just here to encourage you not to do that anyway. When we add more cold and heavy to our already cold and heavy state we, of course, get more cold and heavy. Let’s all make some warm tea friends, and eat something beautiful that came from the earth and has one word in the ingredients. Like, apple. Preferably, stewed in warm water with 3 cloves and finished with a dash of cinnamon. yummmm. We can do it.
#8 Nourish Your Agni
This just means take good care of your digestive fire. During the cold, heavy, wet time of year it can be extra difficult to keep that fire burning well. Here in the kapha time, we nurture that fire with warm spices and warm water.
Think of it like this. You’re making a beautiful vegetable soup. You source the most perfect vegetables from the local farmers market. Everything is fresh, seasonal, and whole. You cut it up, you add it to the pot of home made veggie broth, and you apply the yummy spices. You go to turn on the cook top and it will barely heat up. You can’t even get the soup warm, much less cooked. This is the basic idea behind agni.
You need the fire of digestion to be able to make use of the food you’re eating. You could be eating the most ideal diet, but if you agni is weak, you’re still going to have a problem. This can get a bit nuanced based on an individuals specific situation, but here’s one way we can all nurture that fire.
Drink warm water. Skip the ice water completely, stay away from room temp, and really favor warm water. You can take it up a notch with the CCF tea we talked about last week. Warm, warm, warm. Warm up the kapha covid coldness with warm water goodness!
That's all 8!!
8 ways from the yoga & Ayurveda world to help you lighten and brighten during this season of Kapha and Covid.
- Be in Nature
- Talk to a Friend
- Listen to Music
- Move Your Body
- Oil Your Feet
- Practice Meditation & Mindfulness
- Eat Real Food
- Nourish Your Agni
I deeply hope this is helpful and useful to you.
Until next time, May all diseases be conquered as by a powerful forest fire. Thank you so much for joining me here, being a part of this circle, and living out this wisdom so our entire world can find more balance.
This blog is also an Ayurveda Podcast that you can listen to here!