Feel Lighter & Energized: Ayurveda’s Guide to Spring
In this blog post, I’m sharing how you can feel lighter and more energized by following Ayurveda’s diet and lifestyle guidelines.
Spring in Ayurveda, is a season of renewal and transformation. As the cold, heavy qualities of winter melt away, the body tends to accumulate Kapha Dosha — leading to sluggishness, congestion, and digestive imbalances.
To align with nature’s rhythms, Ayurveda recommends specific diet and lifestyle adjustments to support energy, detoxification, and balance.
🌱 Diet Tips for Spring
1️⃣ Favour Light, Warm & Dry Foods
Winter’s heavy, oily foods can weigh down digestion in spring. Instead, choose light, warm, and dry foods to balance excess Kapha.
From an Ayurvedic perspective there is a belief that the earth will provide what you need at the right time of the year.
Unfortunately, we have become so out of touch with seasonality that it can be very hard to know what is actually in season.
Our supermarkets have misled us into believing that there are no such things as season by serving up a year round selection of the same produce.
So the best foods are what is locally in season and the best way to find out what’s in season is to visit your local farmers market.
In terms of what to limit during Kapha season is dairy, heavy grains (wheat, rice), fried foods, and excessive sweets.
2️⃣ Eat Bitter, Pungent & Astringent Tastes
These tastes naturally detoxify and stimulate digestion.
Examples of food that have a pungent taste are ginger, hot peppers, cloves, thy, basil, cayenne pepper, radishes, mustard, wasabi, chili peppers, garlic and onions.
Examples of food that have a bitter taste are green leafy vegetables, endives, chicory, lemon peel, turmeric and fenugreek.
Astringent foods are anything that makes a dry sensation in the mouth – so for example, dry beans, lentils, apples, pears, cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower and potato.
3️⃣ Opt for Lighter Meals & Avoid Overeating
Digestive fire (agni) is still strengthening after winter. Large, heavy meals can cause sluggishness and bloating.
Avoid heavy meals in the evening and have a light early dinner before 7pm (or sunset).
4️⃣ Drink Warm Herbal Teas & Water
Cold drinks weaken digestion and increase congestion.
Best choices are ginger tea, turmeric tea, and warm lemon water.
🧘♀️ Lifestyle Tips for Spring
1️⃣ Wake Up Early & Get Moving
Wake up by 6am (before sunrise) and engage in movement like brisk walking, yoga, or dancing.
2️⃣ Practice Detoxifying Breathwork (Pranayama)
Spring is the perfect time for Kapha-reducing pranayama like Bhastrika (bellows breath) and Kapalabhati (skull-shining breath) to boost energy and clear congestion.
I have a tutorial on Kapalabhati which you can watch here.
3️⃣ Massage with Stimulating Oils
Dry brushing or self-massage (Abhyanga) with warm mustard or sesame oil helps circulation and reduces sluggishness.
4️⃣ Spend Time Outdoors
Fresh air, sunlight, and movement help shake off winter lethargy and align with spring’s uplifting energy.
5️⃣ Declutter & Refresh Your Space
Ayurveda recommends spring cleansing for both the body and the home. Open windows, clear out clutter, and refresh your space to invite new energy.
By following these Ayurvedic tips, you’ll feel lighter, more energized, and in tune with the renewal of spring.
If you’re new to Ayurveda or even you have taken a Dosha quiz before this one will reveal something new – I promise 😊 Take this quiz and discover your Ayurvedic Dosha (mind-body type), uncover your strengths and weaknesses, and find out what might be holding you back from living your best life.
Please feel free to forward this to a friend, colleague or family member who you feel could benefit.