Nature is our guide in Ayurveda. We look at how nature changes with the daily and seasonal weather patterns, daylight, and nighttime to see how we can best support ourselves physically and mentally/ emotionally to stay in good health.
Ayurveda believes our disconnect from nature causes diseases and imbalances in ourselves.
Our lives and environments are ever-changing and to keep yourself in balance it helps to look at the seasonal changes to know how to adapt.
Read all about the month of May to stay in good health!
P.S. This blog is based on Ontario, Canada weather.
Okay, can we now say that spring is here? I am not sure actually. I feel I have been saying this for a few weeks and the weather keeps surprising us. But I guess that is spring! One of my clients told me that spring won't be here until mid-May and I think she is right.
If you are in other parts of Canada or the world you might experience the same or you are lucky and the weather has been nicer already.
Either way, May will bring us warmer weather, and that means we are moving towards Pitta-Kapha season. Slowly kapha is moving out of the seasons and pitta is moving in. Pitta is the fire element and with temperatures rising our inner fire will rise with it.
This generally means we feel more energized to start moving our bodies again, to start a new job, or a new adventure. Spring brings new possibilities and possibly (re)new(ed) love!
"Can we now say that spring is here?"
The Weather
May might still bring some rain, but the temperatures are rising and the sun is becoming more prominent. The days are getting longer and longer, and we feel inclined to go outside more.
We are moving into the pitta part of spring! The fire and water elements of pitta are very present with higher temperatures and humidity in the air. This is the most pleasant for vata dosha who benefits from the warmth and the moisture in the air.
This time in spring is still a great time to do a cleanse (read more here about cleansing). Especially for kaphas and pittas. Since pitta season is upon us, pittas want to make sure they are in balance and moving into the warmer months healthy.
May weather can be very pleasant. It is not yet very hot and humid, there is a nice breeze, some rain, and the air is fresh and clean.
"We are moving into the pitta part of spring! The fire and water elements of pitta are very present with higher temperatures and humidity in the air."
The Three Doshas in May
Vata
Vata is happy. Rain and warmer temperatures. A good mix for vata to get relief from their dryness and cold. The vata seasons are over! The coming months will be much more pleasant for vata types to enjoy and feel good. Warm temperatures will decrease their dryness and relieve them of constipation and anxiety. They might naturally feel calmer and more balanced in these coming months.
Spring brings excitement and newness and vata is all about it. Vata loves starting new projects and feeling that excitement running through their body of new opportunities and new adventures. Enjoy this feeling!
Okay, there is always a flip side. Vatas need to stay grounded and make sure the projects they start are really what they want and what is good for them in terms of staying in balance. They need to make sure they don't overbook their calendars and still have time to recharge and rejuvenate.
Vatas easily get out of balance, but with some good self-care, they can rebalance themselves quickly as well.
Sticking to their routines when it comes to mealtimes, sleep, and rest is essential for them.
Pitta
Like I mentioned above, we are moving into the pitta part of spring and towards full-on pitta summer. This means heat! Heat in our bodies will rise and this means our energy rises and we are ready for action!
You might feel inclined to get out and start exercising more again and more intensely, like a good spin class, power yoga, or a competitive game of tennis.
This is great to get your blood and lymph moving to release any build-up toxins or sluggishness from the winter season.
Pittas also might notice their appetite increasing and find themselves hungry throughout the day. Pitta is the dosha of transformation, turning food into energy, and they need good substance to fuel them throughout the day. Sticking to three full meals a day is good to keep you full, satisfied and to avoid feeling 'hangry'.
Pitta benefits from the newly harvested leafy greens at your local farmers' market. Greens are bitter in taste and help clean your blood which is great to support your liver in the cleansing process. Pitta can still benefit from a mild Ayurvedic cleanse to prep them for the warmer months.
Pitta out of balance might experience feeling irritated and frustrated. Noticing itchy skin or eczema flare-up. Common around this time is spring allergies that cause nasal congestion and sneezing. You might experience looser stools or more than three bowel movements a day. These are signs of imbalance and a cleanse or a visit to your Ayurvedic coach might be helpful!
"Greens are bitter in taste and help clean your blood which is great to support your liver in the cleansing process."
Kapha
Kaphas are happy with the warmer weather. They are happiest mid-summer and are looking forward to this! They might start to feel the motivation to move their bodies more and get outside to enjoy the warmer weather and be in nature.
The newness and excitement of spring benefit kapha and give them the energy to switch up their routines, start a new job, or finally finish a project. This is a great time for kapha to take a look at their diet, exercise routine, and lifestyle and make any changes for the better. Kaphas love their routines and can actually benefit from changing them every now and then to switch up the energy.
Kaphas out of balance might notice nasal congestion, coughing up phlegm, sneezing, and holding on to water weight. The water element of kapha and pitta is in the air and can bog down kapha. Moving your body every day is essential at this time of year.
In terms of diet, kaphas can also benefit from the new abundance of greens available and a spring diet in general. An Ayurvedic spring diet is lighter in nature and this is great for kapha. Spring is salad season and the light quality of salads is great to decrease kapha in the body.
If you relate to the imbalances of kapha it might be a good idea to still do a 3-7 day Ayurveda cleanse.
Routine and lifestyle
Days are getting longer, which means more sunlight! This means seasonal affected disorder will decrease and our moods are lifted. Soaking up that sunlight is extremely beneficial for every dosha. Sunlight is prana (life force energy) and will give us a renewal of life. Don't be afraid. of the sun, but be mindful of it at the same time.
Rising with the sun means getting up earlier and enjoying the tranquility of the mornings. This is a great time to start your day with intention. Journaling, meditation, a walk outside, tending to your garden, singing in the shower, whatever boasts your mood!
We're moving away from lounging on the couch and hours of Netflix and replacing this with dining outside, playing in the yard, and more time with friends and family.
Vatas need to make sure they still have good routines set in place, as well as pittas. Kaphas can benefit from switching up their lifestyle routines.

Ayurvedic Diet for May
What is available always depends on where you are in the world. Your best bet is to check your weekly farmers' market or subscribe to a newsletter of your local farm to stay updated.
Abundance is here! The outdoor markets are up and running and have their first harvest of the year on display. A variety of colours and lots of green!
Nature is our guide when it comes to our diet. If you just follow what your local farmers market has to offer, you are automatically eating what is in season. And this is not random. Ayurveda states we need more bitter taste in spring to detox from winter. Greens bring a bitter taste and help to gently detox the body.
Spring is salad season! There are many kinds of leaves you can put in your salad. Mustard greens, dandelion leaves, lolla rossa, butter lettuce, baby spinach, and the list is long. And not to mention adding herbs like parsley, dill, basil, and cilantro. These all bring great flavour. Salads are light and bring vitamins and minerals to the body for rejuvenation from the winter season.
In May we also get to eat asparagus! Asparagus has a diuretic property (stinky pee!) and this is great for kaphas who hold on to water weight. You can also find rhubarb at your local market. Cooking rhubarb in water and adding a bit of sugar to balance the sour taste is great for softening the stool. Recommended for vatas! But rhubarb has properties that benefit all doshas.
May is also a great month to reduce your meat intake and move towards lighter proteins like fish and poultry. Of course, spring is lamb season, or more correctly spring lamb, which is the young lamb with less flavour. May is great to introduce more legumes and beans. These bring the astringent taste which has cleansing and drying properties, especially good for pitta and kapha.
Kaphas who struggle with congestion, mucus, and holding on to water weight want to add more spices to their meals. Red and green peppers, ginger, black pepper, cayenne, the spice will make you sweat and get your blood flowing which increases fire in the body and gets kapha moving!
Spices like turmeric and cinnamon are great for kapha and pitta. They have blood-thinning properties and help thin out your thicker winter blood.
Bitter green vegetables also have a cooling property and this is great for pittas who struggle with inflammation and skin problems.
Reducing dairy products is also great for kapha to reduce mucus in their bodies. Dairy generally has the cold quality and we want heat for kapha.
*A diet is unique to each person. Book an Ayurveda Assessment to find out more about your doshas and what an ideal diet would be for you. Click here to book your 20-min FREE consult.
*Sign up for the Ayurveda Cleanse this spring! This is a 7-day on-demand program that will help you reset your diet and lifestyle for better health. Perfect if you want to lose weight, improve your digestion, get better sleep, heal skin issues, and overall learn more about an Ayurvedic diet and lifestyle. You can start this cleanse at any time of the year that is convenient to you. Read more here.
*Always consult your physician before making adaptations to your lifestyle and diet.
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