As we turn the corner into March we turn the corner into more change. But before you cover your ears and run away screaming at the thought of more change, let’s explore how an Ayurvedic spring cleanse of Kapha dosha can help you melt away the weight you’ve been bearing all winter long.

March marks the ideal time to consider cleansing the weight of winter from your body, mind and spirit with an Ayurvedic spring cleanse for Kapha dosha. Ayurveda offers a gentle, guided and practical way to look at spring cleansing and detoxifying while reconnecting with your body’s innate wisdom and the eternal wisdom of nature’s seasonal cycles.

That’s what I love most about Ayurveda as a map I’ve used throughout my life and that I use in the lives of my clients — it’s a simple, logical balancing act that connects me to myself and something ancient and eternal that feels like a distant memory or a dream… deja vu or a word I’ve always known, but that I can’t quite remember. A word that’s just… on the tip… of my tongue.

Why March is the ideal time for cleansing Kapha dosha

In the northern hemisphere our long, pandemic-punctuated winter has been battered by severe winter storms that even blanketed unprepared southwestern U.S. states in a half-foot of “heavy snow, freezing rain, ice, and some of the coldest temperatures seen in years,” knocking out power to millions, and freezing or bursting waterlines, leaving many without running water.

This perfect winter storm also happens to be the perfect illustration of the energy of the Ayurvedic dosha called Kapha.

TO UNDERSTAND HOW KAPHA IS LIKE THE RECENT U.S. SNOWPOCALYPSE, CONSIDER ITS QUALITIES…

• a heavy, wet blanket of watery snow
• free-flowing liquids that suddenly become dense (freeze) and expand (bursting pipes)
• movement of water and air that gets locked up or frozen in its tracks
• cold temperatures that slow activity, creating stagnation and turning us back inside seeking warmth

This is Kapha dosha. And left too long in this snowpocalypse-like state, this becomes Kapha imbalance. I love this illustration because it falls just where the late winter season meets early spring to combine the elements of Kapha (water and earth). So, we can start to see how the seasonal cycle exacerbates Kapha in both Nature and in our bodies.

What is the Kapha season?

“Late winter and early spring is Kapha season, and this is when most of its difficulties arise,” details my Ayurvedic teacher, Maya Tiwari, in her beautifully written Wise Earth Ayurveda^® “Food, Breath and Sound Inner Medicine Healing Program manual.”

“During this time, when nature is about to break free from the earth’s bondage (in the form of snow, ice, water and mud), the Kapha person feels thunderously lethargic. It is imperative to set up the year so that this time of upheaval becomes nurturing.” An Ayurvedic spring cleanse for Kapha dosha offers a set of simple, logical principles, timing and rhythms to help us navigate this upheaval with resilience.

IMPORTANT KAPHA SEASON DATES TO ADD TO YOUR CALENDAR:

What does an Ayurvedic spring cleanse of Kapha dosha do?

An Ayurvedic spring cleanse of Kapha dosha is a gentle, practical way to help you melt away the natural weight you may be feeling — whether that’s physically in your digestion, heaviness in your body overall or stagnancy in your mind or spirit.

Gentle because you utilize food as your medicine in the form of oils, herbs, spices, lentils, vegetables and grains. An Ayurvedic cleanse focuses on increasing digestive fire, or agni, by simplifying your diet for a period of time to give your body a break in needing to work so hard to identify and break down foods. The foods are supportive, nourishing and you’re eating in a rhythm (not fasting), so you’re not causing yourself unnecessary physical or mental stress in the process.

Practical because it’s a mono-diet cleanse, which means you focus on a simple main recipe that you repeat over a set period of time. This allows you to really practice making your own “medicine” by cooking the food more mindfully. It also can help you create a new rhythm for the season that’s healthier and can be repeated in your daily life for years to come.

How will I feel after an Ayurvedic spring cleanse of Kapha dosha?

Individual experiences may vary since we’re all so unique. But since our focus is cleansing Kapha dosha from the body, you may experience any or all of the following after you complete an Ayurvedic Spring cleanse of Kapha dosha:

Can you lose weight with Ayurveda?

Certainly, you could lose physical weight in pounds or kilos from doing any type of cleanse. But the “weight” we’re focused on is more of an energy that manifests as feelings or sensations in the body, thoughts or beliefs in the mind or overall energetics in the spirit. The “weight” I’m referring to can be identified by energetic signatures including:

How can you reduce your Kapha dosha imbalance immediately?

It’s best to really understand Kapha dosha and how it’s showing up in your life by reading this article thoroughly and even by engaging with an Ayurvedic practitioner, coach or consultant.

But, if you have an immediate concern about Kapha imbalance showing up in your body that you want to get started addressing now, I suggest taking a step back and really looking at patterns in your life that have a Kapha-like feel to them and applying the “opposites balance” principle.

Making lifestyle adjustments that support Kapha is also a great way to begin to feel the immediate effects of Kapha balance versus imbalance.

Understanding Kapha doshas, body type and characteristics

Wait, what is a dosha?

Understanding doshas can feel complex as they operate at a number of levels in the Universe and in our bodies. But ultimately you can think of doshas as operating at three levels:

1. the macrocosmic level
2. the in-between or meso level
3. and the microcosmic level

1. DOSHAS AT THE MACROCOSMIC LEVEL

At the macrocosmic level, think of a dosha as an energetic force, rather than a physical manifestation. There are three of these doshas, or energetic forces, present in the Universe and in every living being large and small, including inside you and me.

Each dosha represents a specific energetic force of the Universe:

For Kapha dosha, its unique energetic force is absorption — of nutrients through major organs like the stomach, digestive system and skin, of ideas and wisdom and knowledge or of energy, as a few examples. Just as the earth absorbs the rainfall and the impact of the beating hooves of a herd of running buffalo, so the energetic force of Kapha dosha absorbs in a similar manner.

“Every moment of every day, we are able to see the doshas in action through the elemental qualities we find in ourselves and our environment.”

Maya Tiwari, “Love your body type”

Like every other form of life in the Universe and our natural world, each of these forces is made up of a unique combination of the elements: Earth, Water, Fire, Air and Space. “The doshas interact continuously with the external elements to replenish their energy within the body,” adds Tiwari in her free ebook “Love your body type.” (That I recommend reading if you have the opportunity.).

2. DOSHAS AT THE MESO LEVEL

I think of this meso level as the middle ground, or the bridge between the macrocosmic and microcosmic levels. And if you’ve heard the word “dosha” used before, it was probably used to refer to its manifestation at the meso level. For example, if you heard someone describe themselves or others, or even an interaction or environment as being “very Kapha.”

In Nature “the five elements … are transmuted into three doshas: Vata, Pitta, and Kapha. Known respectively as the Air, Fire, and Water principles, Vata has Space and Air as its dominant elements, Pitta has Fire as its dominant element, and the dominant elements of Kapha are Water and Earth,” my teacher Tiwari explains.

Vata, Pitta and Kapha doshas at the meso level describe an “organizing pattern” in Nature or in our physical body. We can practice recognizing these metabolic patterns in the world around us and in ourselves and others by learning to identify the characteristics of Kapha dosha that I detail later in this article.

3. DOSHAS AT THE MICROCOSMIC LEVEL

Because these three energetic forces can be quick to change, they can be equally quick to fall out of balance when our nature as beings falls out of balance.

At the microcosmic level, doshas can be described in a more tangible, physical way. While they act as “organizing forces that maintain health and eliminate bodily waste,” writes Tiwari, “as they manifest within the physical body, they continually need to be cleansed out of the body in order to maintain harmonious internal rhythms.”

The micro view of a dosha is simply an over-accumulation of bodily waste that causes an imbalance. So, at this level, a dosha will only be experienced, felt or seen when it is aggravated. To understand more about how to spot microcosmic level doshic aggravation, skip ahead to the section on what Kapha dosha is responsible for in the body.

“Since each dosha is formed from two elements, it bears the qualities of both.”

Maya Tiwari, “Love your body type”

Ultimately, learning what our nature — our natural state of balance — is and identifying signs of imbalance to that natural state can help us easily play opposites to the doshic disparity and restore our equilibrium.

What is Kapha dosha and what does Kapha dosha mean in Ayurveda?

Most commonly you’ll hear the word “dosha” being referenced when people speak about certain body types, or the makeup/constitution of a human body, from the perspective of Ayurveda. As Tiwari explains in her Kitchen Sadhana course manual for Wise Earth Ayurveda, our “dosha” (at the meso level covered in the previous section) is also a dominant energy pattern that determines our metabolic type. Kapha is one of the three main metabolic, or body types that everyone and everything is made up of. Again, these three doshas are Vata, Pitta and Kapha.

“Knowing which dosha is dominant in your body helps you to understand your metabolic constitution and its physical rhythms. Doshas are considered supporters of the organism while performing their functions as they move out of the body as waste products.”

Excerpt from Maya Tiwari’s Wise Earth Ayurveda^® “Food, Breath and Sound Inner Medicine Healing Program Manual“

Now, since each of us is entirely unique, like a star, we have a unique makeup, or combination, of these three body types (for example, we could be a bit Vata-Kapha or Kapha-Pitta). But, what’s most important is understanding the main three Ayurvedic body types and their qualities when in a state of balance or imbalance, as this tried and true wisdom can help us navigate our own unique combinations whatever they happen to be. So, to understand more fully, let’s explore the characteristics and responsibilities of Kapha dosha in the body.

What are the characteristics of Kapha dosha?

Kapha type is made up of Earth and Water elements. So, if you think of the qualities and characteristics of those two elements separately, and together, you can start to build a picture in your mind about the Kapha type.

KAPHA ELEMENTS

Water

Earth

KAPHA ENERGY

Cool

Slow

KAPHA TEXTURE

Smooth

Dense

These characteristics not only describe the energetic force of Kapha, which we can start to recognize in the seasons, but also the energetic force of a Kapha type person.

💭 Let’s try a quick exercise to understand general Kapha type characteristics

First, think of the time of the year when there’s a lot of water and earth, there’s coolness and slowness, and things may have a smoother or more dense texture.

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Now, think of a time of year when the opposite characteristics are present that could use more coolness, slowness, density or smoothness to balance.

What were your answers?

Well, if you answered “winter” to the first question and “summer” to the second, you’re right! In Ayurveda “like creates like and opposites balance.” And that’s really the basic magic of Ayurveda — understanding the qualities of one type can help you recognize and accept the natural needs of that type. This wisdom then allows you to support the natural needs of the type and helps you use that type’s qualities to potentially balance other types.

Okay, so let’s delve a bit deeper into the characteristics of a Kapha type in the human body, psyche and emotions according to Wise Earth Ayurveda:

• Kapha body type: heavy, compact
• Kapha type complexion: pale, clear
• Kapha type temperament: methodical, slow
• Kapha type virtues: humility, nurturance and fortitude

• Kapha-type strengths: physical and maternal endurance, calmness and patience
• Kapha emotional strengths: maternal, nurturing
• Kapha emotional weakness: attachment, greediness

“In a state of balance or health, we cannot detect the doshas. In a state of disequilibrium, however, the doshas become visible as mucus, bile, wind, and other bodily discharges. If we ignore these early signs of disorder, imbalances can quickly become full-blown disease.”

Excerpt from Maya Tiwari’s Wise Earth Ayurveda® “Food, Breath and Sound Inner Medicine Healing Program Manual“

What is Kapha dosha responsible for in the body?

Consider for a moment what systems and liquids in your body are like water (fluid) and earth (salt, protein, fat)?

• Blood is a fluid that carries plasma (water, salt and protein) and various cells throughout your body.
  
• Lymph is another fluid that carries white blood cells, or lymphocytes, proteins and fats through your body.

What other substance in your body can you think of that is a thick fluid but sticky, dense and smooth? It’s role is to protectively “coat,” but can also be overproduced and cause sickness?

Kapha’s doshas, or bodily waste products that help maintain balanced health, include “mucus, which… protects the sensitive tissues but must be expelled regularly from the body by expectoration or defecation,” shares Tiwari. Otherwise, a build-up of mucus can cause dis-ease including sinus and respiratory issues, bacterial overgrowth and pneumonia.

Spotting Kapha dosha imbalance in your mind, body and spirit

“The greatest sadhana for Kapha types is to generously detach themselves from unnecessary hoarding. The difficulty for Kapha is to determine what is necessary. (It is usually one-quarter of everything this type deems essential.)”

Maya Tiwari, “Love your body type”

How do you find your Kapha dosha?

In your body, each dosha operates within specific organs “where its energy and function are manifested the most,” says Tiwari. For Kapha dosha, the main organ of operation is the stomach. Other organs and areas where Kapha operates include the head, tongue, heart, lungs and joints.

An easy way to remember where Kapha dosha operates and which organs this energetic force governs and impacts most is by breaking up your body into thirds: upper body, middle body and lower body. “Kapha is in the upper body: lungs, throat, thyroid, and tonsils.”

“The water of the stomach affects the lymph glands and fat tissues. The water of the head also affects the nose, throat and sinuses.”

Maya Tiwari, “Love your body type”

Another way to decipher a Kapha dosha, or imbalance, in your body is by the condition, the waste material produced by the condition, and your body’s natural response to the condition to recover balance and restore the dosha’s natural energetic force. (Which in the case of Kapha is absorption.)

⚠ Do I have Kapha in my body? How can I tell?

To identify Kapha imbalance in your body, mind and spirit ask yourself the following questions:

KAPHA IMBALANCE IN YOUR MIND

Am I noticing thoughts and beliefs that are overly:

• attached to someone or something, like an outcome?
• greedy or grasping in nature?
• avoidant?
• procrastinating?

KAPHA IMBALANCE IN YOUR BODY

Am I noticing these sensations or qualities in my body:

• lethargy
• heaviness
• congestion

KAPHA IMBALANCE IN YOUR SPIRIT

Am I noticing feelings and emotions like:

• worthlessness
• melancholy
• depression

How to do an ayurvedic spring cleanse for Kapha dosha

“Solid as a rock, cool as a glimmering stream in white moonlight; such is the essence of Kapha.”

Maya Tiwari, “Love your body type”

How do you clear your Kapha dosha imbalance?

A gentle, practical and time-tested way to clear Kapha dosha imbalance from your body is to:

And you can do all of these things by practicing an annual Ayurvedic spring cleanse ritual in alignment with the end of Kapha season, starting in early March.

1. How and what you need to prepare for your Ayurvedic spring cleanse for Kapha dosha

Preparing for a Spring cleanse takes some forethought and planning. Let’s talk about what to pre-plan and how best to prepare.

PRE-PLANNING & PREPARATION LISTS

ABOUT 2-3 WEEKS PRIOR TO STARTING YOUR SPRING CLEANSE:

ABOUT 1 WEEK PRIOR TO STARTING YOUR SPRING CLEANSE:

2. The active Ayurvedic spring cleansing process for Kapha dosha

So let’s get into the heart of the Ayurvedic spring cleanse for Kapha dosha, which focuses on establishing a daily rhythm with your schedule that is cleansing and nourishing.

YOUR DAILY KAPHA SPRING CLEANSE ROUTINE (RHYTHMS)

YOUR DAILY SCHEDULE

Following this Kapha-supportive daily rhythm will help balance the dosha during your cleanse. Add this schedule to your phone calendar with reminders to help you stay on track each day of your cleanse.

💡 Tip since Kapha energy is most active from 6 – 10 a.m./p.m., meaning you naturally feel heavier and more rooted during this timeframe, avoid sleeping in past 6 a.m. or staying up past 10 PM.

💡 Tip one of the rhythmic keys for Kapha dosha is getting no more than 7 hrs of sleep + keeping a committed schedule of classes or workshops you either attend or you initiate yourself.

TOOLS FOR A NOURISHING, SUPPORTIVE CLEANSE:

Start each day of your spring cleanse by cleansing your senses (eyes, mouth, nose and ears) to awaken them from their long winter slumber and prepare them for spring:

• Eye-wash cup for cleansing the eyes. Use cool, filtered water with a tiny, two-finger pinch of Triphala churna in it to rinse the eyes and clarify your sight physically and energetically.
• Kavala oil for cleansing the mouth
• Prana Nasya oil for cleansing the sinuses (and attention)
• Karna purna oil for cleansing the ears
• Do a vigorous dry-brush body scrub from toe to head toward your heart. This not only helps break up stagnation but also increases circulation, blood and lymph flow and stimulates the fascia (I use this set for dry-brushing and self-massage, called abhyanga, that I love.)

Before bed, support the internal detoxification process by using medicated body oils specifically crafted to pull Kapha imbalances from the tissues and organs. Then, encourage your body’s natural detoxification function by soaking in a ginger bath to sweat out toxins and literally melt Kapaha imbalances away.

• Kapha massage oil
• Soak before bed using Ginger bath blend

HERBS, SPICES & TEAS

Follow this suggested rhythm for utilizing the cleansing and nourishing support of spices, herbs and teas.

💡 Tip knowing all the cleansing herbs, spices and teas to use can be overwhelming. So, simplify planning by getting a Basic detox kit or an Advanced detox kit.

YOUR MONO-DIET

💡 Tip make your cleanse prep super easy by getting a kitchari cleanse kit for 3 or 7 days.

The foundational Ayurvedic cleansing diet is quite simple because it’s a mono-diet. Just as it sounds, a mono-diet is meant to simplify not only its preparation but also to simplify the body’s process of digestion (so it can rest and realign itself naturally).

The mono-diet for this spring cleanse consists of a whole protein-to-carb ratio lentil soup/stew called kitchari with cleansing veggies and supportive herbs and spices added in to aid the processes of digestion and cleansing.

You’ll make a big pot (or Instant Pot) of kitchari about every other day and eat it for every meal. That simple.

💡 Tip here’s the recipe I base my favorite kitchari on. Or try a very simplified kitchari recipe below care of my Ayurvedic teacher, Maya Tiwari, with minor adjustments. Simply add your preferred churnas for more flavor or veggies per your preference.

For additional “color” you can change up the veggies, some of the herbs and spices (depending on your particular imbalance) or have steamed veggies with olive oil, black salt, pepper and lemon juice on the side.

A couple of other recipes that I love that can add interest to an extended mono-diet cleanse are a sesame seed chutney or a simple cilantro chutney I use (you can switch the cilantro out for bitters like dandelion greens or watercress).

3. A gentle reintroduction to your normal routine

Once you’ve moved through your 3, 7 or 10-day spring cleanse, you’ll want to give yourself some time to transition back to your normal daily schedule and lifestyle.

Hopefully, this Kapha spring cleanse has taught you some important things about how Kapha is showing up in your body, mind or spirit and what it feels like to move the over-accumulation of that energy through and out of your body — like melting a hard casing of ice around you that has kept you frozen all winter long.

💡 Tip keep up some of the good habits and rhythms you developed during your cleanse. These will support your body to lightly cleanse and maintaining balance throughout the year. Try this Ayurvedic daily routine kit.

4. Nourish and rejuvenate

And now we get to the good stuff. Especially if you tend toward Kapha imbalances, these sensual ways to self-care and self-support will replenish cleansed tissues and organs, creating long-term stability, strength and stamina in your system.

💡 Tip you can use rejuvenatives up to 3 months post-cleanse to build stamina and immunity.

Because, once you cleanse and clear away the bad stuff, you’ll want to replenish, revitalize and protect with rejuvenatives like:

• Rasayana Ghrita, a medicated ghee that rebuilds energy, vitality, muscle tissue, immunity and sexual stamina
• Majja Ghrita, a medicated ghee that rejuvenates the mind and nervous system
• Or try this “nectar for the body” called Triphala Amrita to support “cellular rejuvenation, graceful aging, youthful energy and a healthy, long life,” describes Svastha Ayurvedic Apothecary who handcrafts all of these replenishing ghees.

Some simply delicious ways to replenish post-cleanse are by adding an Ojas, or immunity-building drink or treat to your routine. Try these yummy drinks and treats:

• Ojas-building milky drinks, shakes and smoothies
• Nectar of love — I made this for the last group dessert at a retreat I attended and I’ll never forget the response! It was not only a hit, but it lulled us all into a deep and nourishing sleep before we all transitioned off into travel and our normal lives.
• Try this bedtime treat to deepen sleep and your body’s natural restoration process.
• Nature’s fudge (almond butter stuffed dates) — I use tahini instead of almond butter and stuff 1-2 dark chocolate chips in the top to make this delectable.

And be sure to add in these nourishing herbs to your drinks:

• Ashwaghanda from Banyan Botanicals
• Shatavari by Joyful Belly
• Rejuvenation bundle from Banyan Botanicals

Answers to common questions about cleansing Kapha dosha imbalances in spring

Resources for a successful Kapha spring cleanse

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Carolyn Elder

Writer, Sr. Technical Program Manager, Sadhana Consultant and Inner Realm Guide at Conscious Content

Carolyn (Koa) Elder is a published writer and Senior technical program manager who’s been writing and consulting for more than a decade with startups, nonprofits and conscious businesses, digital agencies, and fortune 50s to 500s in the Top 50 list.

Beginning in 2011, she invested more deeply in her own mindfulness exploration and education as a Sahaja yoga/meditation guide and two-time apprentice of spiritual teacher and humanitarian, Vanessa Stone. Carolyn is an Ayurvedic Sadhana Consultant, having completed training in 2018 under her teacher, Maya Tiwari. Maya served for two decades as a Vedic monk belonging to India’s prestigious Veda Vyasa lineage and is the founder of Wise Earth School of Ayurveda.

Carolyn is currently immersed in her practicum after graduating from a two-year comprehensive Hakomi Mindfulness-Centered Somatic Psychotherapy practitioner training through Hakomi Institute Southwest.

Founder of Conscious Content, a mindfulness movement for business that serves the greater collective good, her intention is to bring ancient mindfulness technology first to individuals, and then their teams and organizations to connect them more authentically with themselves, one another, and their tribe.

Conscious Content’s guiding inquiry is: what would business look like if work became our sadhana—our personal growth practice?

Her chosen name, Koa, is of Hawaiian origin and means fearless and courageous.

Her given surname, Elder, is of Scottish origin and signifies one who is wiser, older and quite possibly born near the Elderberry tree.

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