Ayurveda Seasons: Navigating Transitions with Ayurveda

It may seem like the moment we get the swing of seasonal living, our surroundings begin to shift and we need to reconfigure to what is now present. The beauty of Ayurveda is that its individualistic, yet as a collective we all can recognize and be influenced by seasonal shifts. In learning Ayurveda, it can be all too easy to get hung up on identifying our constitution with one of the doshas (Vata, Pitta and Kapha) and forget that all three exist within us as we are made up of all five elements: Ether, Air, Fire, Water and Earth.

Instead of thinking solely of the doshas, it can be helpful to get back to basics and revisit the qualities Ayurveda recognizes to describe our physical and mental world. This list of 20 qualities ties directly to one of the guiding principles of Ayurveda: like increases like and opposites create balance.

Heavy — Light

Slow — Sharp

Cold — Hot

Oily — Dry

Smooth — Rough

Dense — Liquid

Soft — Hard

Stable — Mobile

Gross — Subtle

Cloudy (sticky) — Clear

As we begin to shift from Spring, where the qualities are heavy, cold, dense, and sticky, to Summer, which is oily, light, sharp, and hot, each day may be different. Instead of wondering when the big shift is from Spring balancing practices to Summer balancing practices, tune into what’s present in the weather, your body, and mind each day: does it feel heavy, or light? Cold, or hot? Sticky, or clear? From there, opposites create balance.

The beauty and easeful transition from Spring to Summer relates to bitter and astringent tastes, both helpful to balance Kapha (spring) and Pitta (summer). Think dark, leafy greens like swiss chard, spinach and kale.

To keep it simple, we’ve broken down our best products for each ayurveda season to support you. Check out our summer line of body oil, tea and spices.

And when in doubt, come back to basics.