Up here in the Northern hemisphere, days are getting decidely shorter, colder. It seems that a lot of people experience a drop in their energy levels just about the same time. With our super-busy lifestyles, family activities, recreational outings and let's not forget the whole "holiday season", we need all the energy we can get. Energize your body with these simple tricks, inspired from Ayurvedic principles.
Unbalanced kaphas tend to become lethargic, even depressive, or possessive, are susceptibles to coughs & colds, allergies and will tend to put on some weight. To re-establish energy, a kapha person might want to try to rise early and get in those 7 to 8 hours sleep every night. Not too much more, as this is counterproductive for kaphas. Avoid staying in bed past 6 am: that is when a deep, heavy sleep phase starts for kaphas. And indulgence here will mean a sluggish awakening, rather than feeling refreshed and ready to go. After a good night sleep, a light breakfast is in order. Eat lightly during the day also, avoiding any heavy, over-cooked foods. To keep energy level at their optimum, the kapha person must exercise regularly.
Pittas that are under stress will become irritable, volatile, even aggressive. Even though pittas usually have ample energy reserves constitutionally, they can become exhausted just like the rest. Take a nice, calming walk or engage in some soothing yoga stretches to replenish energy naturally. Relaxation and time to unwind before bedtime is a great idea to ensure a good night's rest. Partaking in nature walks and (relaxing, peaceful) music listening will also recharge the pitta's batteries.
Tired vatas will be impatient, erratic and absent-minded. Vatas should establish good routines to help manage their energy reserves properly. Warming and nourishing foods will get the vata's internal fire going. Vatas should pay particular attention to their eating habits, which are just as on-the-go as they are, constitutionally. Proper nutrition, which includes actually sitting down to eat a meal, will ensure proper energy reserves and expenditures.
These few recommendations benefit from being part of a larger, more harmonious look at one's lifestyle, regardless of constitutional type. Eating food that is out of season. Over-extending ourselves. Not sleeping when tired. All these too-common-practices deplete energy reserve and unbalance our internal rythms, making us more susceptible to fatigue, illness and other more subtle imbalances.
Energetically,
