areyouvedic SEASONAL cleanse

Spring is a great time to renew and cleanse. Just like there are cycles in nature, we have a natural cycle of rebirth in spring. In Ayurveda, this time of the year is relating to Kapha Dosha. It has the qualities that mostly earth, but also earth and water together have in nature. Kapha dosha is heavy, dense, wet, gross (the opposite quality of subtle), cool, smooth, soft and static.

“Like attracts like, and the opposite quality brings balance.”

This means to balance Kapha dosha in spring, when these qualities tend to be more pronounced in us, food, activities and lifestyle choices that are of the opposite qualities will support us.
Can you think of any? Find the opposites at the bottom of this page if you’re curious to learn more about Kapha dosha and why we are doing this. If you’re primarily interested in the cleanse, read on.

If you speak Spanish, follow this link to do this cleanse with Nath.

Pay what you want

When you’ve taken part in the cleanse, pay what you think it’s worth.

Included is of course guidance over E-mail through the entire weekend - just get in touch for support at hello@areyouvedic.co.uk

This is how
you will succeed

This is a simple cleanse anyone can do, even while working. It will leave you feeling light, clear-minded and sharp, ready to take on spring and summer with all it entails.

You don’t need to be a great cook or have any fancy ingredients at home, but it is helpful to invest in a few different spices. The spices assist your digestion in breaking down the food and help you feel good inside out.

When we eat just enough to feel saturated but avoid overeating, our body can digest better and have space over for gases that form, liquids and the kneading to take place. To eat the amount that fits in your hands at every meal is usually a good rule of thumb. HOW you eat is just as important as WHAT you eat.

Invest in a food thermos if you don’t have one, or do the cleanse when you have the possibiltiy to cook fresh meals for yourself. It makes it easy for you to have fresh warm food at hand. I recommend one from Lunchbuddy.

the food

Reset your tastebuds, create a new routine and increase energy and awareness of how and what you eat with a simple balanced method.

The Ayurvedic way is not a strict regime leaving you feeling deprived and unsatisfied. Quite the opposite, it is a gentle loving way to reset while eating and feeling satiated.
Since each meal contains all the 6 tastes (sweet, sour, salty, pungent, bitter and astringent) they will leave you feeling content and nourished.

By making the meals fresh and satisfying but at the same time easy to digest, Agni, your digestive ability available to you, can strengthen. This means that you will create more space to process and integrate everything you consume in life, not only food.

Below is a sample meal plan. Vegetables can be left out completely or switched out for others available and in season where you live.

sample meal plan

Click on the meals “Kunji” and “Kitchadi” below to get to the full recipes. They are suggestions and can be altered depending on what you have available at home.
Get in touch with questions for how to alter recipies to fit your individual needs in terms of spicing, meal size, diet requirements etc.

DAY 1

Breakfast - Kunji with a sprinkle of flaxmeal. Read more here.
Lunch - Kitchadi with augmenting vegetable; pumpkin and extractive vegetable; broccoli
Dinner - Plain kitchadi with rice and split mung

DAY 2

Breakfast - Kunji with a sprinkle of flaxmeal. Read more here.
Lunch - Kitchadi with augmenting vegetable; sweet potato and extractive vegetable; cauliflower
Dinner - Plain kitchadi with rice and split mung

DAY 3

Breakfast - Kunji with a sprinkle of flaxmeal. Read more here.
Lunch - Kitchadi with augmenting vegetable; Beets and extractive vegetable; asparagus
Dinner - Plain kitchadi with rice and split mung

Beverages

Have only warm beverages during the cleanse to support your digestion to strengthen. Drink warm water between the meals and avoid drinking 30 min before and after having your meals.

1- 1 ½ liters / day is usually a good amount. Take this opportunity to listen to your body and drink when you’re thirsty, not because you’re supposed to.

Try this Fenugreek, fennel and cardamom tea

Or this Chai recipe, but leave the milk out.

Stay with a simple Ginger tea to strengthen your digestion between meals. Add 2-3 cut thin slices of ginger in hot water, let cool slightly and enjoy warm.

Your best option would be to have only plain warm water or with 5-10 drops of lime.

Augmenting and extractive foods

Each food item has unique qualities. A balanced meal consists of 60% heavier, grounding nourishing foods. They are sweeter in the taste and will help you feel grounded, full and satiated.

Examples of Augmenting VEGETABLES are:

Sweet potato
Pumpkin
Zucchini
Cucumber
Beet root
Carrot
Avocado
Seaweed

shopping list

download shopping list here

• Split mung dhal (⅛ cup per serving)

• White basmati rice (¼ cup per serving, both breakfast and other meals)

• Ghee (or sunflower oil to make it vegan)

• Himalaya rock salt

• Ginger root (or powder)

• Turmeric root (or powder)

• Asafoetida (also known as hing) or Fenugreek

• Coriander (Ground or seeds that you ground yourself)

• Cumin (Whole seeds or powder)

• Fennel (Whole seeds or powder)

• Three augmenting vegetables of your choice

• Three extractive vegetables of your choice

• Optional: Seaweed (Kombu, Seapalm, Nori, Hijiki, Arame, Wakame or Kelp)

EXERCISe and RESt

This is not a time for you to power through. Instead practice the Ayurvedic approach and rest, unwind and gently allow your body to reset without stress. You find a GENTLE YOGA PRACTICE HERE great to dive into during the cleansing days.

Additionally take a short walk around the block for 5-20 min after each meal, about 1000 steps. This works like a kickstart for your digestion after the meal. It will also support you in eating the right amount when you leave the table to walk after you finished your meal.

This is a great time to do a digital detox too. See if you can at a minimum have two of the three days away from the phone, computer and TV and allow yourself to read, journal and tune in to your inner landscape. You might be surprised by what you find.

HOW TO EAT

There are many ways which you can improve your wellbeing by HOW you eat when you can’t eat exacly WHAT you would like to eat. The following tips are suggestions for you to implement during the cleanse.

When the detox is done, choose one or two of the things on the list to implement in your daily life:

• Eat warm breakfast

• Eat warm lunch

• Eat warm dinner

• Sit down while eating

• Chew your food well about 20 times for each bite

• Put down your cutlery between each bite

• Use all 5 senses when you prepare and eat your meal

• Avoid talking while eating

• Eat undistrubed away from your phone, TV and computer

• Cook fresh food when you can

• Avoid snacking throughout the day

• Pause twice a day by stopping, take 12 deep breaths into your belly, and notice how you feel. Go to the bathroom to do this if you can’t in your workplace or where you are

• Practice gratitude for your meal and all the hands that went into bringing it to your table

how do you feel?

It’s important to stay aware of how the cleanse is working for you. Download the wellness journal below and fill in all the colums every day. Be honest, attentive and kind with yourself. When you reach out with questions share the journal with me so that I can better help you.

download welLness journal here

support

I am here to support you through your cleanse.
Get in touch with me below to ask questions and get support.

Enjoy this space you’re creating,
it’s the greatest gift you are offering yourself.

The qualities of Kapha and it’s opposites

Heavy - Light
We need food of a lighter quality and to reduce dairy, heavy fried foods, and eating late at night to a minimum. This is why we’re doing this spring cleanse with Kitchadi which is light and easy to digest.

Dense - Flowing
Next time your practice Yoga asana, try switching things up a bit. Go to a new class, try a new sequence in our home practice and allow yourself to step out of your box.
See if you can make space for Yoga practice every day during the cleanse with Nath’s video or Lisa’s.

Wet - Dry
If you don’t have any symptoms of your Vata Dosha being out of balance (get in touch to learn more about this) this is the best time of the year to have dryer food. Add a few sprouts on your kitchadi for example.

Gross - Subtle
Train your senses to pay extra attention to the details. How does it really feel to chew your food? Can you notice a difference between the prana in the fresh herbs from your balcony and the sad avocado on the supermarket shelf that’s been shipped in from Chile? Life is in the details, cook your meals this week with as much fresh ingredients as you can.

Cool - Hot
Have warm food and drinks. Like this Fennel, fenugreek and cardamom tea for example.

Smooth - Rough
Challenge yourself in your exercise. Can you walk a little further on your lunch break? With a slightly brisker pace?

Soft - Hard
Again, challenge yourself. In what area of your life are you being to soft with yourself? What do you need help inspiring yourself to try out?

Static - Mobile
Next time your friend suggests you join them for an unusual event - say yes! Honor your routine of course, but take the chance to try something new this spring.

Take this cleanse for example!