While any season can be filled with imbalances, it’s most common for us as humans to feel off physically and mentally in the winter. While that may not be a surprise to hear, it’s not just your mind or overall body that might be left feeling sluggish, your liver is likely feeling it too.
“But how do I know if my liver is sluggish?”
The signs of a slow, tired liver are unlikely to be in the actual vicinity of your liver on your body, but there will be signs. These can include lack of energy, increased weight, high cholesterol levels, difficulty digesting, unbalanced hormones, fluctuating blood sugar levels and breakouts of acne or irritation on your skin.
According to Ayurveda, for each of the four seasons, there is a tie to a dosha, the energy principles which translate to “that which can cause problems.”
From October to February, our bodies and minds are overcoming the unpredictability and overstimulation of Vata season which can be cold, dry, rough and depleting of our systems and resources.
This is why spring is dedicated to rejuvenation, balance and detoxification. Earthly elements such as greens and water come into play as healthy fruits and veggies come into season and our surroundings are much more moist, whether by rain or being closer to bodies of water.
While the word “detox” itself can sound extreme, especially thanks to harsh or extreme mainstream/MLM detoxes that attempt to normalize various levels of fasting, extreme dieting or nutrient counting, it doesn’t have to be that hard to re-regulate your body and energy for the warmer, more active days ahead.
The best way to reignite your agni, your internal fire, isn’t to deny yourself foods and beverages. Feed the fire, literally.
Kapha season (late winter to spring) is meant to be the season of strength, stability and nourishment, and it’s best to use the aforementioned earth and water elements to attain and retain this.
Instead of dieting or restricting yourself, simply integrate more warm, moisture-filled foods into your routines, rotating various vegetables and seasonal fruits throughout the process.
Avoid using your ingredients for raw, uncooked dishes. If your digestion is already sluggish, we don’t want to make digesting and absorbing nutrients that much more difficult through colder, tougher-in-texture bites.
Kapha season is also an optimal time to be routinely enjoying hot drinks like chai, teas and bone broths, effortlessly feeding our bodies healing properties and flushing out toxins and contaminants.
As empathetic, mindful humans, while we tend to most obey our brain or our hearts, in references and studies of Traditional Chinese Medicine, the organ that is most in charge of our activity and well-being is actually our liver.
The conductor, the general, the boss, the liver is regarded as the one that governs not only our blood but also our “qi,” our vital energy.
Tied to our emotions, if our qi is unbalanced, so is our liver function. In TCM, anger is the emotion most tied to our liver, so if you’re feeling irritable, quick to anger, slow to get over things or just can’t seem to “go with the flow,” it’s time for a little love to deliver to your liver.
If you could use a little boost in coming out of Vata, or you’re just the kind of person who likes a set routine, complete with instructions, times and how-to’s in order to accomplish a reasonably-sized shift or change, have a look at our gentle yet nourishing Reset Program and how others have taken advantage of it’s delicious, easy-to-integrate recipes.
