Jesus, Mary and Joseph, when will it be spring? Brilliantly sunny and 60 degrees one day, followed by a dusting of snow and 50 mph winds? Bipolar weather. Curse you winter!

After this many rotations around the sun, one would presume that I would become accustomed and even accepting of this fate. Alas, here I stand, March 19th, shaking my fist at the pearl grey, overcast sky.

Damp, raw, bleak and straight up blah. What to do with this mixed bag? I suppose I could continue to perceive the bathtub as my office. However, I fear that Environmental Liberation Front will start sending me hate mail, or worse yet, carpet bomb my town.

Ayurvedically speaking, we are at the Sandhya (dusk, twilight; junction) of Vata and Kapha season.

Straddling the threshold of winter and spring, you may find yourself at a crossroads—mentally and physically. Vata is the king of true blue winter weather—dry, cold, light, mobile, and hard. Vata dosha is ethereal and changeable, like the wind. During the winter it is common to see our mental body pick up these aforementioned Vata qualities and perhaps feel more indecisive, anxious, fearful, tearful, flighty and scatter-brained come February.

We are all a microcosm of the macrocosm; meaning each and every one of us is a tiny drop of the universe. What is happening outside our body, in nature, so too is occurring within our temple. Despite powerful efforts of resistance, erratic Vata is currently ruling the roost. Try as we might, we cannot detach ourselves from the intrinsic rhythms of nature.

Fear not, Kapha season, or spring, is spotted on the horizon. Kapha is earthy, heavy, dull, slow, steady, soft, oily…..and cold (sigh). Fortunately, these are all the qualities required to counterbalance the effects of Vata season, except for the coldness. Neither Vata nor Kapha dosha possess fire. Oh boy. Piling cold on top of cold sounds dreadful.

In abundance, the mental qualities of Kapha tend to fit the textbook definition of depression.

Emotionally, excess Kapha can present as:

Grasping. Clinging to possessions, jobs, or love gone awry for longer than necessary (or healthy)
Resistance to Change
Stubbornness
Escapism
Dullness
Excess Weight
Inertia
Sadness

Remedy? Get out the iPod and shake your soul to kindle your internal fire. Uplift the spirit and stoke your sacred fire with music. Due to its earth and water composition, Kapha needs to look up, lift up and lighten up.

Winter/spring Sandhya, is on, here’s what to do:

Step 1. Get Spotify.

Step 2. Create the most stellar playlist.

Let this playlist stream the entire course of your life. Start typing in artists you dig and cherry-pick your favorite tracks. Don’t be embarrassed, if Ace of Base’s, I Saw the Sign, makes your heart swell and brings back a flood of fond memories, then yes!

Make it huge. My playlist has almost 276 songs.

Make it eclectic. Hip-hop, Bluegrass, Classical, Grunge, Reggae, Folk, Ska—it’s all good. Don’t box yourself into one genre.

Step 3. Blast the music in the morning if you feel unmotivated and blasé.

This is especially effective during the Kapha time, 6-10 a.m. The beginning of the Kapha hours are often accompanied by stiffness and reluctance to face the beckoning day. Get out of bed and…

Step 4. Move!

Whatever your favorite movement is, sing it loud, sing it proud. Get that heart rate up. The point is to bolster the inert, tamasic energy.

My favorite Spotify playlist activities include:

Yoga
Cooking Breakfast
Dance Party
Singing in the Shower
Pretending to be Grace Potter (Let inspiring people inspire you each morning)

Step 5. Listen.

See what the universe has to say. It’s eerie and intriguing. The perfect song is proffered for each moment—Every. Single. Time. Scout’s honor, it’s like all those that have come before me are up in the heavens spinning tracks with poignant lyrics for guidance.

Step 6. Shuffle the tracks and enjoy the mystery of the each song.

Music therapy has been around for decades. Why not let your favorite tunes brighten your day? As the snow begins to melt and the ground turns to thick, goopy mud, bypass springtime indolence. Crank your favorite tunes and notice how you feel in five minutes. I would wager a hefty bet that you will feel more spirited, alive and vibrant.

Add some spring to your step this April and launch into Kapha season with some bounce in your gait.

Happy Dancing!

~

Author: Lauren Gernady Sauer

Editor: Katarina Tavčar

Photo: Melissa Cunningham