5 Ways to Boost Your Lung Energy

It's time to fortify our lungs and respiratory tracts. Our lungs are the seat of kapha, and especially right now as we go through the pandemic, it's super important to strengthen them. 

As spring approaches and the weather gets warmer, kapha will naturally start to melt in our systems. This leaves us susceptible to lung-stuff. So, how do we fortify and strengthen our respiratory system to maintain optimal health?

Kapha has qualities of cold, clammy, dense, gross, sticky, and slimy. Rule number one in Ayurveda is treat qualities with their opposites. So, in this case hot, light, subtle, smooth, clear qualities will all help balance out the kapha. So, in a more tangible example--think of kapha as the snot and mucous that you are blowing out of your nose. We want to help clear that gunk away. 

Here are some easy and practical ways we can do this!

1. Think hot! Now is not the best time to indulge in the ice cream in your freezer. Warm to hot beverages will help melt gunk away. Even the water we drink should be warm to hot. 
2. Avoid dairy products at night. They're harder to digest and increase phlegm and kapha in the body. You're more likely to wake up congested, than if you decided not to have that cold glass of milk at night. The best time to consume dairy is in the afternoon, preferably between 10 and 2. 
3. Holy Basil or Tulsi is a great herbal ally at this junction of time (and during the pandemic). Tulsi has an affinity towards the lung, making it a great herb to supplement in your diet. Not only that, but it is also an adaptogenic (like ashwagandha), making this not only great for our nervous systems (think calming in times of stress and anxiety), but adaptogens also help boost our immune system and help our body's ability to be resilient in times of stress and dis-ease. Fresh tulsi can be hard to find this time of year, so I opt for it in tea-forms. Organic India has a whole line of tulsi teas. I highly recommend it. 
4. Cardiovascular Exercise! Creating natural body heat by getting our hearts pumping is a great way to move excess kapha in the body. Not only does it help with balancing of kapha, but exercise has been shown to help boost our immunity in many different ways. So go for that walk or fitness class. It will do you some good! 
5. Surya Namaskar. My all time favorite yoga practice. We are honoring the Sun, again a natural balancer of kapha dosha. We are moving our bodies, creating heat, releasing stagnancy, and pretty much everything kapha-related. 

This post is in no way saying that kapha is a bad thing. We all need it to ensure we are staying grounded and stable in crazy times. But, too much of anything can cause imbalances to naturally happen in the body. And more than anything right now, it's important to strengthen the lungs and the energies responsible for moving oxygen or prana around our body to ensure optimal health. 

Think hot. Think movement. Think light. 

Wishing you all well-being!