We are currently being overloaded with pollen over here (if you’re on the East Coast in the US at least 😉) and it’s got me thinking about how we can all navigate allergy season with a little more support…
Allergies are a typical imbalance associated with Kapha season (aka SPRING) 💐
Ayurveda understands that allergies are the result of an outer allergen aggravating a specific dosha.
So, Ayurveda breaks allergies into Vata, Pitta, and Kapha-type allergies. (And no, this isn’t based on your constitution, it’s based on the specific allergen that’s irritating your system!) Seasonal allergies related to spring (and sometimes Fall) are usually more Kapha-related.
An excess of Kapha dosha brings sluggishness, mucous and water retention (read: allergy symptoms).
In order to aid our Kapha seasonal allergies, we have to heat things up, boost circulation, clear out and CLEANSE our bodies’ pathways.
Allergies don’t have to be your destiny. Reducing the effects of allergies comes down to boosting agni + reducing ama + supporting immunity.
To reduce the uncomfortable symptoms of allergies we have to CLEAR OUT OUR SROTAS! Srotas are the circulation channels of the body–these channels are where ama gets STUCK, resulting in imbalances.
See below for my arsenal and reference this for future seasonal allergies attacks!
👃🏽 Nose care: Neti & Nasya! Add ¼ tsp salt to warm water and pour through both nostrils using a neti pot, then lubricate your nostrils with herbal nasya oil!
👅 Scrape your tongue! If you aren’t on the tongue scraping train START ASAP–this helps to remove the toxins that your body is cleansing through the night.
🌀 Dry Brush. Boosts the lymphatic system, helps the channels of the body circulate and eliminate toxins.
🌿 Triphala + Turmeric. Triphala will help boost digestion and reduce ama (the source of allergies) while Turmeric is one of the best anti-inflammatory, anti-ama herbs.
🫖 Nettles. Nettles are your circulation-boosting, ama-clearing, waste-cleansing BFF. Brew a tea by combining 4 large tablespoons of dried nettles in a mason jar with boiling water - let steep for 1 hour and then strain!
🍒 Quercetin! Quercetin is a powerful antioxidant with amazing anti-inflammatory powers. Studies have shown that quercetin can prevent immune cells from releasing histamines which means runny nose, hives, swelling = bye bye 👋🏼
🍵 GREEN TEA. Because it’s super high in quercetin, it helps to reduce the body’s immune response to allergies like pollen!
For more information, check out our podcast on allergies here.