February Favourites

Was it just me or was February really really long? It's that liminal month where we are wishing for the lighter mornings to hurry up and the colder weather to pass.

Kapha season is upon us. A time of year that holds cold, wet and heavy qualities. Made up of water and earth elements, kapha is formed when the ice of winter begins to melt and the effects of the season can leave us feeling slow, sluggish and heavy.

Ayurveda can help us regain our energy and motivation by counteracting these kapha qualities. A few tips you could introduce include:

- Keep moving

-Keep warm

- Be mindful of overindulging in stodgy, sugary, oily foods

- Avoid snacking

- Add a little spice to your meals

Below are the tools I used to survive February:

Hydro Flask

I find it really difficult to stay hydrated in cooler months. With kapha season upon us, it's important to stay warm inside and out. With 12 hours of heat insulation and 24 hours of cold, my 950ml Hydro Flask is the perfect product to keep drinking throughout the day without worrying that the water is going to change temperature.

I think therefore I am...or am not?

I started reading The Untethered Soul this month. A book about who we really are beyond our thoughts and emotions. The realisation that who we actually are is simply the observer. The awareness behind the thought or feeling. Two separate entities.

When we become aware of this, we can begin our journey to peace. It's been an interesting concept to integrate into my own thinking but it gives me some peace knowing this. Do you agree with Descartes 'I think therefore I am'?

Spring

February's inspiration was spring, the beginnings of earth coming back to life. Spring to me is about blossoming and I spent February taking advantage of the cold wet weather to stay indoors and brain storm the ways I can begin to blossom this year in all aspects of my life.

It's easy to become consumed by our thoughts and our work that we forget that life is also about being creative, having fun and thriving. Take 10 minutes to sit down, have a cup of chai, breath and think of the ways you would like to blossom this year.

Pancakes

February to me means pancakes. I use to love going to school on pancake day and knowing that I could have all the pancakes, sugar and lemon I wanted when I got home.

Kapha qualities are sweet, salty and sour- everything that defines pancakes. When we overindulge in sweet, sour and salty food, especially at this time of year, it can upset our delicate balance in the body. Fortunately, we can make pancakes which pacify kapha without loosing out on taste and flavour. Here's my go to for kapha pancakes:

Ingredients (makes 6)

135g buckwheat flour

2tsp baking powder

150ml milk of your choice

150ml sparkling water

2tbsp ghee or vegetable oil

Pinch of salt

For toppings

Raw honey

Toasted pumpkin & sunflower seeds

*reduce/increase amount of liquid dependant on thickness. You want thin crepe style pancakes to reduce the heaviness of kapha.

Method

1. Mix flour, baking power and salt together in a bowl

2. Gradually mix enough milk and sparking water to make a thin batter

3. Heat some of the ghee or oil in a non-stick frying pan and use a ladle to pour in the batter. Spread to the edges of the pan.

4. When the edges of the pancake start to come away from the pan, flip for another minute or so.

5. Serve with raw honey and toasted seeds.

Sun Salutations

As we move into watery kapha season, things can start to feel sluggish and slow. By keeping the body moving and creating internal heat through sun salutations, we can resist kapha's effects on the body and mind.

Why not give this sequence a go before you start you day and see how it makes you feel!