What do we recommend for May from the world of Ayurveda?

May is on the verge of the change of seasons – the weather is already warming up, summer is slowly arriving, which according to the Ayurvedic perspective is the time of transition between the Kapha and Pitta doshas. This means that the earth-water (Kapha) elements begin to recede and the fire-water (Pitta) quality comes to the fore. So in May, the goal is to lighten the body, cool the internal heat, and prevent summer overheating.

1. 🥗 Cleansing, lightness, freshness

• Light, cooked meals – vegetable soups, mung dhal, steamed or wok-cooked vegetables.
• Avoid heavy, fatty, sticky foods – dairy products, red meat, too much bread.
• Breakfast digestive drink:
• You can start the day with a bitter drink by mixing 1 teaspoon of neem powder in warm water and drinking it on an empty stomach.
  If you like more sour flavors, mix a glass of warm water with the juice of ½ lemon, a few drops of grapefruit seed extract, and the juice of 1 orange – it helps remove spring “winter deposits.”
• Spring Ayurvedic Detox (e.g. porridge diet without fruits or kitchari diet) can always be useful – but don't be too drastic! This is nothing more than, for example, a 3-day mono-diet, when our body only has to digest one type of food, thus relieving the digestive system. This is a diet that suits all three doshas. Kitchari is made from mung beans, rice, vegetables and ghee. Mung beans are high in protein and have a blood-purifying effect. Rice is easy to digest and goes well with all kinds of vegetables. Ghee is generally good for our body. It is worth looking for kitchari recipes online, so you can also get ideas for seasoning.

2. 🌞 Calming Pitta – Preparing for Cooling

• Cooling foods:
  • Cucumber, coriander, mint, aloe vera, rose water,
  • Sweet fruits (e.g. mango, melon),
  • Bitter-green leafy vegetables (e.g. arugula, spinach).
• Avoid foods that are too spicy, acidic, or excessively salty - these increase Pitta.
• Coconut water or homemade mint lemonade: excellent May coolers.

3. 🧘‍♀️ Exercise and daily routine

• Early wake up (it is worth getting up before 6:00 am) – ideally around 5:30 am.
• Morning exercise: light yoga, walking outdoors in the first rays of the sun, performing sun salutations (Surya Namaskar).
• Breathe – morning Pranayama (e.g. Sheetali – cooling breathing) is very useful in summer.

4. 🌸 Body care – in tune with summer

• Abhyanga with cooling oil – coconut oil, neem oil, or aloe-containing body oil.
• Use rose water on your face and neck – refreshing, toning, Pitta-calming.
• Cooling bath oils – e.g. with sandalwood, lavender or rose essences.

5. ☀️ Mental tuning

• May is a good time to fine-tune your inner fire – your passion, your creativity.
• Write a diary, plan inspiring projects – but don't burn out just yet.
• Work on the heart chakra space: rose quartz, rose tea, practicing loving-kindness (metta meditation).

Vipin has put together an Ayurvedic May plan for all-three dosha types – Vata, Pitta and Kapha. This can help keep your body balanced during this transitional period when the weather is warming up but can still be changeable, and Pitta is slowly becoming more dominant.

General Ayurvedic advice for May, which apply to all body types:

• Wake up:Between 5:30 and 6:30
• Morning:lukewarm lemon water + 10 minutes of breathing exercises
• Move:15–30 minutes of walking/yoga/stretching
• 1x cooked, hot meal per day is mandatory
• Evening: digital silence + soothing tea (e.g. chamomile, rose, tulsi)

🌬️ VATA type (air + ether)

Vata types are still sensitive to the spring wind and changeability at this time, so grounding, warmth, and rhythm are key .

🔸 Meal:

• Hot, cooked, oily foods: soups, kitchari, fried vegetables
• Use ghee, sesame oil, spices: cinnamon, ginger, cardamom
• Avoid: raw, cold foods, too much salad, caffeine

🔸 Morning routine:

• Warm sesame oil abhyanga self-massage
• A slow-start day – don’t rush, have rituals

🔸 Evening quiet:

• Warm milk or herbal alternative (with cinnamon, cardamom)
• Foot massage with warm sesame oil
• Bedtime: no later than 10:00 PM

🔥 PITTA type (fire + water)

For Pittas, May already feels warm, they are prone to overheating and irritability - goal: cooling, relaxation, calm.

🔸 Meal:

• Cooling, bitter and sweet foods: cucumber, mint, spinach, quinoa, melon
• Avoid: spicy, acidic, too much spice, alcohol
• Cooling drinks: coconut water, rose tea, fresh mint lemonade

🔸 Morning routine:

• Coconut oil abhyanga self-massage
• Sheetali or Chandra Bhedana breathing
• Rose water facial spray

🔸 Evening quiet:

• Evening walk at sunset
• Foot massage with rose or lavender oil
• Bedtime: 10:30 PM–11:00 PM

🌱 KAPHA type (earth + water)

Kaphas may still be in "winter mode" at this time - lethargy, slowness, mucus - goal: activation, lightness, invigoration.

🔸 Meal:

• Light, spicy, warm dishes: mung dhal, roasted vegetables, legumes
• Use: ginger, turmeric, black pepper, chili
• Avoid: dairy products, sugar, bread, heavy foods

🔸 Morning routine:

• Dry brush massage or abhyanga with spicy oil (e.g. mustard oil)
• Movement: sun salutations, more vigorous yoga, running
• Drink warm water with ginger

🔸 Evening quiet:

• Light dinner (no later than 7:00 PM)
• Invigorating breathing exercises (e.g. Kapalabhati – only if you are not Pitta dominant!)
• Bedtime: around 10:00 PM