5 Tips to Welcome Spring!

Mar 20, 2017
4 min read

Springtime has the potential for new life, in every sense of the word. Over the winter months, we spend time looking inward, snuggling in to the dense energy of the season. It’s easy to get stressed out, anxious and ungrounded if we try to fight the slower energy of wintertime, which most of us do. I spend a lot of time helping my students (and myself), remember not to PUSH during winter. It’s ok to sleep a little longer, and move a little slower. If we live in conjunction with the circadian rhythms that nature provides, winter can provide a wonderful canvas for restoration and creativity. It is during this dreamlike season that we plant our deepest desires so that they can grow with the coming light.

As the snow begins to melt the fresh, vibrant energy of Springtime begins to warm the Earth and all of her inhabitants. We start to shake the cold out of our bones, and bring movement and fluidity back into the joints. It’s a big transition, and it’s important for us to take it gradually. Take time to appreciate the warmth of the sun and let it wake you up from your hibernation. When I honor seasonal changes, I find my body and mind are able to stay in a state of ease, and I’m met with less resistance. I appreciate the burst of energy that comes with Springtime, but in order to match that internal shift, I make sure to have some tools to help me transition gracefully:

Here are my favorite ways to welcome the Spring Equinox:

Note: Try implementing ONE new healthy habit so you don’t get burned out and give up after a week.

Cultivate a new self-care habit that you’re excited about. The start of Spring is the perfect time to take actionable steps towards that new healthy habit that you’ve been thinking about all of winter. Whether that’s committing to ten minutes of mindful meditation every day, setting up an appointment with a nutritionist or developing a Home Yoga Practice, now’s the time to get going! Having a mentor or accountability buddy can be another great support as you’re getting started.
De-clutter your home. My second most favorite thing to do, other than Yoga, is organizing spaces. Letting go of things in your home that are no longer of use can have a profound effect on our psyche. If it’s difficult for you to part with some of your material objects, try moving your furniture into a different configuration for a new perspective. If you have a hyper-active or “twisted” nervous system (shout out to my scoliosis brothers and sisters!), bringing order to your external environment will help you facilitate more peace and quiet. I truly believe that our living space is a direct reflection of what’s going on internally, so giving your home a good cleanout is a great way to promote self-care and healing. Honor your space, and honor yourself. If you have yet to read Marie Kondo’s The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up then treat yourself to this awesome book. She encourages us to surround ourselves with things that bring us JOY. Love it.
Detox, detox, detox. As important as it is to clear our out external baggage, don’t forget about your insides! I try to do at least a two-week detox between Winter/Spring and Summer/Fall. There are so many different types of detoxing to try, but you might start with trying to cut out just a few elements like caffeine, alcohol or red meat. If you really want to dive in, try going a step further and eliminate sugar, dairy, and gluten. Up your water intake, and try sipping on Dandelion Tea. This season is all about supporting the liver, which filters toxins in our blood, so staying away from things that over-work this essential organ is a great place to start.
Dry Brush your skin. The next super important eliminatory organ that often gets overlooked is our skin. Any nutritional imbalances often show up in our skin first. Dry brushing is a great way to support the natural detoxifying processes of the body, boosts the immune system, and stimulates the lymphatic system. All you need is a natural bristle brush, (I like the long-handled ones like this so you can get to your back-body). You want to do this BEFORE you shower or bathe while your skin is still dry. Starting with your extremities (hands and feet) and moving inwards (towards your heart), make long gentle strokes with the brush, focusing on the areas where the lymph nodes live. Use circular strokes around the navel.
Wake up earlier and stick to your morning/evening routine. We don’t need as much sleep in the Spring, so try to wake up earlier so you don’t feel so lethargic. Get straight to your yoga mat and try to avoid distractions like email or social media until after you’ve practiced. I’m a big fan of taking a no-screen detox every night from an hour before I go to sleep, until after breakfast in the morning. It allows the body to wind down and enter into a deep sleep more easily so we wake feeling rested and less reliant on caffeine.