Just like that, Mother Nature is making her subtle shift towards the lighter and brighter months and Spring is well and truly in the air. For many of us, Spring brings with it feelings of hope, lightness and optimism. It’s a time where our natural world appears to come alive from the slumber of Winter in a sea of colour and activity. Like all of the seasons, Spring has so very much to offer us and we can harness it’s beautiful energy to continue to move through the year smoohtly with the rhythm of our surroundings. Read on to find out how…
As many gardeners will know, Spring is an exciting time to watch the garden come back to life after the dormancy of Winter and is when we tend to sew the seeds for plants and crops we wish to nurture in the future. This can be paralleled to our own lives, where we can use this seasonal energy of expansion, new growth and renewal to work towards things we’d like to cultivate. It is a great opportunity to dream big about what you might like to achieve, to be, to do and to share in the months and years to come. The introspective and reflective nature of Winter may have offered you some insight into these things and now you can begin to take steps to achieving them. If you’re a little unsure about where to start with this, try meditating or journalling on the topic. Then it’s about aligning with that vision and taking steps towards it. For those of you who have goals that are big – then wonderful!! Start small and if it seems overwhelming be heartened with the knowledge that each action, no matter how tiny, is another meaningful step closer to your goal.
You’re probably hearing a lot about Spring cleaning at the moment, and rightly so. This is a lovely time to de-clutter your spaces (think home, work, car etc) to clear out anything that doesn’t align with where you’d like to see yourself. As always take this slowly and gently, a cupboard or drawer at a time, and notice the effect that cleansing your physical spaces has on your state.
As the weather gets warmer and we move more noticeably to longer and sunnier days (hooray!) we can harness the natural increase in energy that comes with this season. You may be drawn away from the lure of the couch and inclined to be more active and social as we head towards the peak of this in Summer. Enjoy this gradual change but take it at your own pace. Always continue to check in with yourself and your energy levels and honour your inner wisdom. Remember that it is completely ok (in fact, it’s great!) to say ‘no’ if it best serves you to do so. Speaking from experience I know that this isn’t always easy, but the space that is created when you say no to something that doesn’t serve you enables you to invite in something else that does!
From a yoga perspective, you might feel drawn towards a stronger practice as you emerge from your Winter cocoon. In line with the expansive energy of Spring, I love to practice heart openers – think energising poses such as bridge, wheel, camel, cobra and bow. In Yin yoga, Spring is associated with the Wood element and is a time where we look to nourish Liver and Gall Bladder meridians. These are associated with digestion and detoxification as well as governing how energy is distributed throughout our system. Poses that are great for this meridian pair are those that target the hips, as both of these energy lines run through the hip region. Try including sleeping swan, shoelace, butterfly, bananasana (surely the best name for a pose ever!) and dragonfly in your practice, plus don’t forget some delicious twists which are lovely and balancing at any time of the year.
There you have it, dear friends. Some ideas for springing forward into Spring. I hope you enjoy this gorgeous season and all of it’s offerings. I hope to see you on the mat soon lovely yogis, til then love, light and blessings x