Spring has arrived!
We celebrate the balance and union between the light and dark cycles of the year…. Between the Sun and the Moon. Equinox means equal day and night…. This is when the Earth’s axis goes vertical and the Sun shines directly along the Equator and night and day are equal in both hemispheres. These days around the Equinox are perfect to reinvigorate balance in our lives and to bring the peace of balance into ourselves.
In Ayurveda, the Spring season is a time when the Kapha dosha (composed of Earth and Water elements) moves into the Pitta dosha phase (Fire and Water elements). During this transition time in March through May, nature is melting and releasing energy into plants, trees and humans. We tend to not only do ‘cleansing” and ‘detoxifying’ poses in yoga classes, but we set new intentions in our lives… we plant the seeds to ensure this vital energy is focused toward future crops, creative projects and dreams… as well as that “Spring Cleaning” we do with our homes and garden areas.
My classes at the YMCA this week will bring into focus these “Spring elements” …working on balance and coordination (working both sides of our brain hemispheres), lots of rejuvenation with breath infused workouts. In Yoga classes on Monday the 21st…. we’ll enjoy several rounds of Sun Salutations (not the traditional 108)… but just enough to invigorate our practice…..our day… our new season that is upon us. On Wednesday it’s a cleansing and detox practice to reduce inflammation around the digestive organs and abdomen, twisting, and intensive work on the inner and outer legs where earth and water elements may have accumulated over the winter. We end the week with a slow Yin practice, focused on breathing techniques to cleanse the lungs, and holding poses to restore balance and help channel that chi (or life force) through the liver and gallbladder meridians that have been overloaded in the body during the winter months.
So… it’s time to get up off the couch and go outside for a walk in the sunshine….to reinvigorate your soul, your life…. Work in your garden (digging in the earth, brings a sense of peacefulness and calm, as well as accomplishment), breathe deep – open your lungs, sweep the cobwebs from your house and your mind. I love to move furniture around this time of year, change the décor and change the curtains and feel refreshed. Open the windows and allow a fresh breeze to come in. From now until Midsummer Solstice, the days will lengthen as the Sun returns, bringing increased strength and warmth. Set new goals and new intentions as the days get longer and the nights get shorter, and feel the fertility in this growing period; enjoy the energy of the Spring Season.
