As I sit here writing this article about spring transitioning in mid-May in Crested Butte, I sip my coffee and gaze outside at the fresh 3 inches of snow on the ground. This may answer your question as to why a spring blog didn’t come earlier! Spring is a time of transition and as we all know transitions aren’t always smooth. Last night I started my yoga class with a short seated meditation to try to calm the winds of transition as I had literally been blown on my bike to the studio that night. Sun one moment, snowflakes the next, these transition seasons are a great time to practice the equanimity I talked about in the last blog; they are a chance to recognize the fluidity of every moment.
As the seasons change so do our bodies. In the winter the dominant dosha is the earthy-watery kapha. We tend to eat more, sleep more, and move a big slower. Spring is a time of shedding the layers and rejuvenating our bodies. If we have too much build up of kapha from those cold wintery months it can be a recipe for illness in the spring. Spring is a great time to lighten ourselves physically, mentally, and emotionally through changing our patterns of eating, moving, and interacting. Check out this list of ways to put the spring back in your step and lighten your load this spring.
- Clean it out! Spring cleaning can happen on many levels. It’s easy to remember to transition the clothes in your closet, but how about the foods in your kitchen? Replace the heavy pastas, oatmeal breakfasts, dense cheeses, and wintery root vegetables with some lighter items. Integrate some lighter grains into your diet such as quinoa, millet, or amaranth. As the days get longer and the sun gets warmer, begin integrating more raw vegetables into your meals and snacks. If you live in cold Colorado like us, mark the date of the first farmer’s market on your calendar and look forward to returning to fresh local foods!
- And how about those clothes in your closet, papers on your desk, toiletries jammed into your bathroom cupboard? Spring also means usually a lot of unsettled weather so when you run into one of those rainy (or here in Colorado, snowy) days, take the opportunity to clean things out. Create more space in your space. You are much more likely to roll out your yoga mat if there is room on the floor and the dishes are done!
- Turn up the fire in your yoga practice; create some internal heat! If you’ve been enjoying yin yoga all winter, throw in a vinyasa class once a week. If you let the pranayama go by the wayside during your practice all winter, draw your attention to uddiyana bandha for a whole yoga class and see how you feel afterwards. And if you have let your sadhana, whether it be yoga or biking or running, slip away during those cold wintery days, recommit to a routine!
Spring is a time of rebirth and renewal. If you set some goals at New Year’s and you don’t even remember what they were, springtime is actually a much better time to do some intention setting. Plant the physical, emotional, and spiritual seeds that you are willing to water and tend to, and begin cultivating those qualities that will bring you closer to the person you can become at any moment. Happy planting!
Sarah
http://www.yogajournal.com/health/1721?page=5
