Namaste Dear Teachers,
I hope you are all drinking in the radiance of early spring! The Spring Equinox is upon us and how amazing that is also aligned with the Full Moon this year! What a powerful bathing of light!
How blessed are we to be present to observe the light expanding in the great annual cycle as well as the lunar cycle? I’m sure many of you are feeling this abundance of light as heightened energy, creativity and movement.
But for some of us the shift from winter to spring can be a bit challenging. We feel heavy, bogged down, lethargic. This is the energy of spring letting us know it’s time for change.
As I sit to write this note to you, I’ve just returned from the market where my basket is filled with all things green, watercress, parsley, mint, asparagus, kale, spinach, cucumber, microgreens and all of the yummy vibrant purifying foods of Spring.
We are at the sacred juncture of the year, where inner and outer cleansing are high on the agenda of all beings who are living a Yogic/Ayurvedic lifestyle. Nature is our teacher and it is letting us know it’s time to renew.
As part of my daily practice I make a point to align with the cycles of nature, it helps me to stay conscious of my environment and to allow myself to shift and change my energy, just as the natural world does.
As the days get longer, we can start to feel the beautiful radiant warmth of the sun on our skin. Even though the temps are still cool, the sun creates a special energy that only spring can bring.
Spring represents rebirth, as all of nature bursts from the darkness of winter and celebrates life.
The season of spring is aligned with the qualities of transformation that we associate with Lord Shiva in the form of Nataraja.
He dances in the ring of fire as he allows his essence to be purified from the all negative forces.
He releases, he lets go, he cleans, he purges, and then he dances in celebration.
I am so into the idea of a Spring Dance to celebrate clearing out all that doesn’t serve us and opening to the unlimited gifts and blessings that await us.
But first we have to take action, even when we are finding it hard to discipline ourselves. The heaviness of the Kapha season can sometimes make us feel like we are drowning, or in a fog. The only solution is to create a schedule and stick to it! But it doesn’t have to be dreadful it can actually be fun and enjoyable!
Here are some of the ways that I am preparing to welcome in spring and release the pull of winter:
- Wake with The Sun! I love to sleep, and, in the winter, I rely on my alarm clock to wake me, but once spring hits I open my shades and allow the sun to wake me at sunrise. This requires going to bed a little earlier in order to get enough sleep but waking with the light will actually give you more energy. Even if you get less sleep, you will feel more energized during the day.
- Practice Pranayama! Bhastrika breath for 10 min every morning can help to clear out the heaviness of Kapha, warm the body, rejuvenate your energy, purify toxins and bring clarity to the mind. Way better than coffee, which feels good at first but ends up being depleting.
- Dry Brush! the dry winter skin away. This is a wonderful practice for clearing away the dead cells of dry winter skin, clearing toxins from the skin and bringing energy to your body. Always brush towards the heart. Start with the feet and move up the legs, then to the arms, back and the sides. Don’t overbrush be gentle and 1 or 2 x a week is plenty. You can follow with a nourishing oil of your choice.
- Spring Cleaning!
Inside for the body I recommend a 10-day Vegan cleanse. I usually wait till it warms up a bit, so anytime between now and the end of April is great. This is the cleanse I practice: https://devahealth.com/product/the-official-cleanse-manual-2016-edition/
But you can do your own version:
All Days: No dairy, animal protein, gluten, sugar, fruit, alcohol or caffeine
Juice 4 cups of vegetable juice in the am, drink water and herbal tea throughout the day
Days 1 to 3 – Quinoa or Millet, nuts +seeds, + veggies
Days 4 to 6 – All green days
Days 7 to 10 – add back quinoa, nuts + seeds + veggies.
Simple Home Cleanse: Go through your closets, shelves, drawers one by one and purge anything you haven’t used in the past year! Recycle, donate, or create a Swap and trade your things with friends.
- Core Cultivation! I would definitely suggest a mala of 108 sun salutations on the Equinox. What a powerful way to wake up your body for spring but, I love to practice a daily 108 core cultivation practice for 30 days following the spring equinox. You can combine it with handstand or any other energetic pose you are working on. I love the idea of purifying my core and strengthening it for the more active practices of spring and summer. It helps with balance and strength for arm balancing and supports your spine for meditation!
Read further in the newsletter for my Spring Aromatherapy Favorites and my new favorite Sweet Spring Asparagus Soup Recipe.
Please join me for a Spring Equinox meditation to honor this sacred juncture together. We will honor the transition from winter to spring. In this potent practice we will meditate to release the stagnation of winter and open to the clearing energy of spring. We will take time to reflect inward, create space for the inner knowing to blossom, while cultivating positive vibrations for a powerful inner and outer transformation. Together we will awaken our personal path of manifestation to endless abundance and bliss. The re-play link is below.
I hope you all enjoy my sacred spring rituals and please share your favorite practices for awakening to spring!
Enjoy!
With Love and Abundance,
Lauren
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Lauren’s Spring Aromatherapy
Exploring the practice of Aromatherapy is a beautiful way to enjoy the sacred scents of early spring.
Here are some ways that I use the oils this time of year.
Tulsi Oil also known as Holy Basil is a wonderful oil to clear the stagnation of winter and open the body specifically the respiratory system as well as the mind to the lightness of spring. I always carry my tulsi oil in my purse during the winter/spring transition time. You can take a few drops and rub it on your wrists breathe it in and rub the excess on your chest or place 10 drops in a diffuser and let it fill your home.
I also love this spring synergy blend from the New York Institute of Aromatic Studies:
Lemon, Lavender, and Clary Sage are precious plant allies that help us feel balanced and inspired as we move out of winter and embrace all the new growth and promise of Spring!
- Lemon (Citrus limon): Refreshes and dispels negative feelings. Uplifts mood. Anti-microbial. Excellent for all-purpose cleaning and clearing.
- Lavender (Lavandula angustifolia): Calms anxiety. Promotes emotional balance. Antimicrobial and antifungal. Excellent for all-purpose cleaning.
- Clary Sage (Salvia sclarea): Calming nervine with antidepressant properties. Clears negative energy and helps balance mood.
Spring Home Spray:
To bring joy and emotional balance and release old stagnant energy
Add essential oils to a 2 oz glass spritzer bottle and swirl to blend them. Add 2 ounces of distilled water.
Lemon 16 drops
Lavendar 14 drops
Clary Sage 6 drops
Equinox Spray Cleaner
To make a multi purpose cleaner, fill up a 16 oz glass bottle with half water and half white distilled vinegar. Add 14 drops lemon, 10 drops lavender and 6 drops clary sage. Shake before use and spray. This synergy will bring clarity and purity to your home space while clearing out toxins and negative energy.
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Lauren’s SPRING RECIPE
Sweet Spring Asparagus Soup
I just made this recipe up today and it was the most delicious spring asparagus soup I’ve ever had. And it’s so easy to make!
I sautéed one onion in 3 Tbsps. of olive oil, roasted 2 lbs. of asparagus covered in olive oil and salt and one Japanese sweet potato, then I added the sautéed onions, asparagus, sweet potato, 2 cups of Vegetable stock into my Vitamix and pureed.
I also sliced and roasted a second Japanese sweet potato. I used the sweet potato chips to make croutons for the soup. YUMMY !
I can’t even tell you how creamy and delicious this vegan soup is! You have to try it. The sweet potato added just a bit of sweetness to contrast the salt and the onions. You might even add a squeeze of lemon when you serve it. Yummy and perfect way to start to move out of the heavy winter soups into the lighter tastes of spring. And it is a beautiful green color as well!
