This Springtime, I am guiding a practice designed to energise the body, to free the sluggish Kapha energy of Winter. We will be awakening energy and creativity through Triangle Pose and Half Moon, opening the arms nice and wide. Folding into Forward bends, softening into Twists and lifting into backbends to massage our abdominal organs. Sinking into yin poses, (as opposed to yang), to stretch out the connective tissues and ligaments, getting ready for action in the coming season.
Seasonal Yoga is a style that aligns to nature and ayurvedic wisdom, connecting to the elements and Chinese meridians, to help us live in balance with the changing seasons. The Spring Equinox was on 20 March this year, bringing with it a perennial feeling of hope, as we move into lighter days and warmer temperatures.
The element of WOOD is associated with the liver and gallbladder, and connected to the Spring season. Wood represents renewal, awakening and rebirth. In Tree Pose, we focus on feeling rooted in the earth, while our arms sway in the breeze, a metaphor for meeting challenges with flexibility and agility, while staying grounded and true to ourselves.
The LIVER is responsible for detoxifying and regulating energy in the body. When the energy is blocked, we can feel stagnated and stubborn, but when it is moving freely, anger dissolves and forgiveness becomes easy. Springtime yin poses such as sphinx, pigeon, wide leg forward bend and eye of the needle, help to remove sluggishness from the liver, gallbladder and pancreas.
The changing of the seasons is a good time to let go of anything that harms your self-worth. In the words of my favourite poet, Lemn Sissay:
Let go of the pain
Let it be undefined
Let it rain let it rain
And then let it shine
Now let's spring into Spring with new intentions and creativity! Try cooking new seasonal dishes or doing yoga to different styles of music - from opera to Radiohead, and see how that makes you feel. Take on a new challenge and absorb yourself in the moment rather than the outcome. Enjoy the journey and tell me all about it
!