Take the First Step to Spring Forward

At the time of the equinox, we are to asked to Spring forward into a new season. So our tendency might be to jump into everything we wished we could have done all winter long. Instead, it would be wiser to tread slowly. Can we find balance in transitioning from the winter, (where we move less, go more inwards & yes even feel a bit cut off from the world) & getting more active again. As the days become longer, we tend to reconnect with the self that is more social, physical & adventurous. But if we jump in too quickly, we might feel it too much in our bodies & our minds might think, it hurts, it scary, I shouldn’t, I can’t.

I will now come to an obvious metaphor, the caterpillar turning into the butterfly. If you come to my classes, you know I like a good metaphor, as they come from observing life & help me to find my way through things. The caterpillar doesn’t give up, just cause it’s hard, they instinctively know they have to do everything in their power to change. But it’s up to that caterpillar, to go through the whole process, no matter how mucky it might get. It is a process that takes time by itself to do what is needed to allow all that beauty to be born.

In the Spring, everything that hibernates starts to wake up, including ourselves. It is a process, but as humans we think I’m going to do it now! That is one way, but that can backfire on us. Like the caterpillar that takes time to transition, we should see it as a process that takes constant work, focus & enough time to get prepared. Like the butterfly, there is an effort that is needed to make sure their wings are strong enough to fly.

We too need this transition time, so if the weather stops us from springing forward as fast as we would like, enjoy the time you have. Take the time to do the work for what we would like to manifest. Begin to shed winter & day by day, bit by bit, so we are ready to come out of our cocoon, with our wings spread wide & fly.

If we look at our yoga practice & its effect on our body, we can use it to help us find our way. Yoga asked us to find the balance between effort & ease which creates balance in the the structures of our body. If we go from sitting more, then suddenly jump into gardening for hours, we will feel the effects of this movement our body has not done in a while. We might feel the tight hip flexors & hamstrings tighten even more after this activity. This may put undo stress on the pelvis & even cause back pain. Or the stress on the upper back & neck we can create (looking down at a computer or smartphone for long periods of time), that can cause these supporting muscles in the upper back to tighten & become weak. Then we suddenly torque the body to hit a golf ball, again & again & wonder why our game was not our best & it takes a while to recover.

Take some time to work on the body & its movements to help find more balance in the muscles needed for what we would love to do. Flexibility + Strength = Stability.

Regular practice with its mindful movements helps us make progress to find what is within us not only physically, but spiritually to let it grow & thrive.

Pose of the month: LUNGE - Step forward into a lunge as this posture helps improve balance & stability while opening & strengthening the legs, hips, arms & core muscles. Also helps improve the joint function of the knees, ankles, hips & shoulders.