Welcome Balance
Raise your hand if you have a mixed relationship with the first day of Spring.
On one hand, the desire to swan about in ethereal linen things with flowers in your hair and your feet in the sand is real.
On the other, you’ve spent a few months enjoying carbs by the fire and can’t even remember the last time you exfoliated anything but your face.
Spring is a transitional season. It’s not winter. It’s not summer. Some days it’s little bit of both, and it certainly has plenty of its own, unique brilliance (blossoms! birds! wild weather!).
Transitions can be challenging if they’re not met with care and intention (this is a topic worthy of its own post), so pay special attention to the messages your body and spirit are sending you as you move through this season. Doing so is likely to make it a little more joyful than you could have imagined.
Here are some of the ways we’re bringing balance into our lives this Spring:
Gentle Spring Cleanse – According to Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), Spring is the season of the liver and gallbladder. While cleansing in the colder months is inadvisable according to TCM, Spring is the perfect time to support your liver and gallbladder with plenty of fresh, vibrant greens, lemons, and apple cider vinegar.
Breathwork – Support your body and mind to come into balance with your breath. Alternate Nostril Breathing (called Nadi Shodhan Pranayama in Sanskrit), translates to “subtle energy clearing breathing technique.” This revitalizing practice is designed to balance the left and right side of the body. Here’s how you do it:
- Sit comfortably with your left hand resting on your left knee, facing skyward.
- Place the tip of the index and middle fingers of the right hand in the middle of your brow (above your nose), with the ring finger on the left nostril, and the thumb on the right nostril. Use the ring finger to close the left nostril and use the thumb to close the right nostril.
- Exhale your breath completely. Then close your right nostril with your thumb, and inhale through your left nostril.
- At the end of your inhale, close both nostrils for a second or two.
- Release your right nostril and exhale through the right nostril only.
- Inhale through your right nostril, and at the top of the inhale, block both nostrils again for a second or two.
- Release the left nostril and exhale.
- Repeat for 9 cycles.
- Once you have finished, rest with your eyes closed and breathe normally for several minutes.
Hydrate Your Skin – Keeping your skin hydrated and nourished will help you feel confident as you transition into the ways of warm weather living, and it will also help you feel more grounded and centered. Body Lotion is wonderful, and for deep hydration, consider trying Body Oil, which offers next-level hydration and a healthy-looking glow. If you find Body Oil too rich for your skin type, simply blend it with your Body Lotion. You’ll get all the benefits and glow without feeling greasy.
Happy Spring Equinox, and happy #SustainableSelfCareSunday! We hope you stay balanced and centered all season long.