The blossoming of Spring
The spring equinox gives us the theme of balance for our yoga practice in March. The sun begins to rise higher in the sky from the spring equinox. The length of day and night are equal. It is the ignition key for the year and from here the year’s energy revs up. At this time, we have an outward focus, and our faces are turned towards the sun; we need to use the sun energy to grow.
How do we create a balanced life?
Reflect on how best to balance your own Sun (ha) and Moon (tha) in your yoga practice and life.
Yoga is a union that helps us find balance in our lives. Yoga helps us reconcile opposing parts of our self, creating optimal conditions for healing. Yoga practice helps us stay in touch with our inner wisdom as we take action in the world. Wise action comes from the heart.
Yoga unifies opposites and in spring it is important to balance tension and relaxation. With the surge of spring energy, we may find our mind speeds up and this can leave us feeling anxious, unbalanced. We can use yoga practice to stay balanced, centred and grounded, so we don’t get swept away with the restless, frantic energy of the growing season.
When we observed the season changes, we see there is a seasonal cycle of balance, activity, balance and rest. Human beings are designed to be the same as the seasonal cycle: leading a healthy fulfilling and rewarding life will consist of action, activity and stress followed by downtime which allows us to return to our natural state. One of the gifts of yoga is to allow us to return to a neutral state. It creates space for healing to occur and the body and mind know what to do.
In yoga asana we balance effort (sthira) and relaxation (sukha). To stay strong and physically healthy we ‘stress’ our muscles and bones, but without adequate relaxation we risk damage from injures. Yoga works best when it supports and enables us to live a rich, diverse and fulfilling life – a life with ups and down, highs and lows, darkness and light, loss and gain, praise and blame, conflict and resolution.
We can be stagnant with our yoga practice during the winter months. Ask yourself: what are the benefits of not practising yoga? Listen with compassion and no judgement, which may shed some light on how to kick start your yoga practice. Be kind to yourself, try not to associate yoga with being nagged at.
Just like a garden, your yoga practice needs to be tended and cultivated if it is to grow and blossom. Spring is a good time to think about your yoga garden so it will give you pleasure all year round. Remember how great yoga makes you feel and look for new green shoots. Small is beautiful. Look for small ways to integrate yoga into your daily life. Watch your yoga grow and blossom.
It is by doing yoga that you become better at it. Be prepared to do something badly before you can do it well.
Mistakes are treasures – practice makes perfect.
Out of small acorns large oak trees grow.
The blossoming of Spring workshop
Sunday 21st March – 2pm
Investment £15