I know it hasn't felt very spring-like recently, but spring officially arrived at 6:29 a.m. EDT this morning.
I’ve always been drawn to honoring the cycle of the seasons in my yoga practice. And the Spring Equinox is one of my favorites! The Vernal Equinox is one of two days in the year when the day and night are perfectly balanced (well, actually, not exactly, but as close as it ever gets). Flowing with the energy of the Equinox gives us the opportunity to align with nature and bring more balance into our own lives. I don’t know about you, but I often feel that I could use a little more balance in my life!
The symbolism of the Equinox flows nicely with the basic philosophy of yoga. The word yoga means “to yoke” or “unite,” a practice that encourages finding a balance of opposites and merging together.
The Yoga Sutras teach us that our yoga postures should be both steady/firm and filled with ease; Twoqualities which serve as counterpoints for each other. We cannot maintain a yoga pose without muscular action and a steady mind and body, but yoga also teaches us that we don’t always have to try so hard, and to develop a sense of ease, or letting go within the posture. Our yoga mat is the practice space for our lives. Finding balance on our mat can help us to find and cultivate balance in our relationships with others and within ourselves.
There are many ways to celebrate the Spring Equinox on your yoga mat, but to get you started here are 2 yoga practices designed to cultivate balance in body, breath, and mind.
Tree Pose (Vrksasana) – Stand tall in Mountain Pose (Tadasana) with hands in front of your heart, find a steady gaze in front of you, and begin to bring your weight into your right leg. Bend your left knee and take the sole of the left foot onto the inside of the right leg, either above or below the knee. If you feel steady, raise the arms alongside the ears. Press your left foot into your right leg, and your right leg into your left foot. Take 5 deep breaths in this pose, then repeat on the other side. If you’d like to deepen your connection with nature and the new season, find a tree and practice this pose facing the tree, honoring your connection with the tree, the cycles of nature, and all living things.
Alternate Nostril Breathing (Nadi Shodhana) – Find a comfortable seated position, and begin to pay attention to your breath. Bring your right hand up to your nose and place your right thumb against your right nostril, right pinky finger against your left nostril, and rest your 3 middle fingers in between the eyebrows at your third eye point. On your next inhale, close of the right nostril and inhale deeply through the left. At the top of your inhale, pause, then close off your left nostril and open the right as you exhale. At the bottom of your exhale, pause, then inhale through the right nostril. At the top of your inhale, pause, then close off your right nostril and exhale through the left. At the bottom of your exhale, pause, then start the cycle again. Repeat for several rounds. This breathing practice helps to bring balance to both sides of the body.
May this season bring you balance, joy, and harmony with nature!
Namaste!
Andrea