The official first day of spring is March 20th, but the hint of spring has been here for some time. Spring storms have been brewing, days have been getting longer and now things are warming up. In Boise today the high temperature is expected to be 72 degrees! I'm excited!
Spring is a wonderful season of renewal, vitality and fun, but the transition can be difficult. The weather can be erratic. This can make us feel sluggish and cranky or maybe anxious and out of sorts. Tuning into nature and your own patterns can help with that - and yoga can be just the right tool!
For the transition from winter into spring, our yoga practice should take a cue from nature. In spring everything come back to life. Plants root down to sprout up and blossom. So right now in your practice on the mat, it's helpful to do just that. We want to be grounded and centered in this time of change. Root down and work on grounding poses so that you have the foundation in which to "spring" up and grow.
To take this pattern further see it in every breath cycle. As you breathe out root down through your foundation. As you breathe in find space, lift up. With this subtle focus, all postures become easier. You become stable and light - there is sthira and sukha (the yogic principles of stability and sweetness). You awaken with newfound vibrancy. 'Tis the season! :)
It's also beneficial to practice some repetitive flows to circulate and wake up your energy. I've been doing 5 or so rounds of quarter sun salutations after centering to start out.
Here are some great poses to integrate into your yoga practice right now:
* Malasana - garland pose/yogic squat. Make sure your heels either press into the floor or you have a rolled blanket or slant plank so that your feet can be rooted. Breathe in and elongate from tailbone to crown of head.
* Utkatasana - powerful squat/chair pose. Press down through feet and back through hips. Breathe in and extend out of low back.
* Uttanasana - forward fold. Feel gravity pulling you gently to the earth and on your inhalations find a way to be lighter and freer in your fold.
* Anjaneyasana- low lunge. Anchor down through your foundation of the front foot and back knee. Breathe in and elongate low back lifting up and out.
* Crescent Lunge or Virabhadrasana I - Warrior I pose - As your press down through your feet for stability, breathe in and lift your ribs away from your hips.
* Virabhadrasana III - Warrior III - Root down firmly through the front foot. Bend forward and lift up into flight.
* Vrksanasa - Tree pose - Press down through your supporting leg. Isometrically press your foot into you leg and leg into your foot for stability. Breathe it and lift up through your crown, arms maybe rising with you.
* Bhujangasana - cobra pose. Press down through tops of feet and hips. Breathe in and pull your shoulder blades together lifting your heart and head up.
Don't forget to finish up with gentle stretches and twists. Enjoy a long, melty savasana to complete the practice.
And now that you are centered and enlivened, open the door step outside and welcome the spring season!
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