As a small child growing up in the cold winters of Canada, I remember at the first sight of spring, my mother would open up all the windows, clean out the closets & move the furniture to get at all the dust that had accumulated over the long winter. The place felt amazing after that, fresh, clean, new energy. Back then, my family didn’t know much about health or how beneficial an internal spring cleaning would have been. Funny how sometimes we put a great deal of importance on the external, while neglecting what is going on inside.
According to Ayurveda (sister science of yoga), spring is the time of Kapha, there may be a feeling of lethargy or heaviness. The body senses a shift in seasons, and begins a natural detox. If you are in tune, you may feel an effortless inclination to do a spring cleaning! Spring is a time of renewal, rejuvenation and new beginnings. We often feel an urge to let go of the old and create space for the new. In spring, the body is primed to purify itself of accumulated toxins, we can certainly maximize the benefits, as we recommit to our self-care by lightening our digestive load. It takes an enormous amount of energy to digest food, so when we give the digestive system a rest, even for a short time, it can use that energy for healing and detox.
Please join us on our 2 day detox, and follow through with a renewed commitment to yourself. Breathing exercises, gentle yoga postures, and light exercise, like a stroll around the ashram in the fresh mountain air will help to move lymph, assisting in moving the toxins out. In just 2 days, you may notice improved digestion, increased energy, decrease in inflammation, better sleep, and more.
Giri Bek
Originally published in Sivananda Ashram Yoga Ranch Spring Newsletter and at: https://sivanandayogaranch.org/spring-cleaning-whyby-giri-bek/
