As the calendar marks the first day of spring it is hard to believe with a forecasted three to five inches of snow this evening in New Jersey. As I speak to many of us on the East Coast of the U.S. and Canada, we are all eagerly waiting for the weather to turn to spring.
Spring is one of my favorite seasons. It marks a time of rebirth, growth and oh yes, warmer weather here on the East Coast. Where winter provides a time to pull inward, I see spring as a time of expansion.
In my yoga classes we frequently focus on relaxing the shoulders. In winter especially, as we grow cold, the shoulders like to find their way up to the ears and we tend to hunch forward. I know I repeatedly have to remind myself when stepping outside into the cold to relax my shoulders. As my body contracts I find my mood often does as well. Winter is more a time of reflection, turning inward and hibernating for me.
As spring invites the buds on the trees, and the leaves to reappear, I find myself invited to also open. My shoulders drop, my chest rises, as I fill my lungs with the sweet scents of the season and the warmth of the sun. I physically and emotionally feel lighter. Not only am I shedding the heaviness of my winter coat, but also the weight I feel inside.
With spring also comes my reconnection with the earth through the grass. As the snow finally melts and we can once again see the lawn, I love returning to my ritual of standing barefoot outside. As I press my feet into the ground, lift my face up towards the warmth of the sun and listen to the songs of the birds I feel at peace. Here I know that not only will the trees, flowers and other parts of nature grow, but so will I.
So I hope that this snow fall is the last for this year and that we’ll begin to see the beautiful signs of spring both outside our door and in our hearts.
What are some of your favorite things about spring?
