Yoga for Spring: a Season of Renewal
As the days grow longer and the flowers begin to bloom, spring offers a time of renewal, growth, and transformation. It’s the perfect season to refresh your yoga practice and tap into the energy of rebirth. Whether you’re a seasoned yogi or just beginning, spring invites us to open ourselves to new possibilities, letting go of the old and making space for the fresh and new.
Here’s how you can bring the essence of spring into your yoga practice:
1. Embrace the Energy of New Beginnings
Spring is a time of new growth. The earth is waking up, and so are we. The energy of the season encourages us to focus on beginnings, shedding the heaviness of winter, and stepping into the lightness of warmer days. I like to think of THIS as an opportunity for a fresh start, rather than the depths of winter “new year new me” that society has taught us is the way to go. Feel the energy as you walk outside next, and notice what it makes you want to do. Do you feel more empowered to move? To take deep breaths? To begin a new project? Lean into it!
Yoga Practice Idea: Start your sessions with a deep focus on breathwork (pranayama). Breath of Fire, or Kapalbhati, is a great way to stimulate the body and prepare it for deeper movement. It energizes your mind, clears stagnation, and brings in fresh, vibrant energy. Kapalbhati breath is an intense removal of the CO2 in our bodies. You’ll take one deep breath in, and then continue to pump out exhale breaths as fast as possible. Your inhalation is not the focus and will happen naturally due to atmospheric pressure. Your job is to focus on the cleansing exhales, allow the inhales to do the work themselves!
2. Focus on Flexibility and Openness
Winter can leave us feeling stiff and tight, in more ways than one. As we transition into spring, we want to release any residual tension and cultivate flexibility, both physically and mentally. You hear me talk in class all the time about the “hunch” that cold Minnesota winters tend to give us. Notice when you walk outside next if you feel more free to keep your chest and chin lifted. Start to carry your open posture into your daily activities. Perhaps a sticky note on your desk with the reminder to sit up tall is all you need to start to release the carry over of winter tension in your shoulders and upper back.
Yoga Poses for Flexibility:
Downward Dog (Adho Mukha Svanasana): A great stretch for the whole body. Focus on lengthening through your spine and stretching your hamstrings and calves. This is one of my favorite “checking point” postures since we do it in almost every class, it’s a great way to see how you are feeling on any given day.
Cobra Pose (Bhujangasana): Opens up the chest, releases any tightness in the back (even though it engages the spinal muscles), and lifts your heart towards the sky.
Forward Fold (Uttanasana): Deeply stretches the hamstrings and lower back, allowing you to release tension in your posterior chain.
Focus on deepening your breath during each stretch, allowing the body to gently release and open, much like the flowers and plants around you. Think slow growth, rather than trying to hammer it all out at once :)
3. Spring Cleaning for the Mind
Spring cleaning isn’t just for your home—it’s also an opportunity to declutter your mind. The changing of the seasons offers a chance to clear out stagnant thoughts and mental blocks. By doing so, we can create more space for positive growth. I find it is very helpful to visualize a place to put my thoughts. Often before a yoga practice I will picture a box in intricate detail sitting next to my mat. Every time a thought from the outside world flits in, I visualize myself writing down this thought on a piece of paper (actually seeing my hand doing the writing, and see my own (poor) handwriting) and I place this paper in the box. Sometimes as humans we have to feel like our thoughts are “dealt with” and placing them even in an imaginary safe space can really help clear the mind. It reminds us that our thoughts are safe and held by that box, and if we wish, we can retrieve them after class.
Yoga Practice Tip: Incorporate mindfulness and meditation into your practice. Spend a few minutes at the start or end of your practice to meditate and reflect. Try to focus on releasing any mental tension or negative thoughts that might be holding you back from fully experiencing the present moment. If the “box” visual works, before and after practice are great times to dive into that.
4. Detoxify with Twists
Spring is also a time of renewal in the body, and what better way to promote detoxification than with twisting postures? Twists help to wring out the internal organs, stimulate digestion, and release tension from the spine. On top of the physical benefits, I love that twists quite literally feel like you are wringing yourself out. Next time you twist in class, let every exhale represent the release of something, and every inhale represent what you are cultivating for the new season ahead!
5. Incorporate Heart-Opening Poses
Spring is the perfect time to open your heart and embrace love, both for yourself and the world around you. Heart-opening poses allow you to deepen your emotional connection with the world, letting go of any fears or hesitations. There is a reason we are taught to stand in “big” postures before a presentation or a meeting. Star pose is a great opportunity to create space and openness. Even simply trying to look up in class and as you walk around life will help you remove the slouch from your body, and encourage your capable backline muscles to work!
Yoga Poses for Opening the Heart:
Camel Pose (Ustrasana): A deep backbend that opens the chest, heart, and throat, helping you release any emotional blockages.
Bridge Pose (Setu Bandhasana): A gentle backbend that opens the chest and stretches the spine, while also strengthening the back and legs.
6. Create a Flowing, Seasonal Practice
As spring is a season of movement and flow, it’s a great time to explore more dynamic sequences that encourage fluidity and grace. If you have a home practice, think about incorporating sun salutations, vinyasa flow, or even playful transitions that allow you to connect deeply with your breath and movement.
Yoga Practice Tip: Start your session with a few rounds of Sun Salutations to honor the energy of the sun and the awakening of the season. This is a great way to get your body warmed up and ready for deeper poses.
7. Nourish Yourself from the Inside Out
Yoga is not only about movement; it’s also about nourishment. As the season shifts, our bodies crave lighter, more vibrant foods. Hydrate with fresh water and infuse your meals with seasonal fruits and vegetables.
Spring-Inspired Foods:
Leafy greens like spinach, arugula, and kale.
Fresh fruits such as strawberries, oranges, and asparagus.
Green smoothies packed with nutrients.
Yoga encourages a balance between the body, mind, and spirit. By fueling your body with fresh and nutritious food, you help support your yoga practice and improve overall well-being.
Spring is a time to blossom—just like the flowers, trees, and all living things around us. It’s a time for growth, renewal, and release. Your yoga practice can be the perfect metaphor for this season: shedding old layers, releasing past tensions, and embracing the new with open arms.
So, step onto your mat this spring with a sense of gratitude and openness. Let your practice reflect the beauty and renewal of the season. Whether you’re flowing through sun salutations or simply sitting in meditation, remember that the spirit of spring is about welcoming new possibilities and inviting more lightness, love, and joy into your life.
Happy spring, and may your practice bloom with the season! -Al