Spring into Health

It is official. Spring is finally here! The sun is coming out and flowers are beginning to bloom. It is a time of new growth, fresh ideas and transformation. As we move into this new season, there is an eagerness in the air for new beginnings. But before you embrace the new, I encourage you to take time to create space and let go of anything you have been hanging onto that is holding you back.

There is meaning behind the saying “Spring Cleaning”. This time of year, people are having garage sales, washing their cars, and beginning to weed their overgrown gardens from the past few months. Now is a time for all that has collected over the winter to be cleaned out to create space for new possibilities and growth.

This philosophy applies not only to your home and garden, but to your body as well. Now is a perfect time to clean up your health, and give your body the “Spring cleaning” treatment too.

Here are my suggestions for creating space for change in your life this Spring:

Clean up your diet!

Take out the junk you don’t need this month. I suggest simplifying your diet for a few weeks and notice the difference in how you feel. Take out inflammation causing foods like sugar, wheat, dairy, soy, processed foods, alcohol and caffeine. Instead choose fresh fruits and vegetables, lean proteins, nuts and seeds, brown rice and filtered water. This will help you create space for healing throughout your body. Clean out your kitchen before you go shopping. Create space in your refrigerator and cupboards for all the wonderful and healthy new foods you are going to eat!

You may consider doing a liver cleanse or fast. Talk to your physician about a cleansing program that would best suite your individual needs. Your liver is how your body filters toxins, and like any filter, this will become clogged over time without regular cleaning.

Eat and drink dandelion to support your liver. Dandelion has been used historically as a spring tonic, the theory being that after a winter of eating heavier, fattier foods, the body and blood were cleaned out with these greens. This plant is well known for its liver cleansing properties. It is no wonder that this time of year is when this plant begins to pop up in our gardens. This spring, take advantage of this plants health restorative benefits. Dandelion leaves go well in salad. The whole plant including the root provides the best benefit, and this can be ground into juice, and mixed with carrot or apple for example. Another alternative is to dry the root and grind it for use as a coffee alternative. You can buy roasted dandelion root tea at most health food stores.

Practice yoga to create space in your body for change.

This month, I recommend including twisting postures in your practice. These poses stimulate the digestive, circulatory and lymphatic systems. Twisting postures help to wring out the internal organs. By bringing new blood flow to the liver, pancreas and intestines, this encourages the body’s ability to remove waste products. Some specific postures include: marichyasana I and II (seated spinal twist I and II), parivrtta parsvakonasana (revolved extended side-angle), parivrtta utkatasana (revolved chair) and parivrtta trikonasana (revolved triangle).

De-clutter your mind.

By creating space in your surroundings, you will help to de-clutter your mind. Here are a few simple projects that help create a sense of ease, openness and receptivity to change and growth:

Clean out your closets. Clean out your drawers at your desk at work. Clean out your car, including your glove box and trunk. Weed your garden. Donate any old clothes or household items that you do not need. You will be amazed at how much mental clarity you can gain by these simple projects.

I encourage you to fully embrace Spring this year. Let go of anything that isn’t serving you, and invite in change, growth and new possibilities!