How to Get So Fresh and So Clean for Spring
Me: “What are you doing this week?” Everyone I know: “I’m spring cleaning!” If December and January are for planting our goal setting seeds, then March and April are for cleansing and offering space for those seedlings to blossom. It’s like the natural reaction for surviving the brutal winter that was filled with cold days, the flu, and the rough road of trying to get that resolution to stick. Everyone around me is a buzz (including the bees) with cleaning out their closets, decluttering their shelves (visit our blog for ways to make your home your sanctuary) and even hitting up the Goodwill like it’s the hottest place to be.
In these spring months, we are reminded of new life, rebirth and refreshing ourselves. Spring is a time when things come into bloom, which is why it is important to cleanse our internal and external environment in the effort to offer a livable space for the new to take host. I mean, think about it, would you want to move into a new home that was unkept and had remittance of the last tenant? I know I wouldn’t. During Spring, it is essential to recognize that there is time for gratitude (lessons learned, experiences had) but also for letting go.
In yoga, this time of year reminds us that our physical surroundings aren’t the only things that need to be cleansed. Our insides, our minds, bodies, and energetic spirit are also due for a refresh.
Cleansing the Mind: Notice Patterns
This is where I always start. Our thoughts are a powerful tool and can literally change the environment of our bodies, meaning they can change the way our cells respond and grow. They are at the center of everything we know and experience. Thoughts create our perceptions or (more often than not) our misperceptions. So, starting here for your cleanse will pack the biggest punch. I like to think of the mind as the captain, the body as the ship and your physical space as the waters of the ocean.
Cleansing the mind is all about working to free yourself from non-serving thoughts and self-judgments. I take this time to identify those old patterns of thinking that are keeping me down and limiting my growth. We (on average) have ~50,000 thoughts on a daily basis, 90% are repetitive and 80% of those are negative. In short, that’s a lot of negative and repetitive thinking! The steps of thought cleansing may take a little more time than deciding which sweater to keep, but believe me it’s worth it.
Put pen to paper and observe thoughts from a different perspective.
As we practice mindfulness, we can watch our thoughts with non judgmental attention and notice which ones are negative and/or repetitive and cleanse those thoughts to make powerful changes to our subconscious patterns.
- Step 1: Grab a piece of paper or a journal. Set a timer for 3 minutes and write all of your thoughts down. Just pay attention to what you’re thinking and get them out on paper stream of consciousness style.
- Step 2: Notice the patterns. What are the thoughts coming up again and again. Since I’ve been trying to become more vulnerable, my ugly sweater version of a thought has been that “people only trust perfection.”
- Step 3: Spot which ones are negative and not true – circle them.
- Step 4: Scratch out the ones that are not serving you. All you are left with are the positive thoughts and possibilities.
As we cross out the negative thought patterns, you are cleansing and making space for a new thought pattern to take host in that mental space. And since our thoughts are so powerful, the more we can get cleaner more serving thoughts, the more our bodies and environments will bloom in and manifest in the life of our dreams. Check out our last post on the rule of little and often to gain more tips on how to make this practice truly stick!
Cleansing the Body: Breathe it, Twist it
Now that we have our minds ready, we’ll move onto the body that is the ship. This is the vessel in which we navigate the world and is critical to also tidy up to feel centered and balanced. There are many things we can do to detox in this area, from diet, exercise, massages, facials, etc. One less common way (yet effective) is by finding ways to stimulate heat.
Heat, or fire, is the element that cleanses and burns away unwanted energy. It lives in your belly with nearly all our vital organs. When we stimulate that heat and cleanse from the belly, we can stimulate more passion and more motivation. Breath and twists are great cleaners for the body. Let’s see why.
Try this single leg twist before getting up to stimulate digestion and improve circulation.
What breath builds heat?
Ujjayi breathing, also known as “victorious breath” has become the signature breath practice in most vinyasa flow classes. Why? Because the breath technique challenges your respiratory muscles and encourages you to focus your attention which results in a quick yet gentle build of internal heat. I’ll admit, it takes a few tries to nail this one down, but it does add a wonderful heating element to your movement practice.
Begin in a comfortable seated position. Take a few gentle breaths in and out through the nose to neutralize your natural breath pattern.
Step 1
- To start moving into Ujayii breathing, inhale through your nose.
- As you exhale, open your mouth and make the “HA” sound (like you’re fogging up a window). Notice the breath graze the throat on the exhale.
- Repeat 3x.
Step 2
- Soften the lips to close.
- Inhale through the nose and exhale through the nose, but this time maintain the same constriction in the throat created by the “HA” sound as when your mouth was open.
- You will continue to hear an ocean-like sound as you breath in and out through the nose.
Why twist?
Yoga twists are detoxifiers because they directly impact our vital organs. When we twist, we detoxify anything that is stuck in that space. Think of the shape your belly creates – it’s like ringing out a sponge. This idea comes from B.K.S. Iyengar’s “squeeze and soak” theory. The motion of twisting the spine squeezes the muscles, spinal disks, and abdominal organs. When you release, we push out old blood and make space for new blood to flood in and nourish the organs and aid digestion.
In twists, we are not only finding spinal rotation but we are also creating spinal length in between the bones. This newly created space can stimulate life and release stagnant energy.
Cleansing your Space: Grab your essential oils
Okay, I know I promised a mind-body blog only but I had to bring in a little shout-out to our physical spaces. Essential oils can be like little pockets of positivity to move towards optimism. So if you’re still dead-set on cleaning house this spring, consider including essential oils into the mix.
Oils enhance positivity because they can shift our moods. Diffusing oils creates a sense of balance, harmony and a more uplifting atmosphere at work or at home. When you smell an oil you instantly feel more uplifted and energized because of their many healing properties.
My favorite oils for spring cleaning are Grapefruit, Basil, Frankincense (an ancient and powerful purifier), Rosemary and Lemon.
Need a recipe for a custom spring cleansing oil blend? Here’s one of my go to’s!
Create your own custom blend that invites positivity and growth.
In a separate dropper bottle add:
- 10 drops of Grapefruit
- 8 drops of Lemon
- 4 drops of Frankincense
- 4 drops of Basil
Store in a cool dry place and use throughout the spring season to nurture positivity and growth.
So, as you get rid of those worn down heels and pilly sweaters, we hope you use some of these tips to also invite spring into your mind, body and space.
How are you preparing for the spring? Share in the comments for a chance to win a custom spring essential oils blend!
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