Spring Equinox Rising

by Sonya Simpson, SSY Sonya Simpson Yoga

Have you felt a slow rising of energy over the past few weeks or days? A gentle nudge from within encouraging you to start creating and building?

Spring equinox is upon us and with it, the light is brightening and the blanket of winter is becoming easier to throw off.

The natural slowing down that occurs in winter, those quiet months when the light is low and the weather cooler, is starting to feel less necessary. Nature is reflecting back to us the unfurling and growth that we are starting to feel… even if it is still just the lightest of touches.

For me it has been an obvious and wonderful awakening. From the quiet of my little home I have been happy to sit and allow things to slow, but gently I am becoming more able to create the necessary changes for my own growth: listing my house, applying for a mentor, playing sport with my boys and arranging catch ups with friends. All the things that mere weeks ago seemed far too much to tackle. 

A reminder is here perhaps to be kind as these natural instincts present themselves, to allow stillness and reflection, or just plain peace and quiet.

Have faith that just like the autumnal trees we will be ready for new growth in springtime, ready to enjoy the fruits of our creativity come summer, and then prepared for the cycle to occur again as Autumn arrives offering up the sweet blanket of winter.

A good start….. 

1. Get up a little earlier in the morning and take yourself outside for some time in the natural light. This will help your body produce vitamin D which in turn helps you to focus, feel happier, and get more done.
2. Find a new morning routine or reintroduce an old one. Maybe a short yoga sequence, a good stretch, 10 minutes skipping, or some meditation.
3. Try swapping out your warm morning shower for a short cold one. It feels great, saves water, and has been shown to increase alertness, support immune function, and even reduce inflammation.
4. Look people in the eye and give them a smile. This one seems a little strange perhaps but during winter often we start to avoid connection and communication and we become a little more introverted. Try looking at the people you live with in the eye and give them a smile. If you live alone go for a short walk and connect in this way with the people you come into contact with. 
5. Start without expectations. Don’t worry about where your creativity is going to take you. Instead, just get started and enjoy the process. 

Sonya Simpson is a yoga teacher, content writer, business director and mother of two small boys. She lives with her partner in Auckland and teaches a style of yoga that is based around kindness to self, inquiry through movement and freedom to explore. Sonya is passionate about yoga and exploring the ways that cultural and societal expectation has affected wellbeing. Having experienced the benefits of returning to self through yoga during over 20 years of practice, she is passionate about continuing to research and explore how it can help others both inside and outside of the yoga community, sharing her findings wherever she can. More information can be found on her website, Facebook or Instagram.