It’s that beautiful, fresh, bright time of year again. The Spring Equinox is upon us, and that means we can look forward to enjoying more daylight hours, warmer temperatures, blooming flowers, May showers, chirping birds, and buzzing bees. With these sunnier days comes a sense of hope and new beginnings. We have the opportunity to plant new seeds in our lives – clearing out what doesn’t serve us and beginning what helps us become our true, authentic selves. For the 2021 Spring Equinox, commit to growth and rebirth, shed old habits, and become more disciplined.
Commit to Self-Care
We live in a world that demands us to do more, to be more, to keep going and to never stop. In reality, we can only be our best selves if slow down. Making time for yourself can relieve pressures and help you avoid burnout. Yoga can be a great way to make self-care a priority. You can establish a time of day (or week) that you step onto the mat, then that will become your dedicated time to focus on renewing your mind and restoring your energy. Whether you take just 10 to 15 minutes a day or a whole hour, holding a specific time as sacred will establish that your health is important and deserves to be taken care of.
In addition to a self-care yoga practice, you can also take steps to care for yourself emotionally, physically, mentally, and spiritually. Below are some of our favorite ways to do so.
To care for yourself emotionally, you can:
- Take a nature hike
- Journal about ways you can plant seeds of intention for the new year (how you can improve yourself, your relationships, and your community)
- Talk with someone (a friend, family member, or professional)
- Listen to music
To care for yourself physically, you can:
- Exercise
- Eat healthy
- Take vitamins
- Drink water, coconut water, herbal tea, and mocktails
- Get plenty of sleep
To care for yourself mentally, you can:
- Do reading challenges
- Listen to audiobooks
- Take a class to learn something new
- Plant seeds, such as lavender for calmness and rosemary for alertness, in your garden
- Clean your space, open your windows, and light some sage
To care for yourself spiritually, you can:
- Meditate
- Practice mindfulness
- Love others
- Help those in need
Set New Habits
If the spring makes us think of anything (besides flowers and rain showers, of course), it’s the idea that we can start fresh. 2020 was full of challenges and often stressful. We had to quickly pivot and abandon plans for the year. Perhaps, some of us even lost track of goals we had set for ourselves at the beginning of 2020. We now have a whole new year ahead of us. Kick your old habits to the curb, and plant seeds of opportunity for new health, work, and life routines. To ensure success in your new habits in 2021, follow these tips:
- Define Your Goals. Before you even start, make sure you clearly define your goals. Make them qualitative, such as practicing yoga three times a week. Write your goals out so you can remember exactly what you’re trying to achieve each week.
- Work with Others. There’s no better way to start new habits than with someone else. By committing to a habit with a friend or family member, you’ll feel more motivated. You can cheer each other on, and you’ll have a support system whenever things get hard.
- Make It Easy to Implement. In order to stick to your goals, take steps ahead of time that will enable you to be successful. If your goal is to practice yoga in the mornings, set out your clothes the night before (and don’t forget a full water bottle!). If you want to remember to meditate every evening, set an alarm to remind yourself to shut off your devices and sit down on your mat or cushion.
Enhance Discipline
The beginning of spring is the perfect time to work on your self-discipline. By focusing on a new goal or habit this spring, you’ll develop your self-control, responsibility, focus, and diligence. Don’t be afraid to let people know you’re not available at a certain time or a particular day because you’re committed to your self-care ritual (whether that’s yoga, meditation, reading, or simply listening to music). Keep that time sacred. Carrying out this goal or habit can energize you, uplift your spirit, and bring peace to your mind – all of which will help you be a better friend, sister, daughter, mom, dad, son, brother, and spouse. For more self-discipline tips, check out our blog post here.
30 Day Yoga Challenge
Spring is the time to recommit to yourself. What better way to bring balance to your life than with a yoga challenge? Yoga has the power to soothe the body and soul, create self-clarity, and enhance concentration. Summon your strength and detoxify with Health Yoga Life’s Spring into Yoga 30 Day Challenge!
This 100% online challenge runs from March 20th to April 19th. Renew your practice by joining yogis from across the country in this challenge. The grand prize winner will receive a FREE spot in our virtual Yoga Alliance Approved Yoga Teacher Training Program. The runner-up prizes are pretty cool, too! If you’re ready to spring into an enriched life where you focus on healing your mind, sign up for the yoga challenge HERE.