Wellness Journal

Both traditions understand the body as part of nature, not separate from it. When the seasons shift, so do we, whether we are paying attention or not.

In Ayurveda, Vasanta Ritu, the spring season, is the traditional time for internal renewal.  During winter, the body accumulates what Ayurveda calls Kapha, a heaviness in the body and mind associated with the cold, wet months. As the sun warms the earth in spring, this accumulated Kapha begins to melt and move through the body, which can surface as lethargy, congestion, or a sense of sluggishness. This is not a malfunction. It is your body trying to release what it has been holding physically and mentally.

In Yoga, spring is the time to focus on heart-opening postures and stimulating breathwork practices such as Kapalabhati and Bhastrika, which support the body’s natural detoxification process. The Spring Equinox marks the start of renewed Prana, or life energy. This natural shift brings new beginnings and an opportunity to reset our own biorhythms.

Journaling prompts for your own Spring Equinox Rituals

Make yourself a cup of tea. Ayurveda would recommend ginger and lemon, or a blend of cumin, coriander, and fennel, known to aid nutrient absorption, support the body’s natural detoxification process. Take fifteen minutes, somewhere quiet, and sit with these prompts. There are no right answers. The point is to create a moment of stillness before spring takes hold.

• What did I need this winter that I did not give myself?
• What am I still carrying that no longer belongs to this season of my life?
• What wants to grow in me that I have been too tired, too busy, or unwilling to give space to?
• Where in my body do I feel the heaviness of winter? How can I move to help release it?
• What is one small practice I could begin this week?

A few simple ways to mark the season

Most of us have spent the winter indoors, under artificial light, eating heavier food, moving less. The body has absorbed all of it. Just as nature moves patiently through its rhythms, trusting that every season has a purpose, periods of rest are followed by periods of growth, and darkness eventually gives way to light. The equinox is the natural signal that it is time to shift.

• Step outside in the morning, even for five minutes seated on your balcony with a cup of tea. Light in the morning signals your body that the season has changed.
• Move in a way that feels energising rather than exhausting. A flowing yoga practice, a brisk walk, conscious breathing or dancing meditation.
• Eat a little lighter. In Ayurveda, spring is the season to reduce heavy, cold, and oily foods. Favour warm meals, leafy greens, legumes, and warming spices like ginger, black pepper, and cinnamon. Less sugar, cold dairy, and the rich comfort food that sustained you through winter.
• Clear one small space, physical or digital, that has been cluttered since next year.
• Join a wellness workshop or book a massage or yoga session in your diary. Not as another thing on your to-do list, but as protected time to fully focus on yourself.

The real new year is not the one we celebrate in the dark and cold, full of pressure and grand promises. It is this one, when the light returns and nature around us begins to move again.