Spring is the season of beginning and creation. After winter and lots of time spent indoors, our bodies (and spirits) can feel sluggish, depressed, and lethargic. Here are a few tips to increase your vitality and prepare for the new season ahead:
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
“Is the spring coming?" he said. "What is it like?"...
"It is the sun shining on the rain and the rain falling on the sunshine...”
― Frances Hodgson Burnett, The Secret Garden
- Take daily walks outside. Even 5-10 minutes makes a difference. Listen to the birds sing and notice all that is changing outdoors.
- Open your windows and let in the fresh spring air.
- Put plans into action. Spring is a wonderful time for new beginnings.
- Cook a batch of Kitchari to promote healthy digestion. I like to serve Kitchari with a simple parsley salad. Rinse parsley, chop it up, and add a bit of lemon juice, olive oil, sea salt, and pepper.
- Take a salt water bath. Add 3-4 cups of sea salt to a hot bath. At the end of your bath, add 5 drops of Eucalyptus (Eucalyptus radiata). Eucalyptus decongests and supports respiratory health. Not recommended for children and those with heart problems, high blood pressure, or diabetes.
- Exfoliate your skin and improve circulation with natural salt scrubs, or try dry skin brushing.
- Declutter your surroundings. Find one surface to clear off, or clean out one drawer. I find that cleaning off your nightstand is especially satisfying; it's typically the first and last thing you see every day.
- Eat more fresh greens and less sugar.
- Make parsley pesto. Simply substitute parsley for basil in your favorite pesto recipe. The mouth-watering aroma of fresh pesto is so invigorating. Parsley supports the immune system and flushes out excess fluids from the body.
- Try replacing a few of your beauty/personal care products with natural alternatives.
- Try spring cleaning with essential oils. For a multi-purpose cleaner, fill up a large spray bottle with half water and half white distilled vinegar. Add 30 drops of essential oils, shake, and spray. Lemon, lavender, and tea tree are a few great oils for multi-purpose cleaning.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
“Is the spring coming?" he said. "What is it like?"...
"It is the sun shining on the rain and the rain falling on the sunshine...”
― Frances Hodgson Burnett, The Secret Garden