Spring Equinox

You can feel it in the air. The energy is shifting and as I write it is not only the Equinox but a full moon reflecting her brilliance tonight! Many regular readers will know that I love marking the four times of the year with each Solstice and Equinox we experience. The Equinox is the day when both daylight and nighttime hours are equal and depending upon in which hemisphere you live, you are either heading toward darkness or toward light. It's the perfect metaphor for life's rhythms and time for reflection as to where you are currently in relation to this cycle.

Here in the desert, we have had an unusually high rainfall this winter with cool temperatures. It feels as though the warmer months tempt us with the occasional warmer day, but we are yet to fully step into the heat we all experience living in this environment. And boy! You should see our surrounding mountains, washes, and roadsides. They are awash with growth and the super bloom of wildflowers is strutting her beauty wherever you turn. I can't remember our mountains looking so deeply green and lush, compared to a more familiar reddish brown and yellow of our desert palate. Spring has definitely sprung and you'd have to be a cave-dwelling reclusive to not notice.

This is also the time of year for us in the Northern hemisphere to see what is blossoming in our own "garden" as it's a reflection of what we planted some six months ago at the Autumnal Equinox. What did you dig into your soil back then and what is currently manifesting in your life? At times, we need to survey what's present, put on the gloves, and do some weeding. If things haven't grown, we can look at what needs to nourish our intentions and decide if we need to continue or to release it until another time.

For those in the Southern Hemisphere, days are getting shorter and the cooler, quieter energy of autumn and winter are on the horizon. It's the perfect time to set intentions, send them out to the universal energetic grid and then release any attachment to the outcome. This allows the energy to "hibernate" through the winter months and reawaken next spring. What is something that's been calling to you yet perhaps now just doesn't seem to be the right time? Put it out there and see what happens.

Our focus in classes this week has been on checking in with our right and left sides of the body. The right side of the body is the masculine side, controlled by the left hemisphere of the brain. Its qualities are represented by the sun, Shiva (masculine energy), Yang, linear, and analytical. The left side is the feminine controlled by the right hemisphere of the brain. Its qualities are Shakti (feminine energy), the moon, coolness, Yin, spaciousness, and creativity. One way to become more connected to these two halves is to simply do a body scan on one side at a time, beginning at the feet and heading up to the crown. As you scan, notice any differences or feelings of contraction. As you finish scanning, invite a sense of wholeness and compatibility between the two sides, recognizing that opposite energies are always coexisting in our body and go through cycles of dominance and awareness.

Nadi Shodhana, or alternating nostril breath, is another easy practice to bring a sense of equilibrium. As you establish a comfortable sitting position with a lengthened spine, bring your right hand in front of the face as you inhale. The left hand can simply rest on the lap. Gently use your right thumb to occlude the right nostril, to exhale through the left nostril. Pause. Inhale through the left nostril, use the right ring finger to gently close the left nostril, pause, before releasing the right nostril. Inhale right, close, exhale left etc. You may also notice nostril dominance throughout the day, an indication of which side of the brain is most active. You can use Nadi Shodhana to create more balance if that's what you're seeking in that moment.

On this Equinox, let us celebrate equanimity and all that is blossoming in our lives or that which we wish to manifest. Find a full breath and take some time to honor both the darkness and the light.

Happy Equinox!