Align with the Season - Spring
April 2025
Spring is a much-celebrated season of change and renewal in Ayurveda. Despite our wanting it faster, Nature is on its own schedule so there is nothing for us to do but receive its wonderful gifts each day.
The language of nature is interpreted throughout the ancient teachings of Ayurveda, the original lifestyle medicine - a reminder that everything is energy and information and we are all connected.
We live in a constant and dynamic exchange with our environment. During unpredictable and challenging times, this can be overwhelming and leave us feeling anxious, fatigued, depleted or “stuck” mentally, physically and emotionally.
However, seasonal transition is an invitation to begin shifting into alignment with the energy of a new cycle of nature. Spring is an opportunity to create new daily routines for nutrition, sleep, movement and community that ground and support us to find balance and wellbeing.
Change and balance. The more centred we are, the better we are at weathering a storm. When we slow down and begin to reconnect to our inner intelligence, we allow the possibility of letting go of what is no longer serving us to make space for new things. In doing so, we learn to trust ourselves with what we truly need and deepen our connection to mind, body and spirit.
How to Spring forward lightly and with more ease:
1. Let light lead your day: Exposing your eyes to natural daylight first thing in the morning helps to set your natural circadian rhythms which improves the body’s ability to recognize and respond appropriately to wake and sleep signals (adults need 7-9 hours of deep quality sleep for best health).
2. Manage stress with nature: Chronic stress is responsible for tension, irritability and other mood imbalances, and contributes to anxiety and depression, and a host of other illnesses. With the average person spending most of their time indoors, we need to reconnect with nature to gain access to its beneficial and immediate healing energy. As much as possible, step outside, pause, observe and breathe in the sights, sounds and smells of the season.
3. Eat for fuel: Distracted eating and eating in front of screens or while multi-tasking, leads to poor choices, overeating, weakened digestion and low mood. Ayurvedic nutrition emphasizes eating mindfully, recognizing when we are full, eating our largest meal of the day when digestion is strongest, and enjoying a diverse diet of fresh whole seasonal foods.
4. Stay hydrated: Starting the day with warm lemon water before you grab your grande, and continue sipping teas or water throughout the day helps with detoxification and dehydration. Thirst, dry lips and mouth, headache and fatigue are often signs that you need to hydrate. Use water breaks to get up from your desk and move around, take a walk with a friend or colleague and refill your water bottle, or simply enjoy a moment of rest while the kettle is boiling. Make your own tea with ginger, lemon and honey.
5. Daily functional movement: The body is meant to move! Find what you love to do - whether it be Pilates, yoga, walking - and build a daily routine even if its just a few minutes every morning. Being consistent with daily movement is more powerful than how fast or far you go. Functional exercise that builds strength, balance, and flexibility at every age also creates more interoception and reduces the many risks associated with a sedentary lifestyle.
6. Engage with community: No matter how connected we seem to be with technology, studies show that adult loneliness is at an epidemic. Doing something in community that brings you joy, meaning and a sense of purpose is linked to health and longevity.
If these tips resonate with you and you are ready to dive deeper into enjoying more energy, healing and balance in your life, I’m excited to invite you to join me in community for a Spring Renewal Workshop Series at the beautiful My Pilates Studio (mypilatesstudio.ca) located in Toronto’s east end Beaches neighbourhood!
Each in-person workshop is designed to build a supportive and encouraging community, give you practical and accessible tools to immediately increase your wellness capacity at work or home, offer science-backed insights on nutrition, sleep, movement, meditation and breathwork, and share transformative Ayurvedic teachings to support your mind, body and soul in challenging times.
For more information or to reserve your spot, please visit mypilatesstudio.ca (under the 'Book' tab, sub tab ‘Workshops’) or sign up at: https://clients.mindbodyonline.com/classic/ws?studioid=5721892&stype=-8&sTG=28&sView=day&sLoc=0&date=05/24/25
Early Bird Bonus! Register by May 1st and receive a complimentary Group Pilates Matwork class (valid to use during the 3-week workshop series)