In the Southern hemisphere, our Vernal (or Spring) equinox falls on September 22 or 23. In astronomical terms, this is when the Earth's tilt makes it so that the Sun falls directly above the Equator, making the day and night cycle of equal length.
The Spring Equinox also "formally" signals the coming of, well, Spring and with this, a sense of renewal. Flowers wake up, insects start to buzz, the temperature starts to rise while not becoming too hot yet, and we begin to thaw out of our Winter state.
Now, there are a lot of traditions, superstitions and spiritual practices revolving around the equinox (and solstice, for that matter) found all over the world. If you're interested in those, there's Google.
For my tribe, you who are reading this, here's what I recommend, and in keeping with our values of deconstructing, demystifying and making the esoteric more practical and relatable, I'll apply those in my thoughts.
4 Ways to Use the Spring Equinox as a signal to Rediscover Yourself:
1 .Clean out the cobwebs in your closets! Spring cleaning, anyone?
The simple act of unloading and de-cluttering your accumulated stuff has a very positive effect on one's psyche. It can trigger a psycho-emotional unburdening as you let go of things that have just been cluttering your wardrobe, closets, and bookcases. Here's a quick guide, specially if you've tried this before and ended up just keeping everything anyway!
For clothes - anything you haven't worn in the past 2 to 3 years go to the donation box! Ok, since we still have a pandemic, we haven't really been able to wear clothes that we used to on a daily or weekly basis - fair enough. So, how about this - if you used to wear it often, then it stays. If you didn't wear it (add whatever it is here____________) in the 2 or 3 years pre-pandemic, then chances are you won't after.
For books, DVDs, and other items that now have digital versions - if you enjoy the more tangible versions, then keep them! But if you enjoy the digital versions just as much and have a decent enough filing system (specially for your passwords) then consider donating the physical books, DVDs, Music CDs and the like.
For knick-knacks and collections - have an honest conversation with yourself and ask if the value of your collections are what makes you keep them or are they just there because you "think" you like them. In short, curate your collections. Make sure they still give you joy when you look at them. If not, maybe someone else will.
2. Re-connect with some outdoor activities.
If you're into outdoor exercise, have at it! Or maybe take longer walks with your pets, and there's also gardening, of course (my favourite!). Soak up some natural Vitamin D, breathe that fresh air, and feel invigorated by the return of Spring!
3. Pick-up a new skill or re-connect with one that's been pushed to the back-burner.
This recommendation appears often in my blogs, and for good reason. Creative activities have a potent effect of bringing us into the Flow State. This is a state of being were we are in a heightened state of focus, involvement and enjoyment of the activity. In other words, find what brings you "in the zone", and you'll find your zen.
4. Sweat!
Physical movement - exercise, dance, yoga, clean the car, clean the house, re-paint the fence! Physical movement can also trigger the Flow State and release a potent cocktail of neurochemicals that help to bring us to our optimal abilities and performance*:
Dopamine: The "feel-good" chemical in our brains that help with attention, movement, memory. It's what we can call the "reward feeling".
Endorphins: You know that "high" you feel after a good yoga session? Yup, that's your endorphins.
Anandamine: This makes you feel joyful, from it's name "ananda" or bliss. It's also associated with neuro-genesis (creation of new cells), and is involved with emotional regulation.
Norepinephrine: While release by the sympathetic nervous system, which is our fight-or-flight response, it does sharpen our attention and alertness.
Serotonin: This helps stabilise our mood or emotions. The lack of Serotonin can manifest as depression and anxiety.
*Now, I'm not a neuroscientist, but I am very much interested in science and did my research for the "flow state" and the neurochemicals that it releases. If you are interested in learning more, I suggest that you do further research using educational and medical websites.
Non-woo sites, please, for your own protection.
To sum it up, all of these are practices of:
Letting go of things that don't serve you anymore,
Re-connecting with enriching stimuli, and
Allowing yourself to feel good!
...and all of these help you rediscover yourself and make you whole. In the end, that's the whole point of a yoga practice.
Well, it's already a few days into Spring, so get to it!