Cover Photo By Nikil Kumar

By Yvette Racines McLaughlin

It's not quite Winter and not quite Spring.

How do we stay balanced through this transitional time?

This seems to be the conundrum these days, especially for those of us in the San Francisco Bay Area. It feels like Spring, at least for the last week—warm sunshine, birds singing, the smell of fresh cut grass—but it’s still extremely cold, windy and the weather forecast calls for more rain.

According to Ayurveda, there is a transition period, seven days prior to the start of the new season and seven days after the start of the new season. This is called Ritu Sandhi (Seasons - In Between). We officially welcome Spring on March 20th. So, until about March 27th we may be feeling "in-Between."

Remember a few weeks back I mentioned what we see out in nature we also will see in our mind/body? Well, in my Yoga classes and with my private Yoga therapy clients, I’m seeing:

Anxiety
Depression
Insomnia
Digestive Problems
Being Off Balance - Falling

Everyone wants to know, “how do I get balanced?”

Here are some Ayurvedic recommendations, from now until about March 27th:

BE DILIGENT WITH YOUR ROUTINE

go to bed by 10pm and wake up by 7am
eat your biggest meal during lunchtime and have your smallest meal at dinner, like blended soup
be done eating by 7pm
exercise at the same time every day
have a daily Yoga practice...doesn’t have to be an hour long
practice balancing poses

CHECK YOURSELF. WHAT ARE YOU PUTTING INTO YOUR BODY?

minimize refined sugar
minimize caffeine
cut out alcohol
minimize raw foods
minimize iced/cold drinks
avoid heavy-to-digest foods

FEED YOUR SOUL

stop & breathe
listen to Yoga Nidra, meditate
set an intention at the start of your day
give yourself a daily or nightly, loving, self-massage with your favorite organic oil
laugh

Yes, Spring is almost here but don’t pack away your jackets just yet, Ayurveda calls for a gradual letting go of the ending season. We must slowly move into Spring, slowly inviting Spring-like behavior. This will help us to physically, emotionally, and mentally ease into our next seasonal phase!

Stay tuned for my next Ayurvedic Self-Care Tips in mid-April for more Spring self-care!