Time for Renewal: Yoga Practices to Celebrate Ostara, the Spring Equinox

Last Friday marked the spring equinox, also known as Ostara. This is that point when day and night, light and dark are equal.

It’s a moment to celebrate, we have made it through the darkest months and there will now be more light than darkness as we start the march towards the longest day.

I have really felt the change over the last few weeks or so. Brighter mornings have had me up and about earlier which sets up my daily in such a better way.

And the sunshine been wonderful this week! I do hope you have had the chance to enjoy it, even if just through a window. The light has given me some much needed fresh energy for new projects and I have a few events coming up that you might be interested in. You can find out more about those here.

Traditionally, this point in the year is an opportunity to practice and reflect on balance. As the light and dark reach a point of equilibrium, we can look to balance ourselves too. Ask yourself how does the balance of things feel in your life when it comes to things like rest and action, giving and receiving, work and play?

You might like to journal or write with these topics in mind as a way to reflect or maybe just let the ideas percolate in your mind as you go about your days.

Nadi Shodhana (the alternate nostril breath) is a fantastic practice if you are looking to feel more balanced. It's a simple breathing practice that only takes a few minutes. I have a whole post on it here.

This is of course also the beginning of spring and a time of regrowth and rejuvenation. Nature is busy out there, coming to life, and we too can take the opportunity to utilise this energy and start to refresh things and make steps towards new goals.

Take some time to sit quietly with yourself and set some intentions for how you want to use your energy in the coming months. Maybe grab a cup of your favourite drink, sit somewhere quiet in the sunshine, listen to the birds or the sounds around you, and then let your focus turn inwards. Be quiet for a while with your breath and the sensations in your body, and then ask yourself the question ‘what do I really need?’ or ‘what do I want to bring in more of or move towards?’

You can use the answers to these questions to help set your self a goal or ‘sankalpa’ for the coming months. Taking time to pause and reflect, to set goals and intentions, is a great way to focus our energy. We might change our minds or veer in a different direction but whenever possible it’s good to come back to our centre to be sure that we are heading in a direction we want to be travelling in.