In March, I hosted a spring equinox retreat at my home focused on preparing our bodies and mind for the shift in seasons. The theme of this retreat was all about setting the ground for spring renewal.
We started the day with a mindful tea ceremony - everyone ended up choosing the same tea! We all drank one of my personal favorites, vanilla almond "sweeten the mind tea."
After that we spent time on our yoga mats, exploring the concept of sthira and sukha, or steadiness and ease and how our yoga practice can be used as a catalyst for transformation.
The spring equinox represents the natural shift into longer days, brighter sun and "springing" forward. There's a sense of momentum and renewal that we experience this time of year. We've got many hopes, plans and projects germinating.
But it's important that we strive for balance between the ever-increasing demands of our lifestyles and mindful rest. Many folks believe they can extend themselves indefinitely, but overburdening the body and mind will lead to exhaustion and burnout.
After spending time on our mats, we continued to talk about ways to find that sweet luminous place where we feel balanced and whole (sattva, a guna or natural quality). Gunas are tools for recognizing what is or isn't balanced and identify ways to create balance. During this time, we continued to practice mindfulness as we started to plant flowers for spring and then moved on to painting birdhouses.
We enjoyed some light refreshments and good conversations before finishing the day by taking a short hike along the property. Thankfully, the weather had cleared up enough for us enjoy spending the afternoon outdoors. All the talks about tuning back into natures qualities are nice, but actually getting to walk out into it and experience it firsthand is unmatched.
It was such an honor to host y'all for a day of yoga and mindfulness, and I am really looking forward to the next retreat! There is still one spot left if you'd like to join us on Saturday May 14th.
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