Connect and Balance During Spring & the Upcoming Pink Supermoon
"In just-spring when the world is mud-luscious
and... puddle-wonderful"
e. e. cummings
In Ayurveda, every season has a dosha, or set of qualities, associated with it. Winter, governed by Vata dosha, has been cold, dry and dark. But when the sun stays around for longer, everything gets warmer and the ground begins to thaw, making mud often the first sign associated with Kapha season. Kapha season starts out wet and cold in March and ends up wet and warm, in May and June.
And Ayurvedically, it’s been an interesting time this past month to say the least! With COVID-19 happening, we’re being told to do the opposite of what we instinctually want to do since March is early Kapha season, a time when the world is slowly coming out of hibernation, but we’re all “hunkering down”.
Yet don’t despair. The spring flowers are still poking their heads above the mud, the birds' ecstatic singing signals mating season has begun, and soon young fawns will be born. It’s also a good time to reconnect with the upcoming April’s full Pink Moon. The name Pink Moon comes from one of the first spring flowers, Wild Ground Phlox, as they cover the ground like a pink blanket
On the night of Tuesday, April 7, venture outside to catch a glimpse of April's full Pink Moon. This full Moon—which is a supermoon, the first full Moon of spring, and the Paschal Full Moon—will be visible after sunset and reach peak illumination at 10:35 P.M. EDT. We’re in a series of supermoons, which are 15% brighter than a typical moon, but this April moon will be the brightest of 2020!
And here are other ways for you to savor the beauty of the skies and the season this spring using all five senses:
Sight: See the light, make space for the light.
Shake out winter blues by letting in the light, fresh air, and de-cluttering the space(s) in your environment, mind, and body. Start by cleaning your closet and filling a donation bag with the clothes you no longer wear but just keep around in case you might want them (hint: if you haven’t worn it this winter, you likely won’t wear it next winter). Get rid of the random knickknacks around you, organize papers, and streamline your space by reducing clutter which can be stressful. Create a peaceful space with room to breathe. Clean your house with homemade concoctions including lemon and vinegar.
For your body and mind, do vigorous yoga flows such as sun salutations to create more space and cleansing that our bodies need this time of year. And for pranayama, Kapalabhati is a great antidote for seasonal allergies and mucous congestion.)
With the full super moon coming, also make sure to embrace your lunar side to with chandra namaskara, or moon salutation. The 15 steps in the sequence are here by Yoga International represent 15 tithis, or lunar days.
Taste: Lighten up and have vigilance.
In the winter months, we naturally gravitate toward sweet, sour, oily, and salty foods to mitigate the dry, light qualities of the cold (vata) season. But now we’re feeling a lot of vata going on due to recent events. Despite needing to work in more pungent, bitter, astringent, dry, and light tastes to reset the weight of heavy kapha season, both kapha and vata need warmth to keep agni going, said PYI Faculty, Ali Cramer, in her recent Kapha busting workshop via Zoom.
She recommended getting good routines established and having them not be negotiable – such as eating three meals a day, dry brushing, and exercising regularly to keep lungs healthy, and endorphins to keep depression at bay. The consistency in practice will help keep momentum and strength in our health going forward. For food, work in natural fats like avocados, drink Tulsi tea, Triphala powder in water before bed, and cook your greens like kale and collards.
Hearing: Tune in to birdsong.
Meditating in nature is a foundational practice that I follow during all seasons, but spring is one of my favorites. With flashes of color, from red cardinals, robins, and other bright winged colored birds, and the sounds of bird song, the very music and sights herald the changing season. And if you pay close attention, you can even get to know individual birds since they usually stay close to one location for the season. Re-connecting and observing individual animals in their natural habitat can also help us avoid a term called, species loneliness, which is a sense of isolation and sadness coming from human estrangement from other natural species.
Smell and Touch: Appreciate new growth and life.
As the days grow longer and warmer, this beautiful time of year inspires us to appreciate the renewal of life. Be mindful and fully take in all the new growth around you with your senses of smell and touch – touch the soft tree leaves growing, smell the spring rain, put on some gloves and dig your hands into the earth and smell the rich soil or plant early seeds, watching them grow in your windowsill.
As we all continue on this journey, say or sing a few words of gratitude, and remember to take time to pause and savor the mysteries of the moment while we watch the inner and outer blossoming of life.
For more information on yogic listening skills, consider PYI’s Sound Yoga Therapy online April 17-19, 2020, and our annual Ayurvedic Yoga Therapy Training with Ali Cramer and the PYI Yoga Therapy faculty.
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Katie Leasor is a second year Prema student and owner of Elements Yoga Therapeutics, a yoga therapy studio in Fair Haven, NJ.
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