Adjusting to seasonal rhythms while adjusting to pandemic life

April showers brings May flowers. It is definitely fully spring! Even in my home of NYC you can feel the air is charged with the blossoming energy of spring.

Today’s full moon is called the Flower Moon, as are all the full moons, it is named for a key agricultural feature pertaining to his time. It is a beautiful reminder of the larger circadian cycles that rule our planets patterns, our own bodily rhythms & the fluctuations within nature that keep plants, animals & tides in perfect sync. At a time when everything feels pulled off course, it's important to set our bodies and lifestyles to something larger than ourselves, life-sustaining and resilient.

How are you feeling the seasonal changes of this time?

A lack of schedule, too much screen time & irregular habits are causing people to feel lost. Most are struggling with a difficult array of feelings that are finally getting the opportunity to rise to the surface.

There is nothing more grounding, fertile and rich than the spring season! However in an environment of staying indoors it can feel distant and hard to recognize. Remember that your body clock is hard-wired to listen to seasonal patterns. Tether your lifestyle and food choices to the season and you'll put yourself back in touch with your bodies desire to be in rhythm. Circadian science is your bodies template. By listening in, your health will reward you!

A wise first step: cultivate awareness

There's no need to overwhelm yourself with the idea of creating an entirely new routine. The body needs changes to be incorporated slowly for them to have benefit. You should rest some comfort in knowing that the most important thing has already been done. It's called, paying attention! You are likely reading this because the subject triggered some interest or logic already present in you. You listened to your intuition. Our body builds habits through repetition so practicing paying attention will build higher levels of awareness overall. Learning to listen inward is an important step in making changes for your health no matter if your goal is to sleep well through the night or improve the quality of your relationships. Increasing your ability to listen to your intuition will serve you in any situation because it tells you where to focus your priority and what to let go of.

For more on beginning or deepening a contemplative practice with breathwork, read my post, Finding relief in the chaos: building a breath practice

Seasonal practices to incorporate. Pick ONE to work with and then go from there.

***BREATHE. Seated. Eyes closed. Deep, slow, in & out through the nose. Quietly & alone. It's that simple.

***Eat your greens! Consume herbs & plants native to this time of year & guess what? Your physiology is hardwired from thousands of years of evolving to be IN rhythm with nature to still want THESE plants at THIS time. Some veggies indicated for this season: nettle, dandelion, anything with a sprout: fiddleheads, asparagus and anything bitter cabbage, broccoli, arugula etc. cook them down and add some spice to make them easy to digest.

***Sync your sleep schedule to the suns rising time. This is THE hardest thing for me but overall by FAR the most rewarding change you can make. Imagine feeling rested and energized upon waking. Have ease of digestion and no headaches or abdominal discomfort. Early to bed & early to rise will GIVE you more energy once your body adjusts. This may take 1-2 weeks but I have felt a change in as little as 10 days. The key is to be patient & be consistent.

***Flower power in a cup. Rummage around in your tea stash & look for some key herbs & flowers...you may be surprised to see what you already have! Mint, sage, basil, honeysuckle, tulsi, nettle, dandelion also ANY flowers, rose, chrysanthemum, lavender are perfect for this time. Get creative! Make a tea blend of any combination that you have or that appeals to you. It’s fun & great way to experiment with combining tastes to see what you like.

Pictured: my tea own blend, to warm & to calm. In equal quantities

Tulsi, dandelion, nettle, spearmint, rose, chamomile, & lavender. Steep for 10 minutes. Drink hot or room temperature.

Look for more food inspiration in my spring recipes post!