Spring is a time of energy and vigour after the stillness of winter – which is why it’s a bit easier to unravel your yoga mat at this time of year!
Like a bud beginning to peek out from its roots, it feels good to stretch out and step into your practice.
According to Traditional Chinese Medicine, Spring is the time to focus on the liver and gallbladder meridians – which help to support our digestion and detoxification.
That’s why we often think of having a spring clean at this time of the year – not just for our home, but for our mind and body. The liver and gallbladder help support the cleansing function and flow of energy within the body.
Spring is generally assumed to be the start of the seasonal cycle and associated with the element of wood – responsible for new growth. It is a season of hope and optimism.
The following yin yoga poses target the liver and gallbladder meridian lines by creating shapes within the body that exert a gentle pressure on these points.
Yin poses are typically held for long periods – around three to five minutes.
Set an intention – what you hope to gain from your practice and create the shape that feels comfortable for your body.
It could be that you want a more restorative experience and you wish to feel supported within the shape – this is where props are particularly useful. You can use additional blankets, bolsters and blocks where needed.
3 Poses for spring
Bolster
Blanket
Block
Pose #1 – Dragonfly (straddle)
This shape stimulates the liver meridian and encourages blood flow to the internal organs. It also opens the hips, groin and back of the legs.
Sit on the edge of a folded blanket or Zabuton or Zafu cushion and ease your legs into a wide V-shape. You may wish to place a small cushion under each knee. Then gently tilt forward from the hips and either rest the forehead on an angled bolster or use blocks under the bolster to support the weight of the body. Find a comfortable edge and remember, as with all of these poses, that your breath will reflect your comfort and ease within the shape. Ease out a little if needed as you can always explore the edge as you hold the pose.
When you are ready to move out of the shape, remember to take your time. Move slowly and mindfully – taking long exhalations and perhaps audibly sighing the breath away. You may like to ease on to the back and rotate the knees, to release into the hips.
Pose # 2 – Banana-asana
This is a fabulous lateral opening for the body which helps to stimulate the gall bladder meridian.
Begin lying on your back on your mat. Feet and legs together, then shuffle both legs over to the right.
Then shuffle the arms and upper body to the right, so you create a crescent shape – like a ripe banana! Make sure to keep both hips and shoulders on the ground.
If you wish, take the arms into a cactus shape. Or make it a little stronger by crossing the left heel over the right ankle and taking hold of the right wrist with the left hand.
As you hold, focus on the breath moving up and down the left side of the body – feeling the prana (life force) flowing freely and smoothly.
Rest in Savasana before swapping to the other side.
Pose #3 – Pigeon pose (sleeping swan)
This pose releases tension from the lower back and hips – and is good for targeting both liver and gallbladder meridans.
Begin on all fours then slide the right knee towards the right wrist and then gently ease the right foot towards the left hand. Extend the left leg behind you on the mat.
You may wish to use a block or blanket under the right buttock, to keep the hips level. Walk the hands forward and rest the upper body on a horizontally-placed bolster.
Reclining Pigeon: Alternatively, for a more restorative version, (see photo) you can lie on your back with your feet on a bolster and cross the right leg over the left, making sure to keep your tailbone and lower back on the mat.
Hold for 3-5 minutes before swapping to the other side.
Spring is a time to…
- Drink green juices (load up with cleansing cucumber and leafy greens such as spinach and kale)
- Set your alarm 20 minutes early for a quick walk in the early morning sunshine
- Start new projects – put those ideas into action!
Spring quote:
Spring is nature’s way of saying, ‘Let’s party.’
Robin Williams
Check out our YouTube Video – Yoga Poses for Spring
