In yoga the seasons play an important role in our well-being – and spring came early this year!
The magnolias have almost finished blossoming, the baby birds are cheeping in the hedges, and every plant and tree is pushing out new leaves and buds.
It’s a very joyous time of year and our caveman bodies respond to this primitive call to shed winter and move with this rising energy.
So, our yoga classes, over the next five weeks, are focussed on detoxing and shedding the ama of winter.
Ama can be viewed as a waste product from your digestive process, usually from inadequate digestive fire.
Think of a really hot fire, it turns everything into ash.
Think of a feeble fire (your low digestive fire), like using damp wood, you’ll have an incomplete burn and lots of waste products left behind. This is ama.
This sticky buildup clogs your body’s channels, leading to fatigue, sluggish digestion, and brain fog
According to Ayurveda, the Indian system of medicine, each season corresponds to specific doshas (the three energies governing the body and mind: Vata, Pitta, and Kapha).
Spring is predominantly a Kapha season, characterised by heaviness, dampness, and coolness.
Thus, our detox strategy includes lots of twists in yoga to wake up our digestive systems.
We are stimulating our lymphatic systems through inversions and rhythmic shaking, and we use warming breaths to crank up the fire in our bellies.
Finally, our meditative focus is tuned to the rising light. Beautiful yoga!
