Inaugural blog post…wait for it…Staying in alignment with the season of Spring!

Cherry Blossoms in Springtime in Tokyo,Japan.

Spring is here! The daffodils are blooming, the birds are singling, the days are longer and the light has that fresh brand new world feeling every morning. The morning sky looks like Easter eggs and smells like hope. And, fortuitously aligning with the spring, we are launching our new wellness center, Sagelight Integrative Wellness Center, April 3rd!

This our very first blog post, and the topic is staying in alignment with the spring energy. Spring is a crazy season, full of change and surprises. As I write this, on March 21st, it is the spring equinox, and we’re in the middle of a nor’easter. The snow is comin’ down! 10 inches on the ground already and the storm’s not even done yet. Next week it will be in the 60’s. Over the last 20 years as an acupuncturist, I’ve noticed that this is the time of the year when people really get sick. It’s 65 degrees, they break out their flip flops and tee shirts. Two days later is back in the 30’s, and they don’t don their boots and scarves and hats again, they come into my office in a windbreaker with the sniffles. It’s hard to change that fast.

But ‘tis the season...for change, in all ways. How does one stay balanced in this season?

Some tips from a Chinese medicine perspective:

*Eat foods that are in season. Asparagus, new leafy greens like arugula, baby spinach, fresh peas.

*Incorporate sour tasting foods, like lemon (put it in your water!), and fermented foods like kombucha, kefir and Greek yoghurt.

*Be flexible with the weather! Check the weather, and how strong the winds are, before you leave the house, and dress accordingly. Be smart, not stubborn. Wear scarves. I know it should be warm. But if it isn’t, it isn’t. Mother Nature doesn’t apparently notice your flip flops and go “Oh! Right! I forgot to make it warmer! Good thing that young sassy lass wore her flip flops to remind me!”

*Start adding more stretching or yoga to your daily routine, the season of spring in Chinese medicine relates to the tendons, keep them limber!

*Start exercising more, your body wants to move, and wants challenges, in this season. Maybe take a new exercise class or learn a martial art,  mix it up!

*Start some spring cleaning! Organize a closet, finally wash your windows, de-clutter your home. Create room for newness.

*Get creative, spring is the season that is related to creativity, so redecorate your living room, take a pottery class, try some new recipes. Be as unpredictable as the weather. Welcome change, it’s good for your soul.

*Do something surprising and spontaneous, like take an impromptu trip with your significant other on one of those cheap flights you can get last minute. Roll down a hill. Suddenly skip. Try a weird fruit you’ve seen at the Korean grocery store. Surprise yourself.

If you take even one of these suggestions on (but hey, why not all of them, it’s the season of change and challenge after all!) you’ll find you’ll be less likely to get sick, less likely to get grumpy with the weather, the traffic....life will feel less like life is an obstacle to be overcome and more like a delightful challenge to meet and embrace.

And while you’re at it, swing by Sagelight and get an acupuncture treatment or a massage, check us out.