Happy Spring! Is anyone else as excited as me for the upcoming change in season? Spring is a way to see your world through a new lens. All the things that you wanted to do but didn’t because it was too gloomy or too cold….. you can do those now! But the “Spring” on the calendar and the “Spring” outdoors can often be misaligned. In some areas there is still snow on the ground, cold temps in the air and clouds in the sky.
Spring also invokes a sense of renewal in us as well. Just as the new blades of green grass start to poke through the brown cover of leaves, we start to feel an exciting change in our lives. We’ve made it through the holidays and those with seasonal affective disorder (SAD) are starting to feel the weight of the winter lifting. Longer days and bright sunshine have been shown to improve our mood and lift out spirits.
Throughout different cultures, spring includes some religious celebrations that mark renewal. In Christianity there is Easter, Judaism has Passover and Holi is celebrated by those following Hinduism. Those in Thailand mark the New Year (Songkran)with water fights and purification rituals and Persians celebrate the Spring Equinox (Nowruz)with bonfires, spring cleaning and gathering with family.
Generations ago our mothers and grandmothers would throw the windows open, pull all the rugs outside and do a whirlwind spring cleaning. Opening the windows can have many benefit: improving air quality, reducing chemical compounds from cleaning products we have used, as well as lowering the concentration of airborne particles such as viruses that have been circulating in our homes.
But more so than all the practical reasons to open the windows and let the fresh air in, the prime reasons are that it can improve our physical and mental health. Increased oxygen and fresh clean air has been shown to lower stress and anxiety, improve focus and cognitive function. It can improve our physical being by allowing introduction of outdoor micronorgisms, thereby allowing our body’s immunity to strengthen. Often, we sleep better after an afternoon of fresh air and sunshine.
So even if just for a few minutes or if you can get away for the afternoon, go outside, enjoy the fresh air and get some sunshine on your face!!
HAPPY SPRING!! 💐🪺
Healing You 
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