4 Rituals for Self-Care at the Spring Equinox

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Spring is officially here, finally. I took advantage and snuck away for part of the afternoon to chill out at one of my fave honeycomb hideouts. Admittedly, I felt a bit guilty because I have a fairly huge, looming deadline in the coming weeks that I've been obsessively working towards.

I think this must be a symptom of being a writer. I know whenever I have a major project deadline I get super tunnel vision and barely allow myself time to do much of anything else away from my computer. However, I'm well aware of the necessity of balance and one of my personal goals is to allow time for myself, even in the midst of a chaotic schedule or mounting work.

The spring equinox is the perfect time for a pause. So, here are a few ways that we {you & I} can honor the coming of all things fresh and new at the equinox. 

1. Spend some time in or near water-- one of the ultimate soothing elements. I love a good detox bath, swims in the lake, floating in the pool, lying on the beach, and lately-- going to the hot springs. Afterwards I feel relaxed, re-centered and ready to focus.

2. The start of each new season, not just spring, is a great time to reflect and rebalance yourself. If you keep a journal, you can use it to go back and review how things have unfolded in your life over the past few months in the last season, and set some new goals for the new. If you don't keep a journal, you can still set aside some time to write down your heart's desires and plant a seed for what you'd like to manifest in the coming months.

3. Feed yourself delectable, fresh foods. Nothing energizes you like food that make your body and spirit feel bright and alive. Check out your local farmer's market to see what's in season that you can bring home to cook or support a farm to table restaurant in your neighborhood to get the best of the season's local bounty.

4. Unplug from the world. This springtime equinox happens to coincide with Earthhour. For one hour from 8:30 PM-9:30 PM, people across the globe will unplug from all non-essential light sources. The event is held annually at the end of March "as a symbol for a commitment to the planet... [and the aim] is to encourage an interconnected global community to share the opportunities and challenges of creating a sustainable world." We support any and every opportunity to light some candles and enjoy solitude.

Whatever you do this Spring Equinox make sure you are good to yourself.