MIND. How to prepare with simplicity for spring
Spring cleaning. Spring planting. Spring seeding. Spring Break.
I find that we spend so much time thinking and prepping for the season of spring, but may not often think about how we can prep our own bodies. Here is a simple invitation to do just that, and I promise it won’t be as arduous as the spring cleaning of your house or garden shed.
I have been inspired on a consistent basis by the yoga studio I have found in Coeur d’Alene in walking distance of my house and clinic: Garden Street Yoga. It has become a non-negotiable in my week for the wisdom gleaned from the teacher and the relaxed, floaty feeling I walk out the door with. Plus, bonus: there is a local farmer + yogi who also attends class and has fresh goat cheese and eggs available in the back of her truck after class. Truly my needs are tended to in every way.
Our teacher has been instructing us in our own spring preparation of our bodies. While this may bring to mind a “Spring Detox” for many, she has instead focused simply on our feet and ankles. After a long winter spent in boots of all kinds and thick socks, at least where I live in North Idaho, they’re about to meet fresh grass and flip flops and walking on river stones - what a contrast. They deserve a time to transition, too, from one season to another. After all, they only hold up my entire body and make me mobile in this world. And I ignore them or take them for granted most of the time.
Our teacher has had us focus on opening up the soles of our feet by working with a small, semi-soft ball: rolling, twisting and mashing out that thick plantar fascia that has been cloistered in winter gear. She has also asked us to open up the mobility in our ankle, which has also been restricted in motion with sturdy footwear. I find the challenge of rotating my ankle joint in the air as slowly and intentionally as possible has yet to cease and humble me over these last few weeks. The slower, the better, and likely the less coordinated I feel. I am brought back to my days of gross anatomy and learning the muscles of the foot and the origin point of some up to almost the knee. When you move your ankle slowly and with attention enough, you will be able to feel those muscles light up along your entire calf. The foot is, without a doubt, a miraculous piece of architecture and engineering.
Movement and logistics aside of opening up the foot and ankle, I love the idea of tending to my own roots at this time. ‘Tis the season for preparing the soil for plant roots to shoot into the ground, grasping hold for the season of growth ahead … why not do the same with our own bodies? Tend to your own roots. Spend some time, however briefly, with these often forgotten, neglected, necessary appendages that hold our entire structures up. I think it is a suiting idea to tend to the base of ourselves to ensure the rest ourselves can sprout and shoot up from a strong, intentionally set foundation.
How To Prepare Your Roots For Spring
Foot massage to begin or end every day. Think of it as tilling the soil.
Use a small ball, such as a lacrosse ball, to roll your feet on. Spend a few minutes twisting into sore spots, stepping on it with good pressure and taking your time while doing it.
Open up your ankles with as slow as possible ankle circles in the air, in one direction then the other. See if you can feel the new ways you may feel subtle muscles in your calf light up.
