Springing into a New Year
Happy New Year! No, this is not an April fool’s joke. (First of all, I’m writing this well past April 1st.) Yes, I know January was months ago, and this year now feels far from new- there’s no confusion when we go to write the date: ‘22 flows onto the page with ease. But for me, this calendar has never quite felt right. In January and February, I’m still in what I would describe as a transitional space. Yes, I’m excited for the new calendar year and make copious plans for what I want to do with it. But I don’t REALLY feel like moving ‘full steam ahead’ until late March. I used to blame it on being a spring baby, or the fact that I generally prefer change to come slowly, gradually. But over the years, as I’ve become more connected to my body and strive to live as much as possible in sync with the cycles of nature, I realize more and more that it’s not just me, and that there’s a good reason for it!
While we all push to start anew on January 1st, many of us struggle to get the ball rolling. We tend to blame our own lack of willpower, but consider this: we’re trying to start new habits in the middle of winter, when the days are still short and, in the Northern hemisphere, the weather calls for hibernation, not new activities. What if we put less pressure on ourselves after the holiday season and instead, used the rest of winter for planning, preparing, self-nurturing, wrapping up any loose ends? Then, when everything begins to thaw in the spring (our brains and bodies included!), we hit the ground running, ready to make the most of these longer days and sunnier climes? (Even the US government seems to understand this- can you imagine if your taxes were due on January 5th instead of April?!)
In Ayurveda, late winter and spring are considered ‘kapha’ season. Characterized by wet weather, and at least early on, by cold temperatures, this season is often associated with stagnation or a feeling of heaviness, as well as any of the ‘phlegmy’ conditions of the body: colds, allergies, and so on. But what doesn’t get discussed as much, is that kapha dosha is also associated with building. It is a time of growing potential energy. Nature gives us plenty of examples to visualize this cycle. In winter, plants do not appear to be growing, but in reality, they are building their energy reserves back up to get ready for spring and summer sprouting. Bulbs are collecting sugar so they can bloom into flowers in April, May and June. Bears hibernate until March or April, many emerging with a new cub or two in tow- the result of all the ‘building’ that was done during their hibernation.
Many celebrations around the world formally recognize this. The Iranian New Year is celebrated on the spring equinox in late March, the time of year when our days are once again longer than our nights. Many states in India and Southeast Asia celebrate New Year in the spring, as well. And despite the fact that our official New Year is in January, our spring holidays are full of ‘begin anew’ symbolism: the resurrection theme of Christian Easter; the Passover rituals that celebrate the history of a newly freed population’s fresh start; the baby bunnies, lambs, chicks, eggs and spring flowers that are symbols of this season.
To me, spring feels like the most natural time to begin anew, to bust out all of those plans you’ve been sitting on and get to work. So if you’ve fallen behind on the big plans you had for this year, or never really got going to begin with, and are starting to feel a spring in your step, join me in setting a fresh start for this season!
P.S. If there’s something you’ve been trying to shift in your life but you’re hitting a wall, check out my articles on Inviting Positive Change
Does spring feel like a fresh start for you? If not, what’s your natural ‘new year’? Share your insights below!