The Symbolism of the Spring Equinox
Fireside reading.
Snuggly blankets.
Bubble baths.
Winter lights.
The Fall “Autumnal” Equinox of 2020 in the Northern Hemisphere was a welcome time for many of us that were truly exhausted from the unfolding of Spring 2020. As if the world itself was ready to take a ‘time out’ from the hustle and bustle, the confusion and uncertainty. Life needed a break.
It is no wonder why so many of us turned in, hunkered down, ordered a stockpile of new books to devour, took up journaling, meditated, binge-watched to the ends of Netflix, picked up sketching or a new language, and dug out the oldest coziest sweaters we hadn’t burrito’d ourselves in for 10 years. We were simply ready with open arms for the winter hibernation.
Just as the Fall Equinox had swept in at its naturally perfect timing (as it always does) now too we may feel the perfection of timing as the Spring Equinox, or the “Vernal Equinox”, sets its sights on us.
The Spring Equinox on March 20th (or Autumnal Equinox for our brothers and sisters in the Southern Hemisphere) has been patiently waiting for us. She is finally here, ready to revive the last parts of us that are holding on to the past. The equinox is a time of equal day and equal night, equal light and equal dark. And as melatonin levels begin to diminish within our chemical bodies, we may notice a little more “get-up-and-go” or literal “spring” in our step.
You may also notice a little more activity in your mind and heart to bring forth those things you have been nurturing throughout the depths and darkness of winter. It is a time to explore outward again, and to begin to witness the first buds of the seeds we’ve been faithfully watering in our spirits for the past 6 months. We may not have even known what we were metaphorically incubating in the womb of winter, but as the Spring Equinox approaches, it may begin to reveal itself to us.
The Spring Equinox is all about balance.
Body, Mind, and Spirit.
In our bodies, we experience this when we YIELD into the earth, offer ourselves downward, and notice the gentle response of support she gives us upward in return. It is the quality of root to rebound.
In our minds, we experience this when we become conscious of our thoughts, or even conscious of our own consciousness to anchor us in the present moment. The moment where SPACE is created between our fleeting thoughts and desires and balance can be restored in our response to the world around us.
Examples of Spring Equinox ponderings:
In what ways have I been ‘overdoing’ one thing or another?
What does balance feel like in my thoughts and mind? When have I experienced it?
How have I been taking advantage of certain areas of my life and neglecting others?
What have I been ingesting – food, thoughts, words, experiences – and how have I been digesting them?
In what ways do my daily habits limit the balance I desire in my life?
The spring equinox is nature inviting us to find equilibrium and equipoise in our thoughts, our actions, and our trust in the universe.
You may see this same balance in some of the styles of yoga you have practiced. In Ayurveda, we can see this as the balance of our unique composition of doshas. In yoga philosophy, we witness it in the balance of the gunas – the qualities of the universe. In Anusara yoga this could be experienced in the physical balance between inward and outer spirals. In Ashtanga yoga, it lives in the press down to lift up in the float backs of the vinyasa. In Meditation, it evolves in the effort and ease to our focus. In Iyengar yoga, it is the precision of subtleties to the explosion of freedom of prana. In Hot yoga, it is embodied in the physical heat to cool the mind. Everywhere we look, we can find nature’s qualities of the equinox.
It is easy to wish for summer around the corner, but the Spring Equinox is asking us to be patient still. Remember, it is equal day AND night and, in some ways, we are still in the nurturing phase.
There is no rush!
It is not uncommon to feel “behind” as if the seeds you’ve been watering should be trees already, or the projects you’ve been considering should already be bearing fruit.
The visions you’ve had during these winter months may have a new fresh vitality to them, but they are still being cultivated. They are fledgling, embryonic, nascent in their unfolding, and just like the baby bunnies and eggs waiting to hatch, they take small hops and tiny cracks at first. Give them time, let them develop, let them gain some metaphorical “weight”, and then hold on tight!
Now is a time to trust in the balance of the universe, in the nature within our own bones, mind, and spirit. With the Spring Equinox as our guide, her patient balance and timing can be the muse to our own revitalization and blossoming.
“Nature doesn’t hurry, yet everything is accomplished.” --Lao Tzu
If you liked this blog, check out our other blogs like: " As I Heal, My Ancestors Heal" " This is a Moment of Both. And", or "Resources for Your Well-Being", and " Resources to Nurture your Spirituality"
