Spring Equinox rituals & living seasonally through spring

How I'm preparing for the longer, brighter days

My updated vision board for Spring 2024

Hello, I’m Jodie. A Yoga teacher & wellbeing creator/ writer. I write about life post burnout with themes of rest, living slower, healing, self discovery, Yoga & more. Please subscribe to support my work & to read more. You can join my monthly journaling club and also find me on YouTube and Instagram.

My favourite season has always been spring. Before I even understood the concept of seasonal living I felt this sense of awe and wonder at the world coming back to life again.

I’ve recently seen Spring Equinox referred to as Nature’s New Year, and given that we’re part of that cycle too, it really is a marker of slow, new beginnings for us all.

The lambs in the fields, flowers starting to bloom, birds singing, days stretching longer, and that glorious morning when you realise you’ve been woken up naturally by the light streaming into your bedroom.

This year I can really feel this sense of rejuvenation in my bones and hope as the new season rolls in.

I love using the turn of a season as a marker, a moment in time to check in, reflect and think about my intentions as I move forward. I did a similar post to mark the Winter Solstice, so I wanted to share some rituals and small ways you can mark Spring Equinox this week (20th of March), and tap into the sense of rebirth that comes with it.

Rituals to mark Spring Equinox

1. Wake up at dawn and watch the sunrise. It’s at around 6am so a much more do-able time compared to summer solstice! 😅

2. Journal on any new beginnings or areas you feel called to give more of your energy to.

3. Create a vision board for how you want spring/ the rest of 2024 to feel and look

4. Go outside, set a timer on your phone for 10 minutes and spend some time feeling the sun on your skin, and noticing any signs of spring and new life

5. Sow a seed and plant it with an intention. A lovely friend shared this ritual with me last week and I absolutely love the idea. That way you can continue to tend to the plant as it grows, in the same way you do your intention and deepest desire.

6. Gather with friends and enjoy some good seasonal food

7. Go wild garlic picking and make some seasonal recipes (here’s a few places you can forage for it)

8. Celebrate as a community/ collective (more on how you can join me for a Spring Equinox themed Yoga practice at the bottom of this post)

Living seasonally with spring in mind

I try not to put hard and fast rules on my routines/ how I live. Seasonal living for me is about leaning into what feels good in that moment, knowing and accepting it’s likely to change month to month as we move through time.

I’ve already noticed my routine shift, in the winter I had this urge to stay in bed and read in the mornings, now I just want to be outside or I’m finding myself feeling more reflective/ wanting to make plans for the year (hence my recent habit of Morning Pages).

In this part of the post I thought I’d dive into my intentions for spring, most of them inspired by nature and what’s happening around us…

Sowing some seeds - both physically and metaphorically

Let’s talk about the actual seeds first. For the first time this year I’m sowing seeds in the hopes of a flourishing garden through the warmer months. I’ve already had a tomato plant come through (1 out of the 6 mind you), and my sweet peas are just about to make an appearance! It’s my first year so I’m trying to go into it with openness and allow for whatever happens. I grew a fair bit last year from bulbs or small starters and found the process so rewarding, so wanted to do the same but go even smaller.

This year on my list I’ve got sweet peas, lots of different tomato varieties, cosmos, spinach, rocket, strawberries and blueberries. I’m sure more will come in the form of buying established plants. I’m excited to watch them all grow and flourish over the coming weeks and months!

Metaphorically, I really want to get on top of my health this season and make fitness a priority. My mind is happier when I exercise, so it’s basically a must and something I really want to start putting more energy into. There’s also some work related projects that have been slowly building throughout winter that are launching soon, so I’m excited (and naturally, a little nervous), to see where they go!

My first tomato plant from seed 🌱

Clothing and wardrobe reset

Anyone else feel SO ready to ditch all the layers? I’m really looking forward to a clothing refresh (aka, shopping the spring/ summer stash currently in boxes at the back of my wardrobe). This year I’ve challenged myself to be even more intentional with where I buy clothes from, and what I’m buying. I’ve purchased 2 new things since January and anything else has been second hand. Honestly, I’m happy with this balance and it’s what works for me. I’ve realised I’d rather buy second hand, or spend more on a single item that’s going to last me years than be part of the cycle of buying things on impulse.

Habit tracking

There’s certain things I know will make me feel good, but I’m not always the best at prioritising them. I’ve decided to start habit tracking and so far it’s been a really useful tool. I have a template set up in Notion and each day I tick off my activities once I’ve done them. It’s interesting because I resisted the idea of habit tracking for years, I always tried to be that person that just puts their needs first without needing one, turns out a habit tracker is my little accountability tool and a chance to check-in that’s keeping me on track with my intentions.

From my morning walk - 18th March 2024

Spring baking

I’m such a foodie and I’m so so glad we’re heading more towards spring and summer produce. This winter has been the first year I’ve really thought more about eating what you’d naturally find available so it’s been lots of root veg for stews, soups, curries etc. Honestly the biggest change has been not eating tomatoes all year round, but if anything it’s made me appreciate the different foods even more and made me excited to start seeing all the gorgeous spring/ summer produce in full form again.

I wish I could share a useful method for this, but honestly, monthly I just do a quick Google search of what’s in season and then plan some meals around that. I also find that if where you shop has something on offer/ at a lower price tag, it’s likely because it’s in season, so it’s a more affordable way to eat too!

This spring I’d love to start experimenting with making my own Sourdough starter and bread, I found this guide which makes it seem pretty straight forward. I’d also like to make some wild garlic pesto and homemade hot cross buns and chocolate nests for Easter weekend.

---

As we move into a new season, sometimes there can be this tendency to rush. Almost as if we expect things to change in an instance (definitely a mentality I’ve held previously). Something I find helpful to keep me grounded in spring is the idea of slow beginnings, not big fancy changes weighted in perfection, but a gentle exploration into the new season and the hope and possibilities it may bring.

Let me know if there are any rituals you’ll be practicing or ways you’re living seasonally in spring in the comments, I’d love to know!

Ooh, one final thing friends! There’s still time to join me for tomorrow’s workshop…

Rest & Revival ~ Spring Equinox Workshop

I'm hosting a 90 minute Rest & Revival workshop on the 19th of March to celebrate and mark the occasion. The session includes mindful embodied movement suitable for all levels, Pranayama (breathwork) practices, a guided journaling session and a Yoga Nidra practice to finish.

Until next time,

Jodie x

If you found this post useful or enjoyed it I would be so grateful if you shared it or restacked it. It helps more people find the Slower Space community… Thank you x