Why Easter is the perfect time to reflect on renewal during your yoga practice

Are you ready to let go and create space for growth and renewal this week in yoga?

The hollow Easter egg is used to represent the empty tomb after Jesus is resurrected; the egg is an important symbol of new life, or rebirth and renewal. Flowers coming into bloom are also a beautiful reminder of new life and hope. Your can apply this to your own life by considering areas where you would like to focus your energy in the coming months so you can revive that part of yourself.

As the blossom begins to bloom and the sky looks a little brighter, do you sense this is the right time for renewal? Have you been thinking of trying something new? Perhaps there is a nagging thought in the back of your mind, pulling you towards something new, or away from a particular situation. Sometimes the wellbeing sector uses the idea that you need to change in order to sell its services - I find this unhelpful, as though they are attempting to tell you that you are not enough already. However, I believe that we are all constantly in a natural process of growing, learning and making adjustments; sometimes a yoga practice can help us to find the mental clarity to reflect and to tune into our intuition, a deep, visceral sense of knowing so we can think clearly about next steps.

Spirituality is integral to yoga, however, what that means to each individual is entirely unique. We will all have our own belief system and sometimes this relates to a specific religion. In the UK, Easter is a large Christian festival celebrated by many at Spring time. I find the Easter story and its themes of renewal and sacrifice to be inspiring. I believe that renewal is a beautiful theme that can apply to us all at one point or another in our lives. You do not need to be Christian for this to feel relevant.

So, how to build a yoga class around renewal? I like to include practices that help us connect to the root chakra because feeling grounded, helps us to feel stable and secure through times of change. I like to connect to the sacral chakra because it helps us to connect to our creative self in order to imagine and then create the next chapter of our lives. Thirdly, I like to work on the solar plexus chakra, which helps us to feel motivated and confident in this phase of renewal.

I like to use intention setting and also a short guided mediation to connect to any of the above themes. I find Ushas mudra is helpful in a renewal practice because it represents the rising sun - a new day, a new dawn.

So, take in a big breath as you raise your shoulders, and as you sharply exhale through the mouth, drop the shoulders. Visualise letting go of that which no longer serves. Now, with a clear mind, allow yourself to feel into what renewal means to you.