Spring Into Cleansing

For the Health of It

Story and photography by Jill McLaughlin.

Published: Wednesday, March 21, 2007

For the Health of It Jill McLaughlin lifestyle
With temperatures recently hovering near the mid-seventies, and residents of Kansas City donning flip-flops and tank tops, I believe it’s safe to say that spring is upon us. We’re all peering out from under our winter covers; birds are scouting out nest space, and squirrels who have run out of nuts are anxiously awaiting the first greens to sprout so that they can finally eat a salad.

The first official day of spring 2007 is March 21 and will be cause for many celebrations by various faiths, both ancient and modern. On this day, also called the vernal equinox, the daytime and nighttime hours are equal. This occurs twice yearly, also on the autumnal equinox, which takes place in September. As a curious side note, because of this balance, many folks believe that you can poise an egg on its end during the few hours before and the few hours after the exact time of the equinox.

Bye Bye Old Man Winter
Having just pulled through a long winter, when our bodies accumulate dryness and cold, the advent of spring, nature’s new year, is a welcome time for renewal, regeneration, and a natural inclination toward cleansing. We’ve thawed, the daylight hours are extended, and we find ourselves with more energy and anticipation of the lengthened days of summer.

In the natural world, survival depends on living in harmony with the cycles of seasonal change. According to Dr. John Douillard, author of The 3-Season Diet, “As Native American and ancient Asian cultures have long proposed, nature is neither static nor haphazard but moves in cycles that flow effortlessly and organically into one another.” He continues, “During each of the three seasonal harvests that make up the annual cycle, nature produces the seeds with which to heal the ills of that season and help prepare the body for the season that follows. In the West, we look on nature as a cruel force that must be subdued through technological wizardry, but the Native American and Eastern traditions see in nature the potential solutions to every imbalance.”