Happy Spring fellow TOGSers…
Spring has hit France. My windows are filled with the red blossoms coming off my neighbors tree. The fields are filled with yellow daffodils. And days start with snow and end with a warm sun that quickly melts any hint of the formers morning existence.
I’m on the final day of a 6 day spring reset. I started working with an Ayurvedic practitioner last year and I’ve found many of the practices to root me down in a way I’ve been looking for over the last ten years. Like Kellyn wrote so poignantly last week-I’ve been “pushing against things that will not budge…the seasons, time” my own body’s limits both of the mind and muscle. And last year I really started to pay the price with never ending sickness and stress.
The reset was fairly simple in practice: eating a simple diet of kitchari, millet porridge, and tons of water/tea. I swapped training for breathwork, yoga, and when it wasn’t pouring-walks in the forrest. I gave myself long oil massages and limited my screen time. I also deep cleaned the house-wiping the dirt free from every book (a true feat in itself if you know the number of books I have), getting rid of spices that have lost their flavor, dusting the dust boards…
In the beginning, I was worried about what I’d be missing-days on snow, the standard french fare of cheese and baguette, responding to 100 emails. Yet it was far from a week of depravation. Instead, a feeling like I was getting everything that was important to me back in order. Clearing out my body, our house, and my mind.
While my deep cleaning didn’t have me ready to switch out my whole winter closet for the summer one-dresses and skirts and tanks still stored away, my ski stuff is still in the gear room-I did find that I am ready to switch out my sweater/pant combos I’ve been wearing for all of winter. I still need to be covering my limbs but I’m reaching for cotton to do so instead of wool pants and sweaters. There’s something about a starchy thick jean, a pressed terry sweatshirt, and a basic tshirt that feel appropriate for the in between. It’ll all do the trick as far as protecting from the ever changing wind, rain snow, or sun-while feeling more breathable, more sturdy.
In ayurvedic, opposites balance: and I’ve been thinking about this with fabric too. In the spring I want something akin to a carhartt pant to balance all the moisture that’s coming from the sky or melting off the mountains. A breathable cotton sweatshirt as I’m starting to breath into spring. A lighter shoe as the spring in my step returns.
The trick is finding ways to keep it personal and unique all the while staying comfortable in the liminal period that is mountain time printemps.
In all the outfits below, there are some staples. Lots of white-which feels bright and refreshing. Denim or canvas for bottoms and jackets. Clogs with socks for a needed break from boots while still keeping your body warm. And some flare in the form of jewelry and scarves (we could have called this newsletter “stuff you wrap around your neck” given Kellyn and I’s obsession with all things scarves, bandanas, neckties).
One thing this reset taught me is having some staples to rely on, whether it’s food or routine or clothes, helps keep the mind clear in transitions. Below you’ll find the staples I’ll be reaching for till summer really hits.
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