Surfing, not Marching, Toward Spring in Paris
Yoga and Ayurveda best practices for a smooth glide into the vernal equinox
February is a short, mean month, and most folks hide under the covers until it’s over.
We know more than one yogi who takes advantage of February to recharge somewhere sunny: our friend and NYC teacher Julie can be found on the Osa Peninsula in Costa Rica for her yearly Myth Immersion Retreat, and our pal and Mindfulness Meditation teacher Peggy routinely makes a Hanuman leap to India.
Ask any Parisian in February how they’re feeling and they’re bound to reply “Pfft… j’en peux plus.” 😂
What changed our perspective was reading/listening to French fitness coach Lucile Woodward talk about how Winter is the time to seek out the light; it is not the time to hibernate and let your goals slide. If anything Winter is perfect for digging deep so that when the Spring equinox hits (this year on March 19th), you are primed and ready for action.
Mind over Matter
This stick-to-it mindset is not just for sporty types, either! It applies to anyone wanting to create new routines and lasting, feel-good changes. Starting small, building gradually, trying every day: this is how you can mindfully surf not just seasonal transitions, but life’s transitions as well.
“Make coffee. Shower. Clean the loo. In an age of choice, rituals are the key to happiness.”
Ayurveda Wellness Guide: Spring Detox (online)
with Marc Holzman and Vaidya Jayagopal
Ayurveda loves routine (Dinacharya, anyone?) and recommends a thorough cleansing of the body in Spring. Why? Because “when warmer spring temperatures melt the snow, impurities within your body also start to liquify, flooding the microcirculatory channels that carry nutrients and waste to and from the cells.”
In this workshop, Marc and renowned Ayurveda doctor Vaidya Jayagopal will explain and explore Ayurveda’s take on Spring through various routines: detox practices, herbs, teas, essential oils, and a short asana and Yoga Nidra session.
Sunday March 10th, 2024
16h EU / 15h UK / 11h EST / 8h PST
$49 before March 6th / $60 thereafter
Pranayama Restorative Workshop (Paris)
with Sandra Schultze
Learn how to breathe and relax on Moon days, and sync your inhales and exhales to the energy of the moon. Two moon phases have the most impact on our bodies and minds: the full moon and the new moon. It is said that the full moon makes us more energetic however ungrounded, and that the new moon makes us feel stable but a bit apathetic. Marking moon days with specific practices can create more balance.
Sunday March 10th, 2024
10h-11h30
30€
“Observing moon days is a way to recognize the ebb and flow in nature and within our own beings, so we can live more in tune with these cycles.” —Kia Naddermier
ICYMI (FROM OUR NOTES & OTHER SOURCES)
Maison Mysore is a new studio-within-studio in Paris that offers a tight edit of yoga classes and workshops. Among them: Sunday Freestyles, Pranayama Restoratives and Sound Meditations.
Our friend Sharon Lysaght has a new weekly Face Yoga class on the calendar at Rasa Yoga Rive Gauche: Fridays from 13h to 14h (available in person & online.) Try these easy gestures from Sharon for brighter eyes 👀
If you’re interested in doing a fast this Spring, from has published a FREE guide to help you prepare safely.