Spring is the best time of the year to cleanse, detoxify and flush stagnation. Energy moves up, everything is blooming, and we begin to feel more energetic.

Accumulated kapha in the body starts liquefying. That is why so many people get colds in the spring. In addition, as flowers begin to bloom and shed pollen, many of us also get seasonal allergies.

According to world-renowned ayurvedic physician and author Vasant Lad, agni (digestive fire) is low in the spring. That's why Ayurveda suggests eating less than you did in winter - when agni is high - especially if your predominant dosha is kapha. (If you don't know what your dosha is or would like more information about Ayurveda in general, I highly recommend taking Bonnie Dike's Spring Yoga & Ayurveda Workshop on May 5th.)

Spring is a great time to re-commit to better health and greater vitality by adding more yoga to your life! Among many other benefits, a hot yoga practice cleanses the liver (which may have become sluggish during the winter months), and helps to reduce or eliminate seasonal allergy symptoms.

As the seasons change, it is important to adapt your yoga practice accordingly. At Terra Yoga, you will be experiencing more detoxifying twists, invigorating sun salutations and poses that cultivate agni in our Vinyasa classes. As we tend to the digestive fire during a vigorous Vinyasa class, it is important to avoid drinking too much water while practicing -  otherwise, we put out the fire we are trying to build in our core. Water is essential to life. Unfortunately, the average American doesn't drink nearly as much water as they should. It is recommended to consume half as many ounces of water per pound of body weight per day for optimum hydration. For instance, if you weigh 160 pounds, you should drink 80 ounces of water every 24 hours. However, the intake of water should happen before and after practicing yoga, not during class, so we don't destroy the fire. As yoga practitioners, we are the fire keepers.

The correct practice of Vinyasa generates internal heat. Fire and heat are embodied in the bandhas, which are muscular and energetic adjustments that transform our internal energies. Bandhas represent the most subtle and potent difference between asana practice (i.e. the physical practice of yoga) and gymnastics or other forms of physical exercise. Cultivating fire in the belly is an energetic change that leads to purification. The heat we need in yoga practice is subtle internal, transforming heat - not excessive, draining heat. Excessive heat leads to depletion; insufficient heat leads to stagnation. Living in the Pacific Northwest where the climate is predominantly cold and damp, we practice Vinyasa in a warm room so we don't spend half the class just "thawing out." If Terra Yoga were in India or Brazil, for example, there would be no need for extra heat, which would cause us to feel drained after every class. That is why you will never experience excessive temperatures of 110 degrees at Terra. We build our own heat from within by cultivating mindful breathing and activating bandhas during our asana practice. In the summer, we lower the temperature inside the studio considerably, since the necessity to thaw out the body first is no longer present.

The bandhas are at the very core of Vinyasa yoga. Through the bandhas we contain, transform and use heat and energy - a process that also transforms the activity of our nervous system. The bandhas can be initially elusive, but they become quite natural with practice. Fortunately for Terra Yoga practitioners, our yoga teachers are very knowledgeable and make bandhas an integral part of their teaching. As I was talking about bandhas and agni in class the other day, a student asked me why we don't upgrade to far infrared (FIR) heaters at Terra. After all, FIR heat warms up the body from the inside out (very similarly to the way a microwave warms up food), which seems to be what we are trying to accomplish with bandhas and pranayama. There are many reasons why I have concerns about using that kind of technology. However, to stay on topic, let me simply say this: Because FIR raises the body's temperature from the inside out and people sweat profusely before they even have a chance to do sun salutations, most beginners and even intermediate practitioners won't see the need or have the strength to cultivate the bandhas in the first place. According to the yoga tradition, the bandhas are a doorway through which we enter a dimension of ourselves and a reality not often experienced. This cannot be achieved simply by walking into an infrared sauna. Even for people who just want to get a good workout and are not interested in learning about bandhas and pranayama, practicing in a room heated by infrared radiation gives them the false impression they are getting a better workout than with traditional pushed-air heat. Some calories might be burned but most of what will be lost is water and electrolytes, which will need to be replenished. They will also be missing out on the energetic, pranic effects (not to mention the spiritual aspects of the practice). There is a price to be paid for quick fixes.

As we cultivate our inner fire through the use of bandhas and pranayama, we start to sweat through our own merits. In addition to its more obvious detoxifying benefits, the sweat acts as insulation, like a wet suit. It coats the body with a thermal layer that keeps the heat being generated inside so that it can be processed and transformed by the bandhas. That is why we should not wipe off the sweat from our body during asana practice, not even from our face. The sweat should form a protective coat -  if sweat is pouring off our body profusely, it may be a sign of over-exertion. As we over-sweat, we must use up more heat to replace our insulation, wasting energy and leaving us exhausted. It is quality not quantity that counts. Practicing mindfully and slowing down when we realize we are pushing the body too hard is the key to balancing out our energies and feeling rejuvenated rather than depleted after a physically challenging class.  However, for those people who are residually tired (but who mask that fact with activity and stimulants), there will be a feeling of tiredness at the end of the practice. That feeling fades with time as we learn to listen to our bodies, change our debilitating habits, and adapt the practice to what is happening in the moment. Consistency and regularity are vital if we are to experience the nurturing and healing effects of yoga and change our bodies in positive ways.

Yoga affects the mind as much as the body. It improves concentration, increases alertness, gives rise to awareness and mental clarity, cultivates calmness, develops equanimity, instills confidence, and fosters contentment. But the benefits of yoga go beyond the body and the mind. The systematic practice of yoga promotes self-knowledge, self-acceptance, and self-love. It is a soul food that brings about true freedom, contentment and joy that can be felt both on and off the mat. Enjoy!