Between Light and Breath: A Restorative Practice for the Spring Equinox

Spring is a time of new beginnings, personal growth, and experimentation. A gentle emergence from the darkness of winter. A season of openness, energy, and recommitment to what matters most. Even when the world can feel heavy, the movement toward light continues - quietly, steadily, unfalteringly.

This is all good news. And yet, the Spring Equinox can sometimes play havoc with our nervous system. As the days lengthen, we may notice ourselves feeling unexpectedly restless, slightly irritable, or energetically “ahead” of our emotional grounding.

There is a reason for this. As daylight lengthens, melatonin levels begin to decline while serotonin activity gradually increases—though not always in seamless alignment. This can leave us in a subtle transitional space, where vitality starts to return before a deeper sense of steadiness has fully settled. The body is stirring. The nervous system is adjusting its rhythm. The inner landscape is still finding its footing.

This short restorative sequence is designed to support that transition toward lighter days. Moving gently between chest-opening postures and forward folds, the practice invites balance, steadiness, and a gradual welcoming of renewed vitality.

Restorative Spring Equinox Practice

Suggested props:
blanket, rolled towel, bolsters (or pillows), wall space or chair

Remember to:
move slowly, stay warm, and let transitions be unhurried.

Gentle Supported Backbend (5mins)
Place a folded blanket beneath the shoulder blades. Keep knees bent to create space in the lower back. Let the sternum soften upward without effort. Arms can rest beside the body or open outward.

This posture invites breath back into the front body after winter’s inward folding. It gently signals safety to the nervous system and encourages a widening across the collarbones—an energetic gesture of receptivity.

Stay long enough for the breath to deepen naturally.

Face-down Savasana (5mins)
Lie face-down with a rolled blanket or towel beneath the abdomen.

This subtle pressure stimulates connective tissue around the belly and supports vagal tone, helping recalibrate the nervous system. It can feel unexpectedly grounding - like returning to the quiet intelligence of the earth.

Invite the breath to move into the ribs behind the heart and allow the entire back body to broaden.

Supported Fish Pose (5mins)
Place a bolster or blanket lengthwise along the mat. Sit on the mat with your back against the end of the bolster. Rest back. If you encounter lower back pain in this pose place a bolster our cushions underneath your knees. You can add a rolled blanket underneath the backs of your ankles.

Allow the throat to remain soft. If comfortable, let the arms open outward.

Fish pose space across the lungs and heart—the very places where seasonal transitions are often felt most strongly.

Supported Forward Fold (5mins)
Sit with legs extended and fold forward over a bolster or pillows. Let the forehead rest. Allow the spine to round naturally.

Forward folds invite introspection and integration. After opening the chest, this posture restores equilibrium—like the equal length of day and night at the equinox itself. Stay here until the breath becomes quiet and even.

Viparita Karani (Legs up the wall or a chair) (5-10mins)
Rest your legs vertically against a wall. Make sure to have support under your sacrum. Let the pelvis feel heavy. Allow the face to soften.

This gentle inversion supports circulation, regulates energy levels, and soothes the transition between fatigue and alertness that often accompanies seasonal change.

Imagine the nervous system settling like sediment in clear water.

Restorative Side-Lying Savasana (5-15mins)
Lie on one side with blankets supporting the head and knees. Place a bolster or cushion behind your back to create a sense of safety and protection, and gently hold another cushion in front of the chest to soften and support the heart.

This closing posture echoes the shape of rest itself—like resting inside a cocoon. It reassures the body that transition does not require urgency.

Stay here until the breath becomes almost imperceptible.