Happy Ostara! Celebrating Spring's Arrival

The earth stretches languidly, awakening from its winter slumber. Days lengthen, a gentle warmth creeps into the air, and buds swell with anticipation. Spring has sprung, and with it comes Ostara, a joyous celebration of renewal and rebirth.

Ostara, also known as the Spring Equinox, is a time steeped in tradition. Its roots weave back to ancient pagan cultures, particularly Celtic and Germanic, who revered the changing seasons and the cycle of life. Though the exact origins of the name "Ostara" are debated, the holiday itself is a vibrant tapestry woven with themes of balance, fertility, and the triumph of light over darkness.

Celebrating the Blossoming

There are countless ways to celebrate Ostara, both traditional and modern. Here are a few ideas to weave some springtime magic into your day:

• Embrace the Dawn: Witness the sunrise on the equinox. This powerful act signifies the lengthening days and the sun's renewed dominance.

• Decorate with Nature's Bounty: Adorn your home with spring flowers like daffodils and tulips, or branches adorned with colorful ribbons.

• Craft an Ostara Altar: Create a sacred space dedicated to the season. Include symbols of spring like eggs, seeds, and a representation of the Divine Feminine.

• Light Symbolic Fires: Fire represents cleansing and transformation. Build a bonfire (with proper safety precautions) or light candles to symbolize the sun's growing power.

• Sow Seeds of Intention: Plant seeds in your garden, both literally and figuratively. Consider what you want to cultivate in your life during the coming season.

• Share a Festive Meal: Gather with loved ones for a springtime feast. Incorporate fresh, seasonal ingredients and traditional dishes that celebrate the harvest.

Ostara's Legacy

Ostara's influence extends far beyond pagan traditions. The holiday shares themes of renewal and rebirth with many spring festivals around the world, including Easter. Even the ubiquitous Easter egg, a symbol of fertility and new life, finds echoes in Ostara celebrations.

As we celebrate Ostara, we honor the earth's awakening and the promise of new beginnings. Let this be a time to shed the heaviness of winter, to embrace growth, and to plant the seeds of our hopes and dreams for the vibrant season ahead.

How Luna Rhythms Yoga can support you through the season of Ostara

At Luna Rhythms, our unique system of yoga integrated with the lunar cycles and solar seasons teaches techniques from the ancient yogic practices of asana, pranayama, mudra, bandha and mantra in alignment with the energies of the day, season and cycle.  Ostara is a call to stillness, to find balance within ourselves and on our Earth.  

The waxing light is truly felt now, as the sun’s power seems to quicken. The lengthening of the days, which started at Imbolc, seems to be growing at a faster rate as the sun sets later and further north on each passing day. But just at this moment, the light and the dark exist in equal measure, and this gives Ostara its primary theme of balance. 

This balance is observed not only between night and day, but also generally in weather patterns. The harsh bitter cold of winter is behind us, and the heat of summer is yet to arrive. In colder climates it’s not unusual for spring and winter to take turns in these days, with one day feeling more like February and the next feeling like May. 

Nonetheless, the fertility of the earth becomes more and more undeniable, as the slow energies of winter give way to the fresh new vibrancy of spring. This is a time to reunite with the earth in a tactile way: using some of your newly abundant free-time – time not spent traveling to and from work for example – by taking any possible opportunities to walk on the land, breathe the fresh air, be close to the sea or water.  

As the weather grows warmer, Ostara is a particularly lovely time to get outdoors and take in the seasonal changes taking place all around you.

Choose a place to visit regularly and study the transformation of the trees and other plant life. Greet the bees and other insects with joy as they begin to appear, and thank them for their roles in sustaining life. Take every opportunity you can to watch the sunset just a little later each evening and if you don't have a garden to prepare, consider starting one, even if you only have a windowsill for a few herbs.

Raise your vibration and reveal your radiance:

Invoke the Goddess Lakshmi with the mantra Om Shrim Maha Lakshmi Namah, understanding that – amidst all the negative news - LOVE IS THE GREATEST CURRENCY OF THE UNIVERSE! 

This mantra supports you to call in abundance, radiance and harmony into the whole of your life. Chant this mantra when you feel depleted by conflict in your home environment and in your relationships. Chant this mantra to help you shift from poverty consciousness to abundance consciousness. This mantra supports you in the innermost flowering of your heart energy. It can help you to overcome fear with radiant, joyful, vibrant love.

If you are feeling fearful, uncomfortable or disconnected, try practicing Padma Mudra, or Lotus Gesture, like this: 

Bring your hands softly to Anjali mudra in front of the heart centre. Slowly unfurl your hands like a blossoming lotus flower. Keep the base of the hands together along with the thumbs and little fingers. Softly open the palm of each hand and the 3 middle fingers to resemble a blossoming lotus flower. 

Practice this mudra whenever you feel contracted in your heart energy and wish to remember the natural beauty of each moment. The profound energetic shifts of padma mudra enhance emotional cleansing, heart-felt communication and an overall sense of calling home the fragmented parts of self. This mudra helps to redirect prana into the heart centre when it has been dispersed through miscommunication, fighting, grief, loneliness, feeling misunderstood or anytime that the heart centre begins to shut down. 

Finally, connecting with your breath through a pranayama practice, such as nadi shodhana can help to calm your nervous system and restore a sense of balance. 

Nadi means "subtle energy channel".  Shodhana means "cleansing/purification". 

Nadi Shodhana is a form of alternate nostril breathing and helps to purify the nerves, release fatigue and tension, balance the moon and sun channels (ida and pingala), calm the mind and clear blockages from the subtle channels. It is a beneficial pranayama to practice for a few minutes before meditation. This breath helps restore a sense of internal balance.  

Practice:

·    Sit in a relaxed and upright position; place your left hand on your left thigh in chin mudra.  

·    Lightly place your middle and index fingers to the 3rd eye, the ‘Ajna doorway’ or use Vishnu mudra

·    Place the tip of your ring finger lightly to the left nostril and the tip of your thumb lightly to your right nostril  

·    Gently close the right nostril and exhale through the left  

·    Inhale left  

·    Gently close the left nostril and exhale through the right  

·    Inhale right  

·    Breathe with an even ratio in each inhalation and exhalation  

·    Rest your awareness in the space between each breath  

·    Breathe with nadi shodhana for 2-3 minutes  

This Ostara: be still, be radiant, be balanced and be well.

Namaste,

Diana 

To find out more about these practices and how you can get involved check out our Classes, Retreats and the browse our online courses and memberships.  Join us!