By Paige Leigh Reist | Posted: March 14, 2019

The earth is stirring, and if you’re anything like us, you can feel something new and exciting stirring within yourself too. It’s the perfect time for some spring cleaning, and not only for your spaces--your body, mind, and soul can always benefit from a little refresh, too! With International Women’s Day last week and the last few days of winter winding down, we think it’s the perfect opportunity to look within and find new wells of strength, clarity, and empowerment.

This week’s Wellness Roundup celebrates the return of spring with decluttering tips, Ayurvedic wisdom, and everyday ways to contribute to the empowerment of women everywhere.

30 Ways to Actually Empower Women

Kelly Gonsalves for mindbodygreen

When we talk about holistic wellness, it’s important not to brush the specific, lived experiences of marginalized groups under the rug. Women, especially women of color and lgbtq women, face things that others of us might not even consider. In this article, Kelly Gonsalves collects pearls of wisdom from mindbodygreen contributors to help us empower all women: from supporting the spiritual well-being of our sisters to spreading practical, concrete information, we can help all women by:

• Being public with our feminism
• Amplifying the voices of minorities
• Practicing gratitude
• Examining our own privilege

Read on for more everyday ways to be the best ally you can be.

Strategies for Decluttering Your Space… and Your Sense of Self

S. Rufus for Spirituality & Health

Right now, decluttering is a hot topic. Having a peaceful, organized home is great for your mental health in itself, but what if the clutter you’ve collected has acted as your shield, your comfort, or your self-expression? What if you don’t feel that you deserve to feel the “spark of joy” that everyone’s talking about these days?

“Some of us are so stuck in self-hatred, disconnected from ourselves, that we have almost no idea what "sparks" our "joy.” And even if we know, we automatically declare ourselves unworthy, undeserving. Whatever "sparks joy," our impulse is to wreck it and/or run away.”

In this article, S. Rufus talks us through three ways of thinking about tidiness when the idea of cleaning up has your palms sweating.

Wellness in the Spring Season: How Your Body Benefits from Agni

Diana Bellofatto for Art of Living

According to the wisdom of Ayurveda, agni, or your digestive fire, fluctuates from season to season, just like the rest of nature. As we transition from heavier, more grounding winter foods to lighter, more alkaline choices, we can keep our digestive fire roaring strong with a few simple Ayurvedic tips from Diana Bellofatto:

• Drink ginger tea: “Ginger is heating in nature, and so helps kindle agni. Ginger aids in stimulating the appetite, improves digestion and assimilation of nutrients, provides an analgesic effect for joint pain, and facilitates the clearing of wastes from the body”
• Stock up on chlorophyll with lots of green vegetables
• Snack on spirulina

Read on for a delicious recipe for Spirulina Power Balls!

Spring into Self-Care: Ways to Better Understand & Care for Yourself This Spring

Najma Khorrami for Sivana East

The key to effective self-care is understanding your own unique needs, stressors, and ways of healing. These tips from Najima Khorrami will help you dive deep to discover the keys to your own healing, including:

• Identifying your biggest stressors
• Taking control of your effort
• Learning to stay grounded

Click through for more ideas!

This week, remember to breathe! The restlessness that comes with the onset of spring can serve you, if you use that lovely energy to clear out your mental, physical, and emotional spaces for a fresh start.

Have a suggestion for our Weekly Wellness Roundup? Send your article to blog@us.artofliving.org.

Paige Leigh Reist is a writer, editor, blogger, and creative writing instructor.