Did You Ever Notice How Spring Makes You Feel Restless?

We’ve Been Inside So Long That We Forgot What to Do With Ourselves

All winter we’ve been inside, snowed in, spending more time on the couch, watching shows, scrolling our phones, moving less, staying warm, and waiting... Our bodies become comfortable with that routine. Our nervous system likes the comfort. We sit in stillness, consume comforty things and wait for the long weeks of darkness and freezing weather to be over.

And honestly… now what?

Then spring arrives, the sky becomes brighter and warmer, the air smells good, and neighbors that haven’t been seen since last fall start appearing outside again.

Suddenly there’s energy and you feel restless, that it’s time to get moving.

But after months of slowing down now what?

Okay, the house got cleaned. A walk was taken. The windows are open. Then what?

That restless energy can become confusing because part of us wants movement while another part still wants comfort.

There’s this strange place between becoming tired of the same routines while also resisting anything new.

Not fully knowing what comes next.

Spring starts bringing us back to life, and that transition can become uncomfortable too.

Maybe that’s why spring becomes emotional for so many people.

Energy starts returning before direction does.

The Solar Plexus Chakra, What's That?

Spring tends to wake up the parts of us that have been hibernating all winter. The urge to move more, clean everything out, reconnect, and begin again slowly starts returning too.

Yoga has always recognized these seasonal shifts in energy.

In yoga, this seasonal shift connects with the solar plexus chakra, the center associated with vitality, action, and inner fire, located beneath the rib cage in the upper abdomen. This energy center relates to motivation and a sense of purpose.

Warm sunlight during yoga practice at West Door Yoga

Rolf Gates the author of Meditations from the Mat talks about yoga as spirituality in action as the practice is never limited to what happens on the mat. It's in the way we move through transitions, reconnect after periods of disconnection, and how we begin to care for ourselves again.

Tapas and the Fire That Helps Us Move Forward

This seasonal energy also reflects the yogic principle of tapas.

Tapas is often translated as "inner fire, devotion, and disciplined effort".

It is the spark that starts the smoldering fire. The movement of energy and the release of stagnation.

Rolf Gates writes in Meditations from the Mat:

“Yoga is not a work-out, it is a work-in.”

Practice in the spring helps us harness energy that gives us purpose.

Sometimes it begins through simple actions like taking a walk, rolling out the mat, planting flowers, breathing deeper, or showing up for class.

The Foundation of Yoga Life Begins Off the Mat

The first four limbs of yoga help support this process of reconnecting

1. Yamas

The ethical principles that guide how we treat others and ourselves.

2. Niyamas

Personal observances that support growth, reflection, and self-awareness.

3. Asana

The physical practice that strengthens and awakens the body.

4. Pranayama

Breathwork that regulates energy and steadies the nervous system.

These are the basic foundational teachings of yoga living. They help us move forward with more awareness, compassion, and connection.

The Need to Disconnect From Constant Noise

After months of screens, noise, stimulation, and endless input, we're craving something quieter and more grounding.

This is where the practice of pratyahara becomes supportive.

Pratyahara is the withdrawal of the senses, the practice of turning inward and disconnecting from all the external noise.

It allows the nervous system to quiet and to hear what you need.

At West Door Yoga, we practice alongside everyday life with windows open in the spring, church bells ringing at the top of the hour, and music drifting in from the dance studio next door, while yogis continue breathing, stretching, and reconnecting.

Our meditation, Reiki, and restorative offerings support this beautifully by helping students slow down, reconnect inwardly, and create space for healing and reflection. Explore upcoming experiences here: West Door Yoga Events & Restorative Offerings

Spring has a way of bringing people back outside, back together, and back to themselves again at West Door Yoga

Maybe the Restlessness Is an Invitation

Maybe spring energy is not about transforming into new people overnight.

Maybe it is simply asking us to wake back up. To reconnect, create, breathe deeper, step outside, and discover little by little what makes you want to move again.

That is spirituality in action.

Spring reminders of growth, energy, and beginning again at West Door Yoga

Written by Dee Morrow, 500-hour certified Kripalu yoga teacher, holistic practitioner, Reiki master, and former critical care RN. Dee’s work integrates yoga philosophy, nervous system healing, meditation, restorative practices, and spirituality into grounded everyday life through the community at West Door Yoga.