Sadhana 02: The Sunset of Winter

The first signs of spring appear – a bud here, a flower there, birds returning, all hinting at the coming bloom. Late winter is a time to let go of what you no longer need, ready for the new season of growth ahead.

This sadhana practice for the sunset of winter incorporates yoga for purifying the body plus lymphatic self-massage to support detoxifying.

This is the second sadhana cycle this year. To support your seasonal integration and wellness, each sadhana includes guided breathwork, breath-led movement, relaxation, and space to set the tone for your day.

Start your day with this practice and see what shifts. <3

Themes for Late Winter

Here are a few themes to guide you during this time of year.

Listen to this post on the Innermost Garden podcast

Purify & Heal

The month of February is named after the ancient Roman festival of purification, Februa. It’s a time for clearing out the old for a fresh start come spring. Take time this season to clean out your home and your body, mind, spirit, and emotional funk.

Letting go of the old can mean healing lingering emotional wounds or choosing forgiveness. Late winter is an ideal time for exploring what you’ve held on to for too long and releasing it.

This seasonal sadhana focuses on detoxifying the body through gentle twisting and encouraging drainage of the lymph system, plus breathwork to purify the mind. For deep seated patterns and stuckness, consider hypnotherapy to release what you no longer need.

Cultivate Gratitude

Late winter this year also aligns with the Catholic holiday of Lent and the Islamic holiday of Ramadan (which is aligned to a lunar calendar, so it begins on a different date each year). Both symbolize spiritual purification and self-discipline by practicing abstaining from worldly pleasures to build empathy for the poor, increase gratitude, and focus on devotion and community – values we can all aspire to, regardless of religion.

Try this meditation for gratitude and consider giving up something important to you this month (or for the full 40 days!) to build your appreciation.

Commit to Non-Harming & Compassion

Ahimsa (non-violence) is the first of the yamas, ethical principles in yoga. Avoid causing harm with your actions, words, and thoughts. Instead, ahimsa encourages you to cultivate kindness, compassion, and acceptance for all beings, including yourself, realizing your shared inner essence.

Try the meditation for growing compassion.

Connect Your Inner and Outer Worlds

This season, coming out of deep reflection during winter and reemerging in spring, is a transition between your inner experience and outer world. Bridge this space by connecting with the energy center of your throat.

The throat chakra, vishuddha, symbolizes purification, communication, and self-expression. Resting between the heart and mind, it’s where your inner thoughts become spoken words, allowing your inner world to express itself outwardly with clarity, compassion, and self-acceptance.

Try this meditation with guided bumblebee breath (bhramari pranayam) to connect with your throat chakra and deeply calm your body.

Speak Truth

Satya (truthfulness) follows ahimsa (non-violence) as yama or an ethical restraint in yogic philosophy. It reminds us to align our thoughts, words, and actions with truth and kindness. Before speaking, satya encourages you to THINK, making sure what you’re planning to say is:

The first step in developing the practice of satya is being able to slow down and find stillness. From this place of internal calm, you’ll be better able to see and accept reality and practice self-reflection, disconnecting from ego-driven thoughts.

Try the satya meditation to practice connecting to truth within you.

Balance

Deep winter was a time of turning inwards. Now begins the gentle transition to outward life, returning with balance and clarity. The spring equinox, when day and night are nearly equal, is a time of rebirth, hope, and new beginnings, moving beyond anything that previously held you back.

Take the opportunity to reconnect with nature by exploring emerging plants and buds near your home. And try the meditation for spiritual, mental, and physical balance.

Ground to the Earth

Winter is a time when we bundle up and often stay inside. As the weather warms, it’s important to reconnect with the earth.

The best way to ground is with skin contact directly on the earth – also called “earthing” – by taking off your shoes and going outside or swimming in a natural body of water. Earthing has many benefits including better sleep, less fatigue, reduced inflammation, and stress reduction by resetting your nervous system.

Take the opportunity to also connect with your root chakra, muladhara. This energy center, located at the base of the pelvis, is associated with feeling grounded, safe, and energized.

Try the breathwork meditation dropping March 23 to connect to your root chakra.

Your Experience

I hope you enjoy the sadhana for the sunset of winter as we transition toward spring. I’d love to hear about your experiences in the comments.

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Image credits on Unsplash, in order: Alberto Bigoni, Ben Curry, Giulia Bertelli, Simone Dinoia, Bruno van der Kraan, Ronaldo de Oliveira, Jon Flobrant, Rasa Kasparaviciene. Thank you!