I hope by now you’re all very aware that the transitional season of spring is upon us! And with it, comes the Ayurvedic observance of ritusandi – the rituals and practices that collectively initiate our alignment with the season, our “spring reset.”
Whether you’re joining our digital community experience in my Guided Spring Reset for Go-Getters, creating your own seasonal container, or just curious how you can amp up your self-care in this moment, these are the tools I recommend stocking up to do the good work right!
However you’re organizing your reset, you’re smart to drink so much tea – before, during, and after. This little beauty completely illuminates the tea drinking experience and makes those beautiful teas I love to buy all the more beautiful (and delicious) to drink. I swear!
Earlier this year, I commented on how I’d been on the hunt for a journal that actually inspired me to write for a long time. Not one that was laden with empty-feeling prompts, and not one that was simply a notebook…and the Wilde House Paper Open Journal is IT. The pages are unstrucutred and blank, but the journal comes with access to their journaling course library that has a number of 7-day options to dive into. Some weeks, I follow a course, other weeks I’m feeling inspired to dig deep into my own thoughts in meaningful ways. It’s helped me to delve into realms – deep and superficial – I hadn’t thought about before and now journaling is something I look forward to daily.
Spring reset, specifically, is all about moving lymph and letting go of what we no longer need. This means emotionally, and psychologically, but physically too. The body does some of this naturally, but by using a gua sha tool to invigorate parts of the body that might not be receiving as much vigorous release (for me this always seems to be the hips and butt forever!) we can help the process along. This is a highly elegant solution to faciliate the process and it’s a joy to use!
Reset is always about oiling up, moisturizing the tissues so they have the suppleness to let go of lymph – your gua sha is pretty worthless without it. I have two different oils on board for my reset this spring. One is this incredible Kapha-directed option from Surya that specifically energizes the tissues. Martha – the founder of Surya – still says prayers over the oils as she makes them at the New Moon so you know it’s legit! This one I use for daily abhyanga massage. The second is a dry oil option from Ursa Major that’s divine. It’s called a dry oil because it leaves a dry finish on the skin, which is helpful when you’re still living life and not just lounging in a robe during your reset. This one is less suitable for abhyanga, but it’s the oil I’ll keep using all summer long, whereas the Surya oil will just be pulled out for spring.
The kansa wand follows the same principle as a gua sha, but with a twist. The brass ending actually balances the bioenergetic doshas, making it helpful for toning, calming and balancing skin. If you’re looking for clearer, more even skin this is the tool you’re missing.
In case you haven’t heard me say it before, my facial skin care routine is SIMPLE. It’s this. Every day, twice a day. The only thing that shifts is the amount of Active Botanical Serum I use in the summer vs the winter. And yes, it’s a very luxurious product to use twice a day, but before casting it off, let me point out just how many thousands of dollars I’ve saved in “trial and error products” to see if they would help my skin over the past 5 years? All of a sudden that “splurge” becomes a massive save. The science behind why these products is so fascinating and compelling, and NO ONE is doing skincare like Vintner’s.
While – in my humble opinion – the after effects of enjoying a reset are beyond glamorous (glowing skin, balanced digestion, consistent sleep, muscle ease, zero inflammation) it’s true that the simple diet we follow can be a bit boring. Eating kitchari and wearing jammies for 10 days is not glam BUT, having beautiful, elegant ingredients to prepare and adorn your foods changes all of that. The Pink Mountain Salt is a true staple in my kitchen, not just for reset. This salt can be hard to come by, but can be used in place of any other salt used on this site and in the Recipe Library AND it’s more balancing to the tridosha than any other salt you’ll find. The Coconut Butter is true bliss in a jar. There are some days when I can tell I need a bit of extra fat in my diet during reset, and a dollop of this on top of my morning porridge makes the world right. The Magic Spice Mix fits right into the pungent, astringent + bitter goals of reset and is a lovely little sprinkle on top of anything you’re eating now, and later.
Tongue scraping and oil pulling are at the foundation of Ayurvedic daily routines (dinacharya) but are also a keystone to exceptional oral and gut health. YES, your gut is impacted by the no oil! I’ve seen this practice reverse stop cavity formation in it’s tracks, heal receding gums, support deep rest and heal microbiomes folks. If you aren’t already oil pulling, what are you doing and…now is a great time to start! This scraper and activated charcoal duo from Terra + Co is beautiful on the counter, and powerful when you swish.
On the days I forget to gua sha or dry brush before I get into the shower, this beautiful bath mit is there. It instantly takes me back to years of living in Japan and spending time in the onsen, and it’s hyper effective at clearing dead skin and blocked lymph as well.
With all the oil in your hair and skin, you’re gonna be spending some time in the shower. I’m typically a NO-SCENT gal, but Wonder Valley has my heart. I love the sandalwood and hinoki scents, and more specifically love the olive oil based formulation. What goes on your body goes in your body, and I hope I smell like this and glow like this on the inside and out. Ha!
Investing in beautiful teas has become a reset tradition of mine; my menu gets so simple, I reap a great deal of joy out of enjoying a lovely and exotic feeling cup of tea. This year I bought several from beloved Song Tea in San Francisco; the Dragonwell Chrysanthemum with it’s flowers that bloom in my cup, the Meadow that lightens kapha and cools pitta after a busy spring day, and this Carrot Tea so perfectly and elegantly tuned to spring. I enjoy it with a little stir of raw honey after the tea has steeped – divinity in a cup.