Lighten Up Your Life with Gentle Movement & Simple Grain Porridge This Spring

The energy of springtime invites us to lighten up, find some levity, and expand upwards and outwards. I love this time of year. Spring is a literal breath of fresh air after the dormancy and contracted seed-state of winter.

There’s a line in the Neijing (the Yellow Emperor’s Inner Classic), a Chinese Medicine text compiled between the 4th and 2nd centuries BCE with instructions for springtime: "Dishevel your hair and relax the physical appearance, thereby cause the mind [to orient itself on] life” (chapter 2, translated by Paul Unschuld). 

In other words, let your hair down, get yourself out there, and enjoy your life in this beautiful season of rebirth.

Another way to shed the stagnancy of winter is to lighten up your cooking methods. 

This is the time of year to start getting back into steaming, blanching, or water-sauteing then add a smidge of oil to finish.

It’s also a great time of year to add more greens to your diet (steam or cook them if your digestion is sensitive or if you just want to unlock more nutrition with a bit of heat) and to enjoy seasonal veggies as they appear at your farmer’s market. (I love sourcing most of my veggies from the Pan Pan farmstand in West Philly). 

You can also begin to move away from heavier foods like dairy and fried foods to help avoid overloading the liver. Another way to support your liver, one of the organs associated with spring in Chinese Medicine theory, is to add some lemon or vinegar to your food prep. Try it out and see how you feel.   

In honor of Spring, I’m sending along a recipe I’ve been loving lately for breakfast. Oatmeal is awesome but this millet porridge feels a bit lighter and more luscious and better matches the shifting weather for me. 

Savory Breakfast Porridge Recipe:

-1 cup millet

-5 cups water (or you could use broth or bone broth)

-1 tsp fresh or powdered ginger

-1 tsp fresh or powdered turmeric root

-pinch of sea salt

Rinse the millet well until the water runs clear then toss it into a pan. Toast the millet over medium heat for 2-3 minutes then carefully add the water or broth to the pan. Add the spices and bring to a boil then reduce heat and simmer 20-25 minutes until creamy-ish like grits or congee. If it starts to dry out or harden, just add more water. It won’t be the thickest porridge but that watery nature will match the lighter energy of spring, and add some hydration to your morning meal. 

Top with poached or soft-boiled eggs, scallions, a handful of blanched arugula, mung bean sprouts, some steamed veggies, or whatever else is in your pantry/fridge. Drizzle with sesame oil or olive oil or a dash of tahini or anything else that sounds good to you. Maybe a splash of tamari/soy sauce (reduce sea salt if you’re planning to add the tamari). 

Spring is a season that encourages creativity, so get creative and then (please!) if you come up with some fantastic add-ons or alterations, drop me a line and let me know. We’re smarter together! 

If you’re still feeling sluggish, gentle movement will help you lubricate your (possibly?) creaky joints as we move from the stillness of winter to the full strides of spring.

I would love to invite you to get moving with me at my next restorative yoga offering! We will enliven and energize before nestling in for some much-needed rest. (Rest is a year-round offering, not to be forgotten as we get more light and our schedules grow busier.) 

I’m teaching in-person at Studio 34 Yoga on Friday April 10th at 7pm in West Philly. (Early bird pricing ends 3/31). Register here.

And I’m also offering a super-accessible and simple restorative practice on Zoom on Thursday April 23rd at 7:30pm EST. Register here if you haven’t previously registered for my at-home yoga before. 

No yoga experience is needed for either. And, in fact, you’re invited to wear your pajamas to either (or both!) event(s). Tight pants can be adorable, but are actually not that amazing for helping the body and breath unite with the nervous system’s relaxation response. 

I would love to breathe and move with you! Synchronizing breath and movement is one of the simplest, and maybe most ancient, ways to reset your nervous system. 

Let’s start this spring season feeling steady and strong!