A ritual to refresh yourself this spring.
SPRING IS A TIME FOR RENEWAL
Although the transition between winter and spring is becoming increasingly blurred—and even impossible to pinpoint, given that there are spring-like days in winter and winter-like weeks in spring—the body is programmed to follow natural cycles. Therefore, it is important to “reenact” the ritual of spring so that our bodies receive the signal and prepare for the new season that is beginning.
The more hours of sunlight, the greater the need for protection and strengthening of the skin barrier; the higher the level of pollen, the more water and fluids are needed to open the airways.
In the garden, spring is the season when the most care is given to the soil after the winter rest period; for the body, too, it is time to awaken and revitalize.
Adapting care to the seasons to achieve better physical and mental balance is something already advocated by Ibn al-Khatib, the famous physician, philosopher, and politician from Granada, who wrote a treatise in the 14th century on bodily health according to the seasons of the year. Today, much of the advice in this treatise remains as relevant as ever, perhaps because our bodies remain connected to nature no matter how hard we try to distance ourselves from it.
3 ROUTINES TO RENEW YOURSELF INSIDE AND OUT
Our ritual to mark the beginning of the new season consists of several steps, all of which are important for making the most of the energy brought by the spring cycle leading up to the summer solstice.
-GET A FRESH COMPLEXION
We always recommend a visit to Hammam for a complete cleansing treatment, such as the Midra 30` which includes a full-body exfoliation followed by a restorative massage. You can perform this ritual at home using the Crema de Jabón Negro With activated charcoal, organic extra virgin olive oil, and eucalyptus extract, apply to damp skin and massage in with the guante kessa for 5 minutes, then rinse thoroughly with warm water.
After exfoliating, once your skin is completely dry, it’s time to tone and awaken your sense of smell by using the Bruma Pasión de Azahar, a citrus scent with powerful energizing properties, which we’ll spray all over the body, as if it were a body tonic that refreshes, relaxes, and stimulates. The essential oils of orange blossom, lemon, bergamot, and petitgrain revitalize the skin and help purify it, so after the mist, we’ll apply the Aceite Hidro-Nutritivo Pasión de Azahar, letting ourselves be carried away by the aroma, paying full attention to the sensations, massaging more in the areas where tension accumulates most, such as the nape of the neck, shoulders, calves, or wrists, and even the scalp by placing a few drops of oil on the fingertips.
-RENEW YOURSELF FROM WITHIN
To complete the ritual and purify the entire body, there are three very simple and foolproof remedies that were already prescribed by Andalusian physicians. The first is to adapt your diet to the season: in spring, fats and carbohydrates are less necessary, so the diet becomes lighter and includes more vegetables of all kinds because we need an extra boost of vitamins, minerals, and so on. The second remedy is to reset your sleep schedule. Longer days encourage going to bed later, even if you still wake up early; this may be the time to incorporate a short nap into your daily routine to ensure you get enough rest. The third remedy is to cleanse the digestive system and kidneys by drinking several cups of tea a day. To avoid issues with caffeine, it’s best to prepare the equivalent of one liter of Rooibos con Naranja and drinking it throughout the day with a slice of lemon. For the first cup of the day, you can substitute the lemon with a teaspoon of flower honey; the cleansing and antioxidant effects of rooibos are complemented by citrus fruits.
- OUT INTO THE OPEN
Renewing oneself in spring means reconnecting with nature, spending more time outdoors, walking through gardens, parks, and forests—if possible, every day—observing how different species bloom, how the trees turn green again, and how the countryside fills with life and movement. In spring, return to the garden, time and again, mindful that we, too, are part of all that vital rebirth.