Why a spring clean is good for your Mind and Body – not just your house

The scent of jasmine and wattle in the air is one of the first welcome signs that spring has arrived. While it’s cool – sometimes even freezing – the afternoons have a mildness that makes us look forward to those balmy evenings that are just around the corner and the mornings have lost that bitter chill that made dawn wakeups so hard.

As a barre instructor, you’ll no doubt appreciate that those early morning starts are a little easier and you’ll see your classes get busier as your clients start to prepare to hit the beach. Everyone has a bit more spring in their step at this time of year and it’s great to take advantage of that momentum – both in class at the barre and at home.

The traditional spring clean is very much focused on the domestic front – lots of vacuuming, dusting, clearing wardrobes, airing clothes, wiping down mould, cleaning windows, re-organising cupboards, taking bags of old clothes and books to the op-shop… We love the feeling of starting the new season fresh and clean and unburdened.

But your spring clean needn’t stop with mopping floors and clearing out the gutters. What about a spring clean for your mind and body? Yes, a clean, harmonious living space can do wonders for our mental state: throwing open all the doors and windows after being shut up all winter makes us feel energised; clearing the dust bunnies out from under the bed somehow makes our own minds feel clearer; putting away our winter layers and making way for summer frocks, shorts and sandals makes us feel lighter in body and spirit. But what about a spring clean especially for our mind and body? Here are a few of our favourite ways to give ourselves the spring clean treatment.

Go with what’s in season

Soups and casseroles and stews and all those wonderful, warming winter eats are perfect for cold days – they make us feel cosy and nourished. But a quick look at what’s in season at the market will show you that the time has come for lighter, brighter recipes to go with those lighter, brighter days. For pinks and reds we can’t go past radish and rhubarb and strawberries galore. If it’s greens you’re after, load up on broccoli, cucumbers, spinach, and broad beans. Oranges are getting us going in the morning and we love seeing nectarines, peaches, and cherries starting to make their luscious way to market. For a pre or post Barre Attack snack, it’s hard to beat a punnet of blueberries.

Reveal yourself

After months wrapped up in winter woollies, showing a bit of skin can be nerve-wracking but it is also beautifully liberating. You don’t have to spend a fortune on grooming – it’s just about doing what makes you feel good about shedding the layers: painting your nails a vivid colour, having a massage, treating yourself to a long bath with yummy bath salts, cutting your hair short, exfoliating that dry winter skin and slathering yourself in your favourite moisturiser… The first day you can walk out of an early morning or late evening barre class without immediately putting your sweater on is a day to celebrate!

Get moving!

There’s nothing like getting the body moving to shake off the winter cobwebs. We are big fans of our local Bondi to Bronte cliff walk and that first breathtaking plunge into icy waters after the long winter season is always a thrill. Some of our barre clients swim all year round – more power to them! But for the rest of us, those first warm days are the perfect excuse to get a little sun-kissed and brave the waves. Even better is a Barre Attack class followed by a dip followed by a coffee! Whatever your workout preference is, let the momentum of spring carry you into it with a little more energy, a little more optimism, a little more self-love.

So when you’re done with the duster, step out into Spring – we can’t wait to see you in it!