Revive, a spring renewal.

  (Moving Art by Louie Schwartzberg)  

For centuries, poets and painters have romanticized the advent of spring – the parting of gray skies and budding of cherry blossoms; the freedom in baring arms and legs, raising faces to the sun. And the amorous awakening to love.  

“In the spring a young man's fancy lightly turns to thoughts of love.” – Alfred Lord Tennyson

For centuries too, this seemingly natural burst of adrenaline – the unexplained desire to clean our houses, garages, and bodies of clutter; the surge to break free of walls into flower-spilled meadows and gentle-lapping seas - has been linked to emotion, a psychological response to warmer days. But increasingly, ‘spring fever,’ “is being viewed as a physiological phenomenon, linked not to temperature, but to the intensity and longevity of sunlight.”

The SCIENCE OF SPRING FEVER

(Clayoquot Wilderness Resort, British Columbia, horses are released from the barn) 

“Spring fever really does exist,” says Dr. Norman Rosenthal, director of Seasonal Studies at the National Institute of Mental Health in Bethesda, Maryland. “Every year, around the spring equinox, millions of people across the upper-half of the northern hemisphere begin to feel more energized, upbeat, and active.”   The reason? Melatonin – the hormone in our bodies responsible for regulating the daily biological clock and controlling mood and energy levels.  

“The beautiful spring came; and when nature resumes her loveliness, the human soul is apt to revive also.” - Harriet Ann Jacobs

According to Dr. Rosenthal, daylight is measured by the eyes and relayed to the brain’s pea-sized pineal gland, which responds by either increasing or decreasing the secretion of melatonin. In spring, as the days grow longer, melatonin disappears, resulting in increased energy, confidence, and enthusiasm. While in winter, as the days shorten, melatonin increases, causing people (and animals) to hibernate - eat and sleep more, exercise less, feel sluggish and lethargic.  

GET THE FEVER YEAR ROUND

While ‘spring fever’ officially lasts from the vernal equinox (March 20, 2015) to the summer solstice (June 21, 2015), it’s possible to embrace the freshness of spring year-round. Check Finland - no one does revive better. Known for their sauna culture, the Finns revive year-round and on average two-to-three times per week. After baking in wood-burning saunas, they dip naked into chilly waters (or in winter, roll in snow or ladder-plunge into the sea via a hole cut through ice). Then repeat the process for hours. “The cold dip into the sea (or snow) instantly revives, “Laura, a fair-haired, 20-something Finn, says of her commitment to frequent the Sauna Society in Helsinki. “I sauna twice a week. You sleep so beautifully after. And feel so refreshed.”

In his newly released book, Spring Chicken, American author Bill Gifford investigates human longevity and the physiology of aging, offering as one major prescription, the much-dreaded ice-cold shower. It’s well documented that following a warm (never hot) shower, a burst of cold water (45 seconds is all that’s needed) gets the heart pumping, boosts the immune system, and invigorates and energizes for the entire day.

Exfoliating the skin – sloughing off dead skin cells to regenerate new – is yet another effective revive technique, especially when using key ingredients like citrus (to brighten and uplift), rice bran (an incredible fatty-acid rich humectant to soften and smooth dry skin, generate new cell growth) and berries (full of omega 3, 6 & 9 to wake-up the skin after a long winter). Unlike shocking cold-water and plunge therapies, exfoliation offers a gentle and beautifully transportive way to care for the skin, our largest body organ.   For spring, combine dry-brushing with a nutrient-rich, full-body exfoliant or rice-bran scrub to further purify and cleanse the skin and restore moisture. Start with bioactive berry white peat exfoliant and follow with wild cherry blossom rice buff.

DO AN AT-HOME SPRING REVIVAL

As the days lengthen, revive with these easy-to-do-at home springtime rituals:  

*Clear the Energy:

Light our red flower blood orange candle - a gorgeous bouquet of orange blossom, grapefruit, blood orange rind, and Italian blood orange. The citrus oils make it a great anti-depressant.  

*Spend time outdoors:

The days are longer now, so be sure to immerse in nature daily, minimum 20 minutes, to soak up much-needed Vitamin D.

*Reset your skin and body care routine:

Rid your vanity of any harsh, toxic, skincare products that may be lurking, and replace with lighter, all-natural and certified organic ingredient-rich cleansers, body washes, lotions, and creams.  

*Add lemon to your water:

A glass of water with the juice of half a lemon revitalizes the body and mind. Drinking lemon water throughout the day also supports the immune system, aids in digestion, repairs skin, reduces appetite, balances the urinary tract, freshens breath, promotes healing and detoxifies the liver.  

*Exfoliate your body:

At least once a week, under warm running water, scoop a generous amount of our red flower scrubs into warm, wet hands and gently exfoliate the entire body with fingertips in circular motions, then rinse. The combination of citrus oils (orange blossom, blood oranges, grapefruit and orange rinds) makes it a powerful anti-depressant.  

*Choose a new perfume:

One that is synthetic-free and made from essential oils and certified organic plants. Our red flower 15ml ambrette organic perfume is both exotic and simple; relaxing and restful.  

*Take a cold shower:

make the last 45 seconds of your shower, bone-chilling cold. Your heart rate will increase; your pores will tighten; your hair follicles will flatten (for shinier hair); your immune system will boost and your overall health will benefit.  

*Let in the light:

Sleep with your bedroom shades rolled up (for light) and windows cracked (fresh air). Rise earlier to make the most of daylight.  

*Get to the spa:

A deep massage, soak, and invigorating body treatment can do wonders for shifting mood and wellbeing, especially in seasonal transitions

MY PERSONAL ‘REVIVE’ RITUAL

– by Yael Alkalay

I love spring. My daughter is an April baby, so the arrival of spring has, for me, an even deeper sweetness. Here is life, the rush of buds climbing through the earth, the teasing of breeze through fingertips, the gift of longer days, sunlight, time-stretched, desire, drive and a rushing lust for life.   Every change of season, I like to start with a full spa day of massage, face and body treatments (the “Bamboo Glow” at Shibui spa at The Greenwich hotel is my favorite local escape). I follow this with a simple cleanse, even a day of juicing (try butcher’s daughter here in the city), bring fresh flowers by the bed , and start the day a little earlier - I  try to shift my rhythm to that of the sun, I aim for sunrise simply to engage in one of the greatest feats of nature.   My body-cleansing ritual also shifts gears to incorporate more citrus, a daily scrub with my favorite ohana gingergrass bamboo scrub - I like to blend the scrub with yuzu sea algae wash and apply in invigorating circular motions for blood pumping, skin-softening, total skin renewal.   I follow this with a gentle exfoliation with rice bran to completely soothe and smooth skin from head to toe. For the face, I love to try a few new things. To maintain moisture and glow throughout the day, I apply liberally a flower mist and rose serum, with a touch of lip color that is enough. For spring, I love,ilia beauty gloss in peek a boo.   Finally, hair, even a touch of humidity makes my hair happy and after a long New York winter, hat off is hair happiness, scented hair is springtime, I switch to spanish gardenia conditioner which leaves hair all-day naturally perfumed and shiny.