Aligning Your Body, Mind, & Spirit with Spring + 5 Herbs that Can Help

After a crushing dark winter—in all the ways—spring is finally upon us. The birds are singing, daffodils are in full bloom, and slowly but surely the days are getting longer, warmer, and more welcoming. 

With the spring equinox just having passed here in the northern hemisphere, the time is now ripe with new beginnings and promising growth. As the saying goes, in winter we root, and in spring we shoot.

Now I’m all about shooting away and getting busy with the exciting projects I’ve spent the winter envisioning. Harnessing that go-go-go energy makes me feel alive and inspired and sometimes virtually unstoppable.

And after the winter (and year) we’ve had, I’m sure we’re all aching for the momentum to get up and running towards the future with open arms. 

But what often gets in the way of us going full balls-to-the-wall in RAMbunctious Aries season, is the residual winter sludge that’s accumulated in our bodies, begging to be cleared out. This is what clouds our vision, gives us brain fog, lethargy, and gets stubbornly in the way of goal-setting and putting plans in motion.

To truly get into spring’s euphoric do-all-the-things groove, it’s essential we not only clear out the clutter in our houses but also in our bodies—aka our primary houses—so we can actually have space to welcome the new beginnings we desire.

The Importance of Aligning with the Energy of Spring

As pollyanna as it sounds, aligning with springtime energy is a powerful way to reclaim your creative agency by mirroring the nature of life itself. 

Let me paint a picture for you.

The world outside has been sitting cold and dormant for the past several months—and likely so have you. You’ve been sleeping more, moving less, eating an abundance of deliciously rich foods, internally reflecting on your life, and imagining what your future might look like. In these times no less.

Gradually daylight lengthens, and bursts of warm weather begin stirring the world out of hibernation. You begin to notice buds on trees, and the first flowers hesitantly opening their petals to the sun. The air becomes noticeably more dry or humid depending on where you are.

Now, you probably don’t enjoy being vigorously shaken awake from your slumber. Sure, being drenched in a bucket of ice water is one way to wake up, but there are other less startling, and more gentle ways to coax your body into rising and starting anew.

Because we’re intrinsically a part of nature ourselves, our bodies, minds, and spirits thrive when we mirror the transitions occurring in the world around us. 

As the plants and animals begin to stretch and scurry towards the waxing sun, so do we. Together we move with the rhythms of the seasons, reflecting the reality of time being cyclical, not linear.

But to fully align ourselves with this phase of awakening, we must invite it into our bodies. 

If you’re wanting to feel physically healthy, energized, and motivated to get moving with spring, a supportive detox regimen is a great place to start.

Spring Detox for a Fresh & Clean Start

Now before you moan and groan about the dreaded d-word, I want to emphasize that a spring detox doesn’t have to be terribly uncomfortable and hard. It can be gentle and encouraging so long as we understand the foundation for it.

You’re probably familiar with the concept of spring cleaning. Throwing out the junk in your house, deep-cleaning those neglected nooks and crannies, donating the clothing you don’t wear anymore, etc. But for some reason, clearing out your body isn’t as widely encouraged.

Many herbalists like myself, find it useful to incorporate the wisdom of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) to form the basis of an appropriate detox protocol. TCM tells us that springtime is associated with the Wood element. Balancing the Wood element encourages us to cleanse, slough off the old, and release what no longer serves us to usher in the beautiful bounty of the new. Kind of like a nice deep exhale.

Balancing the Wood element requires supporting the liver and gallbladder, which are naturally working full-speed—whether you realize it or not—to lighten your load and prepare you for spring’s more active, outward energy.

To support your liver and gallbladder in doing their important work, you can begin weaning off the rich foods you consumed in winter and adding in more fresh, green, and bitter-tasting foods to your diet.

You’ll also want to support your lymphatic system in purifying your blood and sending toxins out to be eliminated. You can do this by becoming more physically active, aiming to break a sweat at least a few times a week. 

In other words, transitioning to a lighter diet and moving your body more are simple yet foundational ways to have a smooth and supportive shift into spring. 

That doesn’t sound so bad now does it? And you don’t have to do it alone! Below are a few special plant allies you can enlist as your support.

5 Best Spring Detox Herbs

Chickweed

Stellaria media

For when you need nourishment as much as detox. 

You’ll find swirly patches of chickweed in shady spots in the spring and fall. High in minerals and amino acids, chickweed is a nutritive remedy that’s great in a wild salad, a pesto, or drunk as a tea—and excellent to incorporate in a spring detox regimen. Chickweed is such a gentle and safe herb, yet it assists virtually every eliminative system in our body (lymphatics, kidneys, liver, skin, etc.). Chickweed is energetically cooling and moistening, so it can be soothing for hot, dry conditions like rashes and coughs.

Chickweed is very safe.

Cleavers

Galium aparine

For when you want to gently clear away toxins. 

You know cleavers when you pass through them in a field and are left with them clinging to your clothes. They do something similar in your body—they assist your lymphatic system by attaching to debris and toxins. Cleavers are an effective, yet gentle lymphatic herb that are a great addition to a springtime tea blend, especially during a cleanse. Like chickweed, cleavers are moistening and slightly cooling. They’re perfect for hot, inflamed tissues, especially on the skin or in the urinary system.

Cleavers is very safe.

Dandelion

Taraxacum officinale

For liver support or a great coffee alternative. 

Dandelion might be one of the most underrated plants in your front yard. A tincture or tea of the root supports the liver and gallbladder by enhancing the production and flow of bile. It assists your body in the removal of toxins while simultaneously providing nutrients and helping you assimilate those nutrients. The roots also contain inulin which is food for your gut microbes. You’ll typically find roasted dandelion root available anywhere herbs are sold, which contains the same benefits along with a rich, nutty flavor—making it the perfect coffee substitute. The mineral-rich, slightly bitter dandelion greens are ideal for a spring salad, and great to incorporate in your spring cleanse. The leaves are also a powerful diuretic and kidney remedy —though I don’t recommend drinking a cup of tea before bed! 

While dandelion is generally a very safe herb to take, it’s contraindicated if you have gallstones, are sensitive to oxalates, take diuretics (because the leaves are especially diuretic), or take lithium.

Violet

Viola odorata, V. sororia

For when you need cooling, soothing gentle support. 

Violet is one of my go-to herbs for people experiencing hot, dry conditions. Its cooling and moistening qualities can help calm dry coughs, hot flashes, or even hot temperaments. It’s specifically indicated for reducing hard masses like cysts in the body. With its affinity for the top half of the body, it’s particularly supportive of breasts and lungs. 

Violet assists the lymphatic system by clearing away toxins, and it makes a great breast oil for those prone to mastitis or fibrocystic breasts. I love adding violet to tea (I use fresh or freshly dried leaves and flowers), to syrup, or in a topical oil or salve. The leaves and flowers also make a beautiful addition to a spring salad, or a garnish for your spring cleansing meals.

Violet is very safe, but is contraindicated if you have diarrhea.  

Plantain

Plantago major,

P. lanceolata

Narrow leaf plantain (p. lanceolata), pictured here

For when your gut is the first thing you think of when you hear the word “detox.” 

Plantain (the so called “weed,” not the fruit) is one of the most abundant herbs in the temperate regions of world. I can almost guarantee you’ll find some growing near you, even if you live in a city—just don’t harvest any from a sidewalk crack! 

Plantain is unique in that it is both mucilaginous and astringent. This quality makes it a fabulous remedy for any mucous membrane from mouth to anus. It also has the ability to draw and drain toxins, infections, poisons, and is great to have on hand for first aid skin issues. Bee stings, spider bites, mosquito bites, scrapes, just put some plantain on to clean, reduce inflammation, and soothe. Most herbs that we use topically in this way are also just as healing for the mucous membranes inside the body, and plantain can work wonders for gut issues. It can be an excellent remedy for constipation or diarrhea due to both its tonifying astringency and soothing mucilaginous properties. A tea of fresh or dried plantain leaves is an excellent addition to a spring cleanse, to keep your bowels regularly moving.

Plantain is very safe. Plantago asiatica is contraindicated in men with seminal emissions due to kidney deficiency (Wood, Matthew. The Earthwise Herbal: A Complete Guide to Old World Medicinal Plants. North Atlantic Books, 2008, Page 389). 

How Spring Cleansing Has Changed My Life

I’ll spare you the grimy details, but let’s just say cleansing my body each spring has improved my health immensely.

Not only does it clear my focus, but it also makes me feel full of vital energy, so I can get moving to make all the things I spent the winter cooped up dreaming about actually happen.

In spring we need momentum, and that’s exactly what a cleanse can offer you. Letting go of what doesn’t serve you, so you can focus on what you’re truly desiring to call in.

Naturally though, there’s an overload of spring cleanse protocols available on the internet, and you can easily get lost in a wormhole trying to figure out which regimen would best work for you.

Especially if you’re new to cleansing, it can feel daunting or overwhelming to start alone, and often this is exactly why people don’t follow through.

If you’re eager to explore the benefits of a spring detox, but aren’t sure where to begin, you can book a complimentary 15-minute consultation with me where we can outline what an ideal cleanse protocol can look like for your unique body and its needs.

Don’t let the sludgy residues of winter keep you from shooting up into your best self this spring.