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Spring is a powerful time that brings us new light & rebirth. Plants sprouting, flowers budding, birds singing — all bringing color & sound back into the landscape. There’s a massive shift taking place in nature, which affects us within.

Here’s your guide on how to make healthy lifestyle choices over the next 3 months so that you’re living in harmony with this powerful season of rebirth and growth:

☯️ Nourish

The wood element of spring governs the liver, so you need to help this vital organ do its job more effectively. Drink plenty of fluids and add lemon to your water. Avoid foods that stress the liver like fried foods, sugar, white flour & chemical preservatives. Minimize alcohol & chew slowly to ease digestion. Foods that specifically nourish the liver include spirulina, beets, bitter greens & sprouts.

☯️ Sweat

Exercise & sweating aid liver detox, so develop a regular regimen. Even on those days where you just don’t have the time to fit in a workout, remember that you can always do a set of push-ups before hopping in the shower or get off one subway stop before your usual and walk the extra few blocks. Do a set of squats while brushing your teeth, or a set of jumping jacks right before leaving. And take the stairs instead of the elevator.⠀The liver needs movement and so do you.

☯️ Sleep

As nature awakens from the slumber of winter, the increase in daylight starts to become more noticeable — and for many of us, disrupts the sleep schedule we had become accustomed to. Getting a good night’s sleep is essential during the season of rebirth, because tissue repair & cell turnover begin once we fall into the restorative stage of sleep.

3 words to remember: Dark. Cool. Quiet. Pull down the shades, set the temp to 65, and block outside noise. Sound machines are good white noise, or raise it up a notch with pink noise—a more steady mix of high & low frequencies.

☯️ Clean

Clear out the old to welcome in the new. Devote the coming weekend to a total deep-clean, from dusting cobwebs to cleaning out your closets (If you haven’t worn it in 3 years, you’re not about to start—trust us). Decluttering = invigorating.

☯️ Change Things Up

Whether it’s a new piece of furniture or just rearranging your current layout, you’ll get that fresh-start feeling that rejuvenates the soul. Plant seeds in your garden or buy fresh flowers to bring nature’s rebirth into your own space. The world is awakening from the gestation period of winter. Be part of it!

☯️ Plant Seeds of Intent

Set intentions & plan projects. Think of something you’ve wanted to try, or that idea you’ve always had—even if it seems silly or scary.

If you’ve been thinking about working in a hospital setting but aren’t sure where to begin, come find out about our Nursing, Medical Assisting & Surgical Tech programs. If you love fitness but aren’t sure how to turn this passion into a career, let us share with you the stories of our alumni who have done exactly that and who are thriving in their careers as trainers. If you love the holistic approach to health & healing that we all embody here at Swedish Institute, come visit us to learn more about the thousands of alumni who have graduated from our Massage Therapy program since we first opened our doors in 1916, and see how you can make the same choice to change your life and live your calling.

Contact us to set up a tour, or give us a call to ask any questions we can help with. (212) 924-5900 ext 199.

Because that small delicate sprout wouldn’t have ever known its potential if it stayed safe within its seed. It’s time for you to bloom.

Happy Spring!