Pilates Soulful Sunday: When the Seasons Begin to Turn

Bright yellow daffodils beneath old trees in Kirkcudbright under clear spring blue skies.

There is always a moment when winter begins to loosen its grip. It is not dramatic. It arrives quietly. One morning you notice snowdrops pushing through the soil. A few days later the crocuses appear. Then the daffodils follow, standing there like small yellow signals that something is shifting. The trees are still mostly bare, but you can see the first hints of change in their colour.

As a Pilates Teacher this is one of the most hopeful moments of the year.

Winter often asks a lot from the body. The days are short. The light is weak. We spend more time indoors and we move less without even realising it. Many people notice they feel more tired or less motivated. That is not just imagination. There is real biology behind it.

Sunlight plays a major role in how the body regulates mood and energy. Light reaching the eyes helps control the body’s internal clock, known as the circadian rhythm. When daylight increases, it helps regulate hormones such as melatonin and serotonin. Melatonin helps control sleep cycles, while serotonin influences mood and alertness.

The National Institute of Mental Health explains that reduced daylight during winter can affect serotonin activity in the brain and may contribute to seasonal mood changes in some people.National Institute of Mental Health. Seasonal Affective Disorder.

As the days grow longer, the body gradually shifts again. More morning light helps reset the circadian rhythm, which can improve sleep quality and energy levels. It is one reason many people feel lighter in mood as spring approaches.

There is also the question of vitamin D. Sunlight on the skin helps the body produce vitamin D, which supports bone health, immune function, and muscle performance. During the winter months in northern countries like the UK, sunlight is often too weak for adequate vitamin D production.

The UK National Health Service notes that between October and early March most people in the UK cannot make enough vitamin D from sunlight alone.NHS. Vitamin D. Updated

When the sun begins to return, even if the air is still cold, the body slowly begins to rebuild that natural rhythm. There is also something less measurable but just as real. Seeing the first signs of spring changes how we think and move. People walk a little more. Windows open. Shoulders lift. Energy returns. In a Pilates class you sometimes notice it before people even mention it. Movements feel more fluid. Breathing deepens. Clients arrive with a little more life in them.

Winter can feel like contraction. Spring begins to feel like expansion.

Of course, the British weather will still play its usual games. Cold mornings will return. Rain will arrive exactly when you planned a nice walk. The seasons never change in a straight line.

Still, those small signs matter. Snowdrops, crocuses, and daffodils are reminders that cycles are natural. The body follows those cycles too. Energy drops, then returns. Rest is followed by growth.

Spring is not just about the flowers appearing in the garden. It is also the moment when the body quietly begins to wake up again.

Not bad for a few stubborn little plants pushing through cold soil. Humans could learn something from that. 🌱

References

2023.https://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/publications/seasonal-affective-disorder

2022.https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/vitamins-and-minerals/vitamin-d