Spring Cleaning: Smart Ways to Refresh Body, Soul and Surroundings

By Troy Segal

Spring has officially arrived (we’re cheerfully ignoring the forecasts), and what better way to commemorate it than with some twists on the classic idea of spring cleaning—talks, activities and events for renewing body, mind and environs in thought-provoking ways.

Image: Teshima Art Museum © Noboru Morikawa

Cleanse the Planet: Environmentalist/author Dr. Carl Safina (The View From Lazy Point, A Sea In Flames) takes audiences on a trip around the Earth’s oceans, analyzing the responsibility we humans have in altering them—for better and worse. Marymount Manhattan College, Thursday, Mar. 19… As an antidote, see how the Benesse Art Site Naoshima in Kagawa, Japan has created a complex of buildings—including an underground museum—which proves that man-made structures can truly exist in harmony with nature. Japan Society, Wednesday, Apr. 1. (Note: the panel is sold out, but there will be a box office wait list.)

Furnishings: Palo Samko

Cleanse the Home: This is the traditional time of year to sweep out and spruce up the old homestead (or apartment-stead). The Architectural Digest Home Design Show (Thursday, Mar. 19 through Sunday, Mar. 22) offers a wealth of displays, demos, ideas and book signings. Or, let the authorities guide you in a series of lectures and panel discussions throughout the weekend, on subjects such as latest in renovating kitchens and baths (Friday, Mar. 20) and integrating art and furnishings (Saturday, Mar. 21).

Cleanse the Body: An infectious disease expert discusses the impact of antibiotics on health—and what effect these medical microbe killers have on their human hosts in the long-term, Tuesday, Mar. 24… Speaking of drugs: It’s easy to get hooked on jogging and the endorphins (aka “runners’ high”) it produces. Learn how to run in the healthiest way, from a panel of practioners and medicos, Thursday, Apr. 23. Both at the 92nd Street Y.

Cleanse the Spirit: Some say that laughter is the best medicine. Tickle your funny bone—or at least, learn how to look on life’s lighter side—at an improvisational workshop, led by a comedienne and a theatre director. East Side Institute, Saturday, Mar. 21.

Cleanse the Palate: Ess, ess, mein kindt! Food writer and cookbook composer Leah Koenig converses about her latest, Modern Jewish Cooking, which puts creative variations of classic dishes on the table, just in time for that other spring tradition, Passover. Museum of Jewish Heritage, Sunday, Mar 22.