The Earth has awakened and She has pushed through the first flowers of Spring!
So exciting to finally be on the other side of winter! It definitely has been a dark one this past year and I think we are all ready for the sunlight and more color in our lives.
Above is a picture of snowdrops… the very first flowers of Spring where I live in the hills of Massachusetts.
Snowdrops are one of my favorite plants, reminding me of the newness and all the amazing growth that awaits us all as winter continues on in it’s deep thaw.
The outside world around isn’t the only thing that thaws though. Us humans are just as connected with the Earth and the seasons as the plants, the animals, and the winds that blow. We all go into a form of hibernation in winter no matter how much we intentionally follow the seasons, although some more than others.
Winter is an amazing time to rest and regroup from the busyness of our lives. A time to let our minds wonder and dream of what our future spring shall bring.
Well it’s official. The thaw is here. Spring is here (even the Gregorian calendar version will be here in a few days time). The time to let our own minds and bodies thaw is here as well. A time to start the process of stirring and begin the transition from rest to awaken. A gentle transition as we ourselves begin toward action. Just like the plants are just beginning to break through the earth and hint toward waking up. It’s time for you as well to stretch and stir and yawn like getting out of bed at dawn with a big outward stretch of the arms and a gentle warm up of the body, maybe a neck roll and some toes stretching outward. Nothing rushed, no sprinting out of bed, just a gentle glee filled awakening on a warm morning with the sun shining on your face.
This time of year is an in-between time as it’s Spring but yet it still feels like winter. We often begin to rush into this new awakening energy excited to put the darkness of winter behind us rather than slowly follow the flow of nature with a gentle wake up like the rise of the early morning sun slowly spreading rays out over every branch on every tree in it’s site.
With the arrival of Spring we often overwhelm ourselves with an even bigger to do list of never ending tasks. Instead, this is an important time to be gentle with ourselves and slowly transition ourselves. The flowers don’t arise overnight. Their roots need some water, the nutrients from the soil needs to slowly rise up warming their core, the stem needs to slowly push its way through the cold snow, and eventually, after the sun has blessed the plant with just enough vitality, the flower can begin to bloom.
While winter is an important time for us to rest, early spring is just as important of a time for us to walk before we run.
I’m a HUGE fan of flower essences to support our emotions and life transitions. They help shift the emotions in a more comfortable direction for us while also allowing our minds to gently process the transitions of life in a softer way than the harshness the outside world often tosses at us.
I love using the flower essence of Snowdrop during this time to tap into a good cleaning of what we no longer need from what the darkness of winter left us with.
The heavy foods we consumed to stay warm, the extra thinking as we let our minds wander and dream, additional clothing and blankets as we hunkered down cuddling up with good books or movies to watch. Think Spring cleaning. This is the perfect time to do a gentle lessening of your load. The flower essence of Snowdrop helps us tap into that energy of lightning our load so we are a little freer and can stand a little more upright in our lives.
Spending some time with the early flowers can do the same thing if you don’t have access to the essence. Their energy of newness is all around and a simple walk to visit them helps open the heart and lets you release a little bit of unleaded to do list energy.
So as the weather warms and the snow thaws, try to give yourself a little space to breathe with a little more ease. You made it through the darkest days. Your long slumber is ending and the great bounty of summer is not too far away. But don’t forget to walk gently at first like the new fawns. We need to remember to walk before we can run.
I wish you all a blissful Spring ahead and I hope you are able to enjoy the early moments of each new flower that blooms in the remaining few days of crisp air ahead.
