Spring has Sprung!
Spring equinox is TODAY!
Can you feel it? The emerging energy of growth and renewal? Spring is my favorite season. I love how GREEN it is. I love how the cold chill of our rainy winter softens just enough so that the unheated parts of our cabin don’t make us feel desperate and we stop huddling around the wall heater, jockeying for space any time one of us goes to get a cup of tea or let a cat in…or out…or back in again.
Do you have cats? Do you know what I’m talking about?? We feel like their butlers. “Yes, ma’am. You’d like to come in. Of course.” “Oh yes, sir. Please do go outside and then…right back in. Your choice.” Anyway, maybe now that spring has arrived, they’ll stop their 23.5 hours a day of napping and go play outside.
Spring equinox brings an equal number of hours between light and dark. I was thinking about the perfect balance of this day which brought the concept of balance to mind in general. In our movements, balance is graceful and keeps us safe. In yoga, it’s often great to lean in just past the point of balance—I guess that’s what they might mean by “the edge.” Similar to rock climbing, and in life, if we only ever stay in the safe zone and not reach out past what we know we can do…how do we grow?
It is important to know how to fall. And to fail. Balance: succeed and fail. Hopefully we learn from both experiences and feel okay toggling between them because that is life.
flowers blooming on the tatsoi
Along with physical balance, balance in how we spend our time is important. If we’re lucky enough to be granted freedom and free time, how will we choose to spend it?
I’m trying to simplify my life a bit. It’s taking a lot of work, and I hope it will pay off with extra time to play. My dear friend is helping me learn QuickBooks (thank you, Becky!) so my bookkeeping can become streamlined. I’ve been trying to cull down the products I offer and the treasures I collect that make up my material world.
The hope is that I will have only what I need and take very good care of those things. But they will be so few that caring for them will not take long at all, and then I’ll prioritize my time well and walking down to the river will happen ALL THE TIME.
sweet little miner’s lettuce, catching rain
I was also thinking about the elements this week: earth, air, water, and fire. And how important it is to have balance between these four forces, in life and in our selves. Studying Ayurveda taught me to seek out the elements in my psyche and my body. I am primarily air with a good dose of fire and water, thanks to my Vata-Pitta constitution. But in studying my way of being with a therapist recently, I realize that fire (anger, irritation, frustration) has taken up a lot of space and that is because I seek FLOW (I am, after all, a water sign), but when I don’t feel myself in the flow, anxiety crashes into the room, eyes wide, pulse racing, and NO balance in sight. That is air. Back to you, Vata.
There are benefits and challenges to each element.
Water: flow and flexibility. But also a tendency to behave like an amoeba with no boundaries. Co-dependence anyone?
Fire: purification and action. But also a propensity to burn shit down in order to do just a little cleansing.
Earth: grounding, and offering form and structure. But how do we ensure movement and the absence of rigidity?
Air: intellect and ideas, creativity and imagination. But also anxiety and fear because there is nothing to hold onto up in the clouds.
If I lean too far into the grounding aspect of earth in order to bring form to the formless air, will I feel stuck? If I dump water on the fire, trying to cool it down, will I feel like a toxic pile of ash, shriveling up to an unrecognizable zombie of my formerly HOT self?
How do we balance these elemental influences in our lives and our bodies?
Herbs and Ayurveda have much to offer in the way of gentle, daily balance. If you’re interested in having a session with me to focus on your constitution, creating daily and weekly rituals to help bring balance, I am excited to do this work with you!
One of the things I LOVE about spring is all the tender, bitter greens we get to eat. To celebrate the arrival of spring, I plan to make the pesto I shared here with the good old weeds that grow rampant in our yard. And don’t forget to make cleavers water if she grows near you. It’s great for the lymphatic system and quenches like nothing else, waking up our cells from their wintry slumber. Simply rinse and chop a good handful before adding to a mason jar. Cover with water and let infuse overnight in the fridge. Strain out and and enjoy! Feel yourself reemerging with each sip.
Speaking of balance, while I do enjoy healthy food and drink, I also love a really good Manhattan. My friend made this video back in the odd times of 2020, and it came up in conversation again last night. I’m sharing it here because it is such a hoot, and laughter is a great medicine for the body, mind, and soul. I also wanted to introduce you to one of my favorite humans.
I met Natalie in 2009 through a shared love of swing dancing, and our friendship has deepened and widened, providing so much joy. She’s been through quite a journey since June of 2021. I encourage you to take some time to explore her story and offerings. She truly took a lump of coal and turned it into a diamond. Every facet of her way of approaching life inspires me. She’s currently working on a book and is preparing to launch a newsletter which I cannot wait to read. Her winter solstice cards are a treat I look forward to every December.
Natalie’s newsletter will likely include very few cocktail recipes. However, like the video it will contain joyful storytelling, along with insights and ideas for cultivating more healing, connection, and meaning in our lives. You can sign up to receive her newsletter and find out more about her work and story on her website, Sparrow & Crow Farm.
Happy Anniversary! This marks year two of sharing thoughts and herbal rituals. Thank you for being here with me.
