Spring Cleanse and Practice Boost
We are in the midst of Spring. Spring is a great time to cleanse our bodies and increase our levels of activity - especially if we have been more sedentary during the winter months.
Sometimes, during a really harsh winter, we may hardly get much sunlight or time outdoors at all. This past winter was fairy mild, so I am not talking about that one! Regardless, spring is here, and we have an opportunity to cleanse deeper and to renew ourselves (on multiple levels) once again along with the return of the light in these warmer seasons.
In this region, given that we can often experience very cold and sometimes harsh winter conditions, many of us may feel that need to eat heavier root veggies in the colder months and maybe even a little more meat ... as well as teas and herbs which are more warming to our systems. Now that the warmer weather is coming, it is a great time to cleanse from these heavier foods ... and lighten our loads on our digestive system.
This is very individual, so I can't tell you how much to alter your diet ... or what, exactly, you 'should' be eating. These days we have so many people with various allergies and different tolerances to so many foods ... and there are many different diet plans etc. out there. I do feel that we over-do things like sugar, wheat, processed dairy products, processed foods, meat, pastas etc., but you likely know this if you have been looking into altering your diet and increasing your levels of wellness and energy levels.
As we work in the moving Arts and on our own inner development, we can develop a higher level of sensitivity to our whole system ... we feel and sense what our bodies require, and so we become our own best advisor. Rather than following a strict system of one sort or another (which is not necessarily 'bad' for you ... if that works for you), we can also listen to what our own body is telling us. One of the best ways to develop this to a higher degree, is to cleanse enough to be able to sense exactly how you feel (and where you feel it), right after you eat or drink something. The next step is actually listen to our inner wisdom! We often know exactly what we need to be doing to get to that place we desire: higher level of wellness and energy ... but doing what we really know we could do is often the greater challenge. Ask yourself: What do I feel drawn to eat or drink and how/what am I feeling just before I feel that pull to do so? You will learn something in that moment.
Most of us feel a natural increase in energy during the spring ... we feel like moving more and going out to do new things after the more inward-moving period of winter. We also can gauge ourselves and listen to our bodies there too. When active in your life in various ways (or in practice), engage fully and do your best. When you feel tired, listen to the body and rest well too. Allow your senses time to relax and let go of all the impressions they receive during the day. Once again, you can find your own inner wisdom advising you by listening and feeling inside yourself when it's time to 'shut down'. Balance and harmony is attainable.
End Your Spring with a Boost in Your Practice
From now until the Summer Solstice ... June 21 ... if you are not already doing so, make a commitment to yourself that you will end this Spring with a boost in your practice. Practice every day until the arrival of Summer Solstice. If you are not taking any formal classes, and you have some experience with a form of practice, do your own at home.
If you feel tired ... or have not been practicing every day ... or are new to practice ... or have been away from it for some time, practice every day anyway. Create a routine for yourself that challenges yourself ... wherever you are currently at. You do not need to measure yourself against anyone else and what they may be doing. Push yourself to your own edge of growth. If you have a routine you like to do... do it... especially if it challenges you enough personally.
I am fond of saying that true growth and evolution ... on whatever level it might be: personally, spiritually, mentally/emotionally ... even financially, politically etc. ... usually occurs on the edge - not in 'status quo' or stagnant 'maintaining comfort and bliss.' But this is for those who desire it ... it is not a judgment. You do not 'have to grow or evolve' ... it's not a 'should', here. Simply ask yourself: Do I desire to grow from where or how I am right now in my life ... in any way? It is a great question to ask in the spring during the time of renewal all around us ... just look at the new growth in the Natural World all around us.
If you DESIRE growth and evolving from where you are currently, then, it is a reminder that in order to do so, it comes from a place of 'being on the edge of your comfort zone'!
I encourage you to get 'curious about this edge' ... explore a 'willingness to engage with this edge' ... adopt an attitude of 'openness to learn new things'... new things about yourself. While growth on the edge can come with its own set of challenges, we can learn to see this as a part of the path of a warrior ... and to be more at ease with the shifts and changes we experience inside and all around us.
And ... please ... avoid extremes ... you do not have to hurt yourself to do what I am talking about! Push... yes ... hurt yourself? No!
