Five Ways to Embrace the Patterns of Late Spring

Five Ways to Embrace the Patterns of Late Spring
Staff Photo Ashleigh Price

Staff Photo Ashleigh Price

As strong winds continue to sweep over the Ozark hills, we’re left with new air. Spring, a time of change and renewal, is a chance for us to mimic nature in its process of opening to abundance. That which was buried and preserved throughout the winter is now exposed, fully blossomed, and alive.

The trees, whose roots hibernated in winter’s cold earth, are brought to life with the nourishment of spring rain. We have watched as nature’s stillness is transformed into colorful life—green-jeweled branches open up to greet the imposing sun, continuously bringing us more warmth with each day. Birds build careful nests, tucked in corners, informed by all of nature that now is the perfect time to hatch new life into existence.

The winds of change sweep through and transform not only the lives of the trees, the pigment of the grasses, and the patterns of the birds, but the lives of each individual. During the past several months you may have noticed a shift within yourself, or a nudge to open up to new beginnings.

Springtime grants us the opportunity to flower. It is a chance to freely express your “true self.” During spring, people come out of hibernation from their homes, into the nourishing gleam of sunlight and friendship. As this magical season continues, I challenge you to embrace nature’s patterns and bring them into your daily life for top-notch well-being.

1. Open Yourself Up: Just as the flowers open up to warmth, allow yourself to do the same. Try leading with your heart and intuition. Take time to listen, to pause, and to become a part of your environment. Spring tends to be pretty flighty: one day windy, another damp and muggy, another fresh and sunlit. As you check in with the essence of each day, notice how the change in your surroundings affects you. This is nothing to judge or attach a good/bad label to. Rather, this is something to notice, appreciating the significance of each changing moment.

2. Stay Grounded: The winter has come and gone, and hopefully you were able to connect with your core beliefs and a strong foundation. As spring keeps unfolding, stay aligned with the roots you’ve grown. Are you staying true to your innate perspective? How are this year’s resolutions coming along? Ask yourself what you’ve learned so far this year and stay firm in the lessons and morals that life has taught you. Just as tree roots support strong yet supple branches, so too do your morals and inner-strength support a life that is free and resilient.

3. Be Willing to Let Go: Spring is a time of renewal, of allowing yourself to be the most open-hearted version of you! Try reflecting on what may still be holding you back. Whether this be a relationship, habit, part of your diet, job, etc., it is of essence that we let go of the things that don’t bring us abundance. We can only truly accept change when we let go of the things that we are asked to leave behind.

Tip: Breathe and let that shit go! Practice taking deep belly breaths, with extra focus on the exhale, a cleansing breath. Inhale to feel yourself, beautiful right now, exhale, draw in the low belly, allowing whatever is no longer serving you to press itself out of your body.

Tip: Detoxing through movement allows us to let go of trapped energy in the body that no longer serves you. Back bending, forward bending, and twisting are all great ways to cleanse your body.

Tip: Get a new perspective on your situation by going somewhere new in nature to reflect on things you may need to cut from your life.

4. Align Your Diet With Nature: Perhaps the easiest way to connect with the essence of spring is to eat the foods that the earth provides us during this time. Look toward your local market to ensure that you’re getting seasonal foods. Springtime yields an abundance of bitter greens and herbs that are great for keeping our bodies cool and grounded in preparation for the upcoming summer. They also help us purge excess moisture or stagnant energy from our bodies, further aligning with the goal of spring cleansing.

Tip: Aim for lightly cooked meals, using seasonal ingredients like arugula, kale, purple chives, dandelion, and ginger. As the weather gets warmer and warmer, try incorporating at least one fully raw meal into your daily dietary routine.

5. Find Your Inner Power!: With all of the change happening, we have a choice: to let this change fuel us and deepen our sense of self, or to let this change confuse us into feeling directionless. To connect with the former, try incorporating a daily practice of some sort. Whether this be through yoga, meditation, gardening, biking, etc., the act of “checking in” on a regular basis is truly empowering. Feel yourself in your ever-changing environment each day. Be overjoyed that you’re simply alive, that you are beautiful, connected, and internally strong! Try incorporating core-stoking yoga poses or exercises into your daily routine to bring awareness to your inner strength. In doing so you will remain centered and balanced, ready to take on the upcoming summertime with love in your heart and confidence in the genuine, unique person you are.

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