Springtime Rituals for Replenishment

Photo by Ali Haghighi on Unsplash

​"Let your mind be quiet, realizing the beauty of the world, and the immense, the boundless treasures that it holds in store. All that you have within you, all that your heart desires, all that your nature so specially fits you for–it will certainly come to you. Yet equally surely not one moment before its appointed time will it come. All your crying, fever and reaching out of hand will make no difference." – Edward Carpenter

There is a certain magic to spring. It's as though the light is more dazzling. The hills are vibrant with color, flowers are spilling forth their beauty and sweet fragrance, while the birds delight us with their song. This is the season of renewal and replenishment, and what better way to begin than to meditate on English poet Edward Carpenter's assurance that all of our needs will be satisfied by the great whole.

Whatever we are waiting for, be it peace of mind, contentment, grace or maintaining the awareness of gratitude, it will surely come to us, but only when we are ready to receive it with an open and grateful heart. While you wait patiently, take comfort and joy in the simple springtime rituals of renewal. The gift of time is food for the soul, rest for the body and mind.

What are some of the ways you like to pause, slow down and let go of your to-do list? Time spent creating a little space just for you. It can be replenished in a garden, beside a creek or fountain, while taking a walk, going on a hike or beachcombing. Whatever is calling to you is exactly what you need at this moment. So let's be good to ourselves and listen to the voice within. It knows.

Spring Renewal Meditation:

• Take a moment to find a comfortable position, either seated or lying down.
• Close your eyes and take three deep breaths.
• Imagine yourself as a dormant seed beneath the soil at the end of winter.
• Feel the earth warming around you as spring's gentle sun radiates above.
• With each inhale, draw in this nurturing energy; with each exhale, feel yourself softening, opening to growth.
• Visualize a tiny green shoot emerging from your center, reaching upward toward the light.
• As you continue to breathe, see yourself unfurling like a spring blossom, vibrant and full of potential.
• When you're ready, wiggle your fingers and toes, and carry this sense of renewal with you throughout your day.

Let spring be an invitation to uncover what has lain dormant, plant new seeds, water them and watch them grow. There is magic happening before our eyes – a newness, a freshness, an aliveness that we crave. Just as the flowers bloom and the grass grows, so do we. It's time to celebrate the magic within!