Hold your Horses: Self-Care for Spring
You can feel it in the air. The sun’s warm yet step into the shadow and it’s cold. A sunny afternoon bleeds into a frigid night. It’s a transitional time, a hint of coming warmth and a reminder of lingering chill.
The spring equinox occurred last week on Tuesday, March 19th, at 11:06 pm EDT. It’s the midpoint between the winter and summer solstices. Equinox comes from the Latin words aequi (equal) and nox (night). For a fleeting moment, yin and yang, night and day, light and dark, are in perfect balance. On the other side of the equinox, the yang (solar) energy begins to expand towards its zenith, which occurs at the summer solstice in June. We have also entered the fiery and determined season of Aries, and the first full moon of spring—the Worm Moon—is waxing towards fullness.
As the days get longer and the activating influences of Aries descend upon us and the first full moon of spring waxes loud and bright across the sky, we may feel the impulse — consciously or unconsciously — to speed up, to do more, to schedule more activities and/or outings.
Now is not that time.
Expanding yang energy + Aries season + waxing spring moon = Hold Your Horses
As a person who loves winter, relishes a lot of downtime and tends towards introversion, I must remind myself that it’s not only okay to continue to move slowly as the light increases, it’s imperative. When I rush too quickly into the faster pace of increasing sunshine, I override the wisdom of my being and end up depleted and burned out.
Chinese character for wood or tree
The Chinese character for the Wood element helps me remember that rest and reflection are perennial medicines (it symbolizes a tree). The vertical brush stroke represents the spine or body of the tree, and the horizontal stroke depicts the earth.
Notice how much of the tree lives in the dark womb of the earth compared to that which flourishes in sunlight. The roots are deep, reaching down even as the sky above warms and the light of day lengthens.
What lies beneath the earth is the realm of the Water element, the season of winter and kidneys/adrenals — the quiet chamber of darkness. The deepest well of one’s energy. The art of being. The cultivation of stillness. Of wisdom. The knowing that all movement arises from stillness, in perfect timing.
When I try to do too much, when I ignore the well from which true, sustainable energy springs, I invariably get reminders that I must slow down. My thoughts begin to race. My sleep is interuppted and things that I might otherwise take in stride, feel overwhelming.
As the impulse to rise and expand seizes us, we must ask ourselves, “What do I need in order to sustain my growth? Do I have enough resources to accomplish X, Y or Z? Or will I deplete myself?”
Do not flog the horse of spring’s approach into a gallop. Hold steady the reins; move at a considered pace, noticing the sweet green shoots that peek through winter’s leaf litter and the dawn chorus of birds rising to greet the new day. Practice softness. Tune into the wisdom of your inner child. Nap. Doodle. Draw. Be in wonder. Imagine. Dream. Wander.
Many of us struggle with the dynamic changes that occur in this transition. We find it difficult to move intentionally and hasten where we should pause. We need support to (re)learn how to care for ourselves using food, medicine and ritual.
There is a way through that is gentle. Strengthening. Supportive.
Renewal: The Spring Session is for you if:
You want to learn more about seasonal living
Find your rhythms — sleeping, pooping, menses/hormones & appetite — are off.
You’re feeling depleted, disconnected & unmotivated.
You need support moving into the lighter, brighter energy of spring.
You want to remember how good you feel when you make self-care a priority.
Click here to learn more and register for self-paced Renewal or Renewal+ in community.
May your rising be full of ease and your expansion deeply rooted.
