Cultivating the Energy of Renewal
The days are finally getting longer! 4 pm doesn’t feel like 9 pm, and it’s not requiring as many layers to go outside. The season of hibernation of winter is coming to an end, and the fresh renewal of life that comes with spring is just around the corner.
This is a perfect opportunity to reset, renew and restart. Why?
In this article we’ll explore:
- What it means to cycle/renew with the seasons of the Earth
- What renewal for the BODY looks like
- What renewal for the MIND looks like
- What renewal for the HOME looks like
- What renewal for the SPIRIT looks like
What does it mean to cycle/renew with the seasons of the Earth?
Doesn’t really seem like the Earth gets burnt out (except from humans overtaxing it with our demands). Go into the forest, and life is incredible at sustaining itself for years. Ever been to the Redwoods in Northern California? Some of those trees are close to a thousand years old, and still livin’ it up.
How can the Earth accomplish these types of sustained feats? It doesn’t expect itself to be in summer mode every single day. It cycles through seasons, allowing life to go through rhythms of rest and recalibration, which are completely necessary for long term growth.
In contrast, humans are incredibly skilled at burning ourselves out. We favor immediate results over the fruits of longevity. A ton of my work as a life coach is supporting my clients in finding their way back to a sense of deep inner renewal where the seeds of sustained success can be planted. One of the exercises we go through is renewing with the seasons.
The practice of taking ourselves through the cycles of Earth’s seasons means we attend to our lives as the forces of nature are attending to the Earth. For example, in winter, we rest a ton and let the leaves of the past year fall. In spring, we start to clean out our inner and outer spaces so new life and opportunity have space to bloom. And we begin to plant new seeds for the coming summer and autumn harvest.
Here at Joshua Smith Inc we’re entering the season of spring buzzing with the renewed sense of excitement and inspiration that comes in surfacing from under the ground and back into the sun, ready to explore all that is to come.
And here’s how we’re attending to the renewal of each area of our lives:
Renewal for the BODY:
Waking up after a long sleep is a slow process. Most of us don’t just jump into a sprint marathon (and if you do, good on ya!). We move gradually. But the key is we MOVE and stretch ourselves back into our muscles and bones.
Movement after a deep rest can be incredibly challenging at first. There have been times when I felt so poorly physically that I didn’t think I had the energy to move. I was afraid doing so would make things worse. But it was in those moments that I learned to go slow, to just do a little bit, and was able to see the very thing i was resisting was actually what was healing me.
So as you emerge from winter, and step into the energy of RENEWAL, make it a commitment to yourself to move - even just the tiniest bit - everyday. You don’t have to do a full on training session, or go run a few miles. Start with 10 seconds of cat cows, a little light dancing when you’re favorite song comes on, a walk outside at sunset.
Movement recirculates the energy flow throughout the body, waking up the areas that have been stagnant, and opening up any areas that have been blocked. And waking up the body is the best way to focus and recalibrate the mind.
Move the body to renew the body.
Renewal for the MIND:
Imagine all of the dead leaves of winter resting on the floors of your mind. In order for new life to grow in those fertile soils, it’s best to sweep those dead leaves out! As we move into Spring, renewing the mind means going in and doing some deep cleaning, pruning, and organizing. Which can seem weird and nebulous because it’s thoughts we’re talking about here - not junk drawers.
Not to worry! We’ve figured out the best way to clean up and renew the mind.
Journaling. Hands down, the most effective way to consistently keep those gardens of your mind tidy and ready for life to grow.
We’ve got a whole article on journaling, complete with some incredible prompts to utilize - all waiting for you right here.
Renewal for the HOME:
Ever heard the adage that your home is a direct reflection of your mind? Take a look around - where in your home does your nest need some feathering? There is a reason Spring cleaning is a thing! We may think that we’re just getting rid of clutter to create space in our homes - but in reality, we’re creating space for more energy to flow both through our homes and our lives.
In Fung Shuei, we declutter and organize to create more space for goodness and newness to flow into our lives. Renew your home by asking yourself:
Where can I clean out clutter?
Where can I create more space by tossing items that have served their time, and are done?
Where can I update colors, layouts, plants, and textures to reflect the newness and inspiration of the current season?
As you go through and give your home a refresh, open the windows, let fresh air in, and allow the fresh energy of renewed life make its way through every little nook and cranny of your sacred space.
Renewal for the SPIRIT:
A flower has to get completely uncomfortable to come above ground and bloom after being immersed in the dirt all winter. If it can do it, so can you!
Where can you get out of your comfort zone? This is the question that guides the renewal of the ever expanding Spirit within us all. Our relationship with our Spirit is just like any other relationship. We have to keep things fun and exciting and consciously attend to it every day. And the longer the relationship has existed, the more and more important freshness becomes!
As you move into your daily practice during this time, shake it up! Notice if there are any areas where you feel bored, any practices that aren’t really uplifting you like they once did, and shake them up! If you have normal sets of routines or cards or prayers or whatever, try something new! Get a new deck, write new prayers, re-do your altar, get a new journal, commit to writing in it everyday for 15 minutes, seek out the next level of practices, whatever it may be, find a way to create more depth in your practices.
Renew your Spirit this spring by inviting more depth & exploration in your practices.
And of course, as we consciously move into the energy of renewal along with Spring, it bears reminding that the present moment, right here and now, is the best place to choose to renew at any point in time.
Cheers to your unfolding.
Blue skies.
Josh
