It’s hard work growing up
A few weeks ago, I was walking through the woods along the LaPlatte River marveling at the trout lilies and hepatica poking out of the muddy soil. The spring ephemerals add such unexpected beauty to the forest floor, and while they look delicate, they are actually quite fierce. During heavy, sticky mud season, they manage to push through the muck and bloom in all their glory before the trees bud and steal the light.
In order to bloom, they have to grow DOWNWARDS first. Only after they've set their foundation do their sprouts start to shoot up. And those sprouts have to work hard to push through the heavy, sticky mud in order to find light. Imagine how much trust that must take to move away from the light in order to set the foundation.
My friend Nikkie did an experiment this winter with potatoes. She started some of them in complete darkness and some of them with light. The results were dramatic! The potatoes that incubated in darkness grew the most magnificent root structures, which I can only imagine will help them thrive when they are planted in the soil.
I think humans are very similar to plants. So much of our growth is underground and unseen, and the darkness supports our growth just as much as the light. One of the core principles of yoga is Īśvarapraṇidhāna, which means trustful surrendering to the divine. I've also heard it be translated as trusting the course of your life. Sometimes we have to turn inwards before we can expand. Sometimes we have to travel through the muck before we can bloom. Growth requires patience and trust, and it is often difficult and messy.
This spring I've been working with a lot of clients who feel stuck and unsure where their path is heading. I think there can be a tendency to compare ourselves to others, and because spring is a time when nature is starting to bloom and some people are gaining momentum in their growth, if we are still in the foundation stage, it can feel like we aren't keeping pace with nature. For some beings growth appears rapid right now. The fiddleheads seemed to explode into full ferns overnight, but the truth is, so much work had to happen below the surface in order for the visible growth to occur. If you are in the foundation stage of growth, I hope you can trust that the roots you are setting are an equally important part of the process of growth.
Growth also takes a lot of effort, and it can be exhausting. Think about how much sleep and nourishment babies need when they are growing. If you are in a growth period right now, you need more rest and support in order to grow strong roots. This is why some of us feel tired in the spring, and it can feel a little dissonant to be tired and drained when the sun is shining and things are starting to bloom. Give yourself the rest, support, and nourishment you need to keep building.
If you are feeling tired, stuck, or drained, let me help you replenish. Give yourself the gift of a CranioSacral Therapy session, or try out my new Restorative Yoga + Energy Healing offering. These also make great gifts for loved ones who could use a little nurturing and support.
If you love hands-on assists in yoga, you will love this practice, which incorporates energy-balancing techniques (including reiki, marma, and craniosacral therapy) while you are relaxing in restorative yoga postures.
CranioSacral Therapy is a gentle, hands-on therapy to relax the nervous system, open space in the fascia, and allow energy to flow. It is deeply relaxing and healing, and is my favorite way to reduce pain and depletion.
