Saturday, April 5, 2014

Spring Open!




Now that Winter's cold is receding and the Sun is strengthening, things really begin to pop open! Leaf buds open, flower buds open, eggs open, cocoons open as life springs forth all around us this month.

April is about opening. Whereas March officially kicks off the Spring season in Central Texas, April opens it up and gets it moving. Just as a new born chick having cracked open its egg, you may find yourself wanting to move and be free! April is a great time to get your body moving and to do things that feel freeing to you, especially following the more indoor, sedate climate of Winter.

Everything is filled with freshness during April. As new life itself opens up, the time is ripe for you to open in new ways too. Consider doing any of these opening things this month:
  • Perhaps last month you consciously planted seeds for what you want to grow in your life. If you did not, plant them now. Consider what it is you want to bring or add to your life this year. Now is the time to begin nourishing those seeds with actions. Make a list of the actions needed to grow the things you want. Then break each item on the list down into small, do-able steps. Then prioritize the steps and commit to getting things moving forward in some way, one step at a time.

  • Get yourself outside to the Sun or by the water this month. Take a walk or a hike in a State park or out in the woods. Visit a wildflower center or other natural gardens. Sit by a river or lake and allow yourself to open to the natural things around you. Near the Austin area, we have Pedernales State Park, McKinney Falls State Park, Natural Bridge Caverns, Lady Bird Lake, Enchanted Rock State Park and many other natural places to support you in opening.

  • Open yourself to something brand new this month - something you may be curious about or interested in but have never tried. For instance, try a new class at a local Studio such as yoga, Nia or other movement class. Or eat at a new restaurant you've heard of. Or finally do that creative project you've been thinking about for so long! For example, just after the Spring Equinox, I made a throw blanket that was on my list for years! Doing new things can open you in beautiful ways. Take advantage of the energy this month and open to something new.

  • Create a wildflower garden in your yard or more simply, plant some flowers in colorful pots and put them where you can enjoy their beauty (and scent if they have one) every day. Flowers attract Hummingbird moths, butterflies, beetles, Ladybugs, bees and other critters that bring life and movement to your yard space. As you watch new flowers open and interesting critters appear, allow your senses to open even more to the life inside of and all around you. Invite yourself to blossom and bloom in colorful ways this month, too.

  • Buy some sad-looking plants from the "Clearance" section of the store, take them home and give them new life. Plant them where they will get the nourishment they need to thrive and watch them flourish back to vibrancy! Let them remind you to give yourself what you need to thrive and then do those things for yourself. Watch yourself flourish back to vibrancy, too.

 
HAPPY SPRING OPENING!!