Living In The Season: Spring

Here in Damariscotta Mills, the alewives have returned, the star magnolias are in full bloom, and a delicate halo of yellowish green is emerging in the hardwood canopy. The arrival of Spring brings a welcome and magnificent surge of energy that speaks confidently of renewal. And not a moment too soon! So now that we are here, what is the invitation of this season?

My hope for this periodic letter to the Lincoln County News will be to encourage observation of the seasons throughout this coming year. Using the lens and practice of Five Element Acupuncture, I will be following this seamless flow of change, and I hope you will follow along with me. By drawing attention to how every season does, in fact, have an energetic texture that presents opportunities and tasks, we may come to know once again how to live in harmony with this, our very own Spring, unfolding right here, right now.

This is a really good time to initiate. What do you want to clear out, internally and externally? What would you like to see happen this year? Spring invites a new start. We make a plan and we begin to implement. There is, for instance, the decision to plant, and then we put the seed into the ground. Literally or metaphorically, this is what Spring is asking of us. Be assured, the energy of this season will support you in your push to begin, your desire  to engage, whether it is trying new things or making changes.

Some of us may feel we just don’t have the get up and go to meet this dramatic shift after Winter, but waking up to Spring is really worth the effort! Not planting the real or metaphoric seed now has a ripple effect throughout the entire year. There may not be time for the germinated seed to mature in the full expansion of summer, or for it to ripen and be ready by Fall. So then there may not be a harvest. Without having secured a harvest, it is difficult to let go into the winter, as we are called to do. Lack of reserves undermines our ability to embrace the opportunity that Winter offers; rest and rejuvenation. So when Spring finally does come around again, is it any wonder that many feel depleted, and are challenged to marshal reserves of our own? 

No season is more important than any other. They are all completely interdependent, with each season having its own emphasis, voice, and requirements. Spring’s clarion call is to begin. Coming into balance with this season, is one way to experience what health actually looks like.

Trees are anchored by strong roots that support upward growth. They flower, leaf out, and express themselves in all their glory. This is the emphatic energy of Spring. Winds may blow, rains may pour down, but trees are irrepressible, and determined to grow upward. We too are like a tree reaching towards the sun. What do you need to help you grow right now; to fully express yourself? What has been just waiting and longing to be changed? 

On another note, many folks are reporting feeling anxious these days. Part of this may have to do with a political climate that is unsettled, and the confrontational way groups are relating to one another. But whatever the reason may be, this anxiety is affecting our overall communal health. Being attentive and responsive to Nature’s guidance, especially now, is deeply grounding, and can help dispel feelings of resignation.

In closing, a little Spring cleaning is in order. Its time to let go of the heavier diet of winter, and replace it with a lighter one with lots of Spring bitters like dandelion greens, spinach and arugula, scallions and chives. All of these foods help cleanse the body and support Spring renewal. And last but not least, what a wonderful time to rise early and take a walk, being nourished by the promise of this season.