In the Iranian culture, the new year coincides with the vernal equinox, the first day (or moment) of spring. I grew up celebrating this day, usually on March 20, by admiring the colorful, symbolic traditional spread adorned with random and amazing things like wheat grass and a goldfish, eating beautiful pastries and delicious dishes laden with fresh herbs and spices and receiving gifts and money from my elders. Even as a child I knew it was an auspicious time, indeed. Now as an adult, I am beginning to understand just how important this time of year really is for our growth. If we pay close enough attention to our bodies and our connection with nature, we can just feel the energy beneath the surface ready to burst out and give life to something new and precious.
We have spent the winter drawing our energies inwards, slowing down and spending more time quietly retreating into ourselves. For me, this winter has been full of great emotion, transition and sitting with myself as I shift, without necessarily changing anything–just being with it and learning to trust and accept more fully than I ever have. The end of winter has brought a big shift in my world and called on me to shift my perspective on the ways I’ve been showing up in my life.
As we near the vernal equinox and the onset of spring (although in Boulder it’s felt like spring for nearly two weeks now), I can feel the pulsation within me ready to come out, show my light and my vibrancy, to connect with those in my life who truly inspire and teach me, to learn, dance, play and leave my winter skin behind!!! For me this season it’s about practicing self-love and self-healing like I’ve never done before. It’s about letting go of those aspects of myself to which I am attached (my sweet self, smart self, responsible self, giving self, loyal self). This doesn’t mean that I can’t be all those things. But it means that I won’t deny the other parts of me in order to adhere to the paradigm of who I am supposed to be. I’m going to experiment with just allowing myself to be ferocious, powerful, needy, demanding, PMS’y, or whatever else I need to be without chiding or stifling these parts of me. (I know what you’re thinking–she sounds miserable to be around, but I promise you the effect will be the contrary). As Sofia Diaz, an inspired yogini who I had the opportunity to learn from this week says, “Our evolution (ie: our love-brilliance-expansion) is not measured by our greatest openness, our evolution is measured by our tightest closures.”
Your lessons this season are likely different from mine. But if we all really pay attention to our bodies, we will notice a feeling of lightness and a vibrant energy– if not emanating from our being, then just underneath the surface calling on us to allow it to inspire and move us. We can make a conscious choice to let go of old patterns and more fully step into new ways of being. Like the buds on the trees that shade my garden, you are beautiful, vibrant potential and you are ready to bloom into being. This spring, take the time to appreciate your own uniqueness and beauty (inside and out) just as you may admire a dandelion or a hyacinth this spring.