Spring: A Time of Renewal

The Spring brings us the first change of seasons in the year. Winter is on the wing, leaving behind the occasional nippy morning, even as milder days are ushered with sunny skies or sudden rain showers. Small green stalks resolutely poke up from the long-sleeping earth and buds begin to shyly peek out amidst barren tree branches. Soon the world will be coated with that soft green we only see in the Spring and bright blooms will proudly nod their heads in a gentle breeze. Although it doesn’t always seem like it when the weather seems particularly mixed-up, Nature knows when the time is right. The little buds and blossoms are willing to risk the chance of a frost because Life must continue, it must be renewed, and they cannot hide and wait for it to be almost Summer before coming out.

Like the delicate and brave first sprouts of Spring, we should consider this time of year a chance to renew ourselves. We have slumbered all Winter and now we must shake off the dust and step into the sunshine.

Spring cleaning is a traditional method of renewal, and an important one. The old saying, “Cleanliness is next to godliness” isn’t without its merits. When our house is clean and organized, our own lives feel more balanced. A cluttered house may make us feel disorganized and stressed. We feel better looking at a clean room and the act of cleaning a room itself can be very uplifting. Dirt and dust is often full of old and sometimes negative energy, so dusting, vacuuming, washing the windows, etc., makes the house cleaner both physically and energetically. If you want to be particularly thorough in cleaning away negative and lingering energies from the past year, use smoldering sage. Make sure you open the windows and doors, and waft the smoke around in corners, along walls, and up towards the ceiling. The smoke from the sage attracts the old and negative energies, which will fade along with the smoke. Opening the windows and doors not only allows the smoke to take the negativity outside, but it also allows positive energy and clean air to move inside.

You may also want to consider giving yourself a “Spring Cleaning.” Let go of your old habits and attachments and invite in a renewed sense of being. You can begin practicing yoga and meditation to release stress, start walking outside to both exercise and take in the renewing energies of nature, and this is the perfect season to try something new -from a hobby, to traveling, to any kind of new experience. Of course, self-reflection is an important part of your own spring cleaning, and you may find you need more help, or don’t know where to begin when it comes to instigating your renewal. There may be subconscious, unacknowledged emotions holding you back. Trying a Reiki session may be a good solution in this situation. It will help address any thoughts, beliefs, and energies that you are holding on to, and facilitate the positive change and renewal you are seeking this Spring.