BOUNDARIES
WORDS COMBINED WITH NATURE
Adopt nature’s pace and ability to set boundaries.
Both require patience and an ability
to find beauty in imperfection.
-WORD FUEL
We are exactly three weeks away from the Spring Equinox. Signs of the changing season are beginning to pop up all around us, and you can feel a quickening in the air. I’ve been working on healing my body and spirit since having a setback in December. I ended up with a bad case of COVID-19 that worsened the face-flushing episodes I’d been dealing with since summer. The episodes come with uncomfortable rashes that cover my face and chest and have impacted my mind, body, and spirit.
I’ve been focused on lifting my spirits and was feeling better last week, but, true to form, like buds that poke themselves out too early, I got excited and ended up pushing myself too hard. I am paying for it this week and have been thinking about new boundaries I have to put around, making space to keep myself balanced and healthy. Cooking to follow the new diet my doctor has prescribed takes a lot of planning, organization, and time. Getting the specific movement my body needs has also changed a lot. It requires more patience with my body so I can tap in, stay present, and listen to what it needs at that moment without self-judgment.
Yesterday, on a call with my women’s circle, we discussed how unpredictable Spring can be. If we fixate or worry about the changeability, we end up hurting ourselves more and losing the precious energy we need for Spring’s blooming time. This analogy holds during health crises, challenging life changes, or even the liminal spaces we experience that are full of uncertainty.
Adopting nature’s pace and ability to set boundaries around when, where, and how to use our energy helps us remain balanced. It also helps us resist society’s pressure that tells us to keep going and going and growing EVERY day. That you are doing something wrong if you are not pushing all the time. Shifting between yin and yang energies is rarely perfectly balanced, but having patience with yourself and aligning with nature’s rhythm will help foster self-compassion, health, and grounded wellness in the long run.
PLANT MEDICINE
The beautiful tree in this picture with early red flowering buds is a Red Maple. Not only are the tree’s spring flowers red, but its petioles, branches, and seeds all show varying degrees of red. Maples are the most popular greening tree species in the United States. Maple trees help bring balance to our yin and yang sides. When these energies are in balance, our intuition is sharper, our creativity is more vital, and we are healthier. Spending time around the maple tree also activates the chakras in the arches of the feet, which helps us stay tied to the energies of Mother Earth and connected to nature and her rhythms.
COLOR MAGIC - RED
Red is derived from two words:
Sanskrit- Rudhira
Anglo-Saxon- Read
In many cultures, red is considered the Color of Life and symbolizes Strength, Power, and Self-Confidence.
Spending time around red or wearing red clothing stimulates Movement and Excitement.
