The Springtime Sanity List

The spring transition is feeling a bit chaotic to me. Since the full moon last Saturday and the equinox on Sunday I’ve gotten the energetic kick in the butt to get moving and make things happen. So much is going on at once. So many ideas and bigger visions are brewing (part of the spring energy and wood element), yet so much is still unknown. It’s like the sprout that’s pushing against the last layer of soil, about to make its debut into the sunlight. (cheesy analogy, I know, but you get the point ;)

So for this week I’d like to reiterate for myself and share with you the short list of things that are keeping me sane amidst the chaos – just in case you’re feelin’ a bit crazy too.

Here we go.

Some things that keep me sane:

1. Dancing. I find this particularly helpful on the nights where I have trouble sleeping and my mind is running like crazy. Getting in my body and releasing all the pent up energy helps. (So does singing and writing, if dancing isn’t quite your thing)
2. Completion. This is a new practice we’ve been using at the center, and also something I’m implementing into my personal life. Something that I sometimes (usually) overlook, completion requires an extra few minutes at the end of a task or a project or even a social meeting, to let everything soak in, review what happened, shower some gratitude on the situation, and maybe even take notes – mental or pen-to-paper. It’s not rocket-science at all, but until I started practicing it, I didn’t realize how much I was just barreling through my days, rushing from one thing to the next.

Let me interrupt this list briefly to highlight one important point:

If you struggle with this completion/slowing down piece, I highly recommend starting to put it into practice when you get your period. Getting mine this week was what forced me to slow down and come to this realization. That time of the month is always the time to rest and assess everything from the past month. Your brain chemistry and body are in alignment with that kind of energy!

To continue on with the list…

3. Cooking more and being prepared with food. Nothing makes me crazier than reaching the point of blood sugar low without having my next meal handy. Even on the weeks when I don’t make the time to cook in advance, I’ll order extra brown rice and veggies from the Thai place so that I’ll have something for lunch the next day. I’ll keep apples, nuts, bars in my bag just in case of emergency.

Although it’s technically spring and a time for starting new things, before we can fully launch into the newness, we need to

- tie up loose ends,

- honor the gifts of the long winter,

- get clear on our long term visions and goals,

- and create a rhythm and routine we feel good about.

In other words, we need to stop and slow down before taking action.

So I’m taking my own advice and all of us here at LSW are dedicating this coming week to doing our Spring Cleanse. I’ll be blogging and sharing about the experience the whole way through. So stay tuned for more. And if you’re inspired, jump on it and join us!

Your partner in creating a sane and healthy spring,

jessica