spring | Coldwater Haven Studio

Photo by: Tom Curtis

We are fully beginning spring now. In May, it is a great time to think about what you hope to bring to pass over the course of the summer, and plant seeds for that now. You could learn to draw, learn to cook, or spend more time with the people you love. Whatever you hope to do could happen by fall.

1. Take some time today, after your yoga and meditation practice, to think about what you want more of in your life, and how you might “plant the seeds” of that change this week.

2. Make a list of steps to take, and know it has begun. If you only do one thing a day toward your goal, by the time fall comes around you will have been doing this everyday for 120 days or more. You can get a lot done… but a quick sudden change is not usually how big changes happen. It is in the little things we do every day.

3. Go ahead and take your first step toward your goal today. It should be small, and not take a lot of time. If you hope to build an hour long yoga practice, for example, start with one or two poses a day, and do that for a few days before adding one more. You will be amazed what happens by the fall.

In yoga, we don’t tend to push for sweeping changes, but small steps gathered over time. Be kind to yourself while you begin this process, and don’t take missed days or other small set-backs as indicators you failed.

Yoga Pose of the Day: Bound Angle Pose (Cobbler’s Pose) – Baddha Konasana

Yogic Concept of the Day: What “seeds” to I want to plant this spring?

P.S. Don’t forget that Meditation in the Park starts today at noon, if you live in Coldwater, MI! Hope to see you there!

Yep – there is a movie about Groundhog’s Day and I thought about writing about that. But that would be too easy. Honestly, I wanted more of a challenge in my writing today.

So, there is actually a Groundhog in Pennsylvania that a bunch of people all wake up really early every Feb. 2, to see if it gets scared of its shadow. For those of you not in the USA, if it is scared, then we say there will be 6 more weeks of winter. If not, spring will come more quickly. It is an old tradition for the young American country. You can see more about it here.

So, how does this relate to yoga?

Well, the way I see it… this is really about hibernation. If you have been following this blog since I began writing it, you will recall that I wrote about my own hibernating habits as soon as there was a first hint of fall. I always use the winter to read, go into my own world a little more by staying in and seeing what creativity comes up for me. I use this time to really relax and renew my own mind and set intentions for the rest of the year. Groundhog’s Day can be a great time to start the first stirring. We can begin to think about coming out of our shell a little, think of planting in the spring, collect seeds and begin to dream up schemes of things we could invite friends to do with us.

Yoga is not about just being alone and working out your own stuff. Of course, that is part of it. But, ultimately, it should make us better able to care for others, to connect with others, and to offer something of use out in the world.

I would like to suggest that as yogis and yoginis, we can use Groundhog’s Day as a signal to start thinking about ways to give to others, invite others to share in what we can do or what we have, and to think of ways to make our environment pleasing for ourselves and others. All of this is planning… and gathering supplies.

It is not yet quite the right time for spring cleaning… but we can begun to buy the needs we need for it a little at a time.

So here are some resources that I love sharing with people. Dream, plan, and think of enjoyment!

Garden Planning Resources:

Garden Planning Sites:

http://www.smallblueprinter.com/garden/planner.html

http://www.gardeners.com/Kitchen-Garden-Planner/kgp_home,default,pg.html

http://www.motherearthnews.com/garden-planner/vegetable-garden-planner.aspx

Seed Catalgues:

http://www.heirloomseeds.com/

http://www.seedsavers.org/Content.aspx?src=savingheirlooms.htm

http://springhillnursery.com/

Pose of the Day: Plow Pose (I know we have done this one recently, but I couldn’t resist!)