Hello my beautiful friends,
We have seen the last few days bursting with sunshine! Spring has officially sprung. Colour is exploding everywhere we look from the green leaves bulging from their buds, to the yellow daffodils scattered throughout the grass, to the cotton white blossoms flowering on the trees. It truly is a wonderful time of year! A time for new life, new ideas and fresh starts!
What in your life is changing - is blossoming, and how are you tending to that growth? These are the questions in which to meditate upon this time of year. What information have we gathered, what wisdom did we accumulate from the darkness of our winter that we can bring forward into the light of spring? Change IS nature, the nature of all things IS change. Embrace the new growth, we only ever grow wiser and for the better. A big part of being a yogi is being on that constant path of self study -svādhyāya, where we are always reflecting and learning about ourselves so we can improve, grow and refine.
A good practice for reflection and observing your thoughts and behaviours, honestly and objectively - is to keep a diary or journal. Journalling and I have an on and off relationship, but this spring it is something I pledge to take up again. Keeping it by your bedside, or better yet on your pillow will be a good reminder to do your practice.
Before bed, take a few moments to sit quietly, close your eyes and become aware of your breathing. Then begin to recall your day. Noting the moments you found joy, noting your good behaviours, and noting those times you didn't behave so well ( yup! I have plenty of those moments too!). Note the moments where you felt upset, sad, your buttons were pushed, you reacted rather than responded . Keep it short and simple, and always end with recalling something in your day you were grateful for. This practice will help you gather a clearer picture of who you are, the goodness and the beauty, and the not so much... those parts that are still a work in progress. Honouring it, embracing it, and loving it all fully, for it is all as it should be in this moment, and it will all change once more.
I hope you find this practice useful and the sun shines for you this spring!
Namaste,
Amy x