Renewal

By Cara Chang Mutert

As the heaviness of the long winter lifts and a slow, tentative spring peeks through, growth seems inevitable. Nature beckons it.

I’m always amazed at how nature mimics the human experience.  Its patterns are somewhat predictable, yet always with an unexpected twist. Surprising, oftentimes harsh and unforgiving, yet in contrast, inexplicably breathtaking and refreshing.

The change of season assures us that the clouds will lift, the skies will clear, and the light will shine again. While the depths of our achy wants and fears still linger in the underbelly, the lightness of the season ushers in a sense of hope. The first bright crocuses that press upward through the still chilled earth after a long cold winter is so symbolic of the resilience that lives within each of us. Sweet and fragile, but still confident and determined.

While bigger shifts in nature and in life are often obvious, yoga, in all its wisdom, teaches us to recognize the smaller shifts. It helps us to see and understand the subtleties of ourselves, our own patterns and tendencies, so that we can continue to adjust and adapt to whatever life presents more skillfully. It teaches us to continue of the never-ending path of self-discovery, perseverance and learning to let go.

Our yoga practice sifts through the swirling debris and gritty gravel of our minds and helps us find stability and openness in our body and our lives. Our poses help us feel strong enough to go through the process. Our breath clears a path for us to follow as we move through it. The love that arises gives us the strength to keep going.

Now that we’ve pulled ourselves up and out of the sluggish winter, nature is prompting us to breathe in fresh new air into our lungs. bask in the warm sun to propagate new life, and to cultivate new perspective to see what sprouts.

A fresh start awaits…