Sweet Renewal

Written By Courtney Grenier

By Dr. Clif Steinberg

Sugaring season has arrived in Vermont. For those reading this who may not know what that is (not to mention “mud season”), it is the few weeks every year when sap from maple trees is collected and turned into the sweet gift of maple syrup. Beyond that it is also a sure sign the trees are preparing for spring, and the promise of long, warm summer days. There are other signs that the seasonal wheel is turning, but somehow the fact that the dormant looking trees are flowing with their own lifeblood while winter still hangs on captures the imagination and heralds spring as much as the honking northbound Canada geese flying in formation do.

 

Living in New England, where winters are a prominent fact of life, these early signs of spring are most welcome! There are less welcome signs as well, including ticks becoming active as the snow melts (beware), and oh yeah, mud season already mentioned. Nevertheless, there is a great sense of renewal that starts building inside of people this time of year that I imagine to be like the tree sap anticipating what is ahead. Are you feeling it yet? What things do you notice about this time of year, both outside and inside your body?

 

Tuning into the rhythms of life and one’s body has many benefits to offer. In fact, life appears to be almost entirely based on cycles, and health is enhanced when they are flowing well. The cycle of breath is one easy example. Take a few, slow, deep breaths now and feel how that simple practice affects you. Likely your heart cycle slowed down with your breathing, whether you could sense that or not. Similarly, your brain’s various wave cycles will have changed somewhat, and possibly synchronized more with the heart, breath and other rhythms of the body. There are many people who can actually tune into and change their heart rates and brainwaves consciously or through the use of biofeedback tools. Amazing!

 

Besides the wonder of it all, there is a call to action to be heeded here. One of the features of cycles is that the next one is always coming. Renewal is the rule. Each cycle brings with it something new and different from the previous ones. There is incredible power and hope in that knowledge, and we can tap into that and boil it down into our own sweet gifts to ourselves in the form of greater health and vitality. No moment is too late or too soon to begin to act, though now is always the starting point, and maybe the springtime more conducive than other times for many reasons.

 

What will it be for you? Are there simple things calling to you right now? More time outside connecting with the natural world? More quiet time? Deep breathing? Singing or dancing? A spring cleanse or fast? More cooking? Gardening? Creating whatever you love to create? What are the obstacles to action that may be affecting you, and can you get around them? The answers will be different for each of us, but for many it is likely some combination of staying too busy and distracted, prioritizing other things than our own wellbeing. If that is the case for you then maybe this is the spring when you can renew your commitment to yourself and then watch what blossoms.

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