›› Kevin Yee-Chan
Spring is here! The excitement of buds blossoming and days lengthening is often a welcome exhale after the inward cocoon of winter. Particularly after the inward nature of the last year—a year when we’ve been asked to sit collectively with stillness and ferment in various states of transformation that bubble up—it can be tempting to burst out of the gate at the first sign of “freedom.” As you may have experienced when you open the lid of a long-fermented jar too quickly, a certain kind of explosion occurs.
So, we practice patience. Yes… we are still practicing patience.
We can learn a lot from saplings that wait patiently under the shelter of old growths to find an optimal expenditure of energy for sustained growth. They support and are supported by peers in an ecosystem of diverse forestry over time and space. This is simply their nature.
As a biological part of this ecosystem it is our nature, too. But as conscious beings, we must first choose what systems we partake in: will it be capitalism, colonialism, racism, separatism? Or will it be diversity, inclusion, support, community?
For the thinking mind, the answer is never cut and dry. It requires a continual re-learning: to re-educate ourselves of our collective past, remain compassionate amidst mistakes, and perhaps have a wider breadth of foundation to take sustainable steps forward. Within these cycles of living, as we naturally move outward again this spring, how are we doing so with reverence to roots, compassion of heart, and patience to reach toward the sun together over time? The sweetest blossoms are born of seasons of patience, diversity, and community.
At Fernwood Yoga Den and Maya Health Clinic, we are here to support you with offerings that nourish the seasons of your body, mind, and spirit. Reach out, stop by… whatever feels natural. Know that you are supported with patience, diversity, and community to bloom when the time is right.
