“Desperation is the raw material of drastic change. Only those who can leave behind everything they have ever believed in can hope to escape.”
– William S. Burroughs
The Spring season comes with much anticipation. After what can feel like a long period of stark cold darkness and slumber, when the energy of the earth starts to shift, we might feel ourselves anxious for something new. This precipice of change is not often as distinct or defined as we’d like. It can feel stalled, with lots of fits and starts. We’re teased with mild and temperate days, followed erratically by storms and cold. The flowers begin tentatively to bloom just to be blown away by sharp winds and frigid rain. The buds, that just barely start to form on the trees seem to be held so tightly, you can almost sense the magnitude with which they will explode into color and form once finally ready to escape their tight internal embrace and become the expression of beauty that is their destiny.
What we observe around us exists strongly within us. We are the products of and participants in our surroundings, reacting and responding without will to the forces that guide and drive us. We feel on the inside what is felt on the outside and our emotional and physical response is sometimes just a byproduct of the natural cycles that occur in nature. As much of Chinese Medicine theory is guided by the season, the reactions in our bodies are guided by the elements that are most dominant in that season.
In Chinese medicine theory, Spring is the season of wind, described in many ancient texts as a ‘pernicious’ force that can carry with it many ‘evils’ which we become susceptible to when our immunity is weak. Wood is the dominant element, responsible for a wide emotional spectrum from depression when suppressed, to blind rage when unchecked, and everything in between. While it might seem irrational to feel sad or irritable during a time where we are being drawn out of the solitude our winter retreat, this turbulence is natural as we vacillate between the softness of our yin selves and the fiery strength of our yang selves. The key, as always, is in the balance.
If you are feeling burdened by the chaos of the transition, take heart – this period of shake-up is temporary. Like the earth we occupy, we too are on the cusp of a long and exciting period of action, transformation and creativity. Do not get stuck in the feeling of being stalled. Use these last precious days to ruminate on your winter meditations and make sure that your vision is clear so that when that metamorphosis finally occurs, you are ready to pursue your ambitions with fearlessness and vigor.
This is the time of year for creation. Commit to your passion without limitation and enter the season of self-expression with the gusto of the strongest of winds. Great change is possible so harness the energy of new life and let your dreams blossom like wildflowers.