Personal Growth

Watching the Seeds Grow

Watching the Seeds Grow
Early in the new year, we plant our seeds of intention for the year to come. As springtime approaches, we begin to see the inklings of growth from our many planted seeds. Similar to our flower friends, our intention seeds germinate at different times and never all at once. When we look at a field of flowers, we notice the different growth processes of each individual flower. Some are just budding, while others are in full bloom. The blooming occurs in the divine timing for that particular flower. Mother nature does not force or get angry at flowers that take longer to bloom, which is a beautiful metaphor for our own growth process. As Chinese philosopher Lao Tzu says, "Nature does not hurry, yet everything is accomplished."

Here are a few practices to honor your growing seeds:

Reflection


Take a moment to reflect on your new year intentions and notice what has sprouted and what seeds may still be dormant. Celebrate any amount of growth, as this is your hard work of manifesting your intentions into fruition. Do not get discouraged of the seeds that are unearthed, as these may need more time to reveal themselves above the soil. Perhaps these seeds need more nourishment from you or perhaps it is simply not the time for this particular seed to sprout. It is important to find gratitude for the fully bloomed flower, but also the evolution of the growth process from root to bloom.

Yoga Practice


Your personal yoga practice is full of growth and evolution. Do you remember the first time you practiced downward facing dog and how it felt? It may have felt tense, awkward, unsure, lacking energy, etc. Each time you step onto the mat you are refining the many poses in the yoga garden. When you have a steady practice, your poses bloom in many different ways from newfound length, body and breath awareness, strength, easeful mind, etc. The beauty of the yoga pose garden is that it continues to grow new flowers, remove weeds of tension and negative thinking, all while adapting to present inner environmental conditions such as age, injury, nutrition, and rest. Next time you step on your yoga mat, tune into your personal growth from when you first planted the yoga seed to now.

Outdoor Stroll


To see Mother Nature in action, go outside and notice the different plants you see with their various growth patterns. There will be seeds that are just beginning to sprout, flowers that are budding, flowers that are in full bloom, and others that are on the other side of blooming. This is symbolic of our own intention seeds, as well as the life cycle of our physical body. For example, a new project you started, a goal you have achieved, a job you are letting go of, cells that have died, cells just produced. Our external environment and internal environment are one in the same. Go outside and honor all that was, all that will be, and all that is!

“Deep in their roots, all flowers keep the light.”- Theodore Roethke


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