From Winter’s Depth to Spring’s Awakening in Nature

The following is part of an ongoing dialogue with the feelings and questions of our time. This month, our teacher Amanda Morrison offers a potent illustration of the symbols and cycles of nature, reminding us of our original connections.

Early February is the midpoint between the winter solstice and the spring equinox, a time where faint signs of spring emerge, yet the markers of winter still prevail. My ancient Celtic ancestors would have celebrated this time through the ceremony of Imbolc, celebrating the shift from the deep restoration of winter giving way to the rebirth of spring and the return of the light. Just like the world around us, we are seasonal creatures as well. As the earth makes its transit around the sun, our internal clocks and energies are acted upon in much the same way. This moment is about readying our inner world for the coming energetic transition of spring, preparing for increased action and growth.

There was a break in the heavy rain here in the Bay Area last week, allowing my client and I to get out to one of my favorite spots for an ecotherapy session. As we walked along the muddy path I could see this intersection of winter and spring and our connection to the larger cycles of nature. We noticed the early signs of new life, such as the beautiful pink bells of the California Currant and the purple cones of the Ceanothus blooming. On the other hand, we also noticed the signs of destruction from the atmospheric river that had recently ripped through this forest. Sadly, this included a fallen 100ft Oak tree, which had been part of this landscape for several decades.

As we crouched along the very full Wildcat Creek, stopping to take in the starkness of this landscape, we found ourselves thoughtfully exploring themes of destruction and renewal, as well as adaptation and resilience. These symbols spoke deeply to my client, allowing feelings previously stuck to begin to move and for new insights to emerge. The landscape was teeming with symbols that spoke to his inner experience in a way that I alone could not. After this session, this man shared that he felt “completely alive, and totally connected in a multisensory way”, and that the experience of orienting to this point in the season allowed him to be more “present with himself and his own life.” This is just some of what can come when we slow down to pay attention to the larger cycles of nature and allow our inner experience to be mirrored by the outer world.

No matter where we come from, if we go back far enough back in our ancestry, we all descend from people who had deep relationships with the natural world. Our ancestors practiced the original ecotherapy through their many ways of connecting deeply with the symbols and cycles of nature to gain personal and collective insight and imagination. These tools of connection are something many of us have forgotten how to utilize. We are living in a vibrant and responsive universe. It is through remembering this connection that we can begin to experience what so many of our ancestors must have felt: a deep sense of connection to a planet and a universe full of life and imbued with meaning.

Sending you the energy of burgeoning blossoms, Amanda, Ariana, and the Earthbody Team

NATURE PRACTICE

Spring Bloom Practice
By Kara London and Ariana Candell

In the Northern Hemisphere, we are on the bridge between Winter and Spring seasons. This can be a sweet time to begin noticing the early signs of Spring with the budding flowers. Tuning into the signs and rhythm of the season can help us to tune into the natural rhythms of our bodies and further connect with nature as teacher.

PROFESSIONAL RESOURCES

Book: All We Can Save: Truth, Courage, and Solutions for the Climate Crisis
A collection of essays, poetry, and art brought together by Ayana Elizabeth Johnson and Katharine K. Wilkinson, highlighting and uplifting the perspectives of 60 diverse women at the forefront of climate work. Goodreads declares that it “aims to advance a more representative, nuanced, and solution-oriented public conversation on the climate crisis. These women offer a spectrum of ideas and insights for how we can rapidly, radically reshape society.”

HOPEFUL NEWS & ACTIVISM

Join us in celebrating Black led farm, food, and land justice organizations.

4DaSoil “We are a Black and Asian women–led cooperative and intergenerational community that leverages and shares our collective gifts, respect for the land, and our connection and wisdom of ancestors to build relationships and provide fiscal sponsorship, technical assistance, and resource generation to strengthen and sustain Black and Brown land stewards and food ecosystems.” – As quoted in a recent YES! Magazine article: Murmurations: Making Space for Intentional Adaptation. For more about their work find them at their website.

The Acres of Ancestry Initiative/Black Agrarian Fund is a multidisciplinary, cooperative nonprofit ecosystem rooted in Black ecocultural traditions and textile arts to regenerate custodial landownership, ecological stewardship, and food and fiber economies in the South. One example of their work is the Cancel Pigford Debt Campaign, which is primarily meant to address the legacy of discriminatory loan practices against Black farmers by the USDA. They have provided (re)education through film and protest song, legal support through their parent organization Black Belt Justice Center, and provided the Biden-Harris team with policy recommendations to lessen the acute economic suffering of Black farmers.

POETRY AND INSPIRATION

In honor of Black History Month, we are uplifting the work of two incredible Black female poets, Alice Walker, and Dr. Chris Omni.

Thank you for reading! We welcome your comments and questions. Contact EBI: earthbodyinstitute@gmail.com.

We acknowledge that The Earthbody Institute is located in Huchiun, in unceded Lisjan territory, now known as Oakland. We honor and support the ancestors and present Lisjan people. We encourage you to learn more and make a donation to support the return of their land and culture.