The In-Between: Winter to Spring

 It’s the end of February, late winter, as we prepare to meet the maiden of Spring. While winter hangs on, many of us are seeing the first signs of spring - crocuses popping up, tiny leaf buds on the cherry trees, but most of all is the smell. Late February and early March is when we can perceive that delicate shift from frozen earth to damp, dank soil.

The earth is humming with life beneath the surface.

We’re still in the earthy, watery realms of winter but the shift into the element of Air is quickly approaching. Soon the maple blossoms will be abuzz with honey bees collecting some of their first nectar, young nettles will be popping up out of moist soil, and deep green violet leaves can be found tucked in at the foot of the fir trees.

While it can be tempting to jump right into the fresh, airy energetics of spring, it’s wise to go slowly, savoring the depths of winter for just a little longer even as we prepare for the coming of spring.

How can we embody this transitional time between winter and spring?

This is where nature’s brilliance shines.

Because seasonal energetics shift along a spectrum. While we have solstices and equinoxes that mark specific astrological moments of change, the energetics inherent in nature don’t suddenly “become” spring. There’s a gradual, almost imperceptible shift that invites us into deep presence with ourselves as we exist in this web of life.

So, to shift gracefully from winter to spring is simply an invitation to observe and be present with nature. We follow nature’s signals. As life awakens and emerges in the spring, so do we.

We emerge from our cocoon rested, nourished, replenished. In theory anyway.

Here are some of my favorite ways to attune to this transitional time:

• Get outside first thing to get morning light exposure. This helps align your circadian rhythm with the sun and earth.

• Get outside more in general. Pick a particular place that’s easily accessible and visit at least once a week. Note the plants coming to life and how they look each week. Do you notice different animals or insects week to week?

• Walk. While winter’s energetics embody stillness, spring is all about movement. Our bodies naturally crave functional movement to get lymph and blood flowing, moving stagnation that may have built up over the winter.

• Eat well-cooked dark leafy greens. While it’s still cold and you want to preserve digestive fire, you can start exploring more leafy foods that resonate with the energetics of spring such as well-cooked dark leafy greens like kale, collard greens, and chard. It helps preserve your digestive fire while beginning to attune with spring, which is associated with the color green.

• Finish a project. Winter marks both the end of one cycle and the beginning of another. Finish a project you’ve been working on over this past cycle, allowing it to be symbolic of clearing space to welcome new energy in the Spring. Imagine this is a project that has been coming to fruition over the last year. The end of winter is the time to complete it and lay it to rest.

Prompt

After completing one of the Embodiment Practices, free write around this question:

What is your body system ready to leave behind in the fallow soil of winter? What feels complete and ready to be released, not to be taken into this new cycle of growth?