Springtime: Sprout the Seed of Your Heart’s Desire
/Think of a seed that has been hibernating through the long winter in the cold crusty earth waiting for just the right moment to reach upward through the soil toward the warmth of the life-giving sun to fulfill its life purpose, its dharma. This is the qi (life-force energy) of springtime.
What seed resides inside your heart that is waiting to spring to life?
What are your dreams and desires? What inspires you? Is there an inner beckoning to heal some part of your soul? Is there a project you want to start or a new skill you desire to learn? From a Taoist and Chinese medicine perspective, questions like these are rooted in the wood element which dominates the qi of spring, a time of renewal, growth, and healing.
Spring is the perfect time to let go of limiting beliefs and expand your idea of yourself. If someone had told me 15 years ago that I would one day be teaching yoga classes, speaking publicly at medical conferences, and leading yoga trainings, I would have thought they were deluded. I believed it to be not even remotely possible because I had an enormous fear of public speaking, so pervasive and severe that I literally would have preferred to eat glass than to speak in front of even a small group of people. Then one springtime several years ago, a series of events unfolded that guided me to a yoga teacher training. Against all odds and logic, I stumbled into teaching my first yoga classes shortly thereafter. My greatest fear transformed into my greatest joy and healing, and I’ve been teaching yoga ever since.
As the spring of 2023 started to unfold, I felt called to explore another expansion and to heal part of my soul. For a number of years, my heart’s desire has been to sing and play the harmonium in a style of music called kirtan, devotional singing done in a call and response format that is related to the bhakti (devotional) branch of yoga. But for most of my life, I identified as a person who can’t sing, I’ve never played a musical instrument, and much like my previous fear of public speaking, the idea of singing in front of people terrified me. I purchased a harmonium a few years ago, and it sat in my closet like a seed hibernating through a long cold winter. That seed finally took root and sprouted this spring.
In March I traveled to New Orleans and attended a bhakti and kirtan immersion training. At the end of the training, we each performed in front of the group. I felt enormous fear. My body revolted at tackling this old deep-seated wound, my hands shook, my voice quivered, I stumbled on my words, I played the wrong keys, and I did it anyway. It was, in equal parts, terrifying and rewarding, and through it I was embraced by the little group who attended and led the training. I was reminded of the healing power of being with other seekers in community and the healing that comes with facing fear and moving toward my heart’s desire. I did the thing that I once thought impossible – I sang and led a little kirtan.
Photo by Bonnie Gustin Photography
lokah samastah sukhino bhavantu
(Translated: “May all beings be happy and free and may the thoughts, words, and deeds of my life contribute in some way”. This was my first song, and it will always be extremely special to me.)
What seed lives within your heart that is waiting to come to life? Spring is the perfect time to take a step toward manifesting your dreams and desires; you are more powerful and capable than you may realize. If you are reading this, you are part of the Green Lotus community comprised of special souls committed to wellness, growth, and healing. From the 200-hour yoga teacher training programs to weekend immersions, from reiki training to one-on-one healing sessions, Green Lotus offers opportunities to grow and heal. May the seed that lives in your heart find the substrate upon which it will flourish.
