Creation - The Shoots

Movement is a medicine for creating change in a person's physical, emotional, and mental states. ~Carol Welch

This spring has started in what I think is a fantastic way. Last week was amazingly warm and inviting. It was impossible not to move and feel more alive than in the winter months. Of course, in true New England fashion, the cool down came along with the rains and this weekend it should be back in the teens. I think Mother Nature wants an assurance that we will appreciate fully the potential of spring when it finally settles in.

Like the second chakra, spring is full of creation energy. Called Svadhisthana this chakra represents water, movement, pleasure, nuturance and the emotions. In the body it is located just at the navel point and is the place of procreation energy and creativity as well as all our feelings. When the smells and sounds of spring begin to appear I can't help but feel so happy. It just bubbles up! When I can comfortably be in the outside air, I walk through my yard to see my sleeping gardens and invariably the happiness turns into excitement which gives rise to new ideas.

What creative ideas are bubbling forth for you?

I have been thinking about the vegetables I want to plant...I already have my lettuce seeds perched at the front door waiting for the perfect time to sow them directly into my waiting garden soil. Do you have vegetable plans?

With all the rains and flooding, I keep thinking about rain gardens as the perfect storm water solution for more and more residential properties. These fabulous gardens (also called Bio Retention Cells) are built to hold excess water runoff so that it can gently percolate down and recharge into the ground without causing flooding. The water is cleaned by the plants and the soils as it seeps back into the earth. These gardens are planted with both herbaceous and woody material that are very attractive to look at as they do this important environmental work.

The winds of today and yesterday remind me how important it is to be flexible and invite movement into my life. It is the woodier plants that are susceptible to breakage under the pressure of wind. But the ornamental grasses, oh how they flow with such grace and ease. Managing the growth of trees with careful and thoughtful pruning right from the start will train them into balanced forms and offer them more grace and flexibility to withstand winds. Find an arborist today that can help you keep your valuable woody ornamental and shade trees in healthy balance.

Each year gardeners get a new opportunity to nurture the earth whether it be a tiny vegetable plot or acres and acres of gardens. The creativity and passion that go into the tasks of gardening are most rewarding and fulfilling. You can't help but feel empowered to create and move when playing in your garden!

Happy Gardening.

Grounding - The Roots

Mountain pose teaches us, literally, how to stand on our own two feet.... teaching us to root ourselves into the earth.... Our bodies become a connection between heaven and earth. ~Carol Krucoff

Standing tall and straight in the pose described above - Mountain pose - reminds me of how I felt as a kid standing on the peak of Mount Monadnock with my Mom and brother, Christian. I felt proud and alive; vital to my core. We had accomplished something special and we stood for so long on the rocks feeling the sturdy mountain beneath our feet. It was exhilarating.

The First Chakra - at the base of the spine - is called the Root Chakra or in Sanskrit it is called the Muladara Chakra. This is the stabilizer, the source of our survival instinct and our drive for success. It is a place to also learn patience and find deep balance.

For plants, there is no other option but to set roots. A tree for example must first set roots, spread them wide and far. The roots are less deep than you would imagine - check out this image of a Pine tree blow down - huge pancake! Only as the roots mature will the tree that you and I see respond with proper growth of the trunk, branches, twigs, leaves, flowers and fruits. The roots offer all the stability, balance, nourishment and patience that the tree needs.

As gardeners we need to always consider the roots...first and foremost. It is easy to forget about them because they are "out of site, out of mind". But we do so at our peril...and the tree's.

When you choose a plant for your garden, stop and think about the web of life that will evolve in the soil beneath and around that plant. This focus is a sure way toward ensuring success, because you will be moved to think about soil, nutrients, location, and the community of other plants.

Similarly, take a moment to think about your base energy. How are you surviving? Do you feel stable and patient? Are you feeling successful in your endeavors? These questions will remind you that you too need to think about your environment and community as sources of sustenance.

To boost your Root Chakra energy take a walk outside and find a big, old tree that you feel drawn to. Get as close as you can and be with that tree. Yes, it is okay to hug it if you really want to - it won't mind (or run away). Take note of the base of the trunk where it flares out as it enters the earth and contemplate the vast root system that is spread out all around you. It will be impossible for you not to feel a boost of energy. The tree will share with you - happily.

I assure you there is energy healing to be had all around you. Give it a shot and let me know how you do! This exercise may sound a bit earthy crunchy, but hey if it was good for Buddha!

Happy Gardening