Rebirth

Over the weekend, I took the time to embrace the return of spring. As I reflected on the way that spring makes me feel, I thought it would be a great time to theme my yoga classes around this beautiful season change.

Spring signifies an opportunity for rebirth. During the winter many parts of nature die or go into a state of hibernation. As the weather warms, and the rain falls, things long-dormant begin to find new life. All of nature becomes like an enormous serpent shedding its skin. There is the chance to shrug off old layers. The plants in my garden allow their old leaves to wither and fall away to make way for new growth. In the spaces where old life falls away, new shoots emerge. This cycle plays out again and again in the natural world, year after year, decade after decade, century after century, never halted by activity in the world of man.

Perhaps we have something to learn from this natural cycle. There are times when it is essential to break from old patterns. There are times when it is essential to reevaluate. There are even times when we must move away from old ways of doing things to find a new and creative approach to what lies before us. This is one of the reasons I always seem to find new inspiration in the spring. Like the plants, I am awakened by the increase in light and I find renewed vigor for things that have become stale. Today I celebrate this chance to grow in new ways.