Set Your Trajectory.
When we observe how the natural world’s energy resides in us currently, we might find a seed of inspiration that wants to grow. The seeds deep in the ground that have been dormant for the past few months during the winter stillness are starting to wriggle and sprout. They may not be visible to the naked eye yet, but there’s an inkling that something is emerging.
These inspirations are the energy of the wood element that arises in the spring as sprouting energy that burst up from the earth. We’re not quite in springtime yet, but we feel it coming, as a glimmer of hope and excitement. This is the time to observe what to cultivate and what not to. As anything can grow, both negative and positive attributes, and if we’re not paying attention we can find ourselves full of unwanted weeds (fear, doubt, criticisms) that strangle and take up the energy for what we hope to grow.
Like any good farmer or gardener, we put our attention to what we want to grow and observe what’s getting in the way, take action, and remove it. How do we do this internally to tend to our psyche and energy? First, identify a way of BEING that we want to cultivate. This way of being needs to serve us and all others around us, ultimately for the greater good. Maybe it’s to be more confident, generous, peaceful, appreciative, or accepting. This way of BEING can imbue all that we want to do, with a lightness and Satvic attitude, especially towards what we resist or resent.
The Yoga Sutra 2.33 states, “When negative thoughts present themselves, cultivate and think the opposite thoughts with feeling;” which helps us to clean up any negative behavior or thought patterns - pulling the weeds out of our own soul’s garden. The ways of BEING that are beneficial want to come forth, so to hone in on one that would bring a shortcoming into balance by cultivating its opposite, is pulling out a weed and replacing it with something beneficial. This takes intention, as does growing anything that will benefit.
We can start by having the intention to become more generous when feeling selfish or self-absorbed. becoming more accepting of those we’re judging, especially ourselves. To embody this concept, rather than just intellectualize it, is to meditate and breathe into it and become it. Meditating isn’t easy for most of us, so using the visual imagery of a lotus in the heart opening and closing with the breath is a great way to start. Then we can add in the seed of BEING that would benefit.
We can breathe into the image of confidence if we’ve been feeling insecure or anxious, and visualize our highest potential of standing tall, calm, and confident. Then take it further to see ourselves beaming with calm centered confidence where we feel insecure.
~Cultivate the opposite~
What we practice gets stronger
Start with what is out of balance, identify the weed, find what the remedy would be, and seed your meditations with that.
Add the inner smile to it, just by expanding and lifting the corners of your mouth to it. This brightens the mind and changes the chemistry of our brain! Tap into the wise mind that’s smiling and building endurance to grow into someone with strength and integrity. This is amending our inner gardens with nutrient-rich soil. So we become someone that’s comfortable in our own skin and can continue to grow into our highest potential.
With this newfound way of BEING that brings us back into balance, we can then grow into what we want to DO and BECOME, as we set our trajectory.
Not only do we have the 5 seasonal energies, but we have our life stages that relate to each of these elements and energy directions.
0-3 years old: Spring’s wood element of sprouting and growth corresponds to the liver and gallbladder which we experience from conception to 8 years old is upward growth.
8-33: Early summer’s fire element blooms and connects to the heart and small intestine’s energy that is most alive from the ages 8-33 when we’re typically the most beautiful, energetic, and blooming into who we are. This is the flowering of expansive energy.
33-58: Late summer’s earth element of balanced grounded energy of the spleen and stomach is during our adult years from 33-58, when we’re working hard, cultivating a career and or family. This is the fruiting energy, delivering our goods to society.
58-83: Autumn’s metal element of ~letting go~ energy that we experience in the lungs and large intestine during the ages of 58-83 when we’re retiring, maybe kids moving out of the house, letting go of what was, and hopefully giving back to society in service. This is known as shining our metal into gold. The energy of metal - cutting away and letting go, as we observe the leaves falling in the autumn, we too let go and no longer need as much.
83-108: The winter water element of stillness and wisdom relates to the energy of the kidneys and bladder during the ages of 83-108, our sage years, ultimately sharing our wisdom with the new little sprouting children coming up around us.
A classic Taoist meditation during this time of year from winter into spring is regarding the life phases and setting our course. Whatever age we’re at, we look to the next seasonal phase and visualize ourselves as the strongest, brightest, most vibrant, and healthy version. We set our trajectory!
So if we’re in the earth phase between 33-58, we look to the beginning of the next metal phase beginning at 58 and visualize ourselves shining our metal by staying strong and healthy so we can give back to society, which will keep us happy and fulfilled, and let go of what’s no longer needed.
Or if we’re in the metal stage we can look to the water phase starting at 83 as a wise elder that moves with ease and is benefitting others with our kind loving wisdom.
This meditation is to be done daily this time of year, as a way of seeding and cultivating our growth process. By imprinting a clear image of whom we are becoming in detail, what we look like in our brightest form, seeing ourselves smiling and peaceful, who we might be surrounded by, and what we are doing starts to put the wheels in motion. This way we’re taking some agency as we age and not randomly growing a bunch of weeds of fear and dread in depleted rocky barren soil, but cultivating a thriving garden that’s rich and abundant and giving back, which is the ultimate evolution.
We are ultimately responsible for our own healing.
The Meridian Flow practice transcends chronic pain, anxiety, and autoimmune issues naturally.
From my heart light to yours~
Namaste,
Maggie