The Beauty Of Not Being Constantly In Bloom
What an exhausting expectation let alone reality to be constantly in bloom. Yet in our modern world we are expected to operate as through its summer all year round, continually flourishing, giving and leaning outward. Our deep disconnection to nature itself is apparent in our social structures, our workplaces and within schooling systems where we are conditioned to constantly be ‘on’.
What happens when we force ourselves to be in bloom is that we start to feel guilty when we’re really not. When we’d much rather stay home and close our petals inward and become soft and delicate we have been conditioned to not tune into the natural rhythms of the body but wonder ‘what’s going on with me? why aren’t I feeling motivated today?’ Tuning into the wisdom of our femininity is crucial. It’s like a Russian doll of cycles, we exist in the season of our hemisphere and as a woman pass through spring, summer, autumn and winter each and every month. Would we naturally want to venture out to a party when it’s like a cave of darkness outside and the ground is blanketed with snow? Probably not, so why do we give ourselves a hard time for saying no to social engagements and obligations before and whilst menstruating? Actually, why do we feel bad at all in the first place? I’ve come to view ‘bloom’ with the word ‘give’; just as the rose that gently fans out its petals offers its delicate scent, so do we offer something to others when we are in bloom, whether this comes with a conscious effort or not. The beautiful thing with nature is that we never expect it to be a constant; we never expect flowers to brighten our landscapes all year round, and the fact that their beauty is short-lived makes us appreciate them all the more. We, like the flowers and the trees, need nourishment, care and attention to nurture our bodies, minds and spirits to grow and flourish in our own unique way.
Below is a short meditation to allow you to connect with the nature of yourself. Enjoy, offered to you with love and appreciation for all that you are, and all that you gift to this world. You may want to simply contemplate the below, journal on it or record it on your voice notes to connect with your throat chakra.
I invite you to close down the eyes, relax back into the embrace of your seat.
And take a deep breath journeying through the lungs and down into the stomach, become aware of the rising and falling, the rising and falling.
Imagine yourself approaching a thatched roof cottage adorned with ivy. Stopping to pause for a moment before through entering the whitewashed wooden gate and into the secret garden which is guarded by hedges that seem to lean in to greet you.
The abundant blooms envelop you with their scent, jasmine pours into the air, and you find yourself being drawn towards a particular flower… she is calling you to study her closely, mindfully, intimately with a delicate and tender touch.
Spend a moment with her now as she relaxes her petals and allows you to gaze into the mirror of her being. Notice where she feels rigid, notice where she feels soft, and allow her head to rest into the safety of your hands.
Is the sun shining upon your face or is the wind whistling through the trees? Is she swaying or is she still? Do you feel warmth or an underlying chill?
Is the soil rich and fertile… anchor your feet into her now… which way is she pulling you as you plant your fingers into the earth now? Is she nourished or is she thirsting?
You burrow into the rich darkness and place an offering in her warm embrace and bow your head at her feet.
And then you hear the whispers of Rumi say
“Very little grew on jagged rock. Be grounded, be crumbled so wildflowers will come up where you are”
“If you want the moon do not hide from the night. If you want a rose do not run from the thorns. If you want love do not hide from yourself”
“Maybe you are searching for among branches what only appears in the roots”
“Be like a tree and let the dead leaves drop”
Place one hand on your heart and the other on your stomach, once again become aware of the stomach rising and falling, reflective of the cycles of our nature.