Living with the seasons

One of the tenants of All of my althea Fera programs is working with the natural cycles of nature. Our modern age is full of ways to cheat nature, artificial lighting, air conditioning, fast food, etc. Even though this can be extremely convenient and necessary it screws up our body’s cycles which are absolutely critical for our health. One of the ways that I re-introduce natural cycles into my life is by paying attention to the seasons and making changes according to the shifting of the energy around me.

What does this mean in real life?

Spring is the time of renewal, of fresh starts, green, colors, changing weather, and clearing out what’s left from winter.

Summer is all about growth, heat, we need hydration, and to feel refreshed.

Fall like spring is all about change, preparation for winter, storage, letting go like the leaves, and slowing down

Winter is all about turning inwards, rest, communing, support, harshness, etc

Spring

For my family and I, we choose to count spring as the start of the year. It’s the time of year that everything else is coming back to life. The energy of the earth is increasing all around us, so it makes WAY more sense to begin making big changes here. As we transition out of the cold, dark winter months to the bright, warm months of spring and summer, we encounter big changes each week. As for us in Southern California, we’re dealing with some seriously big storms this year. Storms are a way of dissipating energy mismatches in the system. Storms are created when hot and cold air and water mix. The energy being stirred up can’t really escape the system, so the storm is the way to even it out. (BTW this phenomenon is mirrored in our own lives, especially during times of big change. Notice the volatility of a toddler, teenager, transitioning out of the honeymoon phase, into menopause, etc.) Storms remove blocks and create space for us to incorporate new things.

Spring is also the time when the earth goes into detox mode, removing the leftover build-up from winter. Streams grow larger and wash out the build-up, greens are sprouting, and everything begins to move. In our lives that can mean spring cleaning, detoxes, and increasing our activity levels. If you follow along with the season, this means you increase your intake of greens, start walking your neighborhood to get some early morning sun, and possibly start to go through your home to get rid of things that are no longer serving you.

My most favorite part of spring is the explosion of life and fecundity (fertility). Flowers are literally everywhere. Bees are buzzing and the birds are singing their songs. Spring is the time for planting ideas and creating new life. In your life this might look like just spending time outside connecting with the beauty around you, it might look like beginning your “new year’s” resolutions, or it might be the time when you make some serious changes. Spring is all about renewal, rebirth, and creation. Now is the time for big shifts, not the dead of winter. But be careful, your shifts are in alignment with your life goals, not the trends of the season. Those will pass and therefore your motivation to keep going. Goals in alignment with your life goals, that match your big Why, will sustain you even when things get difficult.

Summer

Summer is all about growth and productivity. Most plants are in the process of growing fruits, getting big, and surviving the summer heat. The longer days and more sunlight provide the energy that plants and all of us living beings need to grow and develop. This time is all about sustaining growth and taking advantage of that extra energy. In our lives that usually shows up as us resting during the heat of the day and staying up late to enjoy the longer days.

In the summer months, I always crave time in and around water, whether it’s the ocean, splashing around in a stream, or lazing about in the pool. Water is a necessity to cool the heat in our lives during summer. Seasonal foods have lots of water in them, like watermelon and peaches.

In your life, living with the summer season might look like increasing water intake, focusing on maintaining adequate levels of rest (especially during the heat of the day), and eating foods with cooling qualities (like mint, cucumber, and melons). Make sure to cool your emotional heat as well, with enough rest and taking time to play.

Fall

Fall is another big transition season. Like spring this is a time when we often see storms and big changes in the natural world. This is the time to use that change energy to make shifts in our lives from outward growth to inward attention. Fall is the time when most fruits ripen, we harvest and prepare for the winter. Plants pull their energy into their roots and allow the things that are no longer serving them to die off during the winter.

In our lives, this is one of the most powerful times for making changes for ourselves. We can use this energy to intentionally let go of what is no longer serving us. Fall is a great time to do another life audit. Check in with the important areas of your life, social, financial, physical, environmental… and see what areas are affecting you the most. What in your life is giving you the most return on investment, so to speak, what is taking the most from you? What small changes can make the biggest differences? What may you need to completely release? What could make this transition more fun? What strengths do I have that I can use to my advantage? What weaknesses of mine are limiting me from moving forward? Can I delegate it? Etc… I definitely suggest doing life audits on a regular basis, especially when you’re feeling overwhelmed.

Extra Support:

During Times of transition, it can be incredibly helpful to seek additional help to get you through this space. Whether that’s a close friend, a coach, a therapist, etc. it’s incredibly helpful to have someone who can zoom out and look at the whole picture for you and help you look at the problem from another perspective.

Also, it can be incredibly helpful to develop a physical representation of release for emotional burdens or nontangibles. I really love writing things down and burning the paper (of course in a fire-safe space like a fireplace, outside in a fire pit, etc), or if that won’t work ripping the paper up and burying it. But you can come up with whatever works for you.

Fall is also a time to prepare for the winter ahead, we eat heavier, warmer foods (like spiced squash, more meat, and lots of carbs). In the time before food traveled thousands of miles to get to us, we would have needed to gain weight in order to survive the winter. So, it’s no wonder that people always talk about the holiday weight that they put on during this time of year. The earth naturally provides these carbs to us so that we can gain the necessary weight for the winter. The only problem is, the winter (lack of food) doesn’t really come.

Winter

Winter is all about turning inwards. Things die off, the world slows, and darkness is king. This time is when we as humans throughout history turn towards each other, celebrate all we’ve accomplished throughout the year, and hope for the return of the sun. We spend much more time indoors, in close contact with our families. Which as most of us can relate, can be difficult.

To live along with the season, slow way down. Give yourself time to grieve the losses and changes that have happened this year, and direct your focus inward toward yourself and those closest to you. Celebrate all that has happened this year and give yourself the gift of connection. Eat warming, comforting foods. In the winter, we naturally eat more calorie-dense foods in order to maintain the metabolism we need to survive the cold temperatures. So, if you find yourself craving heavier foods, it’s totally natural. With that being said you will need to make sure your calories aren’t coming from added sugar and instead you satisfy your needs with fat, which satiates you for much longer.

Working with Your Own Personal Seasons

I think that it’s important to bring attention to the fact that we each have seasons of life as well. Different parts of our lives represent different seasons. For example, pregnancy may be like spring where there are lots of transitions but is a beautiful process full of life and love. Losing a job may begin a long winter for you. And transitioning to a new time of life might feel like shedding a bunch of parts of yourself, just like the trees during fall. It’s important to recognize that we fluctuate in and out of seasons all the time and to give yourself grace during those times when you may not be as productive as you would like to be.

Another really helpful tool is to know your own personal strengths and weakness. These are our constitutions, they are naturally ingrained in us based on our genetics, life experiences, and environments. I love using the doshas as a starting point. Check out this quiz to learn more for yourself. Also, taking the via strengths survey can be a great place to start.

If you want help moving through life transitions, let’s set up a time to chat about how I can help you build a life that supports you.