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Moving Forward without Falling Apart

How you ever felt disappointed? Discouraged? Frustrated? If you imaged your life as a garden, would your patch of paradise be vibrant and bursting with color? Or parched and overrun with weeds?

As the season transitions from winter to spring so does the body, mind, and spirit. Springtime is when the Wood Element is most dominant. The positive virtues of the Wood Element are compassion, creativity and growth. Think of a fresh delicate bud on a sturdy tree. That tiny sprig is soft, flexible and ready to grow, grow, grow. Nature can teach us so much about what we need to nourish our dreams.

As spring approaches, dare greatly and ask, “What do I feel growing inside of me? Let me bring that forth, if I can, for its own sake and not for what it can do for me or how it can advance my standing.” (If you’re a writer, yup – that’s Steven Pressfield’s daily mantra to his mighty Muse.)

Here are some fast and easy tips for nourishing your creativity so you can cultivate the sweet blessings of your dreams and hopes.

Cleanse your liver, soften your mind, uplift your spirit.Our liver is located in the upper right quadrant of the abdomen just below the diaphragm. The liver is related to the Wood Element, which helps us cleanse our mind, body and spirit of negative emotions such as anger, frustration and impatience. Click here to learn how to cleanse your liver using simple and gentle Qigong movements.

Follow-up intense sessions of creativity and/or movement with rest and relaxation. Yin and Yang at its best! When you decide you’re going to do something, go for it. Focus your intention and energy on why you’re doing something and what you’re doing. But when you’re done with the activity or growing tired, stop! Take the time to recover and replenish. Step away from your Work. Renew your intention by relaxing and refocusing. Now go back out there refreshed and ready to go, go, grow!

Meditate rather than medicate. Rather than drinking that extra glass of wine (love your liver!), texting while driving (dangerous!) or watching television for hours (fattening!), check in with your breath. Watch your thoughts without stories attached. Stop, sit and breathe. Mediation is proven to boost creatively and feed precious brain cells that make you smarter, sharper and sexier. Put down the wine, put down the phone and turn off the television. Now say it with me: OMMMMM.

We hope you feel and receive the bright, loving sunshine that heralds the arrival of Spring. Nourish your creativity, honor your liver and watch compassion, creativity and growth plant deep roots in your life and your world.

OM, Peace, Amen.
Chris & Parisa Shelton and the Morning Crane Team