Happy Monday and happy first day of April! (: What a joy to see the start of a new month! I hope no one plays any cruel April Fool's jokes on you today.
We have officially entered spring and it has been magical to see and feel the days getting longer. What hasn't been magical to see and feel is this dang pollen!!! Anyone else barely hanging on this allergy season?! Yikes.
I'm extra excited because April is the month of beach yoga's return! I have been so blown away by the support and excitement surrounding this offering. If you've ever attended one of these sessions held on Wrightsville Beach, you know that it truly is such a magical class. They're the kind of sessions that make you think, "why don't I do this more often?" And I hope you will. I've added the schedule through July in this email.
Longer and lighter days is what April is bringing us. We love to see it. We move and shift out of the darkness and in the direction of this light. During the winter, but not just in the winter, we have dark days. And sometimes they are really difficult. We hibernate, in a sense, spending more time with ourselves, stock up on all of our indoor activities, and maybe lose some motivation to just get out there. These dark days shift though. And the light slowly starts to seep in. This time of year I always think of the lotus flower. The lotus flower has been called the beautiful survivor. Sheesh- what a name. The lotus pushes its way through the dark, murky, muddy waters, and rises toward the sun’s light. As the lotus bud first emerges at the surface of the water and basks in the sunlight, the first petal opens. And it's freaking beautiful.
The lotus is known as a survivor because it rises from the dark muddy waters, where most could not continue, and it finds the warmth and nourishment of the light. As the bud hits the surface of the water and drinks in the sunlight, that one, single petal opens, signifying an achievement. Oftentimes in our busy lives, we overlook the smallest achievements. We tell ourselves its only the big achievements that really matter. But what about choosing to pick up the 2lb heavier dumbbells at the gym, or finally following through with catching up with that friend, finishing the book you started last year, organizing your closet, or just looking out for your future self by remembering to put something out to thaw for dinner. Each petal that opens is an achievement of survival, life, and opportunity. The lotus has strength and beauty, it is able to overcome all of its environmental obstacles and show the world its beauty. They are resilient and strong and symbolize not only these things but also rebirth, overcoming hardship and fiercely moving toward to the light.
Sure, if it was all light and only light, we would never know darkness. We would never be pushed to grow, to reevaluate and perhaps shift direction. It's something that is way easier said than done, but maybe this month, or whenever we feel the struggle to see the light (the goodness, the positives, the progress), we challenge ourselves to just embrace the dark days and sit with them. In the same way that we relish in the bright ones, we can use that darkness to push ourselves even farther towards greatness- to be a better person today than we were yesterday. Does it make the dark days any less difficult? Oh hell no. It does, however make them worth something.
More light, less heaviness.
More love, less comparison.
Light and love. Love and light.
Celebrate those achievements. Give that compliment. Don't hold back what's on the tip of your tongue. Embrace it all and bask in that glory.
April is ours- it is never too late to become exactly the person you want to be. I'm rooting for you. There's room for all of us at the top!
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