Well, yes. I am indeed rooting for Spring. We have had a long winter in Colorado – as have many places across the globe. And so my pom-pom’s are out and in consistent use as bulbs curiously poke through the soil, each day gets a bit longer, and birds happily announce the rising of the sun.

Cheerleading efforts aside, there is another way in which I am rooting for Spring, taking cues from those curious bulbs that have spent the last few weeks sending roots down deep into the soil, preparing for their grand entrance and stretch for the sky. They serve as great teachers, asking me to note what behaviors and actions help me to feel rooted and supported so that I can take great leaps and bounds once Spring has fully announced herself.

However we experience the seasons – whatever weather they bring to your doorstep – they serve as markers of important cycles in our bodies and beings. In Colorado, Winter is an inward time, when low temperatures, snow, and short daylight hours invite us to retire inside, to rest more, to slow down. It is a time that supports us in solitude and self-reflection. When Spring starts to arrive, the itch to come out of hibernation, to burst forth so that the sun can warm our skin, is a natural turn of events. And with that transition comes the invitation to root. To ground ourselves fully in the wisdom gained during the Winter months so that we can expand fully into the rebirth of Springtime.

There is a reason that Spring comes slowly, that the trees have not yet sprouted and there are still days of Winter chill. These days present themselves so that we can slow down one more time and consciously acknowledge our Wintertime learning about what we require to feel fully rooted and centered. Perhaps it is something simple, such as a realization that you need to take a solo walk every day to help relax the mind. Or it might be the understanding that talking to your spouse about your busy day late at night makes for restless sleep and a day following that is scattered and ungrounded. The key is for us to pinpoint the behaviors and actions that help us to feel more grounded, more fully connected and present, so that we can expand upward and outward in a healthy and powerful way.

I often relate this notion to the image of an ancient tree. In order for a tree to grow and sustain itself for decades, it must drop deep, intentional roots to serve as its foundation and source of nourishment. From that place, the tree can then extend itself, bending and swaying with the changing seasonal patterns. With this image guiding us, it is up to us to be curious about how we root and create a foundation of nourishment and sure-footedness so that we can broaden into the grandest, most expansive version of ourselves.