Spring is a season of new life. The ground thaws, tiny buds appear, and daylight continues to lengthen. Bringing mindfulness to spring is a beautiful way to cherish this fresh and fertile season. From nature contemplations to spring meditations, there are numerous ways to honor and savor this revitalizing time of year.
In this comprehensive guide to mindfulness and meditations for spring, we will explore:
Three Core Energies of Spring
Take a moment to close your eyes and sense into the season of spring. What primary energies does it embody for you? How does it differ from the other seasons?
While spring might feel different for each of us (and from year to year), there are a few core energies that we typically associate with this season:
1. New Beginnings
First and foremost, spring is a time of new beginnings – or of rebirth. After winter’s hibernation, the Earth is ready to blossom once again. New life shoots through layers of last year’s leaves. Bare branches slowly regain their greenery. We, too, might embody this energy of new beginnings. Perhaps we were sitting on a creative idea through the winter, or perhaps we were really and truly savoring the opportunity to rest. Now might be the time for us to start fresh – to jump into a new project or to adopt a new way of thinking or being.
2. Expansion
Another core energy or theme of spring is expansion. It is a time of growth – literally and energetically. Whereas autumn guides us to slow down and turn inwards, spring invites us to open. Buds and blossoms expand in a literal sense and we might find ourselves expanding through our way of being. Can the heart space open a bit more? Can the mind open a bit more? Can we expand and soften as we breathe? These are questions we might carry with us through the season.
3. Fertility & Creativity
Embedded in new beginnings and expansion is a creative energy. The soil is fertile after having a winter of rest and replenishment. It is ready to create. We, too, might find ourselves reinvigorated and refreshed, ready to build something new. There is a lot of power in this creative energy. We can bring mindfulness to it by getting curious: What does my heart long to create or nurture this season?
Three Meditations for Spring
To harness the energy of this season, you might consider the following three meditations for spring. These meditations can be practiced year round of course. However, you might find they pair particularly well with the spring season.
1. Planting Seeds of Intention
Taking pause to note and ‘plant’ seeds of intention is a powerful practice for spring. This type of spring meditation invites us to become curious about our heart’s intent for the coming season. Where are we called to grow? What do we yearn for more of? Where do we want to expand or transform? You can use the following meditation as a guide.
2. Heart Opening: Metta Meditation
Another way to harness the expansive energy of spring is to practice a heart opening meditation, such as metta meditation. Metta meditation (or loving-kindness meditation) is a practice of extending well wishes to others and to ourselves. The more we practice, the more our hearts will open in ways that serve both us and others.
3. Nature Gazing Meditation
Spring is a wonderful time to bring mindfulness to the great outdoors. For a nature gazing meditation, find a safe and comfortable place to sit outside. Put your phone away and take ten minutes (or more) to just sit. Bring open awareness to everything that filters through you – sights, sounds, smells, and sensations. Can you feel the energies of spring? What do you notice as you mindfully take in this natural environment? Curiosity is foundational.
A Spring Meditation Script
For another spring practice, read through the following spring guided meditation script. This practice is ideal for the very end of winter or the beginning of spring - right when things begin to shift in a profound way.
Additional Ways to Honor Spring
Beyond formal meditation practice, there are many ways to honor the spring season. Consider weaving the following simple practices into your coming spring days.
Savor the Season
If you yearn to deepen your connection to the spring season, a spring meditation may be of service to you. Savor this time of new beginnings, expansion, and creativity by mindfully tuning into the changes around you.
Note, however, that despite having outlined these common energies of spring, you may not always feel in congruence with them. In other words, you might be going through your own cycles and feel attuned to opposite (perhaps more autumnal) energies. There is nothing that you ‘should’ feel or notice this season (or any season). Let your experience of spring be honest and true to you. And, know that like the season: it changes.
Whatever this season holds for you, may you meet it with care and curiosity. May you be held and nourished by the new life all around.