Are you feeling stuck and in need of a reset? Do you want to infuse your spiritual practices with energy? Spring is a great time to shake off limitations and breathe freshness into the physical, emotional, and psychic spaces of our lives. There are lots of ways to approach renewal, but my favorites always involve the green world of plants.
You don’t have to be a gardener to reap the benefits of plant energies. Even non-gardeners are probably familiar with the four plants used in the renewal practices in this article. Each one has a distinctive fragrance or flavor which helps wake up our senses and invoke refreshing energy. They each focus on a different aspect of renewal. Choose the practices best suited to you.
Before beginning any of the practices take some time to be still and grounded. Then cultivate an awareness that the plant you are working with has shared its life force with you and express gratitude silently or aloud.
Peppermint for Spiritual Renewal. Peppermint has a strong resonance with purification, especially purification of energy and thoughts. One reason we have trouble tuning into our own wisdom and intuition is self-doubt. Peppermint can assist us in sweeping away self-doubt and other energetic blocks. In so doing, it can help us connect more deeply to our spiritual self and life purpose. For this practice, you need a small piece of cotton fabric (about four inches square), a smaller piece of paper, pen, ribbon, and dried peppermint. You can find peppermint at your local herb store or in the herbal tea aisle of your supermarket.
On the paper write the words, “I am sweeping away blocks to intuitive wisdom and spiritual guidance.” Place the paper and peppermint on the cotton square. Bring the corners together and tie with a ribbon. You now have an amulet for renewal.
Hold the amulet in your hands to charge it with energy. Breathe in. As you exhale, repeat the affirmation and envision the amulet absorbing your words and intentions. Repeat at least ten times. Press gently on the amulet to release the peppermint fragrance and know that your affirmation is working. You can carry the amulet with you or place it in a visible location and release the fragrance throughout the day. Repeat this practice for seven days.
Lemon Balm for Emotional Renewal. Lemon Balm has long been associated with emotional healing. Lingering wounds can block our ability to move forward. Lemon balm creates both a wake-up call for healing and the energy to make it happen.
For this practice, you will need your journal, a pen, a lemon balm tea bag or about two tablespoons of dried lemon balm, a cup for tea, and a pot for boiling water. If using loose tea, you will also need a strainer. Lemon balm is available at herb stores and many supermarkets in the herbal tea aisle.
Prepare the tea by pouring boiling water over it. Sit quietly for about five minutes as the tea brews. Allow the concept of healing and renewal to wash over you as you inhale the fragrance. Strain the tea, if needed, and then sip to align with lemon balm energy.
Write the following questions in your journal: What needs to be healed? What actions can I take to heal and move forward? Sit quietly with these questions and record any insights in your journal. Intersperse sitting and writing with sipping tea. Allow at least fifteen minutes to be with these questions. Resolve to follow through with guidance you receive. This meditation becomes more powerful if repeated. You will often receive additional guidance as you work with the practice. Commit to at least three practices in a week.
Rosemary for Refreshing our Strengths. Rosemary is a plant of remembrance. It might seem odd to highlight remembrance as we are seeking to refresh and move forward. However, renewal is not only about release. It includes dusting off and appreciating the things we want to keep.
Many of us need reminders to stop and recognize our strengths. We are often more aware of our failings. Rosemary energy helps us realign our focus to appreciate the places we are strong.
For this practice you will need your journal, a pen, and dried or fresh rosemary. Many supermarkets carry fresh rosemary in the produce section. It is also available dried in the spice aisle.
Sit with a small amount of rosemary in your hands (either dry or fresh) and your journal nearby. Squeeze or rub the leaves to release the fragrance. Breathe deeply. Then write in your journal: What are my strengths? What has made it possible for me to get to this point in my life? If you feel stuck identifying strengths, consider what a good friend would say about you. Allow enough time for awareness of strengths to bubble up.
Recognizing our strengths helps us sweep away the negative practice of self–criticism and embrace self–love. It shines a light on what sustains us, not what holds us back. You can take this practice a step further by posting a list of your strengths where you can easily see them. Repeat often.
Radish for Manifestation. Renewal involves manifesting something new in our lives, whether that is a new outlook, a healthy habit, or a job. Most people are familiar with the pungent wake up flavor of radishes. Gardeners know they are one of the fastest growing seeds once planted. Their ability to grow quickly and their punchy flavor makes them great allies for manifesting our dreams and goals.
For this practice, you’ll need some tissue paper, a pen, a five- or six-inch garden pot, some potting soil, and radish seeds. Radish seeds are available at many hardware stores and supermarkets in the spring. A simple recycled garden pot can be created from the bottom of a milk carton. You can also ask a gardener friend for the last three items.
Cut a small section of tissue paper. You will be wrapping it around the radish see. It should be no bigger than two inches square as you want it to dissolve after planting. Write your manifestation goal on the tissue paper. Wrap the tissue paper around one of the radish seeds and hold it in your hand.
The radish seed holds the blueprint for a new radish. Like the radish, your goal is still in seed form, and it is a seed ready to germinate. Visualize your manifestation seed and radish seed as one. Then see them germinating and coming to fruition.
Plant your radish seed (about ½ inch deep) wrapped in tissue paper and know that you are seeding your dream into the universe. Then water the pot. Each day hold the pot in your hands and visualize your goal manifesting. You can tape a drawing or picture of your goal to the side of the pot to help with visualization.
Water the pot as needed. Soil should not dry out, but it also should not be soggy. Your radish and dreams should start to manifest in about seven days.
Whether it is seeds sprouting or leaves appearing on trees, the green world comes vibrantly alive in the spring. We can consciously align ourselves with that energy in an infinite number of ways. It’s one of the best times to ask ourselves what we can do to refresh and renew, and then listen to our internal wisdom.
