Yesterday was the spring equinox, signaling rebirth, renewal, and awakening. For me, it’s just as much about releasing the slower, heavier energy of winter as it is stepping into the newness. And since yesterday was freezing and windy in Brooklyn, I found myself leaning in even more to my favorite methods of letting go.
See if any of these resonate with you…this is what works for me to feel lighter and ready to step forward:
1. Make it bite-size.
When I started studying Reiki, I adopted a practice of saying the Reiki precepts to myself every day. One of them is “Just for today, do not worry.” Every time I say it, I feel my shoulders automatically relax. In that moment, I realize how much “stuff” I’m naturally carrying around in my body, mind, and soul all the time. I love that “just for today” removes any pressure. Letting go of hanging on to residual concerns or worse-case-scenarios for just one day? That I can do. Or at least try to do!
2. Say good-bye to attachment.
A few years ago I lost my favorite necklace, the one I never take off — except for one day when I had a massage appointment. I became very, very upset, but then decided to ask Archangel Michael to help me find it. In pleading with him, I suddenly had clarity. Losing this necklace wasn’t the end of the world. Many other things in life are more valuable. I told Archangel Michael it was ok with me if I never found it. I saw the big picture and knew I’d survive and thrive without it. Just then my body moved toward my desk and I didn’t know why…until I saw my necklace lying on top of a pile of papers. I had my necklace back, but had learned a huge lesson in attachment. Our life, balance, wellness, and health flow so much more freely when we avoid the extremes of attachment. Buddhists see releasing attachment as the way to enlightenment. Meditating on the big picture always helps me grow and expand.
3. Get out of your head, into your heart.
In 2018, I rode a horse named Cosmo on an extreme trail ride in Costa Rica. Rocky terrain, crazy cliffs, and super-steep hills had me solidly in fear, with repeating thoughts of, “Why did I think this was a good idea?”, and because I was suffering from back pain at the time, “I’m going to need traction after this”. (Not too dramatic.) Cosmo, however, had everything under control and knew all would be fine. He kept intuitively telling me to go back into my heart, out of my head. Each time I did, I felt worlds better, and experienced pure joy. Toward the end of the trail, Cosmo was the only horse who took an alternate route up a daunting hill, where he took two enormous leaps to the top. I held on for dear life, but trusted Cosmo implicitly and felt absolutely exuberant when we reached the summit. That was by far the best letting-go lesson I’ve ever received. Whenever I want to release fear, I immerse myself in my heart joy like Cosmo told me to.
4. Literally throw a rock.
During that Costa Rica trip with Cosmo, each night I returned to my cabin, I’d find a frog sitting in the path to the front door. When I’d stop and shine my flashlight on him and say hello, he’d sit there for a moment and then hop away. On the last day of the trip, our group journeyed with our horse partners to a river and each of us chose an oracle card. Mine said the word “clearing” above a picture of a frog. In my heart, I thanked the frog for showing up every night for me, as now I understood he was a messenger. At the river, we also each chose a rock and wrote on it what we’d like to release, then we threw the rock into the river. I felt so much lighter afterwards and thanked the frog and Cosmo for showing me how to move beyond fear. That night when I returned to my cabin, the path was clear.
I’m wishing you all a beautiful, clear, forward-motion spring, full of your own heart-centered messengers, relaxed shoulders, and true freedom. 💜🌻
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