Blog Archives - Journey with the Seasons

Pruning and weeding...

4/28/2017

We are in the time of year where everything is growing apace and pushing through with the energy of the wood element. It is exciting and can be a little chaotic with 'things' sprouting everywhere. It can be intense and overwhelming, where we start feeling like we can't see the 'wood for the trees'. In the law of the five elements it is the metal element that controls wood. Think pruning, cutting and weeding with metal tools. Also timing, routine, hard structures (like spreadsheets) and money all are associated with the metal element. I am feeling the need to prune back and weed out my goals, visions and areas of my growth so I can really focus my energy towards small and sustainable successes particularly in my work. So how can you get the wood energy of spring focused into specific growth? What needs cutting back and weeding out, so releasing more energy for your 'right' direction? Enjoy pruning and weeding on all levels this weekend, love Sarah-Jayne xx

pause, look and notice...

4/27/2017

Morning journeyers. My musings today come from my post school drop off dog walk yesterday morning. This is one of many glorious views on the loop through the fields I do in the morning with my pup. My brain is often slightly coffeed up, the list for the day is often front and centre of my mind. The plan and push for the day (gallbladder meridian channel) is taking centre stage. So I stomp on round. And then, I stop and see this..Dartmoor in the distance, Spring vibrancy everywhere, birds going bonkers, hedgerows bursting with blossom. This time of year, where wood energy can push us on on on, we must remember to pause pause pause too. The list will always be there. And when the rain finally comes, the mud will return and the views will be less clear. So today I aim to pause, look and notice...along with tackling the to do list. Happy Thursday Sarah-Jayne

Which way?

4/26/2017

Morning lovely journeyers, hope Springtime is bursting forth wherever you are.
Today musings are about decisions, sometimes we forget that every minute of everyday we are making some sort of decision that will take us a step forward, it can be simply which type of fruit to eat or seeds to plant or it can be the bigger stuff like choosing schools for our children or deciding the next best step in life.
Whatever the decision it is the Wood element and the gall bladder energy in particular that supports this. I always feel that making decisions, especially those big ones, are like giving birth, endless 'pain' and huffing and puffing for a while and then once the decision and way forward becomes clear the pain is completely forgotten. Springtime is full of decisions, it is nature's time to plan for the year ahead, knowing that the seeds that are planted now will bring the harvest later in the year.
So how can we get the Wood energy moving when we feel stuck? Simply get moving, Wood energy is dynamic and it loves to move. My favourite way is walking and swinging my arms this brings the energy down into the body away from the 'thinking 'busy head and helps us move options through our body. The gall bladder meridian is long, it starts by the outer edge of the eye, travels back and forward over the head and then wends its way down the body, down the outside of the legs and ends at the 4th toe, there are 44 acupuncture points almost half of which are on the head, great for thinking but sometimes we also need to 'feel' a decision too.
So today try and feel your way into decisions, what feels good, what doesn't. Have a lovey day, love Carol x

Assertion...

4/25/2017

Morning journeyers, this is the season of assertion and the big push, the movement is⬆⬆⬆ and ↗↗↗ and we can see this in nature through the blossom bursting and the seeds shooting. Inside of us we may feel more focused and purposeful as we tap into the dynamic energy.
If we are not quite plugged in to, and flowing with our Wood energy we may feel grumpy, angry, frustrated and even depressed. If you feel like this get moving, the Wood meridians, Gall Bladder and Liver run through the feet and legs so a good stomp in nature can get us moving again and reconnect us to the dynamic energy flow of Wood. If you can't get out then arm swinging and running up some steps will also help us flow more easily.
So go forth assertively today and enjoy the Spring push, lots of love Carol xx

Our greatest expression...

4/24/2017

Morning journeyers. ... Spring and the Wood energy is all about growth, transformation and rebirth and as this quote says when we are in this process it can feel like complete destruction. However Wood energy is also about taking one step at a time so if you are having growing pains try and chunk it into small steps, tender baby steps until the changes 'bed ' in.
Have a lovely Monday everyone. ..lots of love Carol xx

'Pink'bell!

4/23/2017

Happy Sunday, have a restful day, love this gorgeous 'pink'bell in my garden 💜 Cxx

Happy Earth day!

4/22/2017

Happy Earth Day wonderful journeyers...a good day to honour your place in the great scheme of things. #earthday

Reach and stretch...

4/21/2017

Happy Friday!! How's your wonderful body feeling today? We are in wood element season, where our ligaments and tendons can be feeling tight and stuck or flexible and supple! Wood energy needs movement to get the very best out of it. My youngest's sunflowers know all about movement...they seem to be growing an inch a day at the moment...surging upwards. They flex to the sun, with their adaptable and supple stems. So today check in with your body. When you are making a movement (hanging out washing, reaching for a jar from the cupboard) give your body an extra stretch. It really helps to release stuck energy and bring flexibility back to body/mind/spirit. Hope you have a wonderful day. Sarah-Jayne.

Rise and shine...

4/20/2017

The sap is rising!!! When Carol and I were working the other day this plant caught our eye. The sunshine on it highlighted the vibrant green, we could almost hear the sap chugging up the stem. This particular plant in clinic has grown hugely so far this season...the sap is delivering nutrients and water to bring growth for it to fan out and take up space, shining in its potential. As you will know by now from us at Journey with the Seasons this is also a metaphor. Sleepy winter is over, pushy spring is hear. Time to rise like the sap, get growing, take up your space and shine brightly in your potential. Have a shining day, Sarah-Jayne ☀

Create a beautiful vision...

4/19/2017

Morning journeyers, it really feels that Spring is racing along and yesterday was a really glorious day.
This beautiful flower really caught my eye, it is called lady's Smock and is so tiny and dainty. Something about it reminded me about how important it is to create a vision that feels beautiful and that touches us inside when we think of it rather than it being just a 'head' exercise and a tick list.
So if you have a vision, (from your Wood element) check in with your heart (the Fire element, the next element around the creative cycle) to see if you can feel it there too as this will spur you on if the going gets tough.
Have a lovely day, lots of love Carol xx