winter – Leona McDonnell Mindfulness and Wellness https://leonamcdonnell.com Tue, 08 Mar 2022 20:23:32 +0000 en-GB hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=7.0.4 https://i0.wp.com/leonamcdonnell.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/cropped-faviconLEONA.jpg?fit=32%2C32&ssl=1 winter – Leona McDonnell Mindfulness and Wellness https://leonamcdonnell.com 32 32 152530394 Be just like a ‘Snowdrop’ https://leonamcdonnell.com/be-just-like-a-snowdrop/ Mon, 07 Mar 2022 12:53:00 +0000 https://leonamcdonnell.com/?p=11127

Spring has arrived, with new life starting to push its way through the hard, frozen earth after the darkness and sleepiness of the winter months and filling us all full of hope, of new beginnings and optimism! It really is a tonic to the heart and soul to see the brighter, longer days, snowdrops and daffodils emerging, lambs bouncing around the fields and the overall smell and sense of another opportunity to start afresh and to embrace this period of gentle nourishment and growth!

I love the potential and possibilities that Spring brings in its air and in its presence. I feel it’s a peaceful time where we can slowly start to emerge from the depths of our souls and to revitalise and replenish ourselves with new and fresh natural healing and opportunities. Just like Mother Earth and all her beautiful natural creations, we too can rejoice that it is now time to arise from the long, dark evenings of winter and that it is time to start embracing life above the surface once more! As beautifully described by Robin Williams:

“Spring is nature’s way of saying, ‘Let’s Party!'."

If you think about the natural life cycles of nature, each season takes the time it needs to plant and seed, to bloom and blossom, to shed and let go and to retract and hibernate. No season is rushed or panicked, each step is all in it’s own good time.

Nature has this innate ability to ‘just be’ in each moment, nothing ever seems hurried but yet everything still gets done. I try to live by own life by these incredible teachings of Mother Earth. Learning from her that everything takes time, patience and trust. If we allow ourselves to learn and listen from the best that is Mother Earth, we are gifting ourselves with the ultimate opportunity to truly feel alive in every moment and in rhythm with our own heart and soul. In the words of Mehmet Muratildan:

“Spring is the best life coach: It gives you all the energy you want, all the positive thoughts you wish and all the boldness you need!”

So how do we use this learning and knowledge to help to revitalise and replenish our soul? The answer is simple – we open our eyes and really look and see, we pause and notice, we smell, touch and taste nature’s healing and restoring properties, we use our breath as a gateway to the present moment we are in, we feel the earth beneath our feet, the coolness of the Spring air on our skin.

We commit to slow down, to have confidence in ourselves and in our abilities and we build on our resilience.

Think of a beautiful, delicate snowdrop! It is usually the first Spring flower that arises after a winter of hibernation, strong in its presence, resilient in pushing through the hard, cold earth after the respite of a winter underground. We too can build our resilience in our everyday living by taking the time to retract, rest, repair, restore, renew, revitalise, to nourish our soul with whatever it is that comforts and soothes us but yet ignites our heart at the same time.

Just like the snowdrop, we too can learn to sway with the natural rhythm and cycles of nature and we can also nurture ourselves and find strength and power that we might not have thought that we had!

Some beautiful words to leave you with:

Snowdrops

Always remember that if a small, delicate flower can find the strength to push its way through hard frozen ground year after year,
then the possibilities for humans are endless.
We have so much more strength and potential than we realise.
We just need to learn to use it in the correct way.
(E. Sirrell)

HOW TO BUILD THE RESILIENCE OF A SNOWDROP:

  1. Trust that you have everything you need to plant, seed, nurture, bloom and blossom in your current environment, you just need to find and connect to it.
  2. Believe that you have the strength and power to achieve anything you want to. It might not be an easy task but with time, patience, nourishment and belief, you too can make your breakthrough.
  3. Take time to rest, repair, restore, empower and strengthen yourself from the inside out. Do this through sleep, nutrition, exercise, nature connection, mindfulness, present moment awareness, meditation, whatever it is that lifts your heart and soul!
  4. Learn to shield and protect yourself from harsh elements, set clear and distinct boundaries to keep yourself safe and comfortable from anything or anyone that may pose a threat to your wellbeing.
  5. Raise your head with pride and joy every day. Look towards the sun and feel your whole body illuminating and radiating with hope, faith and a sense of endless opportunities!
Snowdrops LMcD

Thank you as always to Brian O’Loughlin at The Westmeath Examiner and his team at Celtic Media Group (https://www.anglocelt.ie/, https://www.con-telegraph.ie/, https://www.meathchronicle.ie/, https://www.offalyindependent.ie/, https://www.westmeathexaminer.ie/ and https://www.westmeathindependent.ie/ for all their wonderful help!

As published by The Celtic Media Group 5/03/2022

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© Leona McDonnell Mindfulness and Wellness 2022

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