I had a blogpost all ready to go out today but decided to sit down and write this one instead. I woke up at 5:30am with my mind spinning with anxiety over my to do list. It seems like my passion and my ambition far exceeds what I can accomplish in a day. This is anxiety provoking.

It’s a holiday weekend, instead of letting my thoughts control me, I’m reminded that it is time to relax and celebrate. I get to wake up with my grandson today and spoil him for the entire weekend, this is worth celebrating! Babies and children are a reminder of what is really important in life. Children are a reminder of the benefits of play.

I also get to finish my vegetable garden. Like every spring, my garden consists of whatever plants are at MOMs organic market when I happen to be there shopping.

I love playing in the soil. Just like in the kitchen, I am a slob. A classic pig pen. I can’t help but drag in dirt on my feet, hands and clothes as I run back and forth for the things I’ve forgotten from the garage, through the kitchen, to the backyard garden.  But it is so fun to walk outside a month or two later and have swiss chard, kale, collards, cauliflower, broccoli, brussel sprouts, tomatoes, onions and fresh herbs to pick and roast or throw in a blender. I spent less than $100 and it will feed my family all summer long. I feel so proud and abundant every time I run out with my scissors to partake of more.

Gardens (and babies) are an expression of the abundance and promise of rebirth and renewal given to us by God, the Universe, Mother Earth.

This garden helps me feel grounded. It connects me to the earth and the wonder and miracle of life. It’s perfectly imperfect. I don’t have any training in gardening, I’m so haphazard in my approach. it’s really a friggin miracle that anything grows at all!

MOMs (Moms Organic Market where I shop), was out of organic topsoil, so instead of waiting, I just tilled up the old soil and threw on top very ripe compost from this month’s juicing, eggshells and coffee grounds, mixed with some leaves, and called that my new topsoil. (Yes, I’m still learning to cultivate patience.) I do try and rotate plants because I’ve found if I plant my tomatoes in the same place every year, they yield less tomatoes. This is because the plant is taking what it needs from the soil and without crop rotation (or composting) we aren’t adding essential nutrients back in. This is how big agriculture is creating nutrient insufficiencies in the SAD, (standard American diet). What I do know for sure, is that our soil needs diversity as does our human body.

This week symbolizes rebirth and renewal. So needed, after a dreary, long, cold winter. I’m taking time to notice the beauty around me this Spring.

My oldest daughter is grieving the loss of her husband. She is now spending time with my son and his girlfriend in California, of which I am so grateful. For some, the holidays are the hardest, they can highlight the unfelt joy in a grieving heart.

Dana is traveling and spending time exploring the question, “How do we heal a broken heart?” “How as a Survivor, do we overcome fear and anxiety?”

We cultivate love and faith. Love is the antithesis of fear. Faith is the tool, the bridge that allows us to surrender to the process. Family can be vital for both.

Just as plants and animals hibernate through the winter; grieving is also a necessary process. Allowing ourselves time to acknowledge, feel, and express the heartache, gives this energy the opportunity to dissipate. Emotions are energy in motion. We can either stuff them down (causing dis-ease), or like the powerful tool of meditation, acknowledge the thoughts and then let them go.

Deep sleep and hibernation are also essential in order to heal and repair. We need sleep that to break down old tissue so that the body can regenerate new tissue. Cancer cells are cells, due to DNA damage have lost this ability to die called apoptosis. Death and renewal are a part of life. We actually get a new body every 7 years, as cells die off and new ones are born. How we nourish our bodies today, determines the health of our new cells tommorow. You live into your future self.

When we nourish our soil (and soul), with essential nutrients and loving thoughts and actions, we flourish.  Compassion and self love are essential tools to feeling grounded. Family rituals give us a sense of community and caring through difficult times. Three times a day we can practice a ritual of nourishing ourselves (or abusing ourselves) Our body will give us guidance, if we choose to listen.

Faith is an essential ingredient missing from many lives today. I didn’t have a strong religious upbringing, however planting a garden is an exercise in faith. Planting a seed and giving it time to incubate, establishing a daily ritual of food and water, will yield a garden that far surpasses expectations.

How will you cultivate self love and compassion this Spring? How will you nourish yourself?  Email me today for my favorite Easter recipes that have become part of my new family ritual, as well as my Kick-Start to Wellness Program. This is not about dieting or deprivation. This is about bringing in healthier, self loving choices.

If you are ready for your own renewal, please kick-start me into offering this online program by signing up to join me HERE.  Carpe Diem.

Happy Holiday and Spring Break,

Lisa

About Lisa Jackson, RN, CHC, RYT-500, FDN
Lisa is an author, inspirational speaker and a coach with a mission to inspire others to feel and look their best at any age.

She is the former Executive Director of the Integrative Wellness Program for the Center for Cancer and Blood Disorders.

Lisa’s book, Savvy Secrets: Eat, Think and Thrive outlines her seven-step process towards optimal health that is fun and transformational.

Lisa is part of the New Self Health Movement and the Wellness Inspired Network. When she is not coaching, speaking or writing, you can find her practicing yoga and joyfully sharing Carpe Diem Dance.