On rejuvenation

I just got back from Nashville, Tennessee; it was 70°F there and it made me realize how much I was looking forward to Spring.  I want to shake off the heavy coats and winter slumber.  I like Spring’s vigor, freshness, and the sunny disposition.  It is easier to get up early, there seems to be more hours in the day, and the air is full of good energy.   

Students enjoy their Spring Break around this time.  It may be a good opportunity to rejuvenate your spirit.  Do you feel tired and sluggish after long winter months?  What will it take to bring your life forces back?  As you celebrate the arrival of Spring, choose a few ways to nurture and nourish your body and mind:

• Get out in the sun (don’t forget the sunscreen) and take longer walks to breathe in fresh air, smell the early flowers, and clear your head. 
• Release emotional toxicity with the 7-step process from Deepak Chopra.
• Get a massage.
• Drink green or white tea to flush the toxins out of your body.  I recently bought this new LIPTON White Tea with Island Mango and Peach, and I love it.
• Set a goal of eating a minimum of two pieces of fresh fruit every day.  Joe’s goals will help you to stay on track.
• Find time to call your friend with whom you haven’t spoken for a while.
• Incorporate at least some of these 52 Proven Stress Reducers into your life.
• Find an art exhibition that you would like to visit in your area and go. 
• Create a Spring reading list that includes books that you don’t have to read but really want to. 
• Find time to appreciate what you have in life by recording your thoughts in a gratitude journal. 
• Bid farewell to snow by making a snowman with your kids, classmates or co-workers, like these lawyers from a federal agency in Washington, D.C. did as part of their humor training.  Sounds silly?  That’s the point!  Lighten up and laugh!
• Get inspired with 10 Timeless Lessons From Dalai Lama, discussed by the Ririan Project.
• Start recording your favorite quotations.  I like this one by Anaïs Nin:  “There came a time when the risk to remain tight in the bud was more painful than the risk it took to blossom.”   

What do you need to blossom?