Fall Equinox by Sue Schmidt

Happy Fall Equinox Everyone!

The Equinox occurs 9:52 AM MT.

At the Equinox, the sun rises due East and sets due West. You can determine where due East and West is where you live by going outside at sunrise or sunset and notice where the sun is in respect to familiar landmarks.
Then, as the sun continues on its journey, you will still know where due East  or due West is. It feels good to know where you are!

For more info. on the equinox go to www.earthsky.org

From a 5 Element, perspective the time of the Equinox is the Earth Element. Since about the first the week of August the Yang energy of Summer has been moving toward the more Yin energy of Fall and Winter. At the Equinox, there is a energetic pause, much like the pause of a pendulum when it reaches its full arc before falling back the other way. In this pause, we can more easily access the energy of completion, stillness, fullness, and equilibrium. We feel more grounded, balanced and calm.

Earth Element by Sue Schmidt

In general, Fall is the time of Metal Element: 

Color: White

Emotion: Letting Go, Sadness and Grief, Boundaries between inner and outer

Organs: Lung and Large Intestine

This is a time of year when the leaves let go of their leaves to nourish the Earth with their decay. The upward rising of fire begins to settle downward and inward. The plants let go and die back into the earth. 

With each breath we take, we Receive  and LET GO. We have to let go so we can receive. We could never just inhale. We take in nourishment and  let of the waste (large intestine). This principal of letting go is inherent in every aspect of nature. 

Sadness and grief are an inevitable part of being alive, but with the continual letting go we allow our sadness to transform and become nourishment. 

A really good very simple Metal Element  Meditation is to sit quietly and begin to relax. Feel your body letting go downward into the earth. Let the earth support you.

 Let go down your bones, muscles, heart and mind. 

As you inhale, say in inside your mind and heart "I Receive" 

As you exhale say, "I let go." 

Keep repeating this mantra in time with  your breath  for 5, 10, 15 min.

 Then release the mantra, release the breath. Let the mind roam wherever it wants and let the breath flow into its natural rhythm. 

Notice the natural rhythm of receiving and letting go. 

Be Well Everyone and Enjoy Fall !

Sue Schmidt CMT, C.Ht

mindpowersue@gmail.com

www.healingmeditations.net

www.transformativetouch.massagetherapy.com

The Energy of Spring

Have you ever seen a plant growing out of a crack in a rock? 

That is the energy of Spring....pushing through. 

According to 5 Element Theory the impetus or beginning of Spring is manifesting now. The energy of Spring will build, expand and rise, like the rising sap in the trees and plants, untill the Equinox on March 20.

 At the Equinox, Spring is at its most full, embodying  all the energy of  plants pushing through ground, leaves unfurling, buds bursting, eggs hatching, baby animals being born and  is at its most fulfilled.
After the 20th, the energy of Spring begins to move toward the  ripening of Summer. 

 The Element associated with Spring is Wood Element: 
 Color: Green 
Organs: Liver and Gall Bladder
 Emotion: Anger and Power 
Wood governs the ligaments and tendons, "the wood" of the body Taste: Sour 

 The Wood Element helps us  to plan, store energy and to push through obstacles. It helps us to make our inner dreams manifest in the outer world. 

For many of us, the sudden warmth, growth, and busyness of Spring after the still, sleepy winter, can bring out feelings of impatience, irritability and a kind of shortness in speech and movement.

 For others, Spring wakes us up, makes us want to go outside into the world again, and emerge from our hibernation.

 I usually get energized in the spring and want to make everything happen NOW! (: 

During meditation today, I had the feeling of my energy field getting very strong and had an inkling of what it might be like to flow with the Energy of Spring from an inner place of expansion and power without the striving, impatience and pushiness of ego driven activity. It was feeling of expanding into the Energy and flowing with it. 

 How does Spring feel to you?

 All the Best, Sue

Happy Spring Equinox!

Today is the Spring Equinox! At the Equinox nature is at its most balanced. There are 12 hours of light and 12 hours of darkness. The sun rises due East and sets due West. So if you notice the sunrise/sunset where you live you will know exactly where east and west are.

 According to Chinese 5 Element theory this is the zenith of spring! Even if you live in  the north you may notice that trees are budding, and the bulbs are starting to come out of the earth. The birds are singing in the morning beginning to look for potential mates nesting places. There is a quickening in the earth. Many of this experience this as an increase of in energy--so much to do!

In 5 Element Theory, Spring is the time of the Wood Element. Wood Element  makes visible and known the energy of "pushing through". All the plants and trees are waking up and pushing out of the ground pushing out of their tight buds.
You can see this energy in the effort it takes a chick to peck its way out of an egg, a seed to crack open, a baby to be born. Have you ever seen a plant growing out of a crack in the sidewalk or a rock and wondered at how such a fragile thing could "push through" rock? That is the energy of Spring and Wood Element.

When this energy becomes blocked we experience anger. The anger gives us an extra umph to push through or go around or do things differently. It can be useful! If, however, we are not able to resolve the blockage our anger may turn to frustration or resentment and eventually depression. This is the shadow side of the Wood Element. The healthy balanced side of Wood is Power! The power to move toward what nourishes yo and turn away from what doesn't. The energy to push through obstacles. The organs associated with Wood are Liver and Gall Bladder. At this time of year it is helpful to drink water with lemon, and eat lots of fruits and green vegetables. The color of Wood Element is green and it is represented by the green dragon.

www.earthsky.org via The Dragon

A meditation you can do tonight is to face the setting sun. Think of all the feeling tones, activities, lessons, and fun times of winter. Bless it and let it go. Then in the morning get up and face the rising sun, imagine, wonder and daydream about all you would like to do and accomplish in an easy, gentle way. Know that it will emerge in its time. Just as plant doesn't spring forth  fully formed, so our ideas take to time to come to fruition. This is a time to be very gentle with young, green energies that are beginning to emerge in your body, heart, mind and energy body.

Happy Spring Everyone!
Sue Schmidt C.Ht., CMT
www.healingmeditations.net
healingmeditations1@gmail.com