Nourish to Flourish - Spring Equinox

Wat Pan Tao, Chiang Mai, Thailand, February 2012 

When I was thinking up suitable blog titles, I thought that I had struck gold with “NOURISH TO FLOURISH” only to find that half the UK’s Nutritionists had got there first !! It is, however, a catchy little slogan – a good reminder for all of us and worthy of a word or two.

First of all, what does it mean to you personally to flourish?

For me, it brings to mind a flower in full bloom, which gives a sense to the word – something, be it human, animal or plant, growing and living to its full potential and being allowed to be what it was meant to be. We all have talents and dreams but how many of these are not realised due for example to ill health or perhaps emotional blocks such as fear or preconceived notions set in childhood? In such cases, we live smaller lives than we should, often accompanied by the inevitable frustrations and disappointments, which can in fact lead to ill health. 

In order to flourish we need to nourish our every sense. Looking at a beautiful landscape or hearing a piece of music which resonates with us can feed us and heighten our sense of wellness.  But more than anything we need to feed the vehicle in which we live our whole lives – our body.

Whether we are in pain, lacking concentration, frozen with fear or happily going with the flow, fluid in our movements, thoughts and emotions – this is due to our cellular makeup which relies heavily on us eating the right things – food which is nutrient-dense. If we eat food which is dead or empty, how can we expect to build vibrant cells which help us to be vibrant in all aspects of our lives?

As we approach Spring Equinox, watch Nature start to unfold her full potential as the sun starts to shine more (hopefully!), and flowers and trees begin to blossom. During this time, there is a huge surge of natural energy which we can tap into. We are part of nature after all.  Eat lots of fresh vegetables, especially greens, lightly steamed to help gently release some of the congestion built up in the body during winter. Gradually introducing more vegetable juices is also useful for this. Note too that light and sunshine have a part to play in fuelling our wellbeing, so try to get lots of fresh air in the spring sunshine.

Use the spring energy to think how best you can nourish yourself and consequently grow to your full potential.  Nourish yourself to flourish fully.  

Happy Spring Equinox (Tuesday 20^th March 2012; 5.14 am)

Anais Nin said “Life shrinks or expands in proportion to one's courage”. I believe it shrinks and expands in proportion to how much we nourish our cells and ourselves.