The time has come to seed the garden of your life with new soul inspired seeds.
Tu Bishvat (15th day in the month of Shevat) is almost here. Under a full moon next Sunday we will celebrate Tu Bishvat – we celebrate trees and nature. Go outside and gaze at the full moon, looking pregnant with new possibilities, and contemplate seeding soul inspired seeds in your life. What hopes and dreams are hidden in your soul this winter? What do you sense and imagine could bloom in your life when Spring arrives? What cultivation, decisions and work do you need to do now to see it come to fruition?
Tu Bishvat is a celebration of trees and nature. The trees are very internal this time of year. Perhaps they are too are dreaming and growing with strength. Readying themselves to burst with beauty in Spring.
Why do we take time to do inner work? Why should we sit quietly and meditate and simply make time to be? Because like trees even before the thawing and the blooming, we become alive from the inside out. Now is the time for deep inner growing; dreaming and imagining.
THE PRACTICE:
We begin by imagining the fruits we want to bring to fruition. What will you grow? Sit and become quiet to reflect on what you love; discern the desires of your heart. What is your heart’s desire?
Make time to reflect, journal, speak, draw and be still for a few minutes a day.
When you have a sense of what are your soul inspired seeds, your heart seeds, write them down. You may discover seeds you didn’t know were hidden within. You may want to make a list of them and read it over to see which are the ones with more pull. Keep the list and choose to reflect more on 2-3 of them. Attend to them. Nourish and water these seeds. Try to make time for dreaming and listening carefully to each.
Identify the necessary conditions to help your heart seeds grow and come to life. What are the approach you need to apply? What are the attitudes and actions you will take, or avoid, to support the growth?
Don’t rush. It is still winter. on Tu Bishvat the trees only begin to wake up and the sap begins to flow. Be patient and generous like a tall and strong tree. You have plenty of time to seed and germinate until Spring (Passover.) Don’t rush. Take all the time you need, but remain focused.
May your heart seeds germinate, take root and grow well. May they grow into a beautiful Spring garden and reward you with the delicious fruits and fill your life with beauty and peace. Enjoy!
I hope to see you soon at a Retreat at Kripalu in May, July and December.
Many blessings, Rabbi Sigal