Dirt For The Soul

Here in Canada, we devour spring. It’s no surprise. After a long, cold winter, the arrival of warm weather and sunshine has us naturally unfurling like a fresh tulip.

There’s sort of a natural cleansing of body and mind that happens here, and I suspect in all snow riddled countries. As soon as spring hits, we flock to the outdoors in our t-shirts and straw fedoras.

This, to me, sort of mimics airing out our blankets on the clothesline to get rid of that winter stale air. We hang out on the opened terraces, sipping cocktails taking in the longer sun-rays of daylight savings time, but somehow, maybe not to spoil the mood, nobody talks about the slushy streets, and the smell of frozen dog poop wafting around as the snow melts.

It’s not all roses, and it’s important to take stock, reassess the goals we had set for ourselves usually around New Year’s. Really, we should do this for every change of season.

Is four times a year, too much? I don’t think so.

We change, we grow everyday, why not check in and see if we’re on the right track? See how we’re feeling inside? Are we reaching those milestones? Yes, why? What’s working, and what doesn’t feel right, or good?

My yearlong method of organizing my life and thoughts is pen and paper, endless lists, and meditation. Another old one but a good one is spring cleaning, which has been done for centuries across many cultures, but decluttering the house, which somehow declutters the mind, can be as simple as taking a walk with intention.

No matter how you approach it, the point is to reassess by whatever means feels good to you. If, however, you’re looking for one sure method that will revitalize you, then my ultimate go to, along with spring cleaning, is starting a summer garden from seed, and maybe watching an episode or two of Gardeners’ World, with Monty Don.

There’s no greater satisfaction than watching a seedling grow into a full plant and bear fruit during harvest months.

Admittedly, not everyone has a green thumb, sadly I’m one of those people that overwater, under plucks without great success, not to mention by the end of the summer my garden is wild and overgrown because I’m also a little lazy.

Still, come spring, the ritual of picking my seeds, getting them ready, planting them in their individual cups, and watering them is very satisfying and helps my mental health after a long winter.

It’s magic I tell you. It’s a form of meditation, and clears the cobwebs, but there’s something about playing in the dirt. It connects us to minerals, and increases serotonin levels and makes us happy, plus if you do it right, you’ll get a reward at the end of the season.

The quiet time and the focus stops the mental chatter, and gives us space to just be, and when that happens we often see the clouds part. We’re more intuitive because we’re reacquainted with ourselves, and therefore are better equipped to make decisions.

A winning combination is to do both, spring cleaning and gardening. Getting rid of unwanted “crap”, there I said it, gives you the space to think clearly while gardening feeds the soul, giving you the room to accept new adventures and possibilities.

So next time you’re walking your dog, don’t forget the poop bag because although spring is the season of new beginnings and fresh flowers, we don’t want to stink up the place with old crap.