The Buzz of Koanga/Spring & the Shedding of the Old Self..

Can you feel the buzzing of Mama nature, slowly coming back to life?

Blossoms are popping, daffs are unfurling, the orchestra of birds chirping is louder than usual, the Tuis are everywhere and the rain is pouring. These are always signs that REAL Spring is close by.

All of nature begins to whisper her secrets to us through the sounds

-Rudolf Steiner

Spring like Autumn is a transitional season, helping us to move into the harsher conditions of the main seasons, winter and summer. Spring is my absolute favourite season! To me it represents shedding skin, renewal, revitalising, rebirthing, and literally springing back into the vivaciousness of life! Not to mention more healing solar-rays and warmth to our being!

This blog-post is all about spring and how it affects us wholistically (because we are affected and conditioned by the elements and the seasons just as much as from our parents and society).

I remember as a child how fascinating it was learning all about the gifts of koanga/spring. As a full immersion Māori school, we were taught through experiential learning out in the nature realm, using self-inquiry, metaphor and art to help us connect.

As a result of my early education, I always took my children for walks in nature during spring when they were young, exploring different textures, sounds, smells and feelings. Such a wonderful age and way to attune the senses and establish strong lasting roots to Mother Nurture.

The tipuna/ancestors lived by the rhythms of the seasons and there was always a buzz around spring and big talk of preparing the maara/gardens for delicious summer foods like sweetcorn, strawberries, watermelon and Maaori potatoes.

Tis' the Season for Cleansing & Renewal

Spring, in ayurvedic medicine is known as the cleansing season as Mother nature begins to shed her winter coat in preparation for another cycle of rebirth and renewal and just like how animals shed their coat we also go through a shedding process.

Energetically & emotionally, this presents as the breaking down and final letting go of the old self that has been decomposing and disintegrating during winter (metaphorically speaking). We may feel moments of deep emotional release that come out of no-where, melancholy and sadness or 'matapouri' in Maaori terms. To be in a state of pouri or to experience sadness is a natural part of being human and within eco and depth psychology it is associated with the underworld and descension.

The descent and the darkness into which it leads, have their own value; the journey to soul is not a misfortune or a necessary evil.... when the descent is chosen, it is likely to offer exhilaration and ecstasy as well as frights and ordeals.

-Bill Plotkin, Depth and Eco Psychologist

These experiences of sadness are classic signs of grief and emotional purging and are part of ego shedding. Simultaneously, we may feel the impact of the winter-blues finally setting in and taking its toll on our biology, where our hormones and circadian rhythm start to change and our chemistry is effected by the drop in dopamine, serotonin & oxytocin, which may impact how we feel.

We may experience mental fog, stress, moodiness and depression (which by the way doesn't always have to be a negative thing). This has been associated with Seasonal Affective disorder (SAD) due to a lack of sunlight and how this affects our hormones. But there are other factors involved as well. Being indoors for long periods of time, artificial heating, lack of fresh raw foods, dehydration and large doses of emf exposure from devices can all contribute to the winter blues, SAD, lost libido and an overall lack lustre feeling.

Waioraflows offers a Winter-Blues Tea for some much needed internal sunshine. Filled with magickal herbs such as St.Johns Wort, Lemon Balm and Ginger known for their mood altering, calming and uplifting properties.

But, here's the other sweet thing about Spring. Just when the going gets tough and you've finally had it with winter, spring shows up right on time to bring some rays of hope back into our being! I love how everything in Nature is like a pregnancy and one perfect life cycle of birth, death and rebirth that correlates with our own biology!

Wholistic Detoxification & Space Clearing..

Wholistic detoxification involves cleansing, clearing and purging not only physically, but emotionally, psychologically, energetically and environmentally. The word 'spring cleaning' was coined for this very reason. In the eastern art of feng shui, spring is also known as an auspicious time to 'break old patterns' and for clearing space to make room for new energy.

Clearing space is not just about picking up a smudge stick and 'getting rid of negative vibes' or decluttering our home environment. It's also about clearing our psychological and inner space to open ourselves up for new possibilities and discovering unexplored parts of who we are that are waiting dormant for our karanga or invitation to come home and integrate.

When we are bogged down with unexpressed emotions, thoughts, fears, stress and trauma we are too full for anything else to manifest in our lives. This is why healing ourselves is one of the most important things we can do in this lifetime, because part of healing involves peeling away layers of the past and self that no longer serve us, which opens up room for new seeds and growth to take root. I offer a full comprehensive guide on space clearing in my Full Home and Space Clearing Kit.

Space clearing creates room for expansion. it helps you manifest what you want in your life more easily by clearing the energy field in you home, your personal energy field is clearer and more easily received.

Karen Kingston (Professional Space Clearer)

Usually an opportunity for emotional cleansing will rise to the surface naturally through our soul's invitation. Our soul knows when there is 'stuff' there that needs to be purged, the question is how willing are we to dive into this experience and allow ourselves to be taken into the depths of our shadow to face and heal what is there?

Too often we are scrolling on our phones and devices filling our mind up with information and other peoples thoughts and beliefs, taking us further away from our own inner-guidance and knowing...

Psychological detoxing is probably one of the most difficult practices to achieve in this modern world, particularly with everything that's going on. It involves clearing the mind-field and liberating ourselves from mental clutter, worries, monkey mind and overthinking. To empty the mind and bring it back to a state of balance and tranquility one must give time to go within everyday and empty the mind-space.

Journaling, soul-scribing, poetry, blogging, contemplation, meditation and creative writing are all tools that help us purge our thoughts.

Empty your cup to lighten up!

Soul-scribing is the practice of writing letters from our soul to our conscious self in an informal way allowing what ever comes up to flow from out of our heart.

Detoxing is vital to our longevity, well-being & healing. It helps us move old energy, purge waste and revitalise ourselves. Lets talk about the varied wholistic tools that waioraflows offers for detoxification and also how we can use the natural elements to help us cleanse and clear energy.

Physically, during winter we tend to accumulate and store energy in our digestive system as we eat more and aren't as active. This stored energy is referred to as 'ama' or 'toxic plaque'.

The Ama blocks the channels in our body and becomes stored in our cells, slowing everything down and producing symptoms such as sluggish digestion, fatigue, poor sleep, foggy mind, low moods, poor concentration, white coating on the tongue, bad breath, joint pain and weight gain.

-Veda Wellness

Detoxification is basically achieved through the elimination of waste. Obviously, the best way to start eliminating waste is by adjusting our diet with the changing season. As it starts to 'lighten up' outside and we receive more sunlight, it's also time for us to also lighten up on the inside. If you're in tune with nature's rhythm this will all happen naturally, if not, you will need to be more consciously aware and self motivated in helping the process.

Dietary therapy is a term used by herbalists to describe using food as a form of medicine. Blood purification is an example. We should start by eating lighter and including more detoxifying and stimulating foods to help stimulate digestive enzymes, enhance liver function, speed up the metabolism, bring back circulation and vitality and help eliminate waste. A small juice cleanse as part of our spring clean is always helpful, my favourites are carrot, beetroot, ginger & pineapple.

Make one healthy choice every day-Dr. Sebi

Increasing our physical activity is also important, to clear and move chi/energy. Qi gong, tai chi, yoga, pilates, gardening and spring walks (when its not raining) are always helpful as we receive the benefits of breathing in the fresh air. Breathing is another form cleansing as the lungs help expel toxic gas from the body.

Foods for spring cleaning our insides include: Bitter greens such as spinach, dandelion, chickweed, kale, mustard greens, nettles and rocket. Grains like barley, quinoa, lentils.

Herbs and spices such as parsley, ginger, turmeric, cinnamon, garlic, cayenne, paprika, pepper, cumin and fennel, which helps to break down the mucus that comes up during spring time. Fennel tea is tasty and refreshing. Wild herbs & foods such as red clover, burdock root, puha, watercress.

Waimirimiri/Hydrotherapy & Exfoliation

Hydrotherapy or water therapy is an ancient form of medicine. It's known for its benefits for regulating and improving circulation by changing the temperature of the body through the skin. Foot spas, thermal spas and saunas are all a vital part of cleansing stagnant energy, improving circulation, opening up our pores and releasing tension pent up in the body.

Waioraflows offer a range of bath salts, clay bath soaks and a meridian release foot soak.

Shedding and renewing skin is also important for detoxifying, which can be achieved through exfoliation and skin brushing. Waioraflows offers a full body dead sea salt scrub that doubles as an aura cleanse and will be offering other exfoliation products such as face scrubs and foot salt scrubs to help with removing dead and callous skin. Speaking of skin, if you're out in the garden, you'll need an intensive hand moisturiser and protector. I've created a raw lanolin based hand cream that provides intensive protection for areas that tend to get dry and rough such as hands, feet, knees and elbows.

Remember, spring is all about letting the old die and allowing space for the new. It's a very exciting time of the year. Regardless of what's going on in the world take time to connect to your inner-spring, the ever-flowing source of wellness and sustenance needed for your growth and the re-greening of your heart & soul.

Mauri tu-mauri o raa! Thank you for your presence!