The first week of the new year has always held special importance to me for what occurs during that time seems to set a tone somehow for the  whole year. On January 6th, Kate White and I offered a Process Workshop entitled Birthing Yourself into Being to  three participants  who stayed at the retreat center for the weekend apprehensive yet excited to get support in a deep, healing, conscious process of birthing a new self.

On the eve of the workshop as we were readying the teaching space, I was watering all the plants and was met with some magic of Nature.  There it was in the middle of winter a gorgeous, full, red, blooming hibiscus flower announcing itself with many more buds also on the way.   I was stunned.  How could this be possible?  Often before classes and workshops certain animals show up bringing, it seems, support and a message.  I had not noticed this with plants before.   As I tuned in, I felt it was a sign for the people coming.  During the fall the hibiscus tree  had nearly died.  It lost most of it’s leaves and I felt certain it would not survive the winter.  And yet not only had it survived that hardship, it had learned to thrive again.

As the participants shared their difficult histories and bravely traversed the inner journey with the support of the group, the beautiful flowering hibiscus encouraged them on as a symbol that even through the roughest of times, new life can emerge.

Nature is our greatest teacher.   How blessed we are to be immersed in it.  Take time this year to be present to the beauty of nature and listen to its wisdom.