I have killed a lot of babies. (Plant babies, to be clear.)
It starts like this: Put a seed in the ground and get all excited when it pops its head up. Give it too much or too little water/light/touch/air and find that the next day my little sprout has slumped over in the dirt, never to revive.
New life is an incredibly delicate thing. This is why Ayurveda offers the wisdom for new mothers to reduce activity, avoid stimulation, and slowly ease into a routine. It’s not because the rishis wanted to keep women from fulfilling their purposes outside the home; the simple law of nature can be seen in any spring garden — little things are barely on this side of life and need to be reminded how it works.
Even if you aren’t a plant baby or don’t have a real baby, you can apply this wisdom. As you emerge from winter to the sunlight of spring, go slowly. As you emerge into a new daily practice, go slowly. As you shift your eating patterns to be aligned with your body, go slowly. As you work up your courage to create something new, go slowly.
You are a delicate little sprout who needs some time to stretch and yawn.
