Let us Spring into Spring!

With spring in your step and the warm sun on your back, you are finally getting out into the great outdoors, right?

If not, let’s go. This is the time of year when everything is awakening on the surface. As the earth warms, the wildlife, the new growth underfoot is encouraging us to begin on new adventures. This year, it may feel different – for sure. This year, we are still amidst unsure times. Yet, I say, you draw upon the strength of spring time.
How?

The seasons don’t stop. Time keeps on ticking. ‘The Big Wheel in the Sky keeps on turning’ Journey reminds us (The song reference is for all you music lovers!) As Journey sings about time, let us be encouraged by that and choose to grow with spring. Spring coming upon us is a welcome, predictable, comforting sign. It is a natural stress reliever. Let’s use the longer days, the warmer sun to get out into the woods. Take up foraging or bird spotting.

If you enjoy the great outdoors only once it is warmer (and I don’t blame you – I love the heat), how about choosing a healthy new hobby like sprouting your own food?  Seeds are just about everywhere!

Did you know you can sprout just about any seed or legume that you usually eat in the kitchen? The next time you prepare a batch of chili, I encourage you to soak your black beans, your garbanzo beans and even the dried lentils (soak dried seed and legumes, not the canned ones!) for 4-6 hours. They become softer and the soaking ‘wakes’ them up into pre-sprout mode. This unlocks their tremendous, nutritious power.  As seeds begin sprouting, they expand in size, in nutritional value and often become much more digestible. You literally grow healthier.

Did you know that most seeds, when sprouted are 10-40x their nutritional value compared to their adult vegetables or grains?

There are many ways to learn about sprouting, growing microgreens and even wild foraging for spring foods. Check online on You Tube or your local garden groups like LegsEtobicoke.ca to see what’s new in the garden. This is a great time to get your hands on a new green hobby. We have so many parklands that are waiting for you to go meander, enjoy the walking path and even wander off along the Humber River or Etobicoke Creek to soak up the beneficial sounds of bird songs, water flowing, the earth welcoming us back into action.

Despite the closures of many spaces, you can wander around our many parks, you can visit the Royal Botanical Gardens (Burlington) and you can even check out TUG – Toronto Urban Growers (Urban network in the GTA!) for local seed libraries, community gardens and urban farming adventures. Now is the time to begin growing green!

See you in the garden!

“Everything that slows us down and forces patience, everything that sets us back into the slow circles of nature, is a help. Gardening is an instrument of grace. ” May Sarton

Monika Meulman, Zen Life Guide 416-347-5449: The Healing Muse Apothecary @healingmuse, www.healingmuse.com