Pruning with Love and Discernment
Happy Spring! I love the Spring season because it is time of birth and rebirth; a reminder of the natural cycles of life and opportunities to “begin again.”
Last week as I tackled some Spring preparations in my yard I was struck by the parallels in my own life, especially when it comes to pruning. I annually prune my landscaping because I know from experience that the plants are healthier and more robust when I do. With experience I’ve learned that the more deeply I prune the vigorous my plants become.
I begin by clearing away everything that is obviously dead or broken. This is usually easy to spot. We tend to recognize what isn’t working in our lives first: patterns, behaviors, beliefs or relationships that are broken. What can we clear out to make room for new growth?
Next, I step back to look at the whole plant and assess its overall health. Is it growing in a balanced way? Has it outgrown its space so the roots are being choked out? Is the life energy so dispersed that the shoots are weak and fragile? What does this plant need to be the fullest expression of itself? Hmm, what do I need to be the fullest expression of myself?
Then, with love and discernment I begin to cut away. I trim back branches to concentrate the plant’s energy. I look for the growing edge and cut beyond that. Sometimes I even cut off healthy, flowering stems. That use to be so hard for me to do. “But they look so nice…” “What if they don’t come back?” Oh, but they do…and then some.
My rose bushes are a great example of this. The most robust flowering of the year is the first bloom in the Spring – after they have been pruned. I’m talking riotous, prolific bursts of color that stop me in my tracks and fill me with awe. They continue to bloom through the Fall but never as richly as that. It seems the more I prune the more they bloom.
Knowing this makes it easier for me to be diligent (even ruthless my husband would say) in cutting away all that does not promote the health and vitality of my plants. This is something I practice applying to my own life and so can you. What stands in the way of your health and vitality?
Spring is a perfect time to step back and assess how your life is growing, clear out the dead stuff and cut away all that stands in the way of blooming – even if it looks nice, feels good or is the way you’ve always done it. It’s exciting and a little scary at times, but the results are so worth it! It’s amazing what can happen when there’s room to grow.