If you are receiving this newsletter and do not understand why, my mailing list has just been expanded and revised. You have received this because you attended a class or workshop with me, have contacted my office seeking information about services I provide or have signed up directly onto my list. I welcome all new Chew Tamers and apologize if you have received this in error. If you do not wish future issues of The Chew Tamer’s Journey, you can easily unsubscribe by using the unsubscribe link at the bottom of the page. I am sorry for any inconvenience this may have caused you.

The Chew Tamer's Journey

Spring is approaching. Can you feel it? Yesterday I was visiting friends who live near a lovely, now-frozen lake in southern New Hampshire and heard the familiar call of geese returning from wherever they went for the harshest months of the winter. We all ran outside to stand in awe and bear witness to their wondrous flight. Soon many more will fill our skies with their magical calls reminding us that we too have survived another winter season. No matter what climate you live in, the days are longer now and sunny days come along more often. Spring is peeking around the corner.

This is a time to breathe deeply and to observe as the season begins to turn. Think of what this means especially for you. Is this the time to browse seed catalogs or to tune your bicycle? Would now be a good time to clean out a cluttered closet or to paint a room in your home? Could you take a stroll on a beach or give yourself time to delve into something new that you are interested in learning about – maybe signing up for an art or ceramics class? Whatever appeals to you is exactly the right thing to do right now. Follow your inner guidance and see where it takes you!

Spring is a grand time to reflect on what you’ve done this winter and to plan what you will create as you move towards warmer weather and sunnier skies. Perhaps you will finally get yourself outdoors to play or you will focus on changing some self-destructive habits. Maybe you will build meditation or yoga time into your schedule, write a letter to someone you love, make more self-loving choices at mealtime or pick up your journal for a few minutes of silent reflection. It is less important what you choose to do than that you do something on your own behalf – not just today but every day!

Winter is a time of reaction. Some of us react to snowfalls, extreme temperatures and icy driving conditions, for example. Others react to their winter environments in other ways. Spring is the time to stop reacting and to prepare for action. It is the perfect time to plan for the weeks ahead when little buds will predictably burst open and a new season will unfold. This signals the time for you to unfold as well. Chances are you are already pretty good at caretaking others and making sure they blossom. Now is the time to focus attention on your self-care -- not tomorrow or next week, but today. This minute! What is one thing you can do today to make an investment in your happiness and health? Think about it and then do it!

My very sunniest wishes,
Dr. Denise