Let it Rain

Rain is a harbinger of spring. And with it all comes a big refresh for earth and spirit.

Nature Loves Rain (Bring It On!)

True, rain is for the ducks, but happy quacks apart, it also provides nature with a bounty of good things which is why farmers pray for rain, and cultures living in drought prone regions have been known to dance.

Rain replenishes springs and rivers, and fills our reservoirs.

Rain feeds nature’s roots, helps germinate those seeds that have lain dormant all winter prompting them to grow, and makes things green again.

Farmers and gardeners in particular keep their weather eyes open for rain, and see it coming in a gathering of clouds like big and fluffy cumulonimbus , and dark and low nimbostratus. When rain falls on dry earth we inhale deeply of something marvelous - “petrichor” – the rich earthy aroma that releases from the ground when the rain releases the chemicals from decaying plant matter.

Rain is welcomed by our wildlife, too. Throughout the year, puddles are vital water sources for birds and wildlife – so much so that the Ottomons carved out little wells in the cobblestones on streets to collect water for that specific purpose.

Of course, the opposite of rain, is drought, while the extreme is flood, which is why, when our planet is transforming due to climate change, we all need to take joy in even the softest spring shower.

 
Rain symbolizes renewal and rebirth.

In Spring, rain becomes symbol of change, and aren’t we ready! In the aftermath of a downpour, the earth, ice-hard for months, softens, breaks open, and nature is revealed in a blade of grass, a tender shoot. And with those transformations comes a sense of earthy renewal.

As life awakens all around within us, too, there can be a sense of being joyously and naturally refreshed, as if we, too, were “sprouting” more energy, more joy, more zest for life.

(Note, we don’t know of any yoga poses inspired by rain, but consider Downward Dog the asana that best resembles our body sprouting from the earth!)

Rain helps things bloom – and we can even see this reflected in the refreshing glow that come to our faces after we’ve been caught in a shower. Rain also represents fertility (which is why some say rain on a wedding day is lucky), but looking at it another way, rain can also cultivate that sense of regrowth - a time when new plans and ambitions can be sown and start to take root.

Watching rain stream down the street and wash away winter grime, also serves as a evocative reminder that rain is nature’s way of cleansing and then nourishing itself. Rain as a visual for your next meditation? Why not?

Rain as therapy may be a far fetch but the more we embrace it, the closer we can get everything it stands for ...

Refreshment. Renewal. Rebirth.

Let it flow.


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