We are coming into a season of giving and being generous with our time, resources, and love (including love of self). We look to the Astragalus plant as our November theme, also known as Huang qí, meaning “yellow life force”. Love truly is a force that can influence everything we do and everyone we meet. Set aside some time to give thought to how we carry this force and how we accept it from others.

Lovely Goldenrod is our October theme of the month representing encouragement and prosperity, both very proactive ideals. Goldenrod is thought to contain healing properties and apparently came in very handy when all of the regular tea was dumped into Boston Harbor. So, throughout this month, why not encourage our own independent spirits to prosper in life, health, love, and compassion

September – when the warmth of summer lingers and fall teases us with cool breezes. Our theme of the month is Loyalty and Admiration represented by the Sunflower. After all, who doesn’t stop to admire and wonder at these cheerful yellow blossoms that show up for us each year.

A wildflower, Bergamot appeals to our irresistible urges to be unconstrained in displaying our beautiful nature and to grow and learn in a diverse, yet interconnected world. As the summer winds down and we prepare for a new season, Our theme calls to us consider how to keep the wonder and enchantment alive.

Summer is in full swing as we journey into our July Spiraling to Wellness themes of harmony and order, represented by the bright and beautiful Cosmos flowering plant. This time of year, schedules sometimes go out the window as we try capture the brightest and sunniest days for relaxation and fun. We may have to look at harmony and order from a different perspective; diving deeper into nature, relationships, and life in general and see what surprises you.

Peonies are glorious in their presentation, yet delicate to the touch. Our June Spiraling to Wellness theme of the month, Enduring Beauty & Happiness, tells us that, like Peonies, we can always show up brilliantly and also let ourselves be vulnerable to the unending joy that awaits us. Following are some questions to think about as spring turns into summer.

Our summer schedule is launched.

With the abundance of spring uplifting us, we go forward into May with our theme of renewal and confidence represented by our flower of the month, the lily.

We embrace the warmer weather shedding our winter wear and, along with it, anything that weighs us down. We enter the outside world with confidence that winter storms have passed and the whole earth is renewing itself.

Wherever life plants you, bloom with grace. – French Proverb

As we embrace spring, we chose plumeria to represent our April theme of grace and charm. This flower represents both creation and re-creation. Spring can be a time to create brand new ways to bloom in our lives, our practices, and our joys. We don’t always have to start at the beginning, though. Staying within our authenticity, we can also explore ways to continually refresh and restore our compassion, vulnerability, and connectedness. Here are some questions to ponder as you take in nature’s flawless beauty.

The March Spiraling to Wellness theme of the month is Purity and Innocence, represented by the lovely Cala Lilly. Different colors have different meanings, but all point toward a gentleness of spirit and appreciation of beauty within us and others. The Cala Lily is often symbolic of a rite of passage. Maybe we can find gratitude and awe in the first buds of spring and embrace that renewal and rebirth in areas of our own lives.

The beautiful Cyclamen with its expressive petals, vibrant colors, and (almost) heart-shaped leaves is the perfect flower to embody for our February Spiraling to Wellness theme. It speaks of love and devotion, possibilities and playfulness, and passion and desire. As we cozy up in this chilly month, maybe we go deep inside ourselves to call up these strong emotions and unlock their potential for all of those you want to send love to….including, and most especially, yourself. Following are some questions to get your journey started.

And now we flow into a new year, filled with new possibilities, experiences, joys, and challenges, we have looked to nature—in particular, the world of flowers—to inspire our 2024 themes. Flowers speak to us in times of happiness, sorrow, healing, gratitude, and renewal. They have a language all their own and the ones we have chosen will hopefully resonate with each of you as we take in their beauty and celebrate their meanings and messages throughout each month.

Witch Hazel, our January theme, encompasses new and magical beginnings, healing and protection, and the promise of spring. This flowering shrub is long known for its medicinal and cosmetic properties, and its branches were once used as divining rods to locate water. As we start a new year, where can we find the healing, the refreshment, and the magic?

As human beings, we shine all of the time, some days not as bright as others; nevertheless, there is a light in all of us. Our December theme of the month is RADIATE. How will we direct our light this month in our practice and in our lives? There are lots of opportunities for this over the holiday season from celebrations with our loved ones to donating to a food pantry. Don’t forget to shine a light on your own needs, as well. Here are some questions to ponder.

Our theme for November, REALIZE, is such a powerful and life-changing word. When we realize something, when we have that “aha” moment, doors open all around us inviting us to enter a new level of understanding, appreciation, and very often, acceptance. We can look at it another way as in realizing our dreams, making what we desire come true after putting in the time and effort.

Bringing to mind something that happened in the past can lead to many feelings–joy, sorrow, excitement, longing, and even anger. This month’s theme of RECALL can start us on a journey of using what we remember to inform our current lives. The times and places may not always be accurate, but the emotions and impressions you experienced will be spot on. Let’s take some time throughout the month to RECALL events in our lives that have changed us, taught us, or freed us to be who we are. Here are some questions to think about.

The September theme of READ is bursting with possibilities, adventures, experiences, learning, growing, laughing, understanding. There’s seemingly no end. Of course, reading takes time.

Soooo, the challenge this month is to make that time to read a magazine, a book, half of a book, two books. Switch out one thing you can let go of this month and take some time to read.

Go to bed or get up a half hour earlier. Get an audio book for your commute. See what you can discover about the world and your own imagination.

REST is essential to every aspect of our being – mind, body and spirit. Otherwise, we can’t function at our ideal level. So, why do we do so little of it? This month’s Spiraling to Wellness theme offers an opportunity for us to define what rest means in our lives, where and when we need to stop, shut down the power, unplug (yes, our phones), and tune in to the peace that exists if we look for it. Join on Sunday, August 16, 10 am, at swiig café for a restful gathering and idea-sharing session. Check out the following thoughtful questions for discussion.