The Spring equinox is this weekend (March 20)!

This time of year I try to spend some quality time in Nature, reflecting on the past season.

Winter was intense this year…

In fact, if you’ve been reading my newsletters for a while, you might already know that I’ve been in a long “wintering” (as author Katherine May calls it) for several years now. But I think it’s just beginning to thaw, and that a new level of “spring” hope and beauty is coming for me… so I’m stepping tenderly in that direction. Very tenderly.

Maybe you are feeling this too, Reader?

My plans are to get outside as much as possible this weekend, starting Friday.

I will head to a creek to pick out a few stones and carry them up a mountain in a small symbolic ritual of returning from the depths, and returning earth to the tops of mountains. I will collect fresh spring water as one of my Spring equinox traditions, and hopefully build a fire no matter the weather - a fun survival-skills challenge.

Saturday I will take a local cheese and charcuterie board to my friends' grand opening of the Earthworm Learning Center where we will sing, make a fire, share food and connect with folks who support this beautiful vision. Sunday I will just REST. It's my screen-free, do-nothing, be-wild-and-free-day. You should save one of those too.

Oh yes, I’m taking Friday off - in the midst of the BUSIEST SEASON for my business, with multiple new projects launching, new team members onboarding, assignments due in classes I’m taking, dozens of emails I have not yet responded to (thank you for your patience!), and even client work coming in that represents vital revenue I really shouldn’t ignore…

But this year, after many rounds of illness and burnout over the last several years, I promised myself I would be building a BODY-FIRST Business or be done.

I love my business - it’s a vessel for the mission I’m here on Earth to carry out. I love my creative team in the online space, and my grounded crew in the field. I am so thankful for every reader, student, collective member and client who’s come my way, seeking service or support. And the work we accomplish together… is truly life-and-world-changing.

So I don’t want to be done. I don’t want to quit or close this business.

But I had to consider that option so many times over the last few years… to save my life.

Because I was putting the business over my body. And that was threatening my ability to carry it.

Now, anytime I think “omg all these things really need to get done” but it’s actually time to eat, sleep, spend time with my loved ones, workout, or do something healthy, I tell myself “that to do list is NOT a matter of life-or-death, but THESE THINGS ARE. This is my LIFE.”

And now I put my body, my part of Nature, FIRST.

To allow this truth to sink in, I really just needed an embodied experience (hello - song circles, local food and mountain hikes!) to remind me and deepen the knowing into being.

Real, tangible, interactive experiences are how we humans learn (and remember) best.

And that’s what I’m working toward offering, bit by bit, with the EarthCare Journey, the Library and the Professional’s Collective. Eventually I aim to hold live retreats and in-person workshops again - but that kind of offer requires a lot of energy for someone like me. So for now, I am rebuilding capacity and sharing what I can.

Before the holidays I also stopped drinking alcohol, and have been sleeping SO much better - 10/10 recommend. In January, I started working out with a personal trainer; in February I leaned into more dates and time with my beloved Tyler; and in March, I’ve been returning to my outdoor sit spots with delight.

Slowly, tenderly, I’m coming out of the freeze of winter and overwhelm.. despite the insane challenges going on in the world. Making things smaller, more focused on what's right in front of us, our local places, people and the things that bring us joy - is what we really, really need right now. My body couldn’t be more relieved. And I’m sharing this to encourage you to do the same.

​I hope you join me on this beautiful journey. ​

EarthCare as a way of life has truly changed my life. And I’m eager to share how to make it super simple and approachable with you in a myriad of ways, no matter where you live.

Please share this newsletter and the events I’m curating with friends!

With all the joy and hope that Spring brings,

Kendra

Ps. How are you feeling as we shift seasons this weekend? What are your Spring equinox plans?

Hit reply to connect with me anytime. I'm reading and responding for myself again <3

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Written by a human - Kendra Marie Hoffman

​​“You cannot get through a single day without having an impact on the world around you. What you do makes a difference, and you have to decide what kind of difference you want to make.” – Jane Goodall