Spring is traditionally a time of renewal. The air gets warmer, plants form new buds, animals return from their wintertime retreats, and many embrace the urge to thoroughly clean their homes.

February is a month that celebrates love in all its manifestations, including romance, intimacy, acceptance, passion, forgiveness, friendship, joy, ecstasy, and communion. This is also the second month of the new year, and as Valentine’s Day approaches, you may be reflecting on some of the intentions you have set to expand your experience of love, happiness, and connection in 2013.

We are all born as infinitely creative beings. As children, we freely used our rich imaginations to create entire worlds, whether we were building sand castles at the beach, playing “house” with a collection of dolls, or pretending to be our favorite superhero. As we become adults, many of us unfortunately succumb to the prevailing cultural meme or belief that as we grow older, our brains lose their capacity to expand, adapt, transform, and evolve.

One of the guiding principles of mind-body medicine is the interconnection of all things, including the mind, the body, and the environment in which we live. Each of us is an inseparable part of an infinite field of intelligence, and in this very moment, with every breath, we are exchanging millions of atoms with the universe.

Scientists estimate that, on average, we have 60,000 thoughts every day. The majority of these thoughts are repetitive thoughts that we’ve had countless times before. But once in a while, a distinctive moment occurs in which an original or even exceptional thought crosses our mind. We have an idea or a stroke of insight that opens us to new possibilities and transformation.

In every moment of our existence, we have access to an infinity of choices. As a result of conditioning, however, most of us tend to act in predictable, repetitious ways. The process is like driving a car down the same dirt road many times. Over time, the wheels carve out ruts in the dirt and the car automatically follows the path we’ve taken before. It’s the path of least resistance, and while it may serve us for a while, if we forget that we can always choose other roads, we may find ourselves stuck in a well-honed rut. In the ancient Vedic tradition, this is known as the Law of Karma.

The highest aim of any spiritual path is surrender. Although you may associate the word surrender with defeat or weakness, it is the most powerful spiritual action, offering you infinite freedom and possibilities. Surrender is trusting that God, the Universe, or a higher intelligence can accomplish anything, even when you can’t foresee the outcome of a situation.

Whether you garden in containers on a balcony or on half an acre out back, you can nourish your body and save the planet at the same time.

True health and wellbeing is a lifestyle that does not happen overnight. It is a series of gradual, subtle shifts. A gentle unfolding of a more balanced existence. One could certainly spend hundreds of hours reading, attending seminars, practicing, falling off the wagon, getting back on said wagon, and continually striving to get it “right.” While walking the path toward wholeness isn’t always easy, it can and should be simple. Forget where we want to be ten years from now. By making small, daily shifts that allow us to feel good in this very moment, we open ourselves up to unlimited vitality, wellness and abundance.

Dear friend,