Welcome to the first episode of Unfolding a podcast. I'm so glad you're here. I am Erica Voell and I help women in midlife stop overthinking clear old patterns and make confident decisions they actually trust so that they can stop putting everyone else first, finally honor their word to themselves and say no to what drains them. Today's episode is all about the pace of spring and that urge to bloom before we've actually rooted, and if you've been feeling wobbly or buzzy or like you're supposed to be doing more, this one is for you. It is spring here in Kansas City. Definitely. And the tulips are up, the trees are budding, the flowers are blooming, and the pollen is flying everywhere through the air. We're all a little sniffly, but what we all love about spring is what we can see, the color, the growth, the aliveness. But what we don't see is the part below the surface, and that's just as important. The season isn't just about blooming, it's about the young plants growing roots deeper as they push up through the soil. Every client session I have, I start with a grounding meditation, and sometimes I go with an idea of what's needed based on their energy that I tune into before the session and other times something completely unexpected comes through once we get on the call, And lately, what keeps coming up again and again is the need to root down and spring gets us so excited to grow. Bloom, build, do. But without those solid roots beneath us, any kind of growth is really shaky. Think about those trees that topple over in the strong winds. A tree with roots can't stand through those strong winds, and honestly, some days lately feel like a windstorm, both literally and figuratively. Also the astrology This year is so wild. Even if you don't follow it closely, you've probably felt it like big energetic shifts, retrogrades, slow moving planets entering new signs. For example, Pluto only changes signs every couple of centuries, and we moved into a new sign recently. I had heard that 2025 could be a major astrological year, but I really didn't know what it would feel like until we're in it, especially now. 'cause I mean, look, the news, the state of the world is like shifting a break next speed some days, and it's a lot. And if you've been feeling unsteady, buzzy or like your brain has 47 tabs open and none of them are loading. Pretty common right now. You're not alone. This is your reminder to come back to what studies you. And the more established your roots are, the more easily you can bend in the wind without breaking just like the trees do. I have been working with my own coach and as we've been working, I'm feeling called to revisit some of the teachings from my coaching program, especially the ones that are tied to the seasons and the five element theories. I am also struggling with this shallow roots and spring in the five element theory is the season of wood, but it's also the season of planning. And I've come to realize I'm trying to move forward and grow without stopping to make a plan and get those roots established and surprise. Actually, it's no surprise my nervous system has been fraying. So now I'm taking a step back and I'm planning so that I can establish those roots so that then I can move forward. This is nothing new for me. People who know me know that I like to plan, quote unquote plan, and yet I get a little planning done and then I get so excited about the project that I just jump in and I move forward. And I figure things out as I go. I don't know how many times I've been sewing and making a dress only to realize if I had read the directions, I would've ripped out a whole lot fewer seams. My grandpa was an electrical engineer and he would joke and say, you only need the directions when things aren't coming out just right. And I know I've picked that up from him. I have also learned that I have to start at the beginning with making IKEA furniture or else we'll end up with a bookcase that is not a bookcase, it's something completely different. So what are some things that you can do to ground yourself during this season of growth? You can sit in the grass. Lean against a tree Also turn off your phone. Getting away from a screen is so important. Taking some deep, long breaths and plan your week so that you know what to expect. And you're not just flailing around. We don't need to rush into the blooming season that comes later. We really just need to build the kind of roots that will hold us so that we can sway and bend in the wind without breaking. I think about all these trees around Kansas City, we get a really bad windstorm, and how many of them topple over because they have not established those really strong roots. Thanks so much for listening to my first episode today. If this episode resonated with you, I would love to hear what landed with you. Feel free to send me a message or like the podcast or share it with someone who needs a reminder that rooting before they grow and they bloom. 'cause you don't have to rush and you don't have anything to prove. You're right where you're meant to be. Take care. I'll talk to you next time.