Life, like the turning of the year, unfolds in distinct seasons. Each phase brings its own unique lessons, challenges, and opportunities for growth and change.
I’d like to share my personal evolution of becoming a Chinese Medicine practitioner with you. You’ll see how my growth is aligned with the same cycle we find in the natural world - a cycle that involves planting, sprouting, blooming, and those often ill-regarded periods of dormancy and decay.
Join me as I reflect on some key seasons and the wisdom they imparted.
Winter's Quiet Promise
The Seed of a New Beginning
In the winter of 2019, I made a giant leap of faith, leaving the familiar comfort of my previous career to delve into the world of Chinese Medicine. I was an established wedding and editorial florist with a bespoke floral business, a career I loved, but left me burnt out and drained after each wedding season. I closed up shop and enrolled in graduate school. I knew I needed a change and Chinese Medicine was the answer. I have always led a creative life - yet somehow the real-world practicality of medicine was calling my name. Pivoting so drastically felt like burying myself in the unknown, much like a seed nestled in the cold earth.
Sometimes, we must retreat into stillness and darkness to plant the seeds of our future. Trust the unseen potential within you; transformation is already underway beneath the surface.
Spring's Eager Ascent
The Sprout of a Passion
By 2021, my dedication to Chinese Medicine began to blossom. I embraced my student role, eager to soak up every bit of knowledge. Picture Year 1 Hermione Granger raising her hand in potions class - that was me. I created extensive Notion databases with lecture notes, riding the wave of inertia and enthusiasm that only the energy of Spring can bring. I knew these notes, which I lovingly referred to as my 'second brain,' would set the foundation for the four-plus years of schooling ahead.
Embrace your authentic enthusiasm; it's a powerful force that propels growth. Don't be afraid to show your emerging potential, even in its early, tender stages.
Summer's Radiant Bloom
The Flower of Application
2022 marked a vibrant period of putting theory into practice through my clinical internship. I found the clinical experience invigorating. I put in the work during winter and spring and could now see that not only was the work paying off, but I was also an intuitive healer who connected easily with my patients.I was loving every moment of my time in the clinic and my patients left the room empowered in their health and wellness journey. I began integrating a 'narrative approach' into my practice, which involves understanding each patient's unique story and how it relates to their health. This approach combines my creative background with my clinical skills. I launched "with the seasons," connecting my past in the creative arts (a hodge-podge of theatre, art direction, and graphic design) with my present clinical practice.
Your fullest expression can have a profound impact, inspiring and healing others. Embrace your peak moments while staying grounded, balancing outward action with inner stability.
Late Summer's Harvest
Navigating the Fruits of Experience
As I approached the culmination of my studies in late summer 2023, a challenging clinical experience served as an unexpected harvest, forcing me to prioritize my health and pause my education, potentially indefinitely. This experience, where a patient crossed professional boundaries, tested my resolve and connected deeply with the theme of an unexpected harvest. This caused me to question whether I was fit for this healing profession altogether. I was 8 weeks out from graduating with my Master’s and Doctorate degrees. I had very little left to graduate - we’re talking 2 units of coursework and ~40 clinical hours. The pause button felt impractical but I was left with no choice. My body and mind were crumbling and collapsing - despite my resolve to finish in 8 weeks. Hitting pause on the most “life-giving” part of my life was the hardest decision of my life thus far. I went on an extended medical leave. I questioned if I would ever return to complete.
The harvest isn't always what you expect - fruit is sometimes sour, sometimes sweet. Learn to work with whatever life presents, understanding that even difficult experiences hold valuable lessons. Center yourself, evaluate, and adjust your course with the wisdom gained.
Autumn's Gentle Release
The Letting Go of What Was
Following the difficult harvest of late Summer, 2024 became a period of necessary release and deep introspection. Much like the natural decay of Autumn, this time was dark and painful. However, as the leaves fall and decompose, they nourish the soil for future growth. My period of rest, though initially feeling like a hopeless ending, allowed me to reconnect with my doctoral research, and creative hobbies I had long abandoned. This period of decomposition, allowed for new growth. I focused on areas of my life that fell by the wayside. I fell in love with a wonderful man and in turn fell in love with myself and my renewed strength. I found other “life-giving” passions that weren’t solely based on what I did for a living. I wasn’t in control of my timing and I was miraculously okay with it.
Surrender and release are essential for growth. Allow what needs to fall away to decompose fully, trusting in the natural timing of transformation. Even when progress feels stagnant, these periods of deep rest and reflection are preparing us for future seasons of growth. By accepting rather than resisting these cycles, we discover that transformation often happens most powerfully in the quiet moments of letting go.
Winter's Renewed Promise
The Seed of Integrated Wisdom
Now, in 2025, I find myself in another winter, but this time, I carry the wisdom of a full cycle. I’ve returned to school to complete my coursework and finalize my Doctoral research. I’ve begun studying for the licensure exam with plans of opening my clinical practice this Autumn. This new beginning feels grounded, intentional, and deeply integrated - as if I’m ready for many cycles to come.
Life is a cycle. You return to familiar points with deeper wisdom, carrying the lessons of past seasons into your new beginnings. Each turn through life's wheel brings opportunities to revisit old ground with fresh eyes and deeper understanding. The wisdom you've gathered becomes the fertile soil from which new possibilities emerge.
I hope you found this reflection on my recent seasons of personal and professional growth insightful. Life's journey, like nature's cycles, brings us through periods of growth, challenge, rest, and renewal. To learn more about how we can mindfully move with the seasons we find ourselves in and integrate the wisdom they've imparted, I invite you to subscribe to my ongoing exploration of these themes.
Warmly,
Sarah with the seasons
