As we move into another month of spring, we continue to blossom into a new atmosphere of growth. The very name of the month is indicative of this; "May," a simple three letter word, can be defined as "the expression of possibility" or "the expression of permission."
In conjunction with the ambitious and determined energy of Taurus, an earth sign, May is the perfect month to allow for your inner light and inner garden to grow.

This month, give yourself permission to bloom. Here are some of my top tips:

1. Give yourself some space. Dedicate an afternoon or even a day for spring cleaning. Make a jammin' playlist, dance around a little (or a lot) and go through your space. Go through your closet and see what may have been pushed to the back. Go through your bookshelves and see what you can donate to your local library. Objects hold energy and can sometimes block energy. Take the time to open up and clear your home and/or office. If this sounds like a daunting task (been there) make a schedule to clean one space/room a day. 
2. Clear and balance your chakras.  Everyone's chakra system has different needs, and we can even feel differences in our own chakra systems from day to day. If it's been awhile since you've checked in with your energy wheels, we suggest you read through our last few blogs to see how you can recharge and cleanse your chakras this spring.
3. Try something new. What better way to continue to grow than to try something new?! Try out painting or drawing. Sing in your car. Dance in your living room. Ever try inline skating? Try to let go of the little voice inside of you that might not be the most encouraging. Give yourself permission to be a little silly! There's no such thing as failing with this one! (;
4. Meditate on emerald green. Not only does May fall in the season of spring and green, but May's birthstone happens to be emerald. Often associate with the heart chakra, the emerald gemstone radiates love, compassion, and connection. Whether you are wearing this gemstone, keep this gemstone someplace special, or simply meditate on this gemstone, know that this powerful gemstone will help you to plant your roots deep into the earth in order to bloom to your fullest potential.

How are you celebrating the month of May? Is there something in particular you are hoping to manifest? Let us know in the comments below!

The thousand-petaled lotus residing at the top of our chakra system, the crown chakra is our center for inner wisdom, spirituality, and conscious. This chakra is our connection to the heavens and continues to be developed over the lifetime. Intelligence and thoughtfulness are very closely tied to this chakra, though once we engage with this chakra, we learn that the knowledge is not something we read in a textbook, but rather the knowledge and wisdom of the universe, or the collective conscious, that is within us.

We are spiritual beings having a human experience. Those who may not believe to have this inner wisdom or a sense of spirituality are often blinded by an attachment or by attachments from the lower chakras. Some people find themselves obsessed and attached to their bodies, others may be attached to their money or possessions; this list is endless. Other individuals may simply dismiss the ideas of divinity and spirituality out of ignorance (i.e. the lack of understanding about our spiritual nature) or fear. If you feel that you have lost connection with your crown chakra or with your inner light, I recommend cleansing your lower chakras as well.

When we work with our crown chakra, we continue on our path of liberation towards enlightenment. As we awaken or reawaken our inner wisdom, we reconnect with our inner light and divinity, which is the same light and divinity that resides within all of us.

If you are looking for ways to let your thousand-petal lotus bloom, here are some techniques you should try:

• tune in; we live in a world full of noise, images, and overstimulation. See if you can slow down and parse what you are taking in. One of my favorite exercises is to sit someplace quiet and listen to a piece of music that inspires me. As I listen, I try to pick out the individual instruments or elements and really zero in on what is happening.
• pay attention; we are a world full of multitaskers- eating and reading, walking and texting, driving and calling. Take the extra time to fine tune your attention and concentration by really focusing on what you are doing. Take smaller bites and chew slower. Go on a walk without your cell phone. Pause, close your eyes, and just listen to your breath.

We all know that our two eyes help us to see, but what about our third eye? Residing between the two eyes, governing our pineal gland (largely involved in many physiological and hormonal functions and sensitive to light), our third eye helps us to see through a different form of vision. Our third eye helps us to connect with our intuition.
Intuition is the ability to understand/know (i.e. "see") without explanation. We all have the inborn capability of intuition and have more than likely experienced examples of this intuition. Unfortunately, for many individuals, the third eye is blocked, clogged, or closed. When our sixth chakra is deficient, we are more susceptible to illusions, delusions, and lies. This may be due to an abundance of distractions from the material world, such as an abundance of light pollution or disturbances from our technology (so many screens!) For many children, the third eye and sense of intuition can become a source of shame if the parent(s) tell him/her that what they are seeing is not real (how many of us had "imaginary friends," after all?) 

Our throat chakra is our center for speaking, creativity, and sound. Our voice is our personalized, completely unique instrument that allows for us to express ourselves and our truth. When our throat chakra is balanced and cleared, our truth can be heard clearly and without strain. This creates vibrations and frequencies that are harmonious and understood. Conversely, if our throat chakra is blocked or if we are disconnected from the center of communication, we can be misunderstood by others or even from ourselves; a blocked throat chakra often leads to confusion and hurt.

We can all probably recognize some damage caused to the throat chakra. As children, perhaps you were often told to be quiet, or worst, heard that children "are to be seen and not heard." Perhaps you have experienced rejection after expressing yourself or were told not to say certain things. Over time, this type of restriction can continue to manifest and create a weak throat chakra; individuals who struggle with this tend to have soft or weak voices, stiffness in the shoulders and neck, and tend to be very shy. Acknowledges these traits and experiences within yourself is the first step to begin to remove the restraints from the throat chakra and begin to express your truth.

Other individuals may find that they are constantly activating their throat chakra; they may have a loud voice and seem to always make themselves the center of attention. Just as we saw with those who are deficient in the fifth chakra, individuals who have an excess throat chakra often feel misunderstood and conflicted. Similarly from what we saw in the heart chakra, an excess throat chakra may actually be from a deficiency in the lower chakras; for instance, an individual who seems to dominate conversation may be compensating from low self-esteem (chakra three).