First Day of Spring – Get outside!

No matter where you live, the first day of Spring can be a wonderful day.  The farther you are from the equator (and whether you have Spring in March or September), Spring portends change and newness.  Although I grew up near enough to the equator that Spring is just another day on the calendar, I now live where Spring occurs very palpably.  And although it is my least favorite season, I still very much look forward to it’s arrival.

Here we are slowly transitioning from winter, and just now we are enjoying a faux May day.  Of course, we’re not quite there yet and we will be returning to our regularly scheduled March in just a few hours.  But for the moment, it is Spring.  And it’s a perfect day to take get harp outside...and play!

There are all kinds of reasons to take the opportunity to do it right now!

• The fresh air will do you good.  There’s a reason “Spring Cleaning” is a thing.  We have been cooped up in furnace air for months, so a little fresh air will be a welcome change (and you also want to enjoy it before A/C season shuts you up again).
• The sunlight will do you good.  This is a perfect time – bright clear days while the sun angle is changing – it’s not beating down on you or your harp.  No sweating on the soundboard.  No worrying that the glue might be in jeopardy.  Research keeps showing the importance of getting some sun – to collect Vitamin D precursors, to stave off the winter blahs, and to put the finishing touches on your adaptation to the time change.  Playing your harp will only enhance all that.
• The warmth will do you good.  Some research suggests that you will feel better with just 15 minutes of contact with the earth each day.  When it’s Spring, it is warm enough to take your shoes and socks off and keep your feet on the ground.  No matter how it operates, taking 15 minutes to stand still (or sit still) will do you good.
• Being present will do you good.  Sometimes when we take our harps outside, we are worried – will the harp be stable? will other people hear me? does anyone see me?  We might feel exposed with our bare arms and our bare harp.  But that’s not the point.  Instead -  be present.  Enjoy the feel of the wood, the strings, the air, the sun, the deck/park/garden/yard in which you are sitting, the breeze, the sound.  Be present and remind yourself how much you enjoy the feeling of playing – no matter how experienced you are (or aren’t). 

Spring is a great time to remind yourself to be thoughtful.  After the bundled up, flurry and flutter of the holidays and the start of the new year – take a breath.  Be here.  Now.  Enjoy your harp.

Go play now.  Spring is fleeting.  Soon it will be Summer, with its hustle and bustle and A/C and harp events!  Ok.  Gotta go – the deck is calling me, the trees are beckoning, the birds are off key so they need help.  Where will you play?  Let me know in the comments below! 

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