“Sleep, Creep, Leap” is a phrase that gardeners use to describe the growing stages of perennial plants. The first year it will sleep, getting its roots secure in the soil. The second year it will start to put on some growth, slowly adjusting to its conditions. In the third year, it will take off and start to shine.
I am a gardener but actually only came across this phrase last January reading a reflective piece from the Daily Om. This analogy was used to describe the importance of our own need to sleep and creep, before we leap.
This time of year can be hard, the lack of light, the cold, the wet and the post-Christmas slump. It is also the time of year for all of those ‘New Year! New You!’ messages. The implication being that January is the time for energy and taking life by the horns. If we use the nature analogy, it is expecting a summer perennial to be its best bloom in the depths of winter.
But this analogy is not just for winter, it’s for any period in our lives when we feel worn out, tired and in need of a break. It may be because we are experiencing a period of change, or a loss or an unexpected change in circumstances. We don’t have limitless energy to go through life at full speed. The sleep, creep, leap cycle can be started at any time of year. The key is recognising where we are in the cycle.
An important aspect of this cycle is that there is still movement at each stage. The sleep cycle is more than just resting, it’s setting roots and building strength.
I think of this as rest incorporating rejuvenation. We can rest whilst still doing things that feed the soul, so we are building roots and grounding ourselves. For example, finding activities that are engaging and relaxing. It might be walking in nature, reading, sitting on a beach with a coffee, writing a journal, cooking… something that you love.
The sleep phase is about being present, coming back to basics and grounding yourself with comfort and care. Writing a list of things that comfort and energise you is a good starting point.
Once the groundwork is in place the creeping can begin. It begins the stage of outward thinking. Perhaps socialising a little more, maybe making a few plans, putting a few things in place, making some changes. Dipping your toes in the water.
Leaping doesn’t have to mean a sudden burst, or that suddenly everything is sorted. It’s the start of the period when things feel easier. You feel able to take on more, make some changes if needed, feel more grounded, feel more you. It’s when you feel the sun is out again.
This cycle can happen many times throughout our lives. One thing that is certain, is that we never really know what is coming next and when we may need to refocus or restart the cycle again.
If we go back to the perennials – there are hundreds (thousands? millions?) of different types, different life stages, different flowering periods, different needs. Our goal is to figure out when we need to ‘sleep’ and when we are ready to bloom and what we need to do to get there in our own time.
Refs
The Daily Om – dailyom.com
