What Happens After All The Cherry Blossoms Fall?

 Hi my FANCY FACE FLURRIES!

I just finished hosting our very short and VERY SWEET two-night retreat at the Lodge at St. Edwards Park. I think even though this one was the smallest group yet, it had the MOST. It had the most acres of property to frolic in, the most food, the most bonding, the most bed space, the most space to vent and laugh, the most space to hide, the most space to move in, the most props... no kitchen sink, but we did throw in a chair.

Something interesting happens after preparing for something in such high detail for so long. There's, of course, the inevitable adrenal drop, but then there's the shedding phase after a big event: the unpacking (in my case, literal unpacking—I think I got as far as unzipping a bag). This is when the real growth happens.

Curating these retreats feels like gardening, where I spend months prepping the soil and taking care of the seedlings, protecting against natural disasters. So by the time all the elements are put into play, that's when beautiful blossoms appear. This weekend we had the rain, the sunshine, a safe space to grow, nutrients (omg so much plant food), so the ladies were stretching out their petals... they were just open. We filled the rooms and hallways of St. Edwards Lodge like the cherry blossoms at UW Campus. A sea of bright blue and pink sweatshirts, the energy of floating Japanese blossoms, which made for fun memories and gorgeous pictures. However, this Instagrammable weekend is not where the peak of growth happens; that's just the beginning.

The Japanese see the lifespan of a cherry blossom as a spiritual journey. Much of their art and poetry draws inspiration from this process, and they have the most beautiful expressions and words to describe each stage. One that I really love (which of course is the one that just rolls off the tongue) is Mikkaminumanosakura (三日見ぬ間の桜). Which means change happens very suddenly and intensely, much like the cherry blossoms that go from full bloom to being scattered in just a short space of time. After that fast, furious, flower shower, that's when the flowers are exposed and primed to be pollinated by insects. These pollinators help transfer pollen from one flower to another, which fertilizes the plants and leads to seed production. Then the blossoms turn to green leaves, and fruit starts to bud.

So even though the beautiful scenic weekend is over, a fast flurry of memorable events, this quiet time after is when the most important work and the real progress happen. All the releases we did physically, mixed with the feeling of being seen and heard, start to sink in. A moment to breathe outside your daily grind and be off the gerbil wheel. Then you're able to notice things you need more of in your daily routine, or habits you might have been hanging onto that you don't need. You shook weight off your branches over the weekend and feel lighter. This is when your buds are exposed and you're able to really grow into your potential.

My trail of unzipped bags, bright blue sweatshirts draped all over the house, a line of breadcrumbs in the form of ankle weights, are decorating the floors of our house right now. I returned to the house like a cherry blossom tree dusting the last of my petals off me. The Japanese also has a word for the shedding we're all experiencing right now, the final stage of cherry blossom which is "utsuroi." Which means the transience of life; the change.

So when my husband looks around the house at the beautiful petals I left behind and wonders, "...just, you know, curious, when do you plan to pick this all up?" I will start speaking in Japanese and let him know you can't rush "utsoroi."

This week in the studio, we're going to treat our workouts like a cherry blossom bloom. It'll be a furious, vibrant release, a beautiful flurry of movements. Your branches will strengthen, your roots will ground down, and sweat and stress will shower off you like cherry blossom petals. Don't worry, it will still have a digestible pace, broken up into simple sonnets. So by the end, you will feel a cathartic release and won't be able to tell if you did a sweaty Pilatecise class or wrote a haiku.

Excited to make your bodies sweat, smile, bud, bloom, scatter after Mikkaminumanosakura

...I mean could this be a contender for a new business name? Rolls right off the tongue and into a backflip. #mikkaminumanosakura.com

XO,

Celeste