The Medicine Wheel: A metaphor for Growth

A handful of years ago I worked for a program that taught the ‘Medicine Wheel’ to understand life’s cycles and provide direction when needed. The paradigm suggests that we encounter growth cycles daily/weekly/monthly/yearly/over our entire lifespan; they are inevitable, unavoidable, and fit together like nesting dolls.  

This wheel only turns in a clockwise direction; you cannot skip any quadrant, nor go backwards.  Each quadrant represents a cardinal direction, a year’s season, and an emotional state of being.  When you learn how to move through the rhythm of these quadrants, life feels easier and becomes more abundant. 

The EAST is a time of rebirth and new beginnings.  The day begins in the East as the sun rises.  It is a time of clarity and the emergence of new energy.  It is Spring. We are born “new”.

The South is “summer time fun time”; things are in flow, the energy of the East (Spring) has flourished and the time is abundant.  We play like carefree children.  We all love the South!!!

But invariably, something pushes us into the West.  The West is full of angst; it is the time of turmoil, of heavy storms and foreboding weather. It is the time of adolescents, full of doubt and confusion and perhaps grief. In order to return to the East (where clarity and new energy emerge), we have to go through the North.  We cannot bypass this quadrant, and if we refuse to inhabit it, we stay stuck in the West.  

The North is about “adulting” and taking responsibility, even if we don’t want to!! It is about taking responsible action: leaning in and having that hard conversation, studying for that exam, going to bed early vs. going to another party, etc.  

When I find myself “in the West” (upset, confused, exhausted, whatever!!), I ask myself, “what is needed to get back into the East?”  What is the hard thing I have to do?  Sometimes that is “Doing Something I’d Rather Not Do”.  Sometimes it is “Not Doing” (and tolerating the internal discomfort versus rushing in to fix/over-function, etc).  

Sometimes the question is, “how do I know what is needed”? 

If you do find yourself in the West, and need some guidance in navigating the North, reach out!!  

With 20+ years of counseling experience, I can likely help you regain some clarity and “Eastern energy”!