Stephie Laboy . April 26, 2026

From Clutter to Clarity, Chaos to Calm: My Spring Ritual of Kava, Clearing, & Coming Back to Life

For the last ten years, my wellness journey has taught me something I wish someone had told me sooner: healing isn’t a straight line. It’s a spiral. A loop. A cosmic merry-go-round that somehow always brings you back to yourself, especially when the seasons shift.

The Winter Battle

If you’ve ever lived in New England, you know winter isn’t just a season; it’s a personality test. The sun taps out at 4:00 PM, the cold feels personal, and everything in your body starts filing complaints. 

For me, winter is when my fibromyalgia flares, my depression gets louder, and my motivation packs its bags and heads south without leaving a forwarding address. I rest because I have to, but by March, that rest can start to feel like being stuck in a snowglobe someone won’t stop shaking. 

The Great Thaw

And then, one day… a shift happens. 

The temperature hits 55⁰ and above, the sun actually warms my skin instead of mocking me. The birds return like, “Hey girl, you alive?” The trees start budding, and suddenly I feel myself thawing physically, emotionally, and spiritually. It’s like my soul crawls out of hibernation, stretches, cracks its knuckles, and says, “Alright, let’s try this again.”

Grounding Under the Pine (AKA My Backyard Therapy Office)

The moment the weather cooperates, I head straight outside. 

Shoes? Absolutely not. 

My feet need to touch the earth like they’re clocking in for a shift. I need to feel rooted and become one with Mother Earth. 

I sit under my favorite pine tree (my unofficial therapist) and unpack my ritual kit:

-My purple mini steel tongue drum: I’ve realized lately how much sound healing frequencies help me regulate. I play for the birds. They don’t always clap, but I like to think they appreciate the free concert! 

-My Crystal Collection: If I’m going to be barefoot in the yard talking to trees, I might as well go full Earth Priestess. Crystals have such a grounding power. My go-tos right now are Amethyst, Moonstone, Clear Quartz, Black Obsidian, and Labradorite, though my collection is always growing!

-The “Emotional Support Beverage”: My kava (usually Poly Gold Extract or Instant Kava from Herba Releaf) is my ride or die. It dissolves into my coffee, mocha shakes, or homemade teas faster than my willpower at a metaphysical shop clearance sale! A few sips and my nervous system goes from screaming raccoon in a dumpster ‘to ahh, yes, we are calm forest creatures now.’ (Sorry, I’m a pun nerd, I can’t help it!)

Clearing the Stagnance (And the Mystery Drawer)

Once the sun returns, so does my urge to clean—but not in a “Pinterest mom with matching bins” way. It’s more like I’m spiritually evicting the winter energy that’s been squatting in my home and weighing me down. 

Spring cleaning is a ritual. As I clear physical clutter, I’m clearing the emotional dust bunnies winter left behind. Every bag I donate feels like releasing an old version of myself. Every corner I tidy makes space for something new. (And yes, since I collect so many things, it’s basically a treasure hunt. I find stuff I swear I’ve never seen before!)

Inner Gardening: Journaling, Shadow Work, & Oracle Cards

Alongside the physical clearing, I do the inner work. I journal, pull oracle cards, and dive into shadow work prompts that make me say, “Oof, okay Universe –  rude, but fair.”

It hasn’t always been fun, and it’s often messy, but it is healing parts of my past trauma and helping me grow. It’s emotional gardening: pulling the weeds so the good stuff can bloom.

Rising With the Season

Winter made me rest; Spring invites me to rise. This ritual – grounding, kava, cleaning, journaling, and laughing at my own chaos—is how I transition from the heaviness into the light. 

Of course, I’m never alone in this. Bleubell, Ruby, and Willow are always right there supervising like tiny, furry foremen. 

Stay tuned for more adventures as we enter this beautiful season! 

Peace, love, and light always, xo

Stephie L ♡